University of Macau / Faculty of Law

The main purpose of this study was to assess the negative external impact of water pollution upon water resources and the users thereof within urban areas.

The main purpose of this study was to assess the negative external impact of water pollution upon water resources and the users thereof within urban areas.

Fear of crime is a social problem on its own, partly independent of crime as actual crime does not fully explain as to why some individuals are more afraid for crime than others. Structuralist perspectives have offered some explanations, largely neglecting the potential importance of institutional perspectives. This thesis aims to study fear of crime from an institutional perspective using the theoretical construct quality of government which seeks to offer a way to measure well-functioning institutions. It is assumed that quality of government has an impact in different ways; through trust and victimisation. To study these research questions, data were drawn from two sources, the European Social Survey (ESS) and Quality of Government EU Regional Data. The sample contained 85,794 individuals nested in 152 regions which were situated in 18 European countries. The empirical analysis consisted of random intercept multilevel modelling. It was found that the quality of government was correlated with fear of crime, where higher levels of the former tended to result in lower levels in the latter. Trust were found to mediate this correlation whereas victimisation interacted with quality of government.

O bem-estar social depende das decisões tomadas pelos gestores públicos. O direito de voto deve ser exercido com a maior racionalidade possível, de tal forma que o interesse coletivo se sobressaia sobre o privado. Para tanto, a sociedade deve absorver a maior quantidade de informação, propiciando não apenas a fiscalização da administração como também a participação na escolha pública. O Índice de Qualidade do Gasto Público representa um método capaz de auxiliar na tomada de decisão. Reflete o retorno social, em termos de indicadores, das despesas per capita realizadas, permitindo estabelecer uma hierarquia das microrregiões e definir referenciais de qualidade do gasto público. Aplicando o referido método para as microrregiões do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, funções Educação e Cultura, Habitação e Urbanismo e Saúde e Saneamento, observa-se a presença de deseconomias de escala, ou seja, o aumento da despesa não gera um retorno proporcional em termos de indicadores sociais, revelando ineficiência na alocação dos recursos públicos. / Social well-being depends on the decisions taken by government administrators. The right to vote should be exercised with the greatest rationality possible, in such as way that public interest outweighs private interests. In order to do so, society must absorb the greatest amount of information, empowering not only the assessment of administration but also participation in government choice. The Government Spending Quality Index represents a method capable of assisting the decision making process. It reflects social return, in terms of indicators, of per capita executed expenses, allowing a hierarchy of micro-regions to be established and references in quality government spending to be defined. Applying the aforementioned method in the micro-regions of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Education and Culture, Habitation and Urbanism, and Health and Sanitation functions, one notes the presence of diseconomies of scale, that is, the increase in spending does not generate a proportional return in terms of social indicators, revealing inefficiency in the allocation of government recourses.

O bem-estar social depende das decisões tomadas pelos gestores públicos. O direito de voto deve ser exercido com a maior racionalidade possível, de tal forma que o interesse coletivo se sobressaia sobre o privado. Para tanto, a sociedade deve absorver a maior quantidade de informação, propiciando não apenas a fiscalização da administração como também a participação na escolha pública. O Índice de Qualidade do Gasto Público representa um método capaz de auxiliar na tomada de decisão. Reflete o retorno social, em termos de indicadores, das despesas per capita realizadas, permitindo estabelecer uma hierarquia das microrregiões e definir referenciais de qualidade do gasto público. Aplicando o referido método para as microrregiões do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, funções Educação e Cultura, Habitação e Urbanismo e Saúde e Saneamento, observa-se a presença de deseconomias de escala, ou seja, o aumento da despesa não gera um retorno proporcional em termos de indicadores sociais, revelando ineficiência na alocação dos recursos públicos. / Social well-being depends on the decisions taken by government administrators. The right to vote should be exercised with the greatest rationality possible, in such as way that public interest outweighs private interests. In order to do so, society must absorb the greatest amount of information, empowering not only the assessment of administration but also participation in government choice. The Government Spending Quality Index represents a method capable of assisting the decision making process. It reflects social return, in terms of indicators, of per capita executed expenses, allowing a hierarchy of micro-regions to be established and references in quality government spending to be defined. Applying the aforementioned method in the micro-regions of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Education and Culture, Habitation and Urbanism, and Health and Sanitation functions, one notes the presence of diseconomies of scale, that is, the increase in spending does not generate a proportional return in terms of social indicators, revealing inefficiency in the allocation of government recourses.

[pt] Este trabalho pretende documentar o efeito de dinastias políticas em resultados socioeconômicos e políticos entre municípios brasileiros. O exercício é relevante para entender as consequências da concentração de poder político na sociedade, bem como para identificar se os efeitos nocivos já documentados nas sucessões familiares de CEOs estão também presentes na política. Com este intuito, a descontinuidade de eleições concorridas é usada como um quase experimento. Os resultados sugerem que sucessões familiares aumentam a probabilidade de o prefeito ser do sexo feminino, diminuem a idade média dos prefeitos e aumentam seu apoio legislativo. Entretanto, dinastias não afetam a escolha de políticas ou o bem-estar. / [en] This thesis aims to document the effect of political dynasties on socioeconomic and political outcomes among Brazilian municipalities. This topic is relevant to understand the consequences of the concentration of power in the society as well as identifying whether harmful effects already documented in the family succession of CEOs are also present in politics. For this purpose, the discontinuity of concurred electoral races is used as a quasiexperiment. The results suggest that family successions increase the probability of electing a woman, decrease the mayor s average age and increase mayors legislative support. However, dynasties do not affect policy choices or welfare.

Groundwater contamination is a growing problem that is receiving increasing attention on the national scene. There is recognition that federal, state, and local, programs for the protection of the nation's groundwater lack coordinated, integrated policy. Consequently, much of the responsibility for groundwater protection in rural areas falls upon local elected officials and public administrators who may be ill equipped to deal with technically c01nplex issues that are becoming increasingly germane and costly for many communities. This dissertation examines a rural county in Virginia (Clarke County) noted for its progressive groundwater protection policies, with the intent of the examination to improve the knowledge base of the dynamics of the groundwater protection process in rural areas. Case study methodology, implementation theory, and ethnographic techniques are used to determine what factors and forces play the greatest role in initiating and influencing groundwater protection outcomes in a rural setting. Answers are suggested for questions such as: (1) why does Clarke County display a different attitude towards groundwater protection than many of its neighbors in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia; (2) how was Clarke County able to initiate and institute groundwater protection plans; and (3) is there a special role for the public administrator in the rural groundwater protection policy process? / Ph. D.

the decades after World War II the United States became the most prosperous nation in the world. Yet, that prosperity and growth had a negative impact on the environmental quality of the nation. By the mid 1960s there was a rise in concern over environmental issues in the American public. Consequently, President Richard M. Nixon in his determination to give the American people what they sought decided to enact policies to bring the environmental crisis to an end. Among the environmental policies of the Nixon Administration was the Clean Air Act of 1970, a highly controversial piece of legislation that placed tough regulations on the automobile industry. Due to the significant role of the auto industry in the American economy, and Nixon's concerns over reelection, there were two major shifts in business/government relations during this era. The first one was characterized by determination to protect the environment with little attention to complaints from the industry. The second one was about protecting the profitability of the industry while giving little attention to environmental problems. / by Erwin Mauricio Escobar. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation presents aspects of the public policy process in South Africa with specific reference to water policy between 1994 and 1999. For the purposes of this research, the definition of water policy coincides with the government's definition as contained in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the Growth, Employment and Redistribution Programme (GEAR), white papers, bills and legislation. Water policy is a broad subject and is approached from a social sciences focus in this study, in that it uses the fulfilment of human needs as a point of departure. Water policy that applied before 1994 was based on water legislation of 1956, as well as some eighty different Acts that were fragmented between a number of institutions. The focus was on water rights, linked to property rights from which the majority of South Africans were excluded. In the implementation of policy attention was mainly paid to engineering achievements. The acknowledgement that water resources are limited in South Africa, as well as in the rest of the world, and the increasing demands on these sources, focused the attention anew on responsible water policy. Since South Africa's transition to an inclusive political democracy in 1994, a variety of far-reaching changes took place with regard to political decision-making and the public policy process. Not only did the policy-making process change, but policy goals, actors, structures and organisations also changed. It is clear that the policy agenda differs significantly from that of the period preceding 1994. In this study, the context within which policy renewal took place in South Africa since 1994, has been presented, and the policy process that new water legislation was subjected to, is described. The role of policy actors and communities - in line with the principles of the Constitution of 1996 that encourage public participation in the democracy - is considered. The implementation of the new water policy could unfortunately not be evaluated as it has only been promulgated a year ago. This study serves as an introduction to a research area which has received little attention thus far and that has potential for further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word aspekte van die openbare beleidproses in Suid-Afrika ondersoek met spesiale verwysing na waterbeleid tussen 1994 en 1999. Waterbeleid is vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie omskryf soos in die regering se HOP, GEAR, witskrifte, wetsontwerpe en wetgewing. Waterbeleid is 'n breë onderwerp wat in hierdie studie vanuit 'n sosiaal wetenskaplike hoek benader is, naamlik dat daar aan basiese menslike behoeftes voldoen moet word. Die waterbeleid wat voor 1994 gegeld het, was gebaseer op die Waterwet van 1956, asook wetgewing wat oor tagtig wette versprei was en deur 'n aantal instellings gefragmenteer is. Die klem het geval op waterregte, gekoppel aan eiendomsregte waarvan die grootste deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking uitgesluit was. Klem is ook gelê op ingenieursprestasies in die uitvoering van beleid. Die besef dat waterbronne wêreldwyd en in Suid-Afrika beperk is met toenemende aansprake wat daarop gemaak word, het opnuut die aandag op verantwoordelike waterbeleid gevestig. Sedert Suid-Afrika se oorgang na 'n inklusiewe politieke demokrasie in 1994 is verskeie verreikende veranderings ten opsigte van politieke besluitneming en die openbare beleidproses ingestel. Nie alleen het die beleidmakingsproses verander nie, maar beleidsdoelwitte, -akteurs, -strukture en -organisasies het ook verander. Kortom, die beleidagenda verskil van die periode voor 1994. In hierdie studie is die konteks van beleidvernuwing in Suid-Afrika na 1994 geskets, en die beleidproses waardeur nuwe waterwetgewing gegaan het, is beskryf. Die rol van beleidakteurs en -gemeenskappe - in lyn met die beginsels van die Grondwet van 1996 wat openbare deelneming aan die demokratiese bestel aanmoedig - is ondersoek. Die implementering van die nuwe waterbeleid kon egter nie geëvalueer word nie, aangesien dit skaars 'n jaar gelede gepromulgeer is. Hierdie studie dien as 'n inleiding tot 'n navorsingsveld wat steeds braak lê met moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing.