International democracy promotion: a role for public goods theory?

The state of international democracy promotion is in flux. After more than fifteen years of increasing activity and with more organisations and resources devoted to promoting democracy than ever before, a mood of uncertainty surrounds democracy support's current performance and future prospects. The last decade has also seen the emergence of a new literature on global public goods theory, offering fresh analytical perspectives on pressing issues in international affairs like peace, security, development, and environmental sustainability. The future of democracy promotion will be determined chiefly by the realities of the political market place, in societies on both sides of the relationship. But could recent theorising about the market for global public goods offer some analytical support for making sense of its current condition and, by identifying the democratic peace as a global public good strengthen the case for greater international cooperation in promoting democracy as means to achieve that end?     

Decentralisation and government provision of public goods: The public health sector in Uganda

While many developing countries have devolved health care responsibilities to local governments in recent years, no study has examined whether decentralisation actually leads to greater health sector allocative efficiency. This paper approaches this question by modeling local government budgeting decisions under decentralisation. The model leads to conclusions not all favourable to decentralisation and produces several testable hypotheses concerning local government spending choices. For a brief empirical test of the model we look at data from Uganda. The data are of a type seldom available to researchers–actual local government budgets for the health sector in a developing country. The health budgets are disaggregated into specific types of activities based on a subjective characterisation of each activity's ‘publicness’. The empirical results provide preliminary evidence that local government health planners are allocating declining proportions of their budgets to public goods activities.     

Consumption of modern goods and services and it's relation to fertility: A study in Taiwan

A survey in Taiwan showed that couples whose consumption patterns emphasize modem goods and services also exhibit modern fertility behaviour, i.e. they cite a somewhat lower ideal family size and are considerably more likely to be using contraception. Since the ownership of modern goods in Taiwan does not appear to be achieved at the expense of either savings or educational aspirations, a suggested hypothesis is that economic development, by fostering new wants, may encourage couples to limit family size.     

The provision of public goods by a local entrepreneurial state: The case of perservation of the Nanyue relics in China

In 1995, relics of the royal palace of the ancient Nanyue kingdom were, for the first time, excavated in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong in south China. As the site is situated at the very business centre of the city, preservation of the relics at the original location would be highly costly. Conflict thus emerged between archaeological consideration and economic calculation. In the end, the Guangzhou municipal government decided to preserve the relics, though at huge compensation and displacement cost. The case has led to the question of how an intergenerational, non-factor-attracting public good (relic preservation) could be provided by an economic-oriented local government (Guangzhou)? This article will tackle the question using the public choice approach. It will explain the political logic of the case in terms of the emergence of a new civil service system in China. Some theoretical implications of such an approach will be considered.     

Targeting, residual welfare and related concepts: modes of operation in public policy

A mode of operation defines a pattern of policy-making or approach to policy. This paper attempts to deconstruct the relationship between certain modes of operation, political ideology and specific techniques, using the main example of targeting. Targeting is commonly related to a number of other concepts, including selectivity, means-testing, conditionality, residual welfare, and rationing. The inter-connectedness of the issues is often taken for granted: residualism implies selectivity, selectivity is undertaken by means-testing, selectivity and means-testing are a form of targeting, targeting and conditionality substantially overlap, and all of them have played an important role in the development of arguments for the limitations on expenditure and the restriction of welfare provision. But the methods can be used in different systems, for different purposes. Means-testing is not the same thing as selectivity; selectivity is not the same thing as conditionality or targeting; rationing can take place in any kind of service; and none of these options is necessarily residualist. Modes of operation are often compounded with political aims, the structural context of policy, discussions of implementation and the application of specific policies. When the concepts are unravelled, it becomes possible to think of the methods and approaches involved in different ways.     

行为偏差未成年人的维权问题思考

青少年是国家的希望,民族的未来;关心未成年人健康成长,更应该关心未成年人中的弱势群体——行为偏差生的成长。在实际生活中,行为偏差生的成长缺乏关心,甚至他们依法拥有的合法权益都得不到保障。不懂得尊重人权恰恰是我们传统教育的最大缺陷,应当从树立正确观念、强化维权意识、健全组织机制、改良成长环境等方面加强对偏差生的维权。     

行政法律文化建设略论——以行政执法为切入点

行政法律文化影响行政执法,主要是通过作用于参与行政执法的社会主体来实现其促进或消解作用。依据法治原则,良好的行政执法需要至少包括信仰法律、权利本位、服务行政、正当程序等内容的社会主义行政法律文化的支撑。社会主义行政法律文化就必须以合理取舍本土文化、借鉴外来先进文化为思路,以发展社会主义市场经济、完善法律运行机制、发展文化教育事业、调整社会结构为路径来培育。     

论俄罗斯政体

本文以俄罗斯政治转轨中立法机构与行政机构的关系为视角,结合俄罗斯历史文化因素,探究俄罗斯政体的形成及其特点.俄罗斯总统制的确立是立法权和行政权权力划分矛盾激化的历史结果.俄罗斯宪法的特点是体现宪政精神.俄罗斯的国家权力体制以总统制为核心.叶利钦时代后期和普京时代俄罗斯政体的完善问题成为俄罗斯政治的焦点问题.