| Abstract [eng] |
Master‘s thesis examines local autonomy in Lithuania in 1990–2015. The scientific problem of the thesis is expressed with these questions: „What are conceptions of local autonomy and particularities of its measuring? What were extent and expression of local autonomy in Lithuania in 1990–2015? What are feasible changes of local autonomy in Lithuania?“ Theoretical part of the thesis reveals and compares conceptions of local autonomy and particularities of its measuring, examines philosophical and sociocultural issues of local government and its autonomy. Summing-up that: 1. Local autonomy is a multidimensional concept. 2. When describing this phenomenon always directly or indirectly arises a dichotomic problem – “how is autonomy theoretically and how it is practically?” 3. There may be three types of local autonomy: political–administrative, financial, subjectful. 4. Local government is highly important for the public governance. It serves as a school not only for politicians, but for all citizens. It implements political socialization, transfers elements of political culture, gives stability and adaptability for the entire political system. 5. Local autonomy should not be considered as an absolute worth. Its extent should comply with the existing level of political and civic culture. Empirical research methods: analysis of legal documents, analysis of scientific and other literature. Analysis of legal documents has been used to reveal extent and expression of local autonomy in Lithuania in 1990–2015. Analysis of scientific and other literature has been used to consider feasible changes of local autonomy in Lithuania. Project’s “Local Autonomy Index” instrument has been applied in the research. Main results of the empirical research: Local autonomy in Lithuania from 1990 to 2015 increased, but few. Mostly due to the tax reforms in 2002, which reduced the financial autonomy. Most other components of autonomy were slowly increasing. This shows that Lithuania’s local government policy is being changed slowly, there is little innovation – while there is still a big potential to increase autonomy – local autonomy index value in 2015 was 23.5 points out of a maximum possible 37 points. Feasible changes have been discussed in the following areas: local government competence division in the legislation; increasing autonomy in the police, decreasing autonomy in the public transport; local government powers on property taxes and on the personal income tax; legitimation and development of local taxes; changing some of the conditional transfers to unconditional; legitimation of municipal bonds; changing civil servants salary coefficients from fixed to interval; various forms of increasing territorial units influence over the entire state governance. Project‘s “Local Autonomy Index” instrument can be considered as an optimally detailed for a wide-period research. Though, it is not enough detailed for a short-period research (especially – with the intention of predicting potential trends of local government development). |
