地方政府间跨区域合作治理的行政制度供给

随着跨区域公共问题和公共事务的大量兴起,地方政府间的开放和合作趋势不断深入,但由于制度惯性、市场竞争、资源稀缺等原因,府际间的合作治理出现一定的路径依赖,如何突破行政区划界限,克服区域发展所导致的负外部性效应,以合作治理的形式提供优质的区域公共产品和公共服务,成为地方政府所面临的新课题。因此,地方政府间应构建新型的跨区域合作治理的行政制度克服集体行动的困境,增强跨区域合作的动力,以实现地方政府间跨区域的合作治理。     

新时代京津冀协同发展及影响因素研究——基于整体性治理关键变量的分析框架

整体性治理理论对公共管理的跨界区域治理与地方政府间关系的协调和整合有着重大的借鉴意义。在京津冀协同发展上升为国家发展战略的五年之际,从整体性治理的视角审视京津冀协同发展的现实可以看出,京津冀在协同治理取得进展的同时,还面临治理目标粗犷、治理主体单一、治理客体失衡、治理机制不健全等问题,而造成这些问题的原因是多方面的,既有利益、资源等显性因素的影响,又有社会资本、文化等隐性因素的影响,还受体制、制度等共享因素的制约。进一步深化京津冀协同发展,需要在整体性治理理论的指导下平衡地方利益,培育合作文化与社会资本,建立跨域协同治理机构及差异化绩效考核制度,建立资源协调的跨域协同治理网络。     

治理与公共行政

作为社会管理的全新模式，治理对以政府部门为主体的公共行政提出了有力挑战。这就要求政府在公共行政中：处理好与政府之外的社会公共机构和私人机构的关系；通过多元化的手段处理行政事务；在治理的自主运行网络中占据主导地位。     

浅析我国地方政府公共管理的属性与治理模式

作为国家、中央政府的延伸与代表,地方政府在地方政治中的核心主体地位不断增强,改革与创新正在成为其实施公共管理的重要议题。而随着社会物质和精神文明的不断进步,社会公众对地方政府公共管理的模式和效率提出了更高的要求,只有主动增强地方政府的核心能力、优化其治理模式,才能更好的为社会提供公共产品和服务。基于此,文章首先对地方政府公共管理的属性进行了阐述,然后分析了地方政府在公共管理中的作用与缺陷,最后以协作管理为语境框架,给出了地方政府公共管理的治理模式。     

跨区域公共事务治理中的地方政府合作研究

随着区域经济一体化进程的加快,跨区域公共事务问题变得日益严重和紧迫,以往由一个地方政府进行的单边公共行政已力不从心,必须倚赖多个地方政府的联合治理,如跨行政区的环境资源保护、污染治理、突发性公共问题的处理、公共产品的供给和地方治理等。我国地方政府在跨区域公共事务治理中的合作已经起步,但还存在诸多问题,如何建构与健全地方政府间的跨区域公共事务治理机制,使地方政府之间形成一种良性的协调合作关系,是一个值得深入研究的课题。     

纵向介入何以破解地方政府间协商的责任困境？——基于案例比较的探索性研究

受属地管理体制、地方保护主义和宏观治理情境等因素制约,地方政府间协商存在一定程度的议而不决、决而不行和行而不果等责任转化难题。针对地方政府间协商的责任困境,现有研究多围绕横向府际关系进行分析,较少关注纵向治理体系对地方政府间协商的规范价值与约束作用。运用案例比较法,通过对纵向介入促进地方政府间协商合作的责任转化机理进行探讨,研究发现：上级政府的介入选择和干预力度,显著影响地方政府间协商的文化情境、制度架构与行动过程,对破解地方政府间协商的责任困境具有积极意义,具体表现在三个方面：一是上级政府通过政策文件、领导参与等方式开展话语建构,引导地方政府在协商合作中树立收益共享、风险共担的集体负责观念;二是上级政府凭借组织权威完善地方政府间协商的制度架构,以制度化的方式明确地方行政主体在集体行动中承担的差异化治理职责;三是上级政府的绩效考核与过程监督,能够有效约束地方行政主体的治理实践,增强地方政府的自我管理能力和职责履行效力。     

服务型政府建设的挑战与途径:基于地方治理的视角

从地方政府到地方治理,传统行政管理模式在理念、主体、模式等各方面都有了不同程度的革新。在地方治理视野下,我国的服务型政府建设仍存在一些挑战,包括地方政府行为模式存在较强的经济建设路径依赖、地方公共服务提供不足的现实短期内难以根本扭转、地方提供公共服务的手段较为单一等。要进一步推进我国的服务型政府建设,需要重塑中央—地方关系,建立服务型政府建设动力机制;建立地方政府间的合作机制,解决跨区域公共物品提供问题;合理培育市场和社会,运用市场和社会力量补充地方政府公共服务供给。     

公共危机治理中参与主体协作机制的构建

构建公共危机治理体系关键是构建公共危机参与主体的协作机制。本文围绕这一主题进行了初步探讨。文章以政府、社会为逻辑起点，分别对公共危机治理中的政府间、社会间、政府与社会间协作障碍进行了分析并提出相应的对策。     

经济区域化背景下地方政府横向关系及其变迁

地方政府竞争不仅是配置资源的一种有效手段,而且还被认为能够医治传统治理模式存在的痼疾。同时,地方政府竞争并不能阻止地方政府合作的可能性和必要性。相互依赖的本性为地方政府合作提供了理论依据和可能性,而经济区域化将地方政府间相互依赖性从理论变成现实。地方政府竞争在赢得了效率的同时,也面临着自身难以逾越的困境,而经济区域化的不断推进更使得地方政府横向关系面临新的挑战,地方政府竞争显得日益捉襟见肘。从区域公共行政到区域公共治理,地方政府横向关系开始由政府内部的竞合关系转变为治理网络中的伙伴关系。     

当代美国地方政府间关系协调的实践及其启示

当代美国联邦制的实践需要对地方政府间关系进行协调,而协调实践中市场机制与科层制都无法解决全部问题,因此组织间网络作为一种新型治理机制应运而生;当代美国地方政府间关系协调成功的关键在于有效的制度建设,包括多元化的治理机制、良好的制度环境和相对规范的地方政府,这对当代中国类似问题的有效治理具有借鉴意义。     

The effects of boundary spanners on trust and performance of urban governance networks: findings from survey research on urban development projects in the Netherlands

Previous research has extensively analyzed the role, and indicated the importance, of network management for the functioning and performance of public or governance networks. In this article, we focus on the influence of boundary spanning actors in such networks—an aspect less examined in the governance network literature. Boundary spanners are considered to be important for governance network performance. Building on the literature, we expect a mediating role of trust in this relationship. To empirically test these relationships, we conducted survey research (N = 141) among project managers involved in urban governance networks: networks around complex urban projects that include the organizations involved in the governance process (the formulation of policies, decision making, and implementation) in these complex projects. We found a strong positive relationship between the presence of boundary spanners and trust and governance network performance. The results indicate a partially mediating role of trust in this relationship. Furthermore, we found that these boundary spanners originated mainly from private and societal organizations, and less from governmental organizations.     

Measuring Local Autonomy in 39 Countries (1990–2014)

Local autonomy is a highly valued feature of good governance. The continuous efforts of many European countries to strengthen the autonomy of local government show the importance given to decentralization and the transfer of far-reaching competences to the lowest units. Measuring and comparing local autonomy, however, has proven to be challenging. Not only are there diverging ideas about the core elements of local autonomy, there are also considerable difficulties applying specific concepts to different countries. This paper outlines a comprehensive methodology for measuring local autonomy. It analyses 39 European countries and reports changes between 1990 and 2014. A network of experts on local government assessed the autonomy of local government of their respective countries on the basis of a common code book. The 11 variables measured show an overall increase of local autonomy but significant variation between the countries. The variables also add up to an overall measurement of local autonomy.     

地方治理在中国的适用性及其限度——以宁波市海曙区政府购买居家养老政策为例

治理理论被引入中国以来,一方面被学术界寄予厚望,另一方面关于治理在中国的适用性又受到很多质疑.治理及地方治理是为了克服各种不可治理性而进行的国家(政府)与社会关系的调整过程和趋势.宁波市海曙区政府购买居家养老服务的政策过程表明,地方政府的职能转变需要管理创新.循于此,作为工具的地方治理就可能在中国出现并取得局部的良好效果,而且可能为地方治理机制的成长准备社会条件.但对地方治理机制的成长最有决定性的因素仍然在于政府,政府职能的转变可能会创造出对地方治理发展有利的条件.在中国未来治理机制形成和运行过程中,政府将是最有力的保障或最严重的障碍.而在地方,治理的发展空间是存在的.因此,应将地方治理作为政府职能转化过程中的管理创新思路,逐渐发展出针对地方公共事务的地方治理机制.     

The Evolution and Continuing Challenges of E‐Governance

E‐governance comprises the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support public services, government administration, democratic processes, and relationships among citizens, civil society, the private sector, and the state. Developed over more than two decades of technology innovation and policy response, the evolution of e‐governance is examined in terms of five interrelated objectives: a policy framework, enhanced public services, high‐quality and cost‐effective government operations, citizen engagement in democratic processes, and administrative and institutional reform. This summary assessment of e‐governance in U.S. states and local governments shows that the greatest investment and progress have been made in enhanced public services and improved government operations. Policy development has moved forward on several fronts, but new policy issues continually add to an increasingly complex set of concerns. The least progress appears to have occurred in enhancing democracy and exploring the implications of e‐governance for administrative and institutional reform. ICT‐enabled governance will continue to evolve for the foreseeable future providing a dynamic environment for ongoing learning and action.     

县域政府治理绩效的实证研究：公众满意度的视角--基于佛山市 A 区的治理实践

以佛山市 A 区为个案,对如何测量中国县（区）层级的政府治理绩效进行实证探索。在借鉴世界治理指标（WGI)的基础上,构建了一个本土化的地方政府治理绩效指标体系,对 A 区政府的治理绩效水平进行量化评估,并且通过构建一个多元回归模型深入挖掘影响其总体治理水平的相关因素。结果表明：公众对于 A 区政府的总体治理水平处于“一般”到“比较满意”之间;在六个维度的治理绩效中,公众满意度最低的是“腐败控制”和“法治”,最高的是“政府稳定和暴力避免”和“政府有效性”;除了“管制质量”和“政府稳定与暴力避免”之外,其他四个维度的治理绩效对 A 区政府的总体治理水平都具有显著影响,其中,“政府有效性”对总体治理水平的影响最大。     

Resource Dependence,Alternative Supply Sources,and the Design of Formal Contracts

Employing a resource dependence theoretical framework, the authors analyze a set of recently awarded contracts between the Environmental Protection Agency and its suppliers to determine how joint dependence, supplier dependence, and government dependence affect contract design—specifically, the decision to use a cost‐plus (flexible) contract. Findings provide evidence that organizations choose contract designs that will reduce uncertainty related to securing critical resources. However, different dimensions of dependence have different effects: (1) higher levels of joint dependence lead to more flexible governance forms; (2) the lack of alternative suppliers is a more important factor than high levels of financial dependence; and (3) the parties involved in government procurement are likely to perceive government as a unique type of organization, which, in turn, has implications for contract design choices. The authors conclude with managerial strategies for restructuring power/dependence relationships to achieve the contract design most likely to yield a surplus in the exchange.     

How governance boundaries affect regional collaboration on atmospheric governance—Evidence from China's Yangtze River Delta

Regional public affairs will become more complex when contradictions emerge between administrative boundaries and policy issues that require cross-boundary collaboration. Breaking administrative boundaries has become a prerequisite for facilitating inter-local government collaboration. This study categorizes governance boundaries into the administrative boundary and the ecology-based policy boundary and then examines how these two governance boundaries and their interactive relationship contribute to the intergovernmental collaboration network in China's regional atmospheric governance (RAG). Using data on the atmospheric governance collaboration from 30 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2013 to 2018, we employ the MR-QAP model to find that cities within the same administrative boundary are more likely to collaborate and cities within the ecology-based policy boundary, compared with those beyond, are more likely to collaborate but with a lagging effect. Ecology-based policy boundary has a positive but lagging moderating effect on the contribution of the administrative boundary to the formation of intergovernmental collaboration networks.     

Letter from the Editor

ABSTRACT

Aid dependence has been linked in the literature with worsening quality of governance. Using Kaufmann et al.'s six dimensions of governance (Voice and Accountability, Political Stability, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption), this article reinvestigates this relationship with new data and a more robust methodology. Under pooled Time Series Cross-Sectional (panel data) analysis, only the Rule of Law appears to have a negative relationship with aid, and at only the 0.10 significance level. To control for potential endogeneity and reverse causality, aid is lagged and subsequently instrumented. Potential omitted variables bias is controlled with a fixed effects model. Components of aid such as technical cooperation and average grant element are also explored. Findings suggest that aid can play a positive role when its components are considered and that the causal link between aid dependence and worsening quality of governance may be tenuous at best and sensitive to alternative specifications.     

The Geography of Governance in Africa: New Tools from Satellites,Surveys and Mapping Initiatives

Abstract

Research on decentralization in Africa and beyond has made clear that the quality of decentralized governance is highly variable across localities within countries. In light of that variation, this article has three goals: first, we critique existing academic research on the quality of governance in light of work on decentralized governance in Africa; second, we provide a conceptual map of how to theorize subnational variation in the quality of governance in settings characterized by considerable dependence on higher authorities for revenues; and third, we outline a series of data initiatives that offer the opportunity to study local and regional politics in new and exciting ways across the region. We conclude with great optimism about the prospects for innovative work on decentralized governance within countries across the region.     

Managing Competing Values: Leadership Styles of Mayors and CEOs

The mayor and CEO play an important complementary role in local economic and community development. As the head of the elected council the mayor has a close working relationship with the CEO of the council organisation. Each has the opportunity to influence the policy and administration functions of council. The quality of their working relationship influences the quality of local governance in their community. In this study 413 pairs of Australian mayors and CEOs responded to metaphors assessing the effectiveness of their working relationship with each other. They also completed Cameron's Management Skills Assessment Instrument. Effective working relationships are more likely to occur when their managerial style complements or is the same as the other, on Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework. The implications for CEOs are discussed along with strategies for enhancing the working relationship with their mayor.