Powiat : koncepcje i polemiki a stan rzeczywisty (1990-2013)

Abstract

Fifteen years have passed since so-called “second phase” of the local government reforms was implemented in Poland. However, a debate concerning legitimacy and range of those reforms has been conducted continually since 1990, both in academic circles, among the local government practitioners and politics. Within 1990-1998 that debate referred to justification for establishing Poviats, fortheir organization and objectives. After Poviats were established in 1998 the tide of discussion did not decrease, as the opponents and supporters ofsuch adminis trative division gained empirical arguments. The cognitive aim ofthis paper is a presentation ofa few academic concepts and ideas, selected by the author, referring to establishing the Polish administrative districts - Poviats, and their organization. These concepts and ideas arose within 1990- 1998. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the discussions conducted within 1991- 1998 in the circles ofthe Council of Ministers and describes the proposals for reforms of Poviats that were presented after they appeared on 1.01.1999. The two main parts of the paper are divided by a paragraph presenting the selected statistical data concerning the Polish Poviats of 1999-2011. The purpose ofthat paragraph, according to the author’s intention, is to constitute a comment on the proposals and projects described herein. Such plan of the content enables the author to accomplish a practical aim of the paper that is the arrangement of a current state of knowledge on the debate on Poviats conducted in academic circles, among the local government practitioners and politics. Besides, the paper indirectly considers the problem of effectiveness of the Poviat local government units in Poland.