Under-development in practice: Nigeria and the enduring problem of corruption

Nigeria's abundant natural resource endowments should earn the country's bragging rights as the “Giant of Africa”. Instead, 52 years of corrupt practices among the often recycled ruling elites in post-independence Nigeria have crippled this giant and turned what should be one of the country's strongest assets – its vast oil wealth – into a curse. This article critically examines the concerns for corruption as an enduring obstacle to Nigeria's development writ large. After providing a historical trajectory of corrupt practices in Nigeria from the mid-1980s to the present, it discusses some of the recent corruption scandals in the country, in particular the issues surrounding the US$6.8 billion that was drained from Nigeria between 2009 and 2012 in the fuel subsidy scam. The conclusion makes a case for the reworking of a pervasive system in Nigeria that “pardons” corruption and “recycles” corrupt rulers.     

Religion and attitudes towards corruption in India: a collective action problem?

This paper argues that religion influences the ways that people think and speak about corruption, typically leading to condemnation. However, it is also argued that, in a systemically corrupt country, such condemnation is unlikely to influence actual corrupt behaviour. Based on fieldwork in India, the paper finds that existing anti-corruption policies based on a principal-agent understanding of corruption, even if they incorporate religious organisations and leaders, are unlikely to work, partly because people consider “religion” to be a discredited entity. Instead, the paper argues that if corruption were to be seen as a collective action problem, anti-corruption practice would need significant rethinking. Despite its current lack of influence, revised policies and practices may see a role for religion.     

依法治理视域下人民调解发展向度探析

面对我国社会转型期各种社会矛盾和民间纠纷高发频发多发的态势,需要在推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化这一深化改革的总目标下,充分认识人民调解具有的社会治理属性,在依法治国要求下更加重视和加强人民调解工作,拓展职责内涵,强化法治思维,完善制度保障,更好地发挥其在国家治理体系中作为社会矛盾化解器的重要基础性作用。     

国家治理体系现代化视域下的行政组织立法

国家治理体系的主体包括中国共产党、国家机关、社会组织和公民,行政组织是主要的主体,而中国共产党是国家治理的领导力量。国家治理体系的现代化,政府现化代是关键,法治化是保障。在治理视域下,行政组织法不再仅是政府内部的结构法,而是包括协调党政群关系、体现共同治理的治理主体法。从优化组织结构,体现党政群协调共治出发,积极回应国家治理现化化对行政组织的要求,通过行政组织立法明确行政组织的职权范围,将中央与地方的关系、部门和地方间的横向协作关系法律化,确立社会组织的行政主体地位,为党委领导、政府负责、社会协同、全民参与的治理体系提供法治保障。     

粤港澳大湾区跨区域基础设施协调制度的构建与完善--基于港珠澳大桥和欧盟TEN-T项目的比较

跨区域基础设施项目的建设、运营和管理是区域治理的重要内容之一,往往面临集体行动困境。因此,需要建立区域治理的协调制度来协调多元治理主体、项目建设和不同利益群体这三个层面来克服集体行动困境,共同提供跨区域的公共产品和服务。欧盟和粤港澳大湾区在各自的跨区域基础设施项目中建立起了各具特色的区域协调制度。未来粤港澳大湾区跨区域基础设施的治理可以借鉴欧盟的经验,在法治化的框架下实施区域协调;完善中央层面、区域层面和地方层面的多元治理主体间的权能分配制度;区域协调机构应着重提升"跨区域"的公共利益;扩大区域治理的协调范围,创新公众参与机制。     

Modelling trust and contractual arrangements in a local economy

This article investigates trust among dairy value-chain actors to understand the innovative process in a local productive sector in Tunisia. It uses a sample of 45 smallholder farmers chosen randomly nearby existing collection centres in the region. A trust variable is constructed employing 11 ordinal variables based on principal component analysis, and institutional arrangements then modelled to examine the effect of trust on contracting decisions and cooperative membership. The results show that trust is defined by values such as “integrity”, “competence”, and “existence of credible information”, which are preconditions to sustainable contracts. The article contributes to the growing literature which considers social capital, networking and trust as determinants of farmer’s behaviour, as opposed to the classical model of rationality.     

城镇化过程中农民家庭离散及治理研究——一个村庄的微观透视

家庭是社会的基石,农民家庭的稳定与幸福对于城镇化发展具有举足轻重的作用。改革开放40多年来,城镇化给城乡人民生活带来了巨大变化,也带来了新的挑战和困难。乡城流动过程中农民家庭发生异化,家庭成员或留或流,家庭处于离散状态。家庭离散虽然始于家庭,但要解决家庭离散问题,必须从制度入手,通过改变制度环境、实施制度关怀、实现多元合作治理,结束农民家庭的异态生存方式,给予其自由的迁移权。这不仅有利于实现农民家庭的体面劳动和幸福生活,而且也能为实现未来经济社会持续、稳定发展提供有力保障。     

“完善‘一国两制’制度体系,落实‘爱国者治港’根本原则”专题研讨会综述

全国港澳研究会于2021年2月在北京举办"完善‘一国两制’制度体系,落实‘爱国者治港’根本原则"专题研讨会。夏宝龙同志在讲话中表示,习近平总书记关于"爱国者治港"的重要论述,是对香港回归以来"一国两制"实践经验的高度提炼,是对"一国两制"实践规律的深刻揭示,为推动"一国两制"实践行稳致远、保持香港长治久安指明了方向。"爱国者治港"是"一国两制"方针的核心要义,是推进"一国两制"事业的时代呼唤,要坚持"爱国者治港"的客观标准和要求,对相关制度进行完善。与会专家学者表示,"爱国者治港"是在香港特别行政区维护国家主权、安全、发展利益的重要前提。香港现行选举制度还不能为全面落实"爱国者治港"原则提供坚实的制度保障,需要尽快加以完善,修补漏洞。     

“红色管家”何以管用?——基层治理创新“内卷化”的破解之道

【问题】基层治理创新实践常常陷入命名式、标签式伪创新,不仅无法实现“给社区减负增能提效”的目标,反而造成基层治理的低水平重复。在各类创新琳琅满目的情况下,如何才能使基层治理创新更具持续性,并且规避“内卷化”风险?【方法】本研究以S区“红色管家”项目为个案,该项目初期面临多方面的内卷化风险,但最终通过创新走出一套有效的社区治理之道。我们通过参与式观察和深度访谈等方法跟踪了“红色管家”项目的运作过程并结合多种定性资料进行分析。【发现】(1)如同诸多政府主导的基层治理创新项目一样,“红色管家”在项目初期也面临观念、利益以及组织等多方面的“内卷化”风险;(2)项目实施过程中逐步呈现出的实体化、制度化、专业化和协同化的特征,保障了“红色管家”项目创新发展的整体性、系统性、规范性和可持续性;(3)能否规避基层治理创新的“内卷化”风险,根本在于基层党组织力量能否成功嵌入项目全过程,发挥引领创新的核心主导作用;(4)党建引领下多方创新主体的协同、合作与调试,观念、制度与技术的融合,构成了制度创新能否突破“内卷化”困境的关键。【贡献】本研究梳理了基层治理创新“内卷化”问题的表征和成因。通过对“红色管家”项目案例的分析,本研究阐释了“党建引领社会治理创新”的内在机制,指出破解基层治理创新“内卷化”困境的关键在于新合作主义国家与社会关系的建构。