The impact of economic growth and good governance on misery index in Iranian economy

Potentially Speaking, Iranian economy is one of the wealthiest one in Middle East and even among other developing countries in the region. In practice, however, mismanagement and bad governance of public sector and some other infrastructural shortcomings have led this economy to its current inefficient situation in which we face with one of the highest misery index, MI, along with one of the lowest economic growth rate in the world. This article is investigating this subject. At, one hand it is analyzing the relationship between misery index, MI, and economic growth in Iran, and at the other hand it studies the impact of governance on MI for 1974–2011 periods. To achieve this goal, vector autoregressive model has been used. We have also used the government effectiveness as a proxy for good governance, which, we think, is meaningful in Iranian case. By using dickey-fuller test the stability of variables, has been examined. We also have applied the Granger causality and Johnson test for considering the convergence among variables. One finding of this paper is that, economic growth has had negative relation with MI. Another result is that there is a significant relationship between type of governance and MI. For instance, during recent administration (2005–2011), we are encountering with the worst good governance indexes, the lowest economic growth, and the highest MI as well.     

Policy processes and police reform: Examining similarities and differences between Scotland and the Netherlands

During 2013 the national governments of both the Netherlands and Scotland have introduced radical reforms which have replaced largely autonomous regional police forces with a national police service. Despite these structural similarities, however, there are important differences in the underlying processes which have shaped these reforms and the broader narratives about policing which have informed public and policy discourses.The purpose of this paper is to understand the underlying dynamics of these police reforms. Following an overview of concepts drawn from the public policy literature regarding policy change, the paper describes in detail the structural changes to policing that have occurred in both countries. These structural changes relate not just to the spatial re-organization of policing but also to the structure of police governance and accountability. The focus then shifts to disentangling key aspects of the decision-making processes which led to the reforms drawing on Kingdon's analysis of policy change and policy formation. The paper concludes with a broader discussion of the similarities and differences in police reform in the two countries, highlighting important issues regarding the significance of political context, debates around localism and policing, and narratives regarding a normative vision of the police role.     

Discourses of Political Policing in Post-patten Northern Ireland

This article critically examines discourses of political policing in contemporary Northern Ireland (NI). Recognising the post-conflict and post-reform climate that policing now occurs within, it argues that these environmental factors have conditioned discourses of policing that are directly tied to how legitimate political opposition to the political status quo in post-Good Friday Agreement (GFA) NI is policed. The article asserts that political policing discourses have taken a new trajectory that departs from traditional ethno-nationalist interpretations of the issue to instead reflect a broader structuralist interpretation of state-police power relations. It concludes with the argument that political policing discourses have evolved to reflect common class-based disillusionment with the post-GFA state across the political divide that sees the matter rooted in police protection of a system of devolved governance that has failed to tackle structural exclusion and socio-economic deprivation.     

Towards a broad understanding of innovation and its importance for innovation policy

This paper considers the changes in the concept of innovation during recent decades and the degree to which such changes have been of significance to innovation policy. We observe that: (1) the notion of innovation in research, statistics, and policy is becoming increasingly broad; (2) while this broader notion is conceptually more adequate for understanding the complexity of innovation activity, it also makes it increasingly difficult to gain a clear, unambiguous picture of innovation activity; (3) policy concepts built upon this extended understanding of innovation are becoming more complex in terms of governance capacities, coordination capabilities, and evidence-based policy formulation. The broad perception of innovation will, in fact, require substantial innovations in political and administrative systems to apply.     

Hybrid governance mechanisms as political instruments: the case of sustainability partnerships

Hybrid governance mechanisms have become one of the most preferred models of governance. Their influence and use have increased slowly but consistently since the end of the Cold War. This article investigates their political dimension, by way of studying United Nations’ partnerships for sustainable development, registered with the commission on sustainable development (CSD). Around 350 sustainability partnerships that promise to solve environmental problems and achieve the MDGs are registered with the CSD. Since their endorsement at the 2002 Johannesburg Summit, various studies assessed their value for environmental governance often finding them ineffective or counter-productive. This article exposes a new set of influences that partnerships have on the practice and discourses of global environmental governance, by following the politics of their emergence, that of partnership building and registration, and their actualization: During their negotiation, various contestations emerged and influenced the resulting partnerships regime; this is studied through in-depth interviews. Secondly, this regime leaves many geographical and participatory lacunas with political effects, which are studied through a large-N database. Finally, the unintended consequences of partnership projects on their issue areas and the discursive changes they cause in environmental governance reveal an otherwise concealed political dimension: The introduction of controversial technologies into the UN platforms.     

E‐government and developing countries: an overview

E‐governance is more than just a government website on the Internet. The strategic objective of e‐governance is to support and simplify governance for all parties; government, citizens and businesses. The use of ICTs can connect all three parties and support processes and activities. In other words, in e‐governance electronic means support and stimulate good governance. Therefore, the objectives of e‐governance are similar to the objectives of good governance. Good governance can be seen as an exercise of economic, political, and administrative authority to better manage affairs of a country at all levels. It is not difficult for people in developed countries to imagine a situation in which all interaction with government can be done through one counter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without waiting in lines. However to achieve this same level of efficiency and flexibility for developing countries is going to be difficult. The experience in developed countries shows that this is possible if governments are willing to decentralize responsibilities and processes, and if they start to use electronic means. This paper is going to examine the legal and infrastructure issues related to e‐governance from the perspective of developing countries. Particularly it will examine how far the developing countries have been successful in providing a legal framework.     

迈向共生型的社会规则交往——善治理念与当代中国社会规则交往模式的更新

任何一个社会中都存在多种规则系统,社会秩序治理的一个重要方面就是这些规则系统之间通过相互交往实现社会的有序化。近代以来中国社会的的规则交往基本上是一种替代型的规则交往,呈现为用法律替代习惯的社会规则交往方式,这种交往方式试图实现一元规则为主导的社会秩序治理。这种规则交往方式在当代中国社会中面临着两个方面的现实危机,善治理念提倡一种参与和共治的思想,基于这种理念,社会规则的交往应当生成一种共生型的规则交往方式,这种方式能够体现善治理念的基本要素,有助于实现善治理念的基本目标。     

从善秩到善治:乡村治理有效的法治逻辑

全面推进乡村振兴,治理有效是基础,而治理有效需要建立在良好的治理秩序基础之上.建构基于法治的乡村治理秩序,是从善秩到善治的关键,其取决于村内部治理秩序和村外部治理秩序的良性运转、协调与平衡.逻辑框架在于:村内部层面,村民依法自治、依法用权维权;村外部层面,政府依法行政,推进治理法治化;协调与平衡层面,良法善治、缘法而治...     

Comparing public discourses in stem cell policy debates

Public policy debates surrounding stem cell research are becoming increasingly more complex as governance considerations move beyond the moral status of human embryos. This complexity is evident in the public discourses surrounding these debates globally. This article draws on the results of an analysis conducted on the media coverage of a recent stem cell policy episode in the United States to demonstrate the complexity of public discourses surrounding stem cell research and to reflect upon similar debates in Australia. Observations made from the public discourses in California are reframed within the Australian context to discuss ways in which future public policy debates surrounding stem cell research may be enriched.     

跨行政区水环境管理立法研究

我国已经进行了许多水环境管理的立法,这些立法在我国的水环境管理中发挥了重要的作用;然而,我国的水环境管理立法也存在许多问题,包括缺乏完整的跨行政区水环境管理的政策、法规体系不健全、管理制度不完善、管理体制不能适应实际管理的需要和对法律的执行缺乏公众监督机制等。解决这些问题,需要改变目前的一些立法原则和制度安排。主要包括:制定全面系统的跨行政区水环境管理的政策;健全跨行政区水环境管理的法律、法规体系;完善跨行政区水环境管理制度;理顺跨行政区的水环境管理体制;建立完善的公众参与机制;转变观念,与时俱进,建立一个真正的良治社会。     

我国食品安全风险规制模式之转型

以食品安全风险规制所涉主体为基点，通过考察行政机关、利害关系人、专家和普通公众四类主体在食品安全风险规制中所承载的不同角色和功能，可以抽象出食品安全风险规制的两种模式。我国传统的食品安全风险规制模式属于自上而下模式，食品安全法的颁布与实施强化了该模式。面对当前我国频繁发生的食品安全事件，自上而下的规制模式在风险议题形成、安全标准制定、风险评估、风险信息沟通和风险管理等方面面临全面挑战。相互合作的规制模式有当代政治法律理论和国外食品安全风险规制经验的支持，有助于在食品安全风险规制所需要的理性与感情、科学与民主之间寻求尽可能的平衡，符合我国食品安全风险规制的现实需要。在规范层面上，该模式的制度框架由核心制度、支持性制度和技术制度构成。     

Pursuits of adaptiveness in the shared rivers of Monsoon Asia

How water should be managed in Monsoon Asia is emerging as one of the core earth system governance challenges. In this article, we explore the politics around pursuits of adaptiveness in water management, emphasizing the major transboundary river basins draining the south and eastern Himalayas. We look at two main functions: storing, diverting and sharing water for periods of scarcity; protecting people and places from destructive floods. We find that the pursuit of adaptiveness will take place partly outside the range of human experience in a context of large differences in exposure and vulnerabilities, disparate interests and unequal power. Anticipatory policies and actions to adapt and improve adaptive capacity to the transboundary impacts of changes in water-use, land-use and climate on water resources and services are still in their infancy; but several problem-framing discourses are emerging that have longer-term implications for water governance. It is not yet clear how these competing policy-frames will evolve in Asia. Much will depend on how systems of water governance develop. Public scrutiny of how governments in Asia plan to adapt to climate change in the water sector—on how risks of not enough and too much water are dealt with—will need to continue to help sort out those projects and strategies which are driven primarily by political benefits from those which actually contribute to building adaptive capacities and maintaining social-ecological resilience.     

Global governance principles for the sustainable development of groundwater resources

A normative framework for the governance of groundwater is emerging at the global level. However, existing analyses have not comprehensively covered all the governance texts that have a bearing on transboundary groundwater resources or looked at them from the perspective of sustainable groundwater governance. Therefore, this paper responds to the questions: What are the global governance texts (including international laws) applicable to groundwater resources; to which forms of the resource do they apply; which principles have been included over time; and what are the implications for sustainable development of groundwater resources now and in the future? The analysis highlights key groundwater concepts, discusses twelve global groundwater governance texts and the thirty principles therein, classifies the principles into ideal–typical categories based on the sustainable development concept; and assesses the gaps and conflicts between the principles and texts. The paper has three key findings. First, groundwater governance is rapidly evolving and there are a number of principles available to promote sustainable development. Second, however, these collective principles do not adequately address (a) the link with all water resources; (b) the potential impact of climate change on water resources; and (c) the impact of trade on equitable sharing of groundwater and protection of groundwater-related ecosystems. Third, to the extent that this collection of principles can contribute to sustainable development, they are inconsistently included in the legally binding groundwater governance texts. Therefore, much progress is needed to ensure a global normative framework that can guide the sustainable governance of groundwater resources.     

‘European Governance’ or Governmentality? The European Commission and the Future of Democratic Government

The word ‘governance’ has become an increasingly central policy motif in the European Union and elsewhere yet its meanings are ambiguous and often poorly understood. This article examines the genealogy of that concept focusing in particular on the European Commission's claim to have developed a new, more open and progressive model of ‘European governance’. The paper is set out in four steps. The first analyses the European Commission's claims for ‘governance’ as a concept integral to its new vision for Europe. The second interrogates some of the conflicting definitions and meanings inherent in the term and examines the highly selective paradigm of governance that has been developed in official Commission discourse. The third addresses two specific areas where the Commission's governance model has been applied: the Green paper on The Future of Parliamentary Democracy and the Open Method of Coordination. The fourth turns to analyse these findings using critical social theory. I conclude that far from laying the grounds for a more inclusive, participatory and democratic political order, the Commission's model to governance represents a form of neoliberal governmentality that is actually undermining democratic government and promoting a politics of exclusion.     

行政“退权”与自治“增权”的尺度考量——转型背景下基层行政与社区自治间逻辑困境的再思考

在我国,基层行政与社区自治之间面临着一定的权力分配与资源整合问题,二者之间从表面上看是两种治理理念与路径的逻辑冲突,实质上则是如何界定行政权与自治权之间可触边界的尺度问题.因此,通过对二者逻辑困境的演绎进行分析,既应正确看待基层行政与社区自治之间在理念上的间隙,理性分析“退权”呼声与“自治”主张,在此基础上合理考量行政“退权”与自治“增权”的操作尺度,以实现基层社会不同治理主体间的良性互动,推进社区治理的不断成熟与完善.     

State Power and Penal Rhetoric: A Historical Analysis of the Prison System in Taiwan

The aim of this study is to present a construction of the history of the prison system in Taiwan in the context of the intertwined structures of penal discourses and the governmentality of the state. The prison system in Taiwan has been subject to different ruling political regimes, ranging from colonised, authoritarian to liberal-democratic systems between 1895 and the present. The history of imprisonment can be divided into six stages, each of which consists of distinct governmental strategies that shape prominent penal discourses. My purpose was to uncover the exercising power of governmentality, further shaping, guiding and affecting the penal discourses via rationalities and technologies upon which prison administration depends.

欠缺行为能力成年人保护的法律重构

本文所述欠缺行为能力成年人的含义与我国民法规定不同,它是指认知和判断能力完全障碍或者有一定的障碍的人,并不以成年精神病人为限。那些除成年精神病人（我国司法解释将其扩展为痴呆病人）外的欠缺意思行为的人,如酗酒成性、吸毒成瘾、不履行任何家庭责任的人,因为其理智判断幼稚,理性程度低下,缺乏控制自己行为能力,社会生活经验很不成熟,对较复杂的行为尚不能预料其应有的后果,不能有效地保护自己和相关家人。因此,法律应给予特别保护。     

从危害防止到风险预防:环境治理的风险转身与制度调适

"危害"和"风险"分别是传统秩序行政与当下风险行政的核心概念,语词之分的背后蕴含着制度应对的实质差异。危害防止强调对确定性损害和可预测危险的预防和阻止,是现代环境法应对的重心;但随着风险社会勃兴,对不确定风险的预防也逐渐成为国家应当承担的基本任务。我国环境立法已经对风险预防有所回应,但仍然存在风险预防法律地位不明、风险治理制度体系不够健全等问题,为此需要以预防原则为接口重塑风险预防在环境立法中的表达方式,以公私合作为基础建立环境风险治理的治理框架,并以程序理性为内核建立环境风险治理的裁量控制机制。     

Multi-level and multi-arena governance: the limits of integration and the possibilities of forum shopping

Global governance occurs through a large number of issue-area regimes that constitute multiple arenas of governance at multiple levels. This paper draws upon established literature from public administration to show that such fragmentation is unavoidable, because it occurs even in governance at the national level. Moreover, while such fragmentation undoubtedly carries with it problems, it also brings advantages, such as redundancy which makes it less likely that blame avoidance will result in issues being overlooked. The existence of multiple arenas also makes possible the phenomenon of ‘forum shopping’, which allows entrepreneurial actors to advance (or block) the development of international agreements. Using primarily examples from environmental governance, but with some comparative examples from other issue areas, this paper reflects upon both the threats and opportunities this reality presents, suggesting that the prevailing fragmentation of governance at once presents not just an obstacle to global governance, but opportunities for improving global governance—opportunities that would not occur if a single regime enjoyed a monopoly on governing capacity.     

Developing Administrative Principles in the EU: A Foundational Model of Legitimacy?

This paper argues that administrative legitimacy has been neglected as having the potential to provide a foundation for the legitimacy of the EU institutions. The development of the administrative law‐type mechanisms within the EU is almost exclusively focused on the activities of the Member States as the main implementers of Union law. This has left an administrative gap at the level of the EU institutions, with little evidence of determinative horizontal administrative principles to be found in either the Treaties or the case‐law of two European courts. Where the courts have acted, they have adopted a sectoral and highly circumscribed approach to the development of administrative norms. The paper examines whether administrative principles can be harnessed as a mechanism for increasing the EU's legitimacy and, if so, how these principles fit with the institutions' approach to the legitimacy question. Post Lisbon, can evidence be found within the Treaties that the administrative route to legitimacy has not been entirely foreclosed? This paper proposes a model of administrative legitimacy for the EU level of administration that provides a foundation for the interconnected concepts of good governance and political legitimacy.