Cultural specific of governance institution-building: the comparative analysis of European experience International Symposium on ‘Belt and Road’ for Think Tank Network” Cooperation in Multi-countries. 24.-11.2017, Harbin, China Georg Sootla professor of public policy, Tallinn University Kersten Kattai lecturer of public administration,Tallinn University advisor of local government policy, Ministry of Finance of Estonia

My research and teaching experiences Public policy-making process Government reforms Local governance (central-local relations) Core executive studies Sootla, Georg (2010) Institutional context of Politico-administrative Systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 3, No. 6 (Sun Yate Sen University, Guangzhou) Sootla, Georg (2009) Responses to the crisis of local autonomy in Estonia: centralization vs. multilevel governance perspective. - Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 3, No. 5

Limits of institutional transfer: Estonian experience Local government policy transfer of split hierarchy in 1990 2000-s – heavy bias toward centralization (2010 report in the Parliament) 1990s – politicized collegial cabinet (UK) 2000s Council of (partisan) ministers

Why institutions vary: components of institutions Social economic and international context Ideas, expectations, strategies Formal institutions (codified rules of game) Political games Interactive discourse Informal rules, interpretations (customs, scripts) Basic presumptions and values

Differences of basic values of different nations (Hofstede) Power distance – how autonomous can be the state or higher authority vs. individual Individualism versus collectivism – I and We societies Masculinity versus feminity – achievement-competition, maximalism vs. caring others, quality of social relations (consensus) Uncertainty avoidance – how much uncertainty vs. formal regulations Pragmatic versus normative – how adaptive are, easiness to change traditions, to save and invest

Differences of basic values of different nations https://www

Images of the state The state as superior which care and punish (Continental Europe) The government as the mediator of conflicting interests (UK, USA), the State is a territory The government as the council of elders seeking consensus – Nordic-Countries, Dutch, Swiss The state as a milk-cow for (family) clan prosperity (Southern Europe)

Power distance Low vs. high hierarchies in administration: high hierarchy (France) vs. nested hierarchy (UK,NPM) vs. devolved hierarchies (as self-organization) (Denmark) Power (France) vs. expert’s (Germany) Elitism versus egalitarianism in distribution of wealth/education (Finland vs.UK)

Individualism vs. collectivism Vertical individualism I should be the best, weaker should quit USA, liberalism 1 - competitive, politicized, procedural, majoritarian Horizontal individualism I should be perfect, must self-realize my better qualities Nordic, liberalism 2 - consensual, substantive democracy, pragmatic solidarity (sense of welfare), complementation as perfections Horizontal collectivism Enjoy community, cooperation is a source of synergy (power) Vertical collectivism Community must be first, sacrifying with individual freedom Conservative, corporatist, inward looking, France, Spain

Legal norms and power Law as an instrument of sovereign will Weber – monopoly for compulsion – Roman-Napoleonic Law as tehnical rule Weber – rational legitimacy – German Napoleonic Laws as convention, agreement (We as the people..) (a) competitive interpretation – courts USA (b) participative rule making-negotiated rules Nordic (Finnish Constitution)

Cultures of Local Governance   Liberal Self-governing Conservative/ clan Concept of power and local government As evil As empowerment As ownership of the best Image of local government As service provision firm As our’s government As trditional community Values Individualism, competition Cooperation, consensus Corporatism, loyalty to community Political purpose Context for taxpayers, preparation of labour force Increase of peoples capacity and quality of life Status quo, lack of interentions from outside

Institutions and institutionalism What are the basis for government institutions? Logic of calculations (optimal chioces) Logic of appropriateness Logic of historical path-dependence Logic of communication

Why institutions vary: structuration of institutions Social economic and international context Ideas, expectations, strategies Formal institutions (codified rules of game) Political games Interactive discourse Informal rules, interpretations (customs, scripts) Basic presumptions and values

Northern Sea Route

Thank you for cooperation! sootlageorg@gmail.com