A Comparative Study on Local Autonomy Systems in Korea and Bangladesh : Focusing on Decentralization and Local Governance

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This work aims at exploring the decentralisation contextual to two countries, South Korea and Bangladesh with special reference to the institutional setting, fiscal function, the involvement of citizens and the governance of decentralised outcomes. The research findings examine and compare the structure of legal systems of South Korea and find that the country has effective fiscal decentralization and technological advancement in governance, which has supported the development of institutional autonomy of the subnational governments and public participation. On the other hand, Bangladesh, which is tackled in the second part of the thesis, has potential drawbacks of political intervention, fiscal reliance, and weak institutionalisation hindering its decentralization process. The findings show that despite both countries’ focus on improving local governance, their historical, political and socio-economic contexts make their paths to decentralisation different. The paper also recognizes elite capture, regional imbalances, and corruption as problems that are general and gives targets for reform for each nation specifically. South Korean future policy recommendations include decentralising fiscal power to local governments and equalising the allocation of resources, while for Bangladesh policy recommendations include enhancing institutional quality and carrying out capacity building measures, and boosting accountability. According to the study, identification of context sensitive governance measures and citizen led decentralization agenda are important for successful governance reforms. Moreover, future research should driver the decentralization experience of other developing nations and how technology can increase efficiency with local governance.

Keywords: Decentralisation, Local Governance, Institutional Development, Fiscal Autonomy, Public Participation, South Korea, Bangladesh, Political Context, Governance Reform, Comparative Analysis

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CONTENTS OF TABLE V
• CONTENTS OF FIGURES VI
• ABSTRACT VII
• Chapter 1: Introduction 1
• 1.1 Background and Necessity of the Study 1
• 1.2 Purpose and Problem Statement 9
• 1.3 Scope and Methodology 13
• 1.3.1. Research Design 16
• 1.3.2. Data Collection Methods 18
• 1.3.3 Data Analysis Techniques 19
• 1.3.4 Ethical Considerations. 20
• 1.4 Review of Previous Research 20
• 1.4.1. Decentralisation 21
• 1.4.2. Local Governance 26
• 1.4.3. Citizen contribution 29
• 1.4.4. Historical Overview 31
• 1.4.5. Policy Framework and Institutional Structures 37
• 1.4.6. Power Distribution and Decision-Making 41
• 1.4.7. Capacity Building and Resources 42
• 1.4.8. Citizen Participation and Accountability 43
• 1.4.9. Achievements and Challenges 44
• 1.5 Structure of the Paper 46
• Chapter 2: Theoretical Review 46
• 2.1 Concepts of Local Autonomy and Decentralization 46
• 2.1.1 Definition and Types of Local Autonomy 48
• 2.1.2 Types of Decentralization (Political, Administrative, and Financial) 49
• 2.2 Theoretical Framework of Local Governance 51
• 2.2.1 Concepts and Principles of Governance 51
• 2.2.2 Local Governance and Participatory Democracy 52
• 2.3 Establishing a Framework for Comparative Analysis 53
• 2.3.1 Comparative Research Methodology 53
• 2.3.2 Derivation of Analysis Criteria and Variables 54
• Chapter 3: Local Autonomy and Decentralization in Korea 58
• 3.1 Historical Development of Local Autonomy in Korea 58
• 3.2 Administrative and Financial Structure of Local Governments 60
• 3.3 The Process of Decentralization in Korea 63
• 3.4 Current Status and Challenges of Local Governance 66
• 3.5. Summary and Analysis 69
• Chapter 4: Local Autonomy and Decentralization in Bangladesh 71
• 4.1 Historical Background of Local Autonomy in Bangladesh 71
• 4.2 Local Government Structure and Authority 73
• 4.3 Current Status of Decentralization Policies and Systems 76
• 4.3.1. Overview of decentralization in South Korea 76
• 4.3.2. Overview of decentralization in Bangladesh 84
• 4.4 Problems with Local Governance and Efforts for Improvement 93
• 4.5 Summary and Analysis 95
• Chapter 5: Comparative Analysis of Local Autonomy Systems in Korea and Bangladesh 97
• 5.1 Level of Political Decentralization 97
• 5.1.1. Local Election System and Political Representation 97
• 5.1.2. Local Council Powers and Relationship with the Central Governmen . 100
• 5.1.3. Legitimizing Structure and Influence of Local Politics 102
• 5.1.4. Existence and Effectiveness of Participatory Political Systems 103
• 5.1.5. Comprehensive Assessment of Political Decentralization 104
• 5.2 Differences in Decentralization Levels and Institutional Capacity 104
• 5.2.1. Comparison of Legal and Institutional Allocation of Administrative Authority 104
• 5.2.2. Comparison of Policy Decision-Making and Execution Autonomy 105
• 5.2.3. Comparison of Organizational Operations and Personnel Structures .. 108
• 5.2.4. Comparison of Central Government Control and Supervision Structures 109
• 5.2.5. Comprehensive Evaluation and Implications of Administrative
• Decentralization 112
• 5.3 Comparison of Fiscal Decentralization and Fiscal Autonomy 124
• 5.3.1. Local Government Fiscal Authority Structure 124
• 5.3.2. Self-Governing Revenue Ratio (Fiscal Autonomy) 125
• 5.3.3. Local Tax System and Tax Structure 125
• 5.3.4. Local Government Fiscal Management Autonomy 126
• 5.3.5. Fiscal Transparency and Accountability 126
• 5.3.6. Comprehensive Evaluation of Fiscal Decentralization Levels and Implications 127
• 5.4 Comparison of Local Governance Elements 127
• 5.4.1. Comparison of Resident Participation Structures and Systems 127
• 5.4.2. Administrative Transparency and Information Disclosure Level 128
• 5.4.3. Local Government Accountability and Oversight System 129
• 5.4.4. Efficiency and Effectiveness of Administrative Services 130
• 5.4.5. Rule of Law and Rights Protection System 130
• 5.4.6. Equity and Inclusiveness 131
• 5.4.7. Responsiveness and Reflection of Resident Needs 132
• 5.4.8. Consensus Orientation and Civil Society Participation 132
• 5.4.9. Comprehensive Evaluation of Governance Elements 133
• 5.5 Implications from Comparative Analysis 134
• 5.5.1. Implications from Comparing Political Decentralization 134
• 5.5.2. Implications from Comparing Administrative Decentralization 136
• 5.5.3. Implications from Comparing Fiscal Decentralization and Autonomy . 137
• 5.5.4. Implications from Comparing Local Governance Elements 138
• 5.5.5. Implications for the Gap between Institutions and Reality 138
• 5.5.6. General Implications from an International Comparative Perspective 139
• Chapter 6: Conclusion and Policy Recommendations 143
• 6.1 Research Summary 145
• 6.1.1. Level of Political Decentralization 145
• 6.1.2. Differences in Decentralization Levels and Institutional Capacity 148
• 6.1.3. Comparison of Fiscal Decentralization and Fiscal Autonomy 150
• 6.1.4. Comparison of Local Governance Elements 153
• 6.1.5 Implications from Comparative Analysis 154
• 6.1.6 Lessons Learned from South Korea 155
• 6.1.7 Lessons Learned from Bangladesh 158
• 6.2 Policy Implication 161
• 6.3 Research Limitations and Future Tasks 164
• References 166
• Korean Abstract <국문초록> 185