Legislative Effectiveness and Legislative Careers

We studied an underutilized source of data on legislative effectiveness and exploited its panel structure to uncover several interesting patterns. We found that effectiveness rises sharply with tenure, at least for the first few terms, even when we control for legislators' institutional positions, party affiliation, and other factors. Effectiveness never declines with tenure, even out to nine terms. The increase in effectiveness is not simply due to electoral attrition and selective retirement, but to learning‐by‐doing. We also found evidence that a significant amount of “positive sorting” occurs in the legislature, with highly talented legislators moving more quickly into positions of responsibility and power. Finally, effectiveness has a positive impact on incumbents' electoral success and on the probability of legislators moving to higher office. These findings have important implications for arguments about term limits, the incumbency advantage, and seniority rule.     

立法权去中心化与立法模式转变

立法权本应属于人民全体,只是交由代议机关行使,但是立法权的所有与行使的分离使其有被滥用的可能,由此导致立法权在行使时出现趋中心化:立法权绝对化、非理性化、将立法权而不是公民作为立法过程的核心。因此,应着力实现立法权的去中心化,实现立法权行使范围和方式的变革。立法模式应该实现由单一政府立法到政府立法与社会立法相结合的转变,更多地发挥公众、社会团体和专家的实质性作用。     

Legislative Research Reports

The papers abstracted below were presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, held in Washington, DC.     

危险驾驶罪的立法理念与立法完善探讨

刑法修正案（八）首次将＂醉驾＂、＂飙车＂行为以危险驾驶罪入刑。鉴于民众甚至司法人员对该罪的认识上和操作中均存在不少亟待澄清和回应的问题,诸如该罪立法理念上与刑法谦抑性是否存在着矛盾和冲突？如何认识和处理该罪中＂罪过倒挂＂问题？如何理解和适用该罪的追诉时效问题？如何看待和处理该罪的行为方式过窄的问题？通过对以上诸问题进行阐释进而提出了完善相关立法的构想及其路径。     

论立法决策

本文就立法决策的主体、立法决策与形势的关系及立法决策的方法步骤予以论述。     

立法效率研究

立法效率直接表现为立法效益和立法成本的比较,间接反映了立法目的是否实现,且在多大程度上促进了经济社会发展,增进了社会整体利益以及实现了社会资源的最佳配置和社会财富的增加。影响立法效率的因素包括立法成本、立法效益、立法数量、立法质量和立法需求五个方面。目前我国立法效率较低,存在立法浪费、立法越权、立法谋私、立法寻租和立法低质五大现象。究其原因有四个方面,即立法的资源意识淡薄,立法资源配置不合理,立法成本效益评价机制欠缺,立法监督制约机制不完善。要提高立法效率,应从严控制立法数量,适当上收立法权限;树立成本效益理念,优化配置立法资源;实施成本效益预测,推进立法效率评估;提高地方立法质量,完善立法监督体系。