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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Politics Of Institutional Reform: Vulnerability And Bureaucratic Independence In Asian Agriculture, Jacob Ricks
The Politics Of Institutional Reform: Vulnerability And Bureaucratic Independence In Asian Agriculture, Jacob Ricks
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Although effective bureaucracies are seen as key for service provision in developing states, we still have limited explanations for their emergence. I argue getting these institutions right is a political, rather than technical, challenge based on a set of theoretical predictions for reform outcomes acknowledging the interaction between a state’s political vulnerability and degree of bureaucratic independence. I apply these predictions to a controlled comparison of irrigation sector reforms in three Asian countries. The results demonstrate that the success of institutional reforms necessary to implement policies is contingent on both the degree of vulnerability experienced as well as the extent …
Street-Level Bureaucrats And Irrigation Policy Reform In Southeast Asia, Jacob I. Ricks
Street-Level Bureaucrats And Irrigation Policy Reform In Southeast Asia, Jacob I. Ricks
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Policy reforms are difficult for developing states, especially when they are meant to improve cooperation and collaboration between private citizens and state officials, such as in the case of education, health care provision, business-state relations, and policing. A large part of this challenge is that the policy reforms required for coproduction of services necessitate development of state capacity in new directions. Using the substantive issue of irrigation reforms, especially those aimed at improving service provision and farmer participation, I identify three lessons for reformers regarding the implementation of policy for the coproduction of services. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Thailand …