From Tradition To Modernization: The Changes Of Local Governance In UK

Local governance is significant to any country. On one hand, it is used to control localities by country. On the other hand, it assumes the task of providing public services to local inhabitants. Britain is not only the "home of local autonomy", the earliest country accomplishing urbanization and industrialization, but the vanguard of local reforms in 20^th. It has gained lots of experiences and lessons, so research on the local governance in Britain will have special theoretical and realistic meanings for us.The history of local governance in Britain can be traced to Roman's reign. The Britain had not formed a state then. The main participants in local governance included the administrative provinces and cities established by Romans, the rural governments established by British. Cities were the administrative center then. They were granted autonomy and governed by a council composed of local riches. Cities derived economic resources from rural areas so that the latter was politically subjected to the former.After Roman's retreat from Britain in 409, the Anglo-Saxons invaded England on a large scaleand established kingdoms possessing primitive military-democracy. " Shire "—the most importantlocal government came into being in this period, and indicated the transition from the kingship based on the kin and vassalage to the regional kingship based on territory. The main local government system was composed of Shire, hundred and frankpledge. Meanwhile, the undeveloped boroughs and manor courts also began to participate in the local governance.The conquest of England by Normans in 1066 brought Britain into feudal society. In order to strengthen control over locality, the conqueror took two major actions. First, the earls were replaced by sheriff as the local chief. Second, the feudalism was pushed: One fifth of the England was possessed by conqueror, one fourth was given to church, and the remainder to the 180 tenants in chief, and the immediate vassals were required to swear to be allegiant. After that, Richard I sold many boroughs' autonomy to increase royal income so that boroughs developed greatly. Thus, the plural local governance structure came into being including shire-hundreds, manor courts, church courts and boroughs.The Rose War ended in 1485 greatly weakened the noble's strength. The Religion Reform brought the church into the control of monarchy. The Privy Council and Star Chamber reinforced the monarchy further. All of these resulted in the birth of an unprecedented strong absolutism state. In order to control the locality further, the throne appointed rural gentlemen to replace the sheriff whose power was expanding increasingly. In order to relieve the tension caused by vagrancy, the parish was granted functions of relieving the poor and became the grass-roots government in Britain, but its work might be supervised by the county justice of peace. The local governance in this period had changed in three aspects. First, the justice of peace selected from the country gentlemen became the chief of the county, which localized the county. Second, local governments were granted the function of relieving the poor, which signaled the functional transition from political control to providing public services. Third, the manor courts and the ecclesiastic courts declined quickly. The main participants in local governance were simplified greatly.After the glorious revolution in 1688, the constitutional monarchy was established in Britain and the "Night-watchman" state came into being. The title of "Night-watchman" did not only mean the Laissez-faire, but mean that central government let alone local affairs. As a result, local autonomy had grown steadily. The justice of peace became the dictator of local affairs free from central intervention , which even engendered the Boss Rule. With the Reform of 1832 lowering the qualification for electors, local democracy came true. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 set up the Poor Law Commissioners for the administration of poor relief, which not only weakened the power of justice of the peace, but represent a try to provide public services through single—purpose ad hoc authority. The Municipal Corporation Act 1835 provided that borough councils should be elected by taxpayers and consequently established the principle of modern local self-government Thus, county, ad hoc authority and borough composed the main participants in local governance.The economic crisis after 1880 impelled British to reflect on their solutions to poverty and unemployment But it is the parliamentary reform in 1884 and 1885 that solved the problems finally. These reforms not only advanced the franchise greatly, but change the local governance structure. The local government acts of 1888, 1894 and 1899 provided that parish, district and county should set up elected-councils and the modern government system was established formally. Since 1945, the Labor Party in power began to construct the welfare state, and accordingly local government was fashioned into the instrument of welfare state. Meanwhile, with the expansion of local service functions, central government had to increase financial grants to local government and the local autonomy was weakened consequently. In order to improve the ability of providing service, local governments were reorganized on a large scale during 1960-70. To be brief, the characteristics of local governance in welfare state is that the participants has a tendency to simplify, and the functions transformed from political control to providing social welfares.In 1979, Mrs. Thatcher came into power and aspired to solving problems caused by welfare state. Britain entered into the post-welfare state. The conservative reforming plan to local governance included restricting the local expenditure, weakening the functions of local government introducing private sector to provide partial services, flatting the local government tier, and clarifying the finance. The illness of Britain was relieved, while the services enjoyed by citizens were cut down greatly. After 1997, the Blair government initiated the third way reform, and modified the conservative local policies. Its main measures included: decentralize powers, establish regional government to harmonize regional development, advocate the participatory democracy, and introduce mayor directly elected by the people to enhance the administrative efficiency, improve service delivery through the Best Value regime, and establish partnerships between multi-participants. In a word, the characteristic of local governance in post-welfare state is the transformation of service provider from depending mainly on local government to depending on multi-providers.On the whole, local governance in Britain has changed in many aspects. Its main fuction has transited from political control to public services. Its main participant has experienced iterative changes from unitary to multiple. Its way of governance has transited from early local autonomy to centralization, to modern local self-government, then to the multi-participants'collaboration. These changes are not only demanded by the transformation of state's pattern, but also the result of economic and social changes, and promote by the change of people's ideas. Meanwhile, these changes not only complete the development of state's pattern, improve the economic and social conditions, but also advance citizens' status in local governance.