Managed care systems in the people's republic of china

This article attempts to determine whether or not managed care is the way forward for health services systems reforms in urban China. It first highlights the problems of the present Chinese urban health care financing system, which is largely based on third party fee-for-service reimbursement. It then analyses the salient features of three existing managed care systems in China -private plans, plans under the existing public and labor medical insurance systems, and the newly introduced pilot Employees Medical Insurance Scheme. Available evidence tend to suggest that all of them have been quite effective in controlling cost escalation, and that there have been some improvement in terms of equity under the new Employees Medical Insurance Scheme.     

Agency problem and bureaucratic governance in the people's republic of china

This article argues that the Chinese idea of agency problem is misconstrued. The analysis provides an alternative approach to empirically reassess the nature of the problems, along the principal-agent models. The article demonstrates the relevance of using law to make the case for the profitability of examining the issues of bureaucratic governance from principal-agent perspectives. The analysis concludes by arguing that bureaucratic governance in China cannot be achieved by intensifying hierarchical domination. The concern about agents’ moral quality cannot sufficiently induce responsible bureaucratic behaviour. The key to reinventing the bureaucratic state in China lies mainly on the recognition of the agents’ need for protecting their own interests. Seen in this fashion, macro-level alternative methods of accountability should be introduced to reflect the interests of both principal and agents.     

Environmental attitudes and concerns of the environmental protection bureaucrats in guangzhou,people's republic of china: Implications for environmental policy implementation

This article analyzes the questions of implementation failure in environmental policy in China. Using empirical data collected in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China, die article documents the environmental attitude of Guangzhou's Environmental Protection bureaucrats. In interpreting the data, the article seeks to assess and evaluate the present state of environmental administration in China. This article provides evidence that although China has made much progress in developing environmental legislation and a regulatory framework, the economic growth and devolution of power unleashed by reforms have also created new environmental stresses and, to some extent, reduced the regulatory capabilities of governments in China.     

Health strategy and development planning: Lessons from the people's republic of China

In Section I of this paper we present an analytical paradigm by which to evaluate health and medical care services in underdeveloped countries. In Section II, we apply this framework to an analysis of the health policies of one developing country, China. In Section III, we evaluate the Chinese health and medical care policies within the framework of a cost‐benefit analysis and argue that these policies are appropriate to China's factor proportions and health needs. Finally, in Section IV, we raise a number of questions to be considered in any more detailed studies on the transferring of the Chinese services to other developing countries.     

After the fall of the soviet union: the changing status of local governments in the republic of latvia

When the Republic of Latvia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, one of Latvia's first priorities was to rebuild its system of local government. This article describes many of the problems local governments in Latvia faced after 50 years of communist rule. The article also discusses the new Latvian laws which changed the structure of local government in that country. Also discussed are Latvian central government institutions which impacted on local governments in general and local government finances in particular. The unique status of the Capitol City of Riga, Latvia's largest municipality is also reviewed in detail.     

To love the republic: The patriotism of benevolence and its rhetorical obligation

Until the last century, most political philosophers considered patriotism to be a virtue, and an essential characteristic of the good state. From Cicero to Adam Smith, the active love of one's nation was also considered a duty, especially for public servants. They gave serious consideration to the necessary characteristics of a proper patriotism. But in modern times, serious questions have been raised about patriotism, because so many crimes have been committed in the name of one's nation. This has led scholars to distinguish between patriotism and its negative counterpart, nationalism. Our concern with the problem of nationalism has led us to neglect the positive benefits of patriotism. Using the United States as the example, this article argues that patriotism is a virtue, provided that it is the patriotism of benevolence: a patriotism based upon the love of others. Furthermore, it is also argued that patriots have a rhetorical obligation to persuade others to love the Republic. In an age where the affectionate ties among citizens are loosening, the importance of the patriotism of benevolence is even greater, as is the corresponding rhetorical obligation.     

The functions of the executive and the republic: Exploring the platonic roots of chester barnard

This essay examines the similarities between Plato's Republic and Barnard's Functions of the Executive.The essay argues that comparisons between Barnard and Plato are not overstated in form or substance. Three major areas of each work are compared: the ethical foundations, the political foundations, and the role of education in achieving those political means. Implications arising from the comparison are discussed and the essay concludes by linking the Barnard-Plato dialogue with current issues in management theory and practice.     

Privatization -- a major strategy of public service provision in china: a case study of urban housing policy and management

Challenged by its economic liberalization and financial constraints, the Chinese government has used privatization as its major strategy to manage service programs since China opened its door a decade and a half ago. Based on the commercial nature of housing, selling the national housing stock, vouchers and co-financing are the major ways for the government to withdraw from the provision of housing for urban Chinese. The government has been prudent about the process and has taken incremental steps. Privatization is a mixed blessing. It has brought some problems such as fraud, inequality in availability and price inflation. The Chinese government must build its institutional and managerial capacities to deal with these problems.     

社会主义研究必须打开新的视野

社会主义研究要突破马克思主义三个组成部分的过时的观念,系统研究社会主义产生、发展和自我完善的理论和实践;应以与时俱进的创造精神,依据人民群众创造的新鲜经验,体现中国社会进步的要求和中国人民实践的需要,阐述中国社会主义的新思想、新观点、新理论;应在科学认识当代资本主义发展进程的基础上,研究和阐述当代社会主义的战略策略;应以"三个代表"重要思想作为打开新的理论视野的指针.     

Administrative decentralisation and changing state-society relations in china

This study seeks to explain the evolution of the state and state policies under China's decentralised system by taking into consideration the political input from society and the dynamics of state-society interaction. It argues that the emergence of unorganised collective action creates an unique channel of political inputs from the society, while the diffusion of the power centre and the flattening of bureaucratic hierarchies make local leaders much more sensitive and responsive to political demands from the local populace. These two conditions together provide the basis for the state-society interaction in the reform era, leading to the collapse of the state's institutional levers of coercion (such as the commune and the brigade in rural areas and to some extent the unit or “danwei” in urban areas), resulting in new state-society relations.