THE ANALYSIS OF LOCAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA: GAMBIT OR POLITICAL TRICK?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54503/2953-8165-2026.5(1)-8Keywords:
Local autonomy index, municipality, local democracy, public administration reform, decentralization, community, gambit, political trick, enlargementAbstract
The article represents a comprehensive comparative research on administrative reforms in the local self-government system in the Republic of Armenia (RA), European model countries and Georgia. Research shows that reforms remake the logic of local public administration and political system to serve the needs of good governance, to develop better administration.
The aim of current research is to clarify the outcomes of local administrative reforms held in the RA. The research purpose is the following: reforms are often debated as either strategic steps towards improved governance and citizen participation (a gambit) or manipulative maneuvers to consolidate power (a political trick). Due to the creation of new communities and merging the previous smaller ones, the research study analyzes possible policy options in the area of local self-governance of RA. An important aspect of research here is the analysis of political impacts based on the municipal reforms and decentralization.
Another aspect of the research purpose refers to the study on the problem of institutional mechanisms for good governance and administration outside of and within the local public administration system. A number of cases and regulations have been studied, including European and regional, to reveal the functional mechanism and its effectiveness. As a result, the Armenian case study showed that joining international conventions hasn’t guaranteed changes to the local public administration system comprehensively. It is assumed that real reforms will likely have to be within a system.
Findings suggest that “gambit” in the local public administration system, in the case of the RA, should refer to strategic actions and calculations that bridging the gap between state and municipal subsystems.
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