Publisher's Synopsis
The first book in English to examine local government and authority in Vietnam since the country's reunification in 1975, this volume includes a daring criticism of Party rule at the local level. It addresses four questions: what local institutions and offices have authority to govern; who are the local officials and how do they get their positions; what do local governments do and whose interests do they serve; and what do residents say about local officials and governing institutions? Based on in-depth research, six chapters emphasize particular villages and districts in different parts of the country: one examines a ward in Hanoi, another focuses on Ho Chi Minh City, and one compares leaders in several provinces. To contextualize conditions;today, two chapters analyse local government in Vietnam's long history. The opening chapter synthesizes the findings in this book with those in other studies by researchers inside and outside Vietnam.
