Regional Government and Governance in China and the United States

A comparative analysis of regional governance policies in China and the United States is presented from multiple perspectives, including jurisdictional structure, intergovernmental relationship, and performance outcomes. Policy reviews and case studies contrast how regional approaches may assist governments to learn seminal lessons from multinational experiences.     

单一制和联邦制：中、美政府体制的宏观制度选择背景比较

中国和美国分别是单一制和联邦制国家结构模式的典型代表,两国政府体制的核心制度背景、两国的国内政府间关系、行政权的空间划分和政府结构形式都呈现出巨大的迥异之处,并且发挥出各自所具有的优势作用。从两国建国初的一段历史中,可以最清晰地看到各自的民族历史、制度渊源和理论背景等因素所彰显出的对于国家结构模式的影响和发挥出的决定作用。随着历史的发展,单一制和联邦制都在积极打破原有的制度界限,有走向融合的趋势。     

Local Economic Development in China and the United States: Strategies and Issues

Globalization stimulates local governments in China and the United States to step up their economic development efforts. What strategies are successful and why? Does industry cluster development lead to higher per capita income? What government infrastructure and incentives stimulate and nurture businesses? This article examines local economic development in China and the United States, comparing strategies and outlining challenging issues. Kuotsai Tom Liou of the University of Central Florida finds that local governments must play the leading role in sustainable development, as a partnership approach promotes collaboration among communities, industries, and other government entities. Policy implications and theoretical issues aimed to promote further comparative studies are presented .     

选举民主、政治合法性与地方治理——乡镇基层民主发展的若干命题初论

本文从中国农村基层民主发展的内在逻辑出发对基层民主发展的若干问题进行了分析,认为选举式民主是不是中国农村政治发展的方向,将取决于两个内生性变量,即:村民的民主欲求和各地面临问题的性质。文章就选举民主能否增加基层地方政权的合法性进行了分析,指出选举民主只是增强地方政府合法性的途径之一。在民主和政府治理的关系上,作者认为选举民主未必能够提高基层政府的治理水平。目前中国农村基层政改并不存在一种成功模式适合所有地方,因此,不应该以政策或法律的形式强制推行某一种模式,而应该在给定方向和原则的前提下倡导和鼓励各地自主创新,探索适合本地方的政改模式。     

论政府管理观念的创新

加入WTO,建立社会主义市场经济体制,需要我国政府在政府管理理论、管理观念、管理方式、管理体制及政府职能 等方面进行创新。政府创新,首当其冲的就是政府管理观念的创新。只有真正树立了“法制政府”、“有限政府”、“信用政府”、 “服务政府”等新观念,政府管理才能适应世界经济发展的潮流,才能迎接经济全球化的挑战,才能解决各种社会公共问题。     

Factors Underlying the Growth of Local Government in the 19th Century United States

Early in the 19th century local governmentsspent less than either the federal or stategovernments. By the end of the 19thcentury local governments spent more thanthe federal and state governments combined. This growth is obviously related to thegrowth of cities, but cities continued togrow in the 20th century, while the localgovernment share of total governmentexpenditures fell, so the growth of citiescannot be the complete answer. Anexamination of expenditures and revenues intwo cities – Boston and Baltimore –suggests that no one component ofexpenditures was responsible for increasesin total spending. Rather, it appears thatthe primary causal factor was revenuegrowth. Cities rely heavily on propertytaxes, and the increasing value of taxableproperty allowed cities to raise increasingamounts of revenue, leading to increasedgovernment spending.     

比较视野下的中国地方政府改革及其挑战

20世纪以来,基于行政理论、经济理论和民主理论的西方政府改革,呈现统治职能的非人格化、管理职能的刚性化和服务职能的扩大化等特征。进入21世纪,中国政府发展为应对"现代化"和"后现代"两个历史阶段的高度叠加,在兼顾"管理补课"和"改善服务"的问题上,整合20世纪以来西方政府改革的三种价值取向,形塑了较为均衡的地方治理风格。当下,在构建国家治理体系进程中,地方政府改革和发展的"三合一"模式面临挑战。     

Institutional Congruence, Ideas, and Anticorruption Policy: The Case of China and the United States

While international comparisons of anticorruption policies abound, whether these policies are transferable and how they change inside national boundaries remain debatable. Kaifeng Yang of Florida State University proposes an institutional framework that emphasizes the role of congruence and ideas in institutional change. In comparing China to the United States, the author concludes that anticorruption institutional change is path dependent, as it is nested in fundamental political structures and meta-narratives. Professor Yang proposes the possibility that new ideas may cause gradual changes with radical results.     

Crossing the River by Touching Stones: A Comparative Study of Administrative Reforms in China and the United States

To compare administrative reform in one of the world's most ancient civilizations and in one of the world's "youngest countries" produces some surprises. Administrative reforms in both countries are similar, but occur at different periods of history. Mengzhong Zhang of the University of Maryland at College Park discovers that some of China's recent reform efforts resemble historic efforts in the United States up to half a century ago. Other components of administrative reform in China reflect contemporary practices in the United States. This phenomenon reflects convergence, rather than divergence.     

Personal Income Tax Policy in China and the United States: A Comparative Analysis

Personal income tax has grown in importance in China's revenue system. Revenue from personal income tax was more than 2 trillion RMB yuan for the first half of 2008, a 27 percent increase from the previous year. And while similarities exist between China and the United States, distinctive features separate the two. Hua Xu of Auburn University at Montgomery and Huiyu Cui of Dongbei University of Finance and Economics underscore the need for equitable personal income tax reform in China. Using lessons from the United States, an agenda for future research on tax policy is outlined.     

Local Government Reserve Funds: Policy Alternatives and Political Strategies

Local government officials are operating in a policy void when it comes to the establishment and use of reserve funds. In part, this is due to confusion about the distinction between reserve and contingency funds. The limited research that has been conducted shows that relatively large sums of money are maintained in reserve by many local governments. Some governments refer to these sums as reserve funds and their intended use is clearly indicated in one or more local documents, such as a budget or audit/financial report. Others simply maintain an unreserved fund balance. This article identifies rationales for using reserve funds, discusses the alternative ways reserves are accumulated, and outlines key issues a local government financial plan should address when reserve funds are utilized.     

地方政府治理创新视角下的中国东西部发展差距分析

我国东西部地区发展差距的拉大是一个历史演化的过程,这可从多重视角进行归因,但制度与治理差异才是地区发展差距产生的根源所在。本文在我国东西部地区地方政府治理创新演变的视角下,运用实证、案例、文献等研究方法,对比分析了我国东西部地方政府治理创新实践及其发展历程,从中透视了地方政府治理创新在地区经济发展变迁中所扮演的重要角色。文章的结论是,西部地区要实现跨越式发展就必须在地方政府治理创新上寻找突破口,优先在西部地区构建公共管理体系则是一条新的战略途径。     

Enhancing the Legitimacy of Local Government Pandemic Influenza Planning through Transparency and Public Engagement

Ethical issues in an influenza pandemic often require local government officials to make unprecedented, complex decisions. Effective planning with significant input from key community stakeholders is required well ahead of time in order to anticipate and mitigate a serious health crisis. The author evaluates the pandemic plans of 28 large cities across the United States using criteria derived from guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The analysis reveals that planning legitimacy can be enhanced by wider transparency and civic engagement, greater opportunities for the inclusion of all stakeholders in decision making, mock community‐wide exercises and drills, as well as more public access to comprehensive emergency planning information.     

Budgeting for Accountability: A Comparative Study of Budget Reforms in the United States during the Progressive Era and in Contemporary China

Budgeting is an important mechanism for ensuring public accountability. How do budget reforms in the United States during the Progressive Era compare to those in contemporary China? Are administrative and legislative budget controls essential to an effective, efficient government? Though the two countries differ in many respects, significant parallels between their budget reforms are evident. In the United States, electoral accountability alone does not guarantee overall government accountability if proper budgetary institutions are absent. China's recent budget reform reveals that it is possible to develop accountability, absent open elections, but with limitations and constraints. Lessons on budgeting and accountability for other developing and transitional countries are drawn from this comparative study.     

Competitive Government in the United States: Policy Promotion and Divided Party Control

Divided party control of the executive and legislative branches of American government has traditionally been thought to contribute to the system's tendencies toward policy stalemate and paralysis. Based on a series of brief case studies over the past twenty-five years, this article argues that, under certain circumstances, divided party government may promote rather than hinder the enactment of legislation. It sketches an analytical framework that suggests a range of policymaking outcomes may result from party competition under conditions of divided government, including stalemate, neglect, accommodation, and promotion.     

政治沟通视角下的地方治理——地方政府沟通指数的测算与分析

政治沟通是政治生活的重要内容,但在治理评估研究中却长期被忽视。地方政府沟通指数将政治沟通纳入地方治理评估过程,以"平台—政府—民众"为框架构建指标体系,以全国338个地级及以上城市为研究对象,实现对各级地方政府沟通水平的测算和排名。从测算结果看,当前我国各级地方政府与民众在不同层面上开展沟通,但呈现较为明显的不均衡、不充分特点。作为衡量地方政府与民众沟通的重要指标,地方政府沟通指数不同程度地受到地理条件、人口规模、经济发展水平、政治资源配置等因素影响。通过构建和测算地方政府沟通指数,既可为我国的地方治理评估引入一个新的分析视角,也对提升地方政府沟通能力具有启示意义。     

Political Decentralization and Technological Innovation: Testing the Innovative Advantages of Decentralized States

Are politically decentralized states better at fostering long‐run technological innovation than centralized states? Societies with decentralized governments are widely seen as agile, competitive, and well structured to adapt to innovation's gale of creative destruction. Meanwhile, centralized states, even when democratic, have come to be viewed as rigid and thus hostile to the risks, costs, and change associated with new technology, or prone to cling too long to foolhardy or outdated technological projects. Therefore government decentralization is often perceived as a necessary institutional foundation for encouraging long‐run technological innovation. However, in this article, I analyze data on international patent activity, scientific publications, and high‐technology exports, and show that there exists little evidence for an aggregate relationship between government structure and technological innovation.     

区域协调发展与地方政府制度创新

地方政府制度对区域协调发展的影响,既包括地方政府制度创新对区域发展的积极作用,也包括地方政府制度创新异化对区域发展的负面影响。促进区域发展以及实现区域间协调发展需要规范地方政府制度创新的思路:即从推动本地区经济发展的角度来看,地方政府制度创新的目的在于提升地方政府的效能,为本地区经济发展提供一个好的环境;从推动区域协调发展上看,地方政府制度创新要有助于协调好地方政府间关系,有助于区域经济整体的发展。