The Dangers of Relying on a Legal List: A Case Study of the West Virginia Consolidated Investment Fund

Since the mid 1970s, many local governments have begun using state-run local government investment pools for their cash management needs. Some pools operate under statutory limitations on investment instruments known as legal lists, other pools operate either under a Prudent Person Rule standard, while others use a combination of the two. This article examines the potential dangers of an investment pool relying too heavily upon a legal list fiduciary standard, by examining the West Virginia Consolidated Investment Fund, which lost nearly 25 percent of its principal in a financial scandal during the 1980s.     

Managerial Necessity and the Art of Creating Surpluses: The Budget-Execution Process in West Virginia Cities

Budget execution traditionally has been defined as a straightforward process of implementing the budget as approved. Research into the process has been limited, particularly with regard to local government budgets. This article examines the rebudgeting process using a case study of 15 West Virginia cities. Rebudgeting displayed a consistent pattern for the various budget categories—personnel, contracts, commodities, capital, and contributions—closely resembling the "increase-then-decrease" pattern seen in the overall budget. Empirical data on budgetary adjustments and structured interviews with city finance officials helped to describe budget changes and explain probable causes and effects of behavior during budget execution for these smaller cities. Budget changes were found to be the result of managerial necessity and the exercise of discretion to generate and distribute surpluses.     

The Size Efficiency of Rural Governments: The Case of Low-Volume Rural Roads

The deterioration of the supply of public infrastructure throughoutthe United States has been found to be accelerating. The reasonmost often cited for the increasing rates of deterioration isthe lack of available funding, or fiscal stress, present inmany local governments. A popular short-term solution to fiscalstress is to defer infrastructure repairs and/or replacementprograms. This is particularly true in rural areas where a decliningagricultural base and redirected federal policy have placedsignificant downward pressure on revenues. The search for along-term solution has renewed the debate about the optimalsize of local governments. The research reported here examinesthe issue of size efficiency in the production of low-volumerural roads in the Midwest. At issue is the ability of Midwesttownships to realize size economies. Overall, size inefficiencieswere identified which suggests that cost savings may be realizedfrom the reorganization of the production of low-volume roadservices.     

论现代农村金融体系构建

农村金融是现代农村经济的核心,是促进农业增产、农民增收和农村经济发展的强大动力。现代农村金融体系的构建应包括:构建现代农村金融市场体系、现代农村金融组织体系、现代农村金融产品与服务体系、现代农村金融监管体系、现代农村金融政策扶持机制以及相关配套制度等。     

Rural Policy Assumptions and Policy Failure: The Case of the Re-establishment Grant

For 30 years successive Commonwealth governments have offered grants to encourage marginal farmers to quit farming. The grants have increased in generosity over time but there has only ever been a limited uptake of the program. This paper considers the assumptions policy-makers have made about farmers' behaviour in formulating these programs and compares these with sociological evidence about farmers' incentive structures. This case study provides an example of how the failure to take account of a sufficiently broad range of values when formulating policy can undermine policy objectives from the outset.     

农村公共人力资源开发中的问题、成因及对策

加强农村公共人力资源开发对于提高农村公共产品与公共服务供给水平具有显著意义,对于推动社会主义新农村建设和“三农”问题的解决具有重要作用。针对目前农村公共人力资源开发中存在的一些问题,我们应该主要从以下几方面着手改进:完善农村公共人力资源开发工作机制,改革地方财政体制,改革农村公共产品与公共服务供给体制和加强教育与培训工作。     

农村金融资源配置问题研究综述

虽然我国目前对农村服务的金融机构既有政策性的金融机构如农业发展银行,也有商业性金融机构如农业很行, 还有农民自己的合作组织农村信用社,但资金供给仍严重不足,金融资源配置中存在着难以克服的矛盾,农村金融资源不足 已严重影响农村经济的发展。本文对有关研究进行了综合和概括。     

现阶段农村存在的主要问题及对策

现阶段农村存在的问题较多,主要表现为农民收入减少,不稳定因素多,农民负担过重等.解决这些问题出路在于调整农业产业结构实现农业产业化,增加财政对农业支持的力度等.     

The Fiscal Consequences of Changing Federal and State Revenue Policies: The Case of Small Oregon Cities

This article examines the fiscal consequences for twelve, smallOregon cities of recent changes in federal and state intergovernmentalrevenue policies. Many small local governments have experienceddouble revenue reverses in recent years—reductions inown-source revenues because of economic decline as well as decreasesin intergovernmental revenues, especially federal aid. The twelvesmall cities are compared with all 241 cities in Oregon andthe 136 Oregon cities in the 1,000 to 49,999 population range.Using aggregate and interview data, a major finding is thatalthough stabilization and/or decline in federal-state revenuesharing and entitlement program funds have accentuated difficultlocal revenue situations, economic decline has been the moreimportant contributor to the fiscal stress of the twelve smallmunicipalities. Most of the twelve cities had limited fiscalcapacity—as indicated by low assessed property valuations—makingit difficult to produce sufficient revenue to meet basic publicservice needs. These cities were also unable to get citizenapproval of increases in property taxes.     

转变乡镇政府职能是新农村建设的必然选择

乡镇政府职能与新农村建设密切相关;乡镇政府职能的转变为新农村建设提供制度保障。但目前由于政治、经济、法制、文化等方面的原因,导致乡镇政府职能与新农村建设关系失调。为此,要努力做到以下几点:明确乡镇政府的角色定位,深化财税制度改革,从法律上规范乡镇政府的职责,建立农民利益的政治表达机制。     

西方社会规制研究关注的主要问题及其启示

当代西方的社会规制研究兴起于20世纪70年代初。研究者们试图追问社会规制过程这个黑匣子中究竟发生了什么。为此,他们深入社会规制行动者内部,借用委托-代理理论、博弈论等研究方法,分析了作为规制者的政府内部的不同层次之间的关系及其对规制实施的影响,作为被规制者的企业内部因素,如雇主的法律意识、雇员在健康安全方面对雇主所施加的压力等,对被规制者行动策略乃至规制效益的影响,提出了一些与旧有规制经济学不同的观点;研究者们还运用流行的制度主义理论探讨了规制制度设计与变迁,规制制度与行动者之间的互动等问题。对以上西方学者们关注的问题进行评介后,指出了它们对中国社会规制研究的启示。     

我国统筹城乡一体化中的金融支持——以成都综合配套试验区为例

统筹城乡一体化综合配套试验区的顺利推进离不开金融支持.就成都国家级统筹城乡一体化综合试验区进程中金融支持的供求而言,存在着制度缺口、结构缺口、规模缺口及监管缺口.采用科学有效措施尽快弥补这些缺口,对于顺利推进成都城乡一体化试验区建设和确保成都城乡经济的可持续性发展,乃至推进全国城乡一体化实践都具有重要的理论意义和实际意义.     

Metagovernance and Control of Multi-level Governance Frameworks: The Case of the EU Structural Funds Financial Execution

Using as an empirical base the 2006–08 reform of the European Union Structural Funds financial execution, this paper explores control mechanisms of multi-level governance frameworks. The empirical evidence provides a representative case of initial metagovernance deficit and the subsequent, relatively successful, institutional response reinforcing metagovernance. The purpose is to clarify the conceptual dimensions of metagovernance, setting it in a categorical scheme that identifies forms of exercise of political power: government, governance and multi-level governance. Specifically, the paper argues for a conceptualization of metagovernance that highlights a sense of sovereignty by which governmental entities vested with legal legitimacy advance public interests.     

农村最低生活保障制度实施中的问题与对策——基于辽宁西部S乡的调查

农村最低生活保障制度在保障农村贫困人口的基本生活、促进社会公平与稳定方面发挥着重要作用,但在实施过程中也产生了诸多问题,主要表现为覆盖面较窄、筹资难度大、因病致贫问题难以根本解决、对低保对象认定存在偏差等.为此,需要做好以下工作:加强农村最低生活保障法制建设,为农村低保工作提供法律依据;逐步扩大低保覆盖面,适当兼顾对低保边缘户的救助;完善低保筹资机制,拓宽筹资渠道等.     

农村老年人口养老问题透视

目前农村老年人养老现状不容乐观。家庭养老功能弱化,社区养老机制滞后,社会福利、政府救济和低保投入严重不足等,导致绝大多数农村老年人处在家庭边缘和社会保障体系之外,养老堪忧。解决这一问题需要统筹考虑,综合治理,从观念、体制等多方面入手。     

我国金融监管体制存在的问题与解决

金融是现代经济运行的核心和枢纽,金融在国民经济社会发展中具有重要的作用。加强金融监管,防范金融风险,维护金融业的安全与稳定,是金融业健康发展的重要标志,也是金融业监管的重要目标和一直的价值追求。我们应借鉴金融业发达国家金融监管的经验,尽快改革与完善我国的金融监管体制。