Nationalism and government effectiveness

Nation-building is believed to have a positive influence on economic and political outcomes, especially in countries with ethnically fragmented populations. Yet nationalism, an indicator of successful nation-building, has been empirically linked to protectionism and intolerance, which suggests that dismal performance is a more likely outcome. This paper empirically identifies an inverted U-shaped relationship between nationalism and government effectiveness. The results suggest that the level of nationalism in the population is higher than optimal in most countries. It is further shown that nationalism may mitigate the negative effects of ethnic heterogeneity in former colonies. We find no clear linkages between nationalism and trade openness.     

Equity with growth in Taiwan: How ‘special’ is the ‘special case’?

This paper reviews some of the major findings of recent research on income distribution in Taiwan, presents some of the policy conclusions which emerge from that analysis, and comments on the possible transferability of the lessons of the Taiwan case to other developing country situations. In particular, the paper treats the question of why the so-called inverse U-shaped or Kuznets effect was apparently avoided in Taiwan during a period 3f unusually rapid growth - as a counter-example to the dominant school of ‘trade-off pessimists’.The issue of transferability is discussed with reference to more ‘typical’ LDC conditions such as those of Colombia and the Philippines - ‘Colphil’. At a more general level, the author considers the relevant differences and similarities between Taiwan and ‘Colphil’ and the extent to which these can or cannot be overcome by policy actions.     

Exploring the antecedents of municipal managers’ attitudes towards citizen participation

Meaningful and representative citizen participation depends greatly on administrators’ attitudes. This study examines antecedents of municipal managers’ attitudes towards citizen participation based on their perceptions of its likely contributions and costs. Using data from two American states – New Jersey and Pennsylvania – the research found that a manager’s professional identity and knowledge of successful peer group practices involving citizens influenced both perceptions. In addition, the research found that institutional factors such as red tape and city council diversity influenced a manager’s perceptions about the cost of citizen involvement. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.