Decentralization. What Level of decentralization within Government Research Paper

Decentralization. What Level of decentralization within Government Institutions Is Needed for a State to Become Democratic - Research Paper Example Private investors and the sector in general may still access some of these services, but non-profit earning and collective goods require funding and delivery by sub-national government units if any of these are to be available. Secondly, research indicates that top down and highly centralized service delivery is cumbersome, expensive, slow, and inflexible to new information, as well as prone to political bias. Third, consistent incapacity and collapse of governments, patterns that are common in education, marketing, and sanitation, highlight the untapped local capacity in taking collective actions and making collective choices. Lastly, past research and studies indicate that for democracy to thrive, it must have foundation in preparatory and local self-governing institutions. Decentralization of power, with emphasis on government institutions, improves the democracy of those institutions. Therefore, the main problem that democracy and decentralization seek address is central state pl anning and centrally administered bureaucracies. According to critiques of central state planning, administrations that adopt this form of administration suffer from potentially destructive and inefficient methods of allocating resourcesii. There are three assertions used to justify these claims. The first argument is that centrally administered bureaucracies lack place and time knowledge in designing and implementing programs and policies that truly reflect the real preferences and needs of the people. Secondly, based on principles of control and command, states differ qualitatively from markets (based on exchange and competition) and voluntary organizations (based on altruistic motivation measures). From these perspectives, states do not have the reach and flexibility to provide some particular services and goods, especially those that require large information. The last argument suggests that inadequate incentives and unchecked authority (highlighted in promotion rules, salaries, hiring, and so forth may encourage rent-seeking behaviors by officials from the governmentiii. The main case for advocating for democratic decentralization is the assertion that a highly decentralized state apparatus will have more exposure, and thus more responsive and sensitive to local aspirations and needs. Proponents argue that decentralization will create a system of governance that will be more accountable and effective to the local population. Decentralization essentially means more than the downward delegation of authority. Essentially, it implies a system of governance where the local citizens have the right to hold local public officials accountable through collective actions, elections, and other democratic means. Different scholars have researched on the topic of decentralization in the past, including Johnson Craig from the Rural Policy and Environment Group Overseas Development Institute, Sheila Rai, an assistant professor at the at University of Rajasthan in India. Others are Camille Cates Barnett from the Research Triangle Institute, Robert Pringle from The Wilson Quarterly, Jonathan Rodden from Comparative Politics, Maria Escobar-Lemmon from Publius, and R. A. Ayee from African Studies Review, among others. The main area of focus for these scholars has been the positive and negative effects of decentralization, especially democratic decentralizationiv. Jonathan Rodden in â€Å"Comparative Federalism and Decentralization: On Meaning and Measurement" and "Fiscal Decentralization and Federalism in Latin America" by Maria Escobar-Lem

Ethical Study Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Study Review - Assignment Example This paper will discuss the scenario given according to the guidelines provided. Objective analysis is paramount in understanding an ethical dilemma. According to the scenario, we are told that the 96-year-old suffers from liver cancer. There are no other complications mentioned in the details. Moreover, one is not able to assert the advancement of the disease. The National Cancer Institute points out that the symptoms associated with liver cancer are unusually severe. Some of the most regular symptoms that are presented by patients who are diagnosed with liver cancer include pain in the upper abdomen, lumps in the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, yellow skin and eyes, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. According to the details given, the 96-year-old patient depicts these symptoms. The second person of interest is the daughter of the patient who is a naturopathic physician. Naturopathic physicians are trained in naturopathy practices that are regarded as traditional approaches to healt h-related issues. The daughter insists that she has the capability of healing her father with some smelly tarry substance. Research shows that chemical poisoning symptoms are similar to those depicted by liver cancer patients. The fact that the patient is in pain can draw several suggestions. Firstly, the daughter’s drugs can be reacting with other treatments; secondly, the daughter could probably be poisoning her father; lastly, since his liver is not functioning appropriately, there is a probability that the patient has an accumulation of toxins in his body. There is an ethical dilemma according to the scenario presented. An ethical dilemma can be defined as a complex circumstance which involves an apparent mental disagreement between moral imperatives. For example, human beings have certain complex relationships that cannot be avoided: If a person tries to murder another individual, therefore, there is a high prospect that the probable murderer is mentally disturbed. There fore, the best method of resolving ethical dilemmas is through the ethical decision making techniques. In most cases, ethical decision making involves five chief steps. They should be in a position to recognize the dilemma as an ethical issue, which requires knowledgeable individuals. Secondly, the individuals involved should be able to gather all the facts that correspond to the ethical dilemma. Thirdly, they should appropriately evaluate some of the optional actions they can employ when addressing the ethical dilemma. The most prevalent approaches to ethical dilemmas include the utilitarian approach, rights-based approach, virtue approach, common good approach, and justice approach. Fourthly, the individuals have the right to test the decision that they have taken, and, lastly, they are able to resolve their ethical dilemma with the decision met. On the contrary, ethical decision-making is not easy, but one can arrive at the right decisions by following these five procedural steps . Moreover, the individuals should not overlook the consequences that might be brought about by resolution of the ethical dilemmas. This ensures that the resolution of the dilemma does not inflict any form of harm to any of the parties involved. In relation to the scenario, the other hospital attendants are seemingly upset, since they think that his daughter is hastening the death of the father. Furthermore, there is no clear license that depicts the