Regulation and Evasion: Street-Vendors in Manila
In: Policy sciences: integrating knowledge and practice to advance human dignity ; the journal of the Society of Policy Scientists, Band 19, Heft 1, S. 61-81
ISSN: 0032-2687
There are various reasons why the gap between policy formulation & policy implementation is especially large in developing countries: ambiguous policy goals, decision making without considering the needs of those affected, low degree of compliance & administrative capacity of implementing agencies, etc. Interest aggregation generally occurs at the enforcement stage only. This means that laws & regulations can be sapped & distorted along the lines of the power constellations of the actors involved. A case study is presented that deals with the regulatory aspects of street-vending in the particular cultural environment of Manila, Philippines, under the Marcos regime. Data are drawn from official statistics & various studies. It is demonstrated that regulations are inspired by Western images of modernization, largely removed from the harsh SE realities of the sector. Moreover, compliance is minimized by cultural values (conflict avoidance, respect of power structures) governing the behavior of lower-level administrative agents & hawkers alike. The overall result is that regulations are purely symbolic & ineffective, nevertheless maintaining a climate of harassment & extortion. A more positive approach toward street-vendors is advocated, combining minimal regulation with measures of encouragement & public assistance. 1 Table. Modified HA