The Changing Agenda of Race Issues in Local Government: the Case of a London Borough

The paper argues that race issues in local government are not composed of a single uniform agenda. Instead, the agenda varies between locality and over time. These agendas are the product of the interaction between the level of organizational coherence and the degree of racial explicitness of local politics and policy-making. The case of Ealing Borough demonstrates the extent to which the language and substance of race policy debate- the agenda of race -was transformed over the period analysed (1965–86). The traditional liberal framework for public policy discussion of racerelated issues has served to shape - and constrain - the local politics of race in Britain. Despite a number of important setbacks and failures, the framework continues to exert considerable influence in the way in which it devolves race policy to local arenas, places heavy and unmanageable burdens on the voluntary sector, gives priority to racial harmony over racial equality goals, and denies legitimacy to those groups committed to racially explicit political strategies.     

Pathways to the Enabling State: Changing Modes of Social Provision in Western Australian Community Services

This investigation of reform of Western Australian community services problematises assumptions about the enabling state. The investigation is distinctive by virtue of its attention to the departure points as well as the destinations in pathways of policy change and its unpacking of three modes of public provision into their three constituent policy elements (funder-provider mix; the nature of agreements between policy actors; and the type of funding relationships). We find first that government had long adopted some aspects of the model of governance associated with the enabling state. Second, we find some path dependency in policy change towards marketisation. Third, we find highly nuanced policy outcomes combining government exploitation of its authority, market innovations and the maintenance of basic network features of the programs.     

Local Government Procurement of CPA Audit Services: The Role of the States

Recent studies have raised serious concerns about the quality of governmental audits by independent CPAs. Part of the problem is that many governmental units do not use effective audit procurement procedures. This article examines current state guidelines for the procurement of CPA audit services by local governments and recommends an expansion of the states' role in this area.     

The Benefit Equity Principle and Willingness to Pay for City Services

In 1991 and 1992, the City of Eugene, Oregon engaged in a citizen participation process to determine public support for a variety of spending and budget balancing alternatives. This process, called Eugene Decisions, employed an innovative combination of public forums, budget balancing exercises and representative surveys. Two of the surveys, which included questions about individual service use, are analyzed here in order to test whether the use of city services is related to willingness to pay taxes and fees. The concept of benefit equity is supported if service use is positively associated with willingness to pay.     

Changing Relations between Government and Citizen: Administrative Law and the Work of the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman

This article examines the individual complaint‐taking role of the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman over a 28 year period between 1977–2005. This study was conceived through a curiosity to determine how a 30 year old administrative law institution is reacting to accommodate a dramatically altered legal, political and economic environment. The suspicion was that, in the absence of legislative amendment to its jurisdiction and role, the Commonwealth Ombudsman must strategically change due to the demands of these external forces. The overall quantitative finding from the data analysis is that the internal strategic direction of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is indeed altering. In terms of dispute resolution it is increasingly using its discretionary powers to turn individual complainants back to government departments/agencies. The data analysis reveals that this administrative law institution is shifting from a reactive individual complaint taker to a proactive standard setter for government administration. This article suggests that this movement may impact upon citizen ‘rights’ or perceptions of their rights to have their individual complaints heard against government. This in turn may have a ripple effect for notions of democratic accountability and the relationship between the citizen and the state.     

法制政府的行政指导基本问题探析

行政指导作为一种非强制性的行政行为为政府大量使用,是对传统依法行政的一种必要补充,然而有关行政指导的理论在学术界一直存在分歧。从行政指导与依法行政原则相契合的前提出发,探析行政指导行为的合法性基础、性质和分类三个具有学术争议的最基本的理论问题,为实践运用提供可靠的理论支持,才符合“依法行政”的理念。     

政府信息公开制度实施的问题及对策建议——以上海为例

政府信息公开制度是实现法律赋予公民和其他社会主体知情权的基本途径,也是政府有意识地推进自身从管制型政府向服务政府、有限政府、责任政府转型的一项重要公共政策.本文以上海政府信息公开制度的实施作为研究样本,通过个案深入揭示该制度在我国实施的问题,以及对推进中国政府信息公开制度良好实施的重要意义.     

"入世"后政府管理体制的变化趋势

世贸组织(WTO)规定,加"入世"贸组织的应当是主权国家或者单独关税地区.世贸组织的各项协议,与任何多边条约一样,是各成员国政府依据权利义务平等原则达成的契约性文件.因而"入世"是一种政府行为,世贸组织中各成员的关系首先是政府之间的关系.     

The Liberal Justification for Local Government: Values and Administrative Expediency

There are several important justifications for autonomous units of local government, derived from the writings of J. S. Mill and later theories concerning the value of pluralism. These arguments fail to show that local government is a morally necessary, as opposed to expedient, adjunct to liberal-democratic government. The paper develops from J. S. Mill's ideas on liberty a more substantive justification for local government based on the principle that local government can be a means for ensuring that the determination of collective decisions are made solely by those people affected by the decision.     

Social Equity and Evidence: Insights from Local Government

This article examines the role of evidence‐based decision making in social equity, with a particular focus on local government. It offers an assessment of the past, present, and future of such efforts by engaging themes from Matias Valenzuela's article based on King County, Washington. King County is one of more than 70 local governments that are members of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a growing national network of governments using an evidence‐based approach to achieve racial equity. In general, previous social equity measures have focused largely on measuring the extent to which disparities exist. More recently, tools and resources have become available to assist local governments in designing and evaluating their approach and performance in reducing social inequities. Future evidence should include more standardized measures to benchmark success, provide comparative analysis, and better support the identification of best practices.     

政府临时机构管理与行政效率

临时机构是政府管理的重要手段,是对政府常设机构职能缺陷的一种弥补,有利于行政效率的提高.但是,临时机构的过度膨胀和管理失控,则加重了政府财政负担,反而影响了政府工作部门正常职能的发挥,降低了行政效率.因此,必须加快临时机构立法进程,规范临时机构管理;深化行政体制改革,明确临时机构作用边界;完善临时机构监管体系,提高临时机构管理透明度.     

The Emerging Federal Quasi Government: Issues of Management and Accountability

There has been a growing trend in the federal government toward reliance on organizations that commingle legal attributes of the government and private sectors. These hybrid organizations now constitute a quasi government that occasions both interest and concern by political leaders, practitioners, and scholars alike because these organizations touch the very heart of democratic governance: To whom are these hybrids accountable? How well is the public interest being protected against the interests of private parties? In this article, the author seeks to define the quasi government and place these hybrid entities into manageable categories from which legal and behavioral generalizations may be drawn. Are hybrid organizations a problem or a solution? Looking critically at this question, the author suggests the answer may depend in large measure on which of two management paradigms the reader accepts: the constitutionalist management paradigm or the entrepreneurial management paradigm, both of which are defined and discussed. The author concludes that the increasin reliance on hybrid organizations constitutes a threat not only to accountable management within the government, but to the fundamental values of democratic governance as well.     

论社会公平再分配中的政府职责担当

体现公平原则的"共同富裕"是社会主义的本质之义,是服务型政府建设所要实现的公共理想之一.因此,政府有能力也应该且必须在社会再分配中担当起实现公平原则的职责:即拓宽再分配主体,完善再分配手段;抑制垄断,促进公平竞争;完善社会再分配政策体系;理顺财政再分配职能,健全财政再分配调节机制;加强法制建设,规范再分配行为;扩大中等收入者比重,提高低收入者收入水平;推进农村基本公共服务均等化;大力推进与发展第三次分配.     

Managing Disasters: The Role of Local Government

In major disasters, local communities are often on their own for several hours or days. Local governments can play a key role in taking the initiative to protect their citizens. This essay compares the experience of New Orleans before, during, and after the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina with the performance of Qinglong County, China, during the Tangshan earthquake of 1976. Qinglong County exemplifies local government taking initiative in risk assessment, decision making, operations, information sharing, and communications.     

Government Shekels without Government Shackles? The Administrative Challenges of Charitable Choice

As President Bush plans to expand "Charitable Choice," civil libertarians worry that the legislation is part of a new assault on separation of church and state. Religious Right activists demand assurances that funds will not flow to groups like the Nation of Islam or Scientologists. African American pastors in urban areas—arguably the main targets of the initiative—are concerned that "government shekels" will be accompanied by "government shackles," that the costs and regulatory burdens accompanying collaborations with government will divert resources from client services and mute their prophetic voice.
Caught in the middle are public managers, who must make the legislation work in the face of significant administrative challenges. Those challenges occur in three areas: contracting procedures, contract administration, and evaluation. In each of these categories, political realities and constitutional constraints will significantly complicate the manager's job.     

公共服务市场化的行政伦理危机与控制

在我国政府尚不具备公共管理的公共价值理性的前提下，运用公共服务市场化这一治理工具容易引发行政伦理危机，如责任危机、信用危机、效率危机和公平危机等。而近期改进管理方法技术、中期完善社会治理结构、长期建构法治治理文化是防范和控制这些行政伦理危机、实现公共利益的现实路径。