African economies, including Nigeria continued to perform poorly despite the adoption of economic policy reforms in the 1980s. An explanation for the failure of economic policy reforms was therefore sought from an institutional perspective. Since active state intervention in the economy was the rationale given for the economic crisis of developing countries, the conventional case for an active state which rested on the need to correct for market failure was counterposed with the argument that the economy was best coordinated by market forces given that the state was not benevolent, omniscient or omnipotent. However, the state has played an important role in the transformation of late developers while a state-market dichotomy takes no account of institutional factors. The widespread adoption of economic policy reforms owed more to an ideological shift in the development paradigm than to the debt crisis and there was a great deal of controversy about the theoretical foundations and impact of these reforms contrary to claims of a consensus. An institutionalist political economy which recognises that the market is not the only institution and that economic transformation requires the positive use of political power was proposed. Such an approach takes account of history, politics and the institutional diversity of capitalism. A more nuanced view of state intervention was therefore advocated. The importance of institutional arrangements in the quest for economic transformation underscored the inadequacy of structural adjustment which was hampered by the lack of price and institutional flexibility as well as other institutional constraints. The Nigerian experience of structural adjustment shows that long term growth prospects were not enhanced and that the reforms tended to favour the financial sector over the real sector. The failure of economic policy reforms in Nigeria can be attributed to the continued presence of constraining institutional factors and the absence of a positive use of political power. / Economics / D. Comm. (Economics)

La réduction importante de l'aide internationale au développement et le processus de mondialisation ont fait en sorte que les investissements étrangers directs (IBD) sont considérés de nos jours comme une source importante de capital et de croissance économique dans un pays d'accueil comme la Serbie. Les IBD sont réputés stimuler la concurrence, l'innovation, l'épargne, la création d'emplois et le développement des ressources humaines dans les pays les plus pauvres et ceux en transition. Les institutions internationales encouragent la promotion des IBD dans tels pays et incitent leurs gouvernements à œuvrer à leur promotion active en tant que localité attrayante pour les obtenir. Il existe aussi un consensus selon lequel les investisseurs étrangers sont attirés par les pays dont le système juridique est stable et prévisible et qui réglemente l'économie selon le modèle d'une économie de marché. Si les réformes juridiques sont incontestablement importantes pour attirer les IBD, notre étude cherche à vérifier quel est le véritable impact du droit interne et des institutions étatiques du pays d'accueil sur l'établissement des entreprises étrangères et sur l'exercice de leur activité économique dans ce pays. Il s'agit de voir de quelle manière la présence des investisseurs étrangers contribue à la consolidation de l'État de droit dans le pays d'accueil. Pour analyser ces questions de plus près, nous avons choisi l'étude de cas de la Serbie, dont le système juridique est en chantier depuis le changement de régime en 2000. Notre hypothèse de travail a supposé que l'instauration de l'État de droit était importante pour l'implantation des investisseurs étrangers dans le pays, car les institutions étatiques et juridiques pourraient offrir des garanties pour le bon déroulement de l'activité économique étrangère. Après avoir étudié le cas de la Serbie, il y a lieu de conclure que la réforme du cadre juridique interne joue un rôle important, mais toutefois non déterminant dans le choix de la localisation d'un investissement étranger. Notre étude montre que la motivation en matière d'investissement ne tient généralement pas compte de la normativité juridique comme facteur à considérer, c'est-à-dire parmi les facteurs définis par la théorie du OLI Paradigm de John Dunning. Toutefois, ce facteur joue un rôle politique par le fait qu'il est véhiculé dans le droit international et dans le discours des organisations internationales. Les investisseurs demeurent également attentifs à la législation pouvant influencer leur propre activité économique. Nos entretiens ont révélé l'existence d'une véritable volonté de la part des investisseurs de favoriser les réformes juridiques du pays d'accueil. Leur perception du cadre juridique favorable au plan économique peut éventuellement jouer un certain rôle dans la transformation de l'État de droit et des institutions juridiques du pays d'accueil. Mais les entrepreneurs n'attendent pas un cadre juridique reformé dans le pays d'accueil pour décider d'y investir. En résumé, l'amélioration des institutions de l'État de droit concerne au premier chef des services sociaux de qualité et des meilleures conditions économiques pour ses citoyens. La promotion des IBD dans le pays ne constitue pas un objectif en soi mais s'inscrit dans la politique d'un État de droit en tant qu'outil indispensable de réformes et constitue un facteur favorable au développement économique. / Foreign direct investments (FDI) are considered an important source of capital and economic growth, due notably to significant restrictions of development aid in poor countries and countries in transition and to globalization. FDI are presumed to stimulate competition, innovation, savings, employment and quality of human resources. International financial institutions encourage governments to promote their countries as an attractive destination to FDI. At the same time, they insist on the fact, in states in transition, that FDI require the respect of the Rule of Law and predictable local legal norms suitable to the market economy. If the reform of law is of crucial importance to attract FDI, our thesis is trying to evaluate and analyze the impact of law and stable state institutions on FDI entry and economic growth in Serbia, our case study. It is also exploring to what extent the presence of the FDI contributes to the consolidation of the Rule of Law in this country. It is studying the legal system that has been put in place in Serbia between 2000 and 2007 and since the change of political regime. Our hypothesis was that the Rule of Law is important for FDI as it offers a good starting point for the increasing of economic activity in the host state. But our conclusion is that the improvement of the local legal system plays an important but not decisive role in localization of foreign investments. The case study shows that investors' motivation to invest is complex and determined by more than one factor. Sometimes, investors are not considering the fragile state of the legal system of the host country to invest. Our thesis confirms Dunning's OLI Paradigm. However, our interviews have revealed that investors can pay special attention to the improvement of legislation that has a specific impact on their own economic activity and may influence the reform of private law in the host state. At the same time, investors do not fear that the deficiencies of local law will have a detrimental impact on their investments. In conclusion, States in transition must be concerned, first of all, by the improvement of social and economic services to their citizens. Therefore, FDI promotion should also be tied to this aim to promote legal reform and economic development in states in transition.

La réduction importante de l'aide internationale au développement et le processus de mondialisation ont fait en sorte que les investissements étrangers directs (IBD) sont considérés de nos jours comme une source importante de capital et de croissance économique dans un pays d'accueil comme la Serbie. Les IBD sont réputés stimuler la concurrence, l'innovation, l'épargne, la création d'emplois et le développement des ressources humaines dans les pays les plus pauvres et ceux en transition. Les institutions internationales encouragent la promotion des IBD dans tels pays et incitent leurs gouvernements à œuvrer à leur promotion active en tant que localité attrayante pour les obtenir. Il existe aussi un consensus selon lequel les investisseurs étrangers sont attirés par les pays dont le système juridique est stable et prévisible et qui réglemente l'économie selon le modèle d'une économie de marché. Si les réformes juridiques sont incontestablement importantes pour attirer les IBD, notre étude cherche à vérifier quel est le véritable impact du droit interne et des institutions étatiques du pays d'accueil sur l'établissement des entreprises étrangères et sur l'exercice de leur activité économique dans ce pays. Il s'agit de voir de quelle manière la présence des investisseurs étrangers contribue à la consolidation de l'État de droit dans le pays d'accueil. Pour analyser ces questions de plus près, nous avons choisi l'étude de cas de la Serbie, dont le système juridique est en chantier depuis le changement de régime en 2000. Notre hypothèse de travail a supposé que l'instauration de l'État de droit était importante pour l'implantation des investisseurs étrangers dans le pays, car les institutions étatiques et juridiques pourraient offrir des garanties pour le bon déroulement de l'activité économique étrangère. Après avoir étudié le cas de la Serbie, il y a lieu de conclure que la réforme du cadre juridique interne joue un rôle important, mais toutefois non déterminant dans le choix de la localisation d'un investissement étranger. Notre étude montre que la motivation en matière d'investissement ne tient généralement pas compte de la normativité juridique comme facteur à considérer, c'est-à-dire parmi les facteurs définis par la théorie du OLI Paradigm de John Dunning. Toutefois, ce facteur joue un rôle politique par le fait qu'il est véhiculé dans le droit international et dans le discours des organisations internationales. Les investisseurs demeurent également attentifs à la législation pouvant influencer leur propre activité économique. Nos entretiens ont révélé l'existence d'une véritable volonté de la part des investisseurs de favoriser les réformes juridiques du pays d'accueil. Leur perception du cadre juridique favorable au plan économique peut éventuellement jouer un certain rôle dans la transformation de l'État de droit et des institutions juridiques du pays d'accueil. Mais les entrepreneurs n'attendent pas un cadre juridique reformé dans le pays d'accueil pour décider d'y investir. En résumé, l'amélioration des institutions de l'État de droit concerne au premier chef des services sociaux de qualité et des meilleures conditions économiques pour ses citoyens. La promotion des IBD dans le pays ne constitue pas un objectif en soi mais s'inscrit dans la politique d'un État de droit en tant qu'outil indispensable de réformes et constitue un facteur favorable au développement économique. / Foreign direct investments (FDI) are considered an important source of capital and economic growth, due notably to significant restrictions of development aid in poor countries and countries in transition and to globalization. FDI are presumed to stimulate competition, innovation, savings, employment and quality of human resources. International financial institutions encourage governments to promote their countries as an attractive destination to FDI. At the same time, they insist on the fact, in states in transition, that FDI require the respect of the Rule of Law and predictable local legal norms suitable to the market economy. If the reform of law is of crucial importance to attract FDI, our thesis is trying to evaluate and analyze the impact of law and stable state institutions on FDI entry and economic growth in Serbia, our case study. It is also exploring to what extent the presence of the FDI contributes to the consolidation of the Rule of Law in this country. It is studying the legal system that has been put in place in Serbia between 2000 and 2007 and since the change of political regime. Our hypothesis was that the Rule of Law is important for FDI as it offers a good starting point for the increasing of economic activity in the host state. But our conclusion is that the improvement of the local legal system plays an important but not decisive role in localization of foreign investments. The case study shows that investors' motivation to invest is complex and determined by more than one factor. Sometimes, investors are not considering the fragile state of the legal system of the host country to invest. Our thesis confirms Dunning's OLI Paradigm. However, our interviews have revealed that investors can pay special attention to the improvement of legislation that has a specific impact on their own economic activity and may influence the reform of private law in the host state. At the same time, investors do not fear that the deficiencies of local law will have a detrimental impact on their investments. In conclusion, States in transition must be concerned, first of all, by the improvement of social and economic services to their citizens. Therefore, FDI promotion should also be tied to this aim to promote legal reform and economic development in states in transition.

African economies, including Nigeria continued to perform poorly despite the adoption of economic policy reforms in the 1980s. An explanation for the failure of economic policy reforms was therefore sought from an institutional perspective. Since active state intervention in the economy was the rationale given for the economic crisis of developing countries, the conventional case for an active state which rested on the need to correct for market failure was counterposed with the argument that the economy was best coordinated by market forces given that the state was not benevolent, omniscient or omnipotent. However, the state has played an important role in the transformation of late developers while a state-market dichotomy takes no account of institutional factors. The widespread adoption of economic policy reforms owed more to an ideological shift in the development paradigm than to the debt crisis and there was a great deal of controversy about the theoretical foundations and impact of these reforms contrary to claims of a consensus. An institutionalist political economy which recognises that the market is not the only institution and that economic transformation requires the positive use of political power was proposed. Such an approach takes account of history, politics and the institutional diversity of capitalism. A more nuanced view of state intervention was therefore advocated. The importance of institutional arrangements in the quest for economic transformation underscored the inadequacy of structural adjustment which was hampered by the lack of price and institutional flexibility as well as other institutional constraints. The Nigerian experience of structural adjustment shows that long term growth prospects were not enhanced and that the reforms tended to favour the financial sector over the real sector. The failure of economic policy reforms in Nigeria can be attributed to the continued presence of constraining institutional factors and the absence of a positive use of political power. / Economics / D. Comm. (Economics)

Depuis plus de trois décennies, l'un des aspects par lequel se manifeste la mondialisation est la mobilité internationale des firmes et des facteurs de production. L'interdépendance croissante des économies, qui résulte de l'expansion des échanges et du développement des mouvements des capitaux, est devenue incontournable. La mondialisation a donné lieu à la promotion du libéralisme économique, et au développement d'un processus mondialisé des activités, dans lesquels les IDE se font une place centrale, dans les politiques de développement des pays d'accueil. Qu'ils soient pays développés ou PED, ces derniers se livrent à une concurrence acerbe, pour l'attractivité des flux d'IDE sur leur territoire. Les FMN ont gagné une place centrale dans ce nouveau schéma. Après avoir suscité la méfiance et l'hostilité des gouvernements des PED, elles sont devenues une composante principale dans la stratégie de développement. Suivant leurs propres préoccupations (gains de productivité, sources d'approvisionnement, etc), les FMN établissent des stratégies dans une perspective internationale, et intègrent dans les activités leur responsabilité sociale et environnementale. Les IDE ont fait l'objet d'une forte controverse sur leurs potentialités à faire profiter les pays d'accueil des « spillovers ». Une inégale répartition des flux d'IDE, amène les PED à mettre en place des politiques d'attractivité ambitieuses (exonérations fiscales, subventions, etc.). L'Algérie a engagé, à l'instar d'autres PED, une série de réformes pour s'inscrire dans une nouvelle logique qui consacre les lois du marché et la libéralisation de l'économie touchant tous les secteurs d'activité. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'évaluer empiriquement les déterminants d'attractivité des IDE dans le modèle algérien, de la conduite de sa politique de promotion et de son évaluation. La qualité des institutions est bel et bien validée comme déterminant central dans la conduite de la politique d'attractivité de l'Algérie. La construction de la matrice d'attractivité a révélé que l'Algérie se place dans le cercle des « pays potentiels », qui pourraient figurer un jour dans la « short-list », à condition d'améliorer certaines composantes de leur attractivité. Des réformes cohérentes restent à faire pour une insertion effective dans l'économie internationale. / For over three decades, one aspect by which manifests globalization is the international mobility of firms and factors of production. Growing interdependence of economies resulting from the expansion of trade and development of capital movements has become unavoidable. Globalization has given rise to the promotion of economic liberalism, and development of a process of global activities in which FDI are central in the development policies of host countries. Whether developed or developing countries, these one are engaged in a bitter competition for FDI attractiveness of flux of FDI in their territory. The MNF has taken a central place in this new scheme. After arousing the suspicion and hostility of the governments of developing countries, they have become a key component in the strategy of development. Following their own concerns (productivity gains, exoneration, etc.), the MNF gone to research an international perspective, and integrate their activities in the social and environmental responsibility. The FDI has been subject of an important controversy over their potential to benefit the host countries of the "spillover". An unequal distribution of FDI, make the developing countries to take up an attractive ambitious policies (tax holidays, subsidies etc.). Algeria has committed, like other developing countries, a series of reforms to be part of a new logic that embodies the laws of the market and liberalization of the economy, affecting all sectors of activity. The objective of this thesis is to empirically assess the determinants of FDI attraction in the Algerian model, the conduct of its promotion policy and its evaluation. Quality of institutions is indeed well validated as a central determinant in the conduct of political attractiveness of Algeria. The construction of the matrix of attractiveness revealed that Algeria is located in the circle of ?potential countries", and that could one day appear in the "short list", provided certain components to improve their attractiveness. Consistent reforms are still needed for effective integration into the international economy.

Electoral systems have an enormous importance on how political power is distributed, on governability and the dynamics of representation of any given democratic society. Political science has traditionally considered electoral systems to be stable institutions and has paid more attention to understand how political parties adapt to the electoral rules than to how “electoral institutions themselves are adapted by political parties” (Benoit 2004). However, given their importance, unveiling the factors that influence the change and the choice of electoral rules is crucial and an increasing number of studies has addressed the issue since the 1990s. <p>This dissertation lies at the crossroads between traditional explanations of the stability of electoral systems and the more recent interpretations of electoral system change. Through three empirical parts, this thesis shows how these literatures are reconcilable and complementary. This study encompasses a comprehensive set of explicative factors at the micro, meso and macro levels that shed light on the incentives and barriers to reform electoral systems. Methodologically, the large-N approach of this thesis goes beyond the usual case studies and small-N analyses that characterize the field of electoral system change. Besides, the consideration of cases of reforms and cases of stability contributes to a better understanding of the determinants of electoral system change. While traditional accounts of electoral system change are predominantly based on political parties’ self-interest, this study demonstrates that the context matters. In this regard, this dissertation has three main findings. <p>Firstly, this study calls into question the body of literature addressing the change of electoral institutions by analyzing the impact of different barriers in the success of reform debates. At the party level, it shows how intraparty division can constitute an important factor to explain institutional inertia. The analysis is based on the responses of Irish Members of Parliament (Teachtaí Dala, or TDs) to a number of survey items designed to measure their evaluations of the current electoral system. The study discusses how the heterogeneity of preferences within parties over this issue may act as a barrier for reform. Besides, at the micro level, it sheds light on the determinants of individuals’ incentives to support reform. Beyond the classical power-seeking motivations, individual legislators also appear to be driven by values and attitudes about the quality of democracy.<p>Secondly, this thesis focuses on institutional contexts. This study analyzes the capacity of institutions to deter reforms using empirical evidence of the occurrence of reforms and the duration of electoral systems in 17 European countries. Drawing on Lijphart’s framework of the patterns of democracy, this research analyzes the extent to which the elements that differentiate between majoritarian and consensus democracies can hinder electoral reforms. On the one hand, it shows the impact of individual institutions on the occurrence of reform and the duration of electoral systems. It demonstrates that higher numbers of veto players, more proportional electoral systems, limited vested interests of the incumbent parties, constitutional rigidity and the existence of judicial review can reduce the likelihood of reform. On the other hand, this study demonstrates that the different combinations of institutional elements provide important explanatory leverage on the duration of electoral systems. In this regard, contrary to what is often assumed, it is shown that the occurrence of electoral reforms is linked to the incumbents’ capacity to develop their preferred policies. Those systems in which power is more concentrated, that is majoritarian systems, appear to be those in which electoral systems reforms are more frequent. <p>Finally, the thesis explores the impact of external shocks on the likelihood of reform. On the basis of an analysis of a dataset of electoral reforms that have been enacted in Europe since 1945, this study demonstrates that economic crises and citizens’ dissatisfaction with democracy are related to the introduction of electoral reforms. However, the mechanism is mediated by the existence of new parties that capitalize on this dissatisfaction and that can threaten the established parties. In these circumstances, restrictive reforms – those that aim at hindering the entry of new parties - are more likely to be introduced, though too late to prevent the entry of these newcomers.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Public Administration & Management / D.P.A.

This study attempts to capture the role and limits of the erstwhile Bophuthatswana state in implementing a set of reforms directed at the contradictions of uneven development, created by itself. This was undertaken on the basis of an internal hegemony perpetrated upon the rural masses, political patronage, and the role of the land-grabbing elite in supporting the regime on the basis of the resilience of its power. The realization that the Bophuthatswana state lacked the legitimacy, politically required to meet the aspirations of the majority of the people, in respect to sustained development on a democratic basis and, owing to a lack of popular support, resulted in a state which suffered from a fiscal, administrative and discontinuity crisis.The agrarian crisis was characterized in its objective and subjective dimensions in terms of sharply uneven development among the rural power base and in terms of massive rural poverty and political tensions. On this basis the study attempted to look at the management and role of general agriculture, extension, state veterinary services, training, and the failure of rural development initiatives within the former Bophuthatswana. The research hypothesis of the study was that efficient and effective management of veterinary services in the erstwhile Bophuthatswana were flawed due to the legitimacy crisis in state power. An urgent need thus exists and existed for a unifying framework that is sufficiently comprehensive to explain the fact of underdevelopment, and yet simple enough to provide a set of guidelines that can and could be more specific in historical, geographical and ideological contexts, in order to serve as a basis for policy formulation and political action in an emerging new South Africa.The hypothesis and research objectives of the study were validated by means of subjecting them to analysis and, in so doing qualitative open-ended interview schedules were utilized. In addition, discussion by the process of interview with personnel within specific organizations in the agricultural sector and other state departments within the administrative services were conducted overtime. In further validating the hypothesis and research objectives, quantitative structured questions were constructed with the study leader and tested with a pilot group. Field work was conducted at selected sites within the erstwhile Bophuthatswana. The collection and use of statistical data made available by government institutions at the time was also utilized. These methodologies lent themselves to validating the hypothesis and research objectives. The research findings highlight the outcomes of the research and verify the assertions made in this study. Amongst others, it was found that the Bophuthatswana state, entered into a fiscal administrative and discontinuity crisis from the very beginning of its so-called independence.Land reform and rural development programmes can be effective mechanisms in the creation of social articulation and mass based democratic regimes and that; this was not possible in the erstwhile Bophuthatswana; owing to a host of factors which were articulated and confirmed in the study.The study confirms that extension and training within agricultural development can play a pivotal role in accommodating change through the effective development of human resources. The study further confirms the view that non-formal education, extension, training and agricultural development must be pursued and coordinated, in the interest of a more acceptable society. Finally, the contradictions of the agrarian question and unequal development, against the equation of food and massive poverty, can only be expected to deepen in this region of South Africa. The study concludes with a host of recommendations for veterinary services reform, and for further research. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Management and Administration)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

The diploma thesis focuses on the experimental and educational reform schools, that have been developed and operated in the 20th and 30th of the 20th century in Czechoslovakia. It shows the political situation in the newly formed Czechoslovakia, as weel as monitors the development of education after 1918. The core of this diploma thesis is in the reform efforts of selected experimental schools. It presents experimental work school in Holešovice, "Dům dětství" in Horní Krnsko and "Dětská farma" of Eduard Štroch. In this part of thesis were the educational devices and objectives of these experimental schools, the organization and progress of teaching described. It also focuses on the selected individuals who were participated in their creation. The thesis analyzes the reform effort, which was followed by reform educators in the 30th, mainly the reform attempt of Václav Příhoda and his unitary educational model.