In 1980s, on the context of globalization and integration of Europe, France started administrative reform on the objective of accessibility, democracy and modernization, which contained adjustment of relations between national government and subnational government, shifting of power pattern in the local political and administrative system, administrative modernization, privatization of public corporation and promotion of citizen participation. These series of separate reform initiatives can be fasten on the keyword: decentralization——decentralization from center to periphery, deconcentrationfrom nation government to ministerial field services, decentralization from state to market and civil society.This paper used the governance theory and reviewed all dimensions of French decentralization reform and concluded that decentralization reforms have dramatically changed the patter of French local governance. The extend of local autonomy, contractual government relations, partnership between government and private, co-operative of government and third sector, the rise of civil participation all indicate the changing of French centralized government system to local governance.
|