With the rapid development of China's economy, municipal solid waste (MSW) is also increasing rapidly day by day, and the management of MSW has become a more prominent problem in the process of...Show moreWith the rapid development of China's economy, municipal solid waste (MSW) is also increasing rapidly day by day, and the management of MSW has become a more prominent problem in the process of urbanization. How to reduce the generation of garbage, ensure the provision of high-quality services in processing, and realize the reduction, harmlessness and recycling of garbage has become a hot spot of social concern. Public-private partnership (PPP) serves as a bridge connecting the public sector and the private sector. While alleviating the government’s financial burden on the project, it also incorporates the private sector into the public sector and improves the operational efficiency of MSW management projects with the help of the market. Solving the problem of municipal solid waste disposal in the form of public-private partnerships has become a common way all over the world. In China, the form of public-private partnership has set off an upsurge in the field of municipal solid waste treatment as an innovative means in recent years. However, due to the late development and lack of experience, there are still a series of problems in the current PPP mode of MSW management in China. This paper analyzes the current PPP model of MSW management in China and researches the factors that affect its success or failure, which has certain significance for the long-term development of the PPP model. This study takes the PPP MSW project in Wuhan, China as a case study. In order to achieve the purpose of the research, a successful MSW PPP project of Chongqing Tongxin MSW project is added as a comparative case. The main research method is a comparative case study by interviewing project leaders. Two interviews will be conducted. The first interviewee is the person in charge of the MSW project in Chongqing, who is the head of the China region of the private enterprise WTT (Waste Treatment and technologies). The second interviewee is the person in charge of the government's Wuhan MSW project. Thematic analysis will be used to analyze my interview data. Through interviews, data collection, and thematic analysis, six codes most relevant to the research questions were screened out, (1) The level of local economic development of the project, (2) Resident acceptance, (3) Government regulatory ability and experience, (4) Government Administrative risk, (5) Government financial tolerance and risk control ability, (6) Strengths of private enterprise. Then compare the success and failure factors of the PPP model application in Chongqing and Wuhan. Because of the deficiencies in the current PPP mode of MSW in China, the establishment of relevant industry and legal systems is proposed from the four perspectives of the government, private sector, residents, and waste disposal methods. Some opinions and relevant suggestions are put forward for the sustainable development of the MSW management industry.Show less
In 2020, more than one hundred documents were classified in Italy throughout the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. The scope of the following thesis is to contribute to the live debate...Show moreIn 2020, more than one hundred documents were classified in Italy throughout the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. The scope of the following thesis is to contribute to the live debate in intelligence studies, on transparency and secrecy, by proposing a case study on the Italian experience during the first six months of 2020. It will delve specifically into the accountability channel present between the committee for the security of the republic and the prime minister Conte as head of the intelligence services. Results shows the partial capacity of the committee to ensure transparency and legitimacy over the prime minister who, by utilizing national security as a constant justification, severely manipulated the use of state secrecy for his own purposes. Thus, suggestions propose the need to implement a stronger oversight mechanism to ensure a reasonable use of secrecy in times of crisis.Show less
This paper explores the nature of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and its influence on the path to European strategic autonomy, which has increasingly become salient in EU politics in the...Show moreThis paper explores the nature of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and its influence on the path to European strategic autonomy, which has increasingly become salient in EU politics in the past few years. Not only because of military escalation in the East or the instability in the European Neighbourhood with regard to migration, but upheaval in the structures we thought to be invincible as well: America and NATO, and Brexit. Unexpected changes don’t necessarily lead to instability when autonomy is guaranteed. How can this be achieved for the EU? After analysing said influence in four dimensions of European strategic autonomy, the reader is presented with the conclusion that the CSDP has only had a relatively small influence, and many problems with its DNA prevent the Union from taking the steps required to become self-sufficient in an increasingly hostile environment.Show less
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are a salient characteristic observed across democratic systems. Perceived to strengthen citizen representation and improve policy outcomes, as such member...Show moreCivil Society Organizations (CSOs) are a salient characteristic observed across democratic systems. Perceived to strengthen citizen representation and improve policy outcomes, as such member involvement and organisational capacity are key attributes. In order to achieve this role, CSOs must possess the capability to influence decision-making processes. This thesis investigates the realisation of these attributes at the national level of European Union member states through quantitative analysis. The outcomes highlight noteworthy variations across EU member states. In Eastern countries, member involvement emerges as a catalyst for achieving heightened access to decision-making. Conversely, for CSOs in Western and Scandinavian nations, neither member involvement nor organisational capacity significantly corresponds to access within the decision-making realm.Show less
In just over 10 years, the UK, a Western, democratic, industrialised nation has experienced two economic crises that have been unrivalled in the last 100 years of economic history; the 2008...Show moreIn just over 10 years, the UK, a Western, democratic, industrialised nation has experienced two economic crises that have been unrivalled in the last 100 years of economic history; the 2008 Financial Crisis and the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. The 2008 financial crisis is often discussed in terms of the extremity of its impact on the British economy, specifically in its status of inflicting the largest accumulative financial loss since the Post-War period. This is an accolade it has held until the crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Both crises were unexpected and far-reaching in their consequences, resulting in the British Government introducing unparalleled policies to protect the health of its population and economy. This thesis seeks to explore welfare policy responses to economic crises in the United Kingdom. An extensive literature review is presented, covering the present academic discussion around welfare and crisis management. This thesis uses a most-similar research design to compare two crisis situations in the same country, to assess the success of the policies based on the two measurements of generosity and coverage. The focus will be on the design, implementation and outcome of the reactive employment policies in two distinct cases.Show less
Abstract Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to create and provide empirical data on the socio-demographic background of the top administrative elite in the Netherlands, the Top...Show moreAbstract Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to create and provide empirical data on the socio-demographic background of the top administrative elite in the Netherlands, the Top Management Group of the Algemene Bestuursdienst. It furthermore seeks to connect elite studies literature to a public administration context. Methods: The thesis is based on a data set primarily constructed using LinkedIn data and data provided by the Algemene Bestuursdienst at times of new appointments. The thesis uses descriptive statistics to analyze some of its findings. Results: The thesis finds that in doing research on elites, discussing context is crucial. On the Top Management Group of the Algemene Bestuursdienst it finds that the people who occupy the top functions within the Algemene Bestuursdienst have a largely varying profile regarding their educational background. Most civil service elites grew their career inside the civil service. Data on whether elites were sticky was inconclusive as variances and standard deviations were too big relative to their respective mean.Show less
This thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action...Show moreThis thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action theory are pushed further than before. Collective action theory from a historical perspective is used to investigate the scope of regime complexity intergovernmental organizations experience and the development of state membership of intergovernmental organizations.Show less
Crowdsourcing has gained attention in every realm, including the public sector, which got interested in how the participatory tool can increase public values, especially with the interactive...Show moreCrowdsourcing has gained attention in every realm, including the public sector, which got interested in how the participatory tool can increase public values, especially with the interactive potential of digital platforms. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of implementing the crowdsourcing process, but not much focus is on the outcomes. Moreover, with the increase in evidence-based policymaking, a few studies have been conducted on the impact of crowdsourcing data. This thesis intends to answer the question of how crowdsourcing outcomes can impact decision-making. The case of Frena La Curva (FLC) in Spain during Covid- 19 was studied, which has positively impacted the policy-making process. The approach of this thesis is qualitative, using semi-structured interviews to delve into the experiences of public employees and volunteers involved in the platform. The results show benefits for the public administration in implementing crowdsourcing. The significant benefits that crowdsourcing can apport to the decision- making process are the openness of participation, speedy action by the public administration, and the re- calibration of the policy tools. The technological infrastructure of FLC has allowed to gather an enormous number of outcomes which allowed policymakers to make swifter decisions in some cases. However, the technological dependency on crowdsourcing represents a challenge for the public sector, which might want to cooperate with the private sector. Moreover, depending on the nature of the evidence, crowdsourcing can have a different impact on tool calibration and tool changes in the policy process. The situation of the crisis has also had an effect on the emergence of FLC, which was favored by the pandemic. The contribution of this study is essential as it sparks light on a field that has been investigated less. Further research may investigate the replicability of the case of FLC as well as test the impact of outcomes in other crowdsourcing initiatives.Show less
