MA Political Science 4 th Semester LGP 403

MA Political Science 4 th Semester

LGP 403 B Topic 7

Dual State Thesis The Localist View (. . contd)

Keywords • Local state • Dual state • Social Investments • Social Consumption • Social Production

Dual State Thesis • Dual State Thesis is another extension of localism • It also builds on Marxist approach • It carries forward the line of discussion started in the Local State Thesis

Background • Cockburn’s Local State Thesis failed to throw sufficient light on the specificities of local government • Saunders steps in to fill the gap, with his Dual State Thesis • Another theorist was Cawson

Works of Saunders • Still, Saunders was the chief theorist of the Dual State Thesis. His works: - (1982) "Why study central-local relations? " Local Government Studies, Vol. 8(2), pp. 55 - 66. - (1984) "Rethinking Local Politics", M. Boddy and C. Fudge (eds), Local Socialism, London: Macmillan.

Central Local Relations • No “single perspective” on relationship • There are two broad dimensions - Horizontal - Vertical central-local

Horizontal dimensions • Horizontally, between various functions: - It entails policy typologies - Policy typologies mean various types of policies - Socio-economic policies mean the way government views the society

Vertical dimensions • Vertically, between the central and local governments • Saunders apply both pluralist and Marxist theories • Marxism analyses society from the view of class • Pluralism envisages the existence of various interests and identities in society

Dual Sate Theory: 3 Stages • Typologies of Sate Functions • Functional dualism to Institutional dualism • Modes of interest mediation & decision making

(1) Typologies of State Functions • Social expenses • Social investment • Social consumption

Social expenses • Policies necessary for maintaining social order • Social order indicates: - The present order of society must be maintained - Changes should be gradual and incremental, not revolutionary - This require appropriate Policies

Social investment • In most countries, it is the State that makes maximum investment for social welfare • Private sector is neither willing; and in most cases, nor capable of making huge investment after social welfare • Hence the state must make investments for social welfare

Social consumption • Social consumption has dual effects • On one hand, it makes necessary goods and luxury items available to people • On the other hand, it keeps market society and production system rolling • Appropriate social investments, backed by sound social policies may optimise social consumption

(2) Functional Institutional Dualism • Functions imply the ways & means for things to be done • Institutions mean systems of rules & procedures • Assign different state functions to different tiers of government

(. . contd) Functional-Institutional Dualism • Central government makes the social investment • Local government does the social consumption • The latter is thus constrained by the former • State takes care of this ideological inconsistency

Interest Mediation & Decision Making • At central level, the struggle between capital and labour is quite apparent • However, class conflict cannot be seen at local levels, dominated by the politics of consumption

Specificity of the Local State • The Local State is different from the centre: - Organisational: different levels of government - Functional: areas of state intervention - Political: modes of interest mediation - Ideological: principles of social & political organisation

Organisational Constraints on Local Government • Centralised direction vs Local self-direction - Social investments determine the social consumptions - Yet, production is dependent on consumption

Political Constraints on Local Government • Local governments are closer to people than the central government • Hence they are directly accountable to people • Being accountable, in this context means answerable • Accountability at local level is curtailed by the centre’s corporatist strategy

Ideological Constraints on Local Government • In capitalist society, the ideologies of private property are primary • Ideologies of social need are secondary • Yet, social needs are key to human well-being • Local governments, who take care of social needs, are subordinate to the ideologies of capital at the centre

Functional Constraints on Local Government • All these affect the functional dimensions: - Dominance of investment over consumption - Corporatism over democracy - Profit over need These sum up the functional constraints

Criticisms: too theoretical • It is often criticised for presenting a rather idealtype scheme • All societies are not the same • Hence, one theoretical scheme cannot be applied to every social context

Criticisms: too generalised • Many government activities tend to overlap • Hence, a tight compartmentalising is clearly problematic • For example, transport is both investment & consumption • The same applies to education

Criticisms: too sketchy • Can investment & consumption be tagged with particular tiers of government? • Local government also makes social investments & expenses • Central government also promotes social consumption, such as monetary transfers

Assessment • Still, theory has made several significant contributions: - It highlights the broader context of local state - Incorporates the social roots of government policies - Informs about decision-making mode

Suggested Readings • Lee, Jong Soo – “Analysing Policy Variations in Local Government”, in: http: //etheses. whiterose. ac. uk/3567/ • Patrick Dunleavy & Brendon O’Leary – Theories of the Sate

Thank You Stay Well, Stay Safe