News from Governance December 16, 2014
An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions

Co-Editors  Alasdair S. Roberts and Robert H. Cox  Book Review Editor  Clay Wescott 
Fighting corruption: You need pressure from below

 

The southern Caucasus, Tanja B�rzel and Vera van H�llen write in the current issue of Governance, is "one of the most corrupt regions in the world."  And European Union anticorruption programs have had mixed effects: some success in Georgia, but none in Armenia and Azerbaijan.  What accounts for the difference?  "One factor," B�rzel and van H�llen argue, "legitimacy."  In Georgia, societal outrage against corruption meant that there was pressure on political elites to take anticorruption measures seriously.  EU initiatives failed when they were not accompanied by "pressure from below."  Read the article.
Special issue launched at German Foreign Office

The articles featured in this newsletter are part of a special issue on governance in areas of limited statehood organized by Thomas Risse and Stephen Krasner.  The special issue was featured in a discussion at the German Foreign Office on December 8.  Learn more about the special issue here.
Can transnational P3's deliver basic services?
 
Transnational public-private partnerships are transboundary alliances between public and private actors that are aimed at providing food, sanitation and water in countries like Bangladesh, India and Kenya.  In the current issue of Governance, Marianne Beisheim, Andrea Liese, Hannah Janetschek and Johanna Sarre examine when these partnerships will work.  Emphasizing community participation helps to build legitimacy, which increases the likelihood of success.  Effective projects also allow room for tailoring of projects to local needs.  Close monitoring is critical as well.  Read the article.
How task complexity affects project success
 
When can external actors intervene to improve public health in areas of limited statehood?  In the current issue of Governance, Marco Sch�ferhoff argues that task complexity plays a critical role in determining the prospects for success.  Sch�ferhoff examines the work of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in different regions of Somalia.  Simple but important tasks, such as malaria prevention and tuberculosis treatment, could be accomplished even in areas where state authority has long been absent.  But the likelihood of success in such regions declined substantially for more complex tasks, such as AIDS treatment, that require many interventions by a number of entities.  Read the article.
Launch of special issue on IMF and financial crisis
The April 2015 issue of Governance will examine how the financial crisis affected policy and practice within the International Monetary Fund.  Preview the special issue here.  The Pardee School for Global Studies at Boston University held a lunch discussion about the special issue on November 20.  The special issue was organized by Cornel Ban (left) and Kevin Gallagher (right).  More about the November 20 discussion here.
New book by SOG author: Organizing for coordination

 

SOG member Per Laegreid is one of the editors of Organizing for Coordination in the Public Sector, just published by Palgrave Macmillan.  Details about the book.  "This important collection is comprised of 20 European case studies; it offers valuable insights into public sector coordination and points to important lessons for devising and implementing new coordination instruments."

SOG is the IPSA Research Committee on the Structure and Organization of Government.  It is the academic sponsor of Governance.  SOG members can have new books featured in this newsletter.  Join SOG for $31 | �23 | €32.