Decentralization of Power and of Decision-Making - an Institutional Driver for Systems Change to Democracy

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

Regarding processes of system change towards democracy, rule of law and market economy from a comparative point of view, the decentralization of political institutions and of managing public affairs is one important system goal. Based on German experience in two times of transformation (1945/49 and 1989/90), the article reflects on the usefulness of transferring these (meanwhile historic) experiences as a specific "lesson" to the Korean peninsula. Our conclusion is threefold: First, a reform of the political system should combine a maintaining vertical hierarchy acting top down with local autonomy with either a strong or a weak set of responsibility. Second, an elite circulation of small size which incorporates cooperative parts of old elites seems to be useful; thereby risks of obstruction can be neutralized and local rationalities can be unlocked in situations of transition crises. Third, local self-government serves not only as a "driver" of democratization but also for optimizing people`s demands of functional execution of public services.

Object Details

• Alternative title: Dezentralisierung von Macht und Entscheidungsfindung - ein institutioneller Treiber für Systemwechsel zur Demokratie
• ISSN: 0172-6404
• Extent: Seite(n): 281-298
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Historical Social Research, 41(3)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Staatsformen und Regierungssysteme ; Geschichte ; Staat, staatliche Organisationsformen ; Sozialgeschichte, historische Sozialforschung ; Föderalismus ; Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; politisches System ; alte Bundesländer ; politische Elite ; Transformation ; neue Bundesländer ; Systemveränderung ; politische Entscheidung ; DDR ; internationaler Vergleich ; Demokratisierung ; Entscheidungsfindung ; Dezentralisation

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Holtmann, Everhard ; Rademacher, Christian
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Deutschland
• (when): 2016

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.41.2016.3.281-298
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-48805-7
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST