Germany: public affairs reinvented

Reunification, growing international exposure and the move of the capital from Bonn to Berlin are not merely milestones for the major changes that have occurred in German politics since World War II. They are developments that have profoundly affected and continue to affect political life in Germany. The way that political, civic and economic interests engage with the political system has changed, and this raises the question of what public affairs is and can achieve in this context. As practitioner the author observes four main trends. First, public affairs is increasingly being understood in terms of the meaning of the German word ‘Gesellschaftspolitik’. Second, the changing nature of how political issues are being communicated demands a growing expertise from all the players involved. Third, the general feeling among organisations for ‘need to do something political’ does not yet correspond with a specific demand for public affairs services. And last, a market for high profile consultancy‐led public affairs services is still in the making. Public affairs practitioners in Germany will be key in shaping and developing the profile of public affairs as a serious discipline with services and expertise, maturely tailored to local market needs. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications     

Policy of decentralization and changing governance of higher education in post‐Mao China

Unlike the Mao era when educational development was entirely directed by the central government, there has been a strong trend to diversification and decentralization of education in the post‐Mao period. This article, being set in this context, examines how the policy of decentralization has affected the governance modes of higher education in Mainland China. More specifically, the article focuses on three major aspects of education governance, namely, financing, provision and regulation in education, with special attention given to examining the changing relations between the state, local governments and other agents in education delivery. One very significant consequence of the change is that the public‐good functions of education, of which the state has taken the primary role of a reliable guarantor, have diminished. Nonetheless, the state's role as a regulator and overall service coordinator has been strengthened rather than weakened under the policy of decentralization. These recent developments in China's higher education also reflect the global trend of decentralization in educational governance. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Origins of Security Cooperation in the Southern Cone

Argentine-Brazilian relations have undergone a remarkable transformation over the last two decades, from enduring rivalry to cooperation. Dating back to the late 1970s, security cooperation has been a byproduct of two different sets of factors, strategic and military organizational, that propelled the two countries independently but simultaneously toward peaceful settlement. The 1979–80 settlement of disputes over hydroelectric power and nuclear technology not only ended centuries of militarized competition but established the first institutional structures of what is today one of the world's most durable security regimes.     

Strange bedfellows: Dynamics of government‐business relations between Chinese local authorities and Taiwanese investors

China poses a theoretical challenge in that corruption and rent‐seeking activities have not hindered foreign direct investment and economic development. Studies in development have documented the problems of rent‐seeking. International capital presumably hesitates to step into a Third‐World country such as China, which cannot protect private property rights with a comprehensive legal framework. However, for the last decade in China export promotion, foreign capital, and industrial development have proceeded simultaneously. This research argues that local officials helped investors overcome the problem of high transaction costs during a period of institutional uncertainty and local informal rules supplied foreigners with effective protection of property rights under corrupt circumstances. By controlling rent‐seeking activities, local officials created a wide variety of ad hoc patronage for private and foreign investments within their administrative domain. In return, local governments received extrabudgetary payments for the official patronage. This article provides an in‐depth case study of the so‐called joint venture between Taiwanese enterprises and Chinese local authorities in the Pearl River Delta, the institutional bases for their collaboration and the dynamics of the relationship under institutional change.     

加强和改进党政干部教育培训的若干思考

党政干部教育培训是我国教育事业的重要组成部分。宁夏党政干部教育培训工作在培训主体、培训客体和管理环节方面都不同程度地存在着问题,需要树立和实践"大教育、大培训"的新理念,建立健全党政干部教育法规、制度和机制,通过整合教育资源、建设教育培训的主渠道等途径来加以解决。     

区域环境变迁与经济文化历史演进之互动--以陕甘宁地区为例

本文以陕甘宁地区区域文化的历史内涵及其发展过程自然环境--经济活动--文化变迁这一主线,着力探讨了在中国北方农牧民族对峙的社会背景下,与该地区特殊的自然环境条件(包括后期人为产生的条件)密切相关的边塞文化发展的某些特征.     

“两个先锋队”思想是对马克思主义政党性质学说的继承和发展

"两个先锋队"思想是对马克思主义政党性质学说的继承和发展.其继承体现为:坚持了基本原则;继承了动态发展观;是历史经验的科学总结.其发展表现在:新的概括表述;历史经验的新启发;解决了历史性课题;突破了传统框框.文中还从指导思想和价值取向、实践"三个代表"、加强党的自身建设三个方面陈述了在新世纪里如何当好"两个先锋队"问题.     

陕西国有资产管理体制和运行机制研究

陕西国有资产管理体制构想:统一归属,分类监管;党政一体,“三管”结合;政企分开,三层营运;属地纳税,收益分流。资本运营应规范和有效控制授权监督机制、“三管”结合机制、业积考核与评价机制。