The Necessity of Self-government

Введение

В данных методических рекомендациях для специальности государственное и муниципальное управление (заочная форма обучения) представлены несколько разделов, необходимых для усвоения материалов по дисциплине «Иностранный язык в профессиональной сфере».

В учебную программу студента входит реферирование аутентичных текстов по теме специальности, составление индивидуального профессионального словаря. В данном методическом пособии в качестве аутентичного материала используется «A Practical Guide to Building Local Government. The Polish Experience», автор данного руководства Ежи Регульски (Jerzy Regulski). Автор имеет огромный опыт по внедрению реформ по местному самоуправлению в странах Юго-Восточной Европы и Центральной Азии. Данное руководство имеет ценную профессиональную информацию будущим, а также настоящим государственным служащим.

Второй раздел рекомендаций посвящен грамматическим вопросам, приведен ряд упражнений, а в конце дана контрольная работа.

Выполнение всех заданий данного пособия обязательно для выставления зачета (3 семестр) и экзамена (4 семестр).

Часть 1. Чтение, Письмо и словарный запас.

Чтение

Text № 1. Read and translate.

Introduction

Self-governance is the foundation of every democratic state. Its construction is essential to both the development of the state and its population’s exercise of their civil rights.

Building a self-governance system is inevitable. But reforms are very difficult. The changes they bring about impact almost every aspect of public life and are felt throughout the entire country. Hundreds of thousands of people take part in their implementation and the entire population will feel their effects.

Poland was the first post-communist country in which self-government was rebuilt.

Today, with the perspective and experience of the last twenty years, it is possible to make some assessments and conclusions. I personally took part in the implementation of these reforms and wondered if there had been a better way to achieve them. Is it possible to avoid some common mistakes and achieve greater success? The fruit of these reflections is this guide to the Polish experience: How to do the reform? It is not enough to know what you want to achieve. You have to know how to achieve it. I hope that readers of this book will be able to find the answer to that question.

This guidebook is divided into three parts.

• In the first part, some general remarks and recommendations are presented. Self-governance reform is not a simple, technical procedure of repairing minor fragments of administration. It is a comprehensive rebuilding of the political and administrative establishment, which greatly influences the development of society as well as the economy. This is often overlooked.

• The second part deals solely with the implementation of reforms. Tasks are assigned to the various actors in the political sphere, in the legislature, in central and local administrations, as well as in nonprofit, professional, and research organizations. Every step of the reform’s implementation is different, yet together they form a coherent and mutually determined whole. No step can be omitted.

• The third part is devoted to foreign assistance, a crucial element. But foreign assistance must be managed according to certain guidelines in order for it to be effective. These guidelines are presented in this final section.

Obviously, certain situations may require different solutions. Therefore, the assigned tasks in this guidebook should be seen as suggestions and recommendations rather than directives.

The nature of this book requires a considerably abbreviated text, therefore much analysis and substantiation has been eliminated. In order for the text not to suffer as a result, I have included examples of my experiences and reflections, some of which are very personal. It should be understood that most of these examples are related to reforms in Poland.

With this work I hope to slightly ease the great labor of building local self-government, and I wish my readers success with this endeavor, which is so important to all of us.

Jerzy Regulski

Answer the questions:

1. What is self-governance?

2. How many people take part in implementation of reforms?

3. How many parts are there in the guide book?

4. What is the first part about?

5. What is the second part about?

6. What is the third part about?

7. Who can be interested in this guidebook?

Text № 2. Read and translate.

The Necessity of Self-government

The transformation of an authoritarian state into a democratic state is not simply about establishing free elections. It requires a comprehensive rebuilding of the entire state system, including the method of governing public affairs and the participation of citizens in public life.

In authoritarian governments, such as those of communist states, the state and its administrative apparatus serve not only to govern but also to control citizens and to force them into behaviors mandated by the political authorities. In a democratic nation, in contrast, citizens are expected to understand the state to be basically good, because its very purpose and reason for existence is to create conditions for the unrestricted development of its citizens. The state is understood to be subsidiary in relationship to its citizens, as opposed to that of a superior entity. So in the move from an authoritarian to a democratic state, far-reaching administrative reforms must be enacted; indeed, they are imperative because their realization is a condition for building democracy.

The organization of a democratic state must facilitate the participation of citizens in the wielding of power. The central administration should deal with issues that individual people or social groups cannot solve themselves. However, local authorities, which ought to be composed of community representatives, should assume responsibility over as many affairs as possible. This means that one of the most fundamental tasks during the state’s transformation is its decentralization and the expansion of local self-government.

Although it may take many forms, local democracy is the basis for every democratic state.

The decentralization of the state and the rebuilding of self-government have critical significance for the development of international cooperation. The foundation of this cooperation is mutual trust between states, and this trust can only exist between stable countries, the actions of which can be anticipated. These conditions can only be met in those democratic states where citizens can have an influence on their politics.

Authoritarian establishments, based on unchecked superior power, cannot guarantee this stability and pose a constant threat to other nations. In the Council of Europe, democratic security is seen as the third pillar after economic and military security, guaranteeing security of life and development. People need political stability in their countries. This final pillar is precisely what can assure a democratic establishment. Supporting the development of democratic security, even though different terminology is often used, is the foundation of international collaboration, the fundamentals of which are aid programs.

In order for citizens to take full advantage of the opportunities of a democratic establishment, they have to become active participants in society. They need to form a civic society capable of defining its needs and participating in fulfilling them, while at the same time cultivating an awareness that individuals will be held responsible for their decisions and actions.

The rebuilding of the state’s systems is a difficult process; changes affect practically all aspects of social and economic life, and people are by nature threatened and skeptical of changes. Many groups are against any reforms that might threaten their political and economic power, even to the smallest degree. As a result, some politicians fear decentralization when it limits the possibility of direct intervention in administrative and economic affairs. Many arguments are used to discourage any changes. The most popular argument is that society is not mature enough for self-government and the people are not asking for changes. These arguments are fallacious and are a result of a fear of change.

The development of a country depends above all else on the people’s activities. The role of politicians is to facilitate and support the people in their initiatives. The power of the state depends on the successes of its citizens, who readily give their support when their quality of life has improved.

Local authorities, who should represent the interests of local society, have an essential role to fulfill here. The transition of a state and society from an authoritarian to a democratic establishment is a long, involved, and complicated process, one that must encompass transforming the state’s system and administration as well as the evolution of society and its norms and mores. Both processes must take place concurrently and be involved with one another. Reforms need to be well prepared and executed. You cannot run from their realization. Building self-government is a demand of historical significance.

Answer the questions:

1. What does a transformation of an authoritarian state into a democratic state require?

2. What is the foundation of the international cooperation?

3. What does the development of a country depend on?

4. What is the function of a civic society?

5. What does the power of the state depend on?

Text № 3. Read and translate.