地方政府改善民生绩效评估体系的构建

改善民生是构建和谐社会的根本问题。它是科学发展观的本质诉求，是执政为民理念的集中体现，是解决社会矛盾的有效选择。地方政府改善民生绩效评估体系构建要树立民本的核心价值追寻，建立和完善公众参与的多元主体评估机制，构建以改善民生为轴心的指标体系。     

新时期调整中央与地方关系的理性探索

新时期调整中央与地方关系,应科学界定明晰中央与地方的职责权限划分,建立健全财权与事权相匹配的财税体制。完善中央对地方权力运行的监督制约机制,还需建立协调、规范、互利的中央与地方新型利益关系,实现双方利益均衡。     

对我国地方立法中职务犯罪预防措施的评价——以《联合国反腐败公约》为视角

《联合国反腐败公约》在强调打击腐败犯罪的同时，更强调对腐败犯罪实施综合预防战略。《公约》设立专章，对预防腐败措施作了系统的规定。目前，我国尚无预防腐败措施方面的中央级专门立法，但是，许多省、自治区、直辖市和较大市都进行了预防职务犯罪的地方立法。以《公约》为参照，借鉴国际经验，检视我国地方立法中职务犯罪预防措施，有利于促进我国预防腐败的制度建设和工作机制的进一步完善。     

论我国地方府际关系法制化的实现途径

地方府际关系是指各级地方政府之间的纵横关系网络，包括地方政府上下级之间的纵向关系和各个地方政府之间的横向关系。改革开放前后，我国地方府际关系的变化促进了我国政治、经济、社会、文化的发展，但也出现了一些问题，解决问题的关键是实现我国地方府际关系的法制化。文章从现阶段我国地方府际关系法制化涉及的主要问题出发，在借鉴西方发达国家地方府际关系法制化基本经验的基础上，探讨了我国地方府际关系法制化的实现途径。     

区域行政——一种构建和谐社会的新思路

和谐社会的内涵丰富，构建和谐社会的思路与方法也有很多，把区域行政作为构建和谐社会的思路之一，是一种创新。因为，区域行政是一种全新的区域治理模式，包含一系列丰富的内涵。区域行政思路下的和谐社会构建，就是要在区域内推进民主与法治建设，树立公平与正义的价值观，倡导诚信友爱的人际交往观念，形成充满生机与活力的发展局面，保持社会安定有序，促进人与自然和谐相处，筑牢筑实建设区域和谐社会的政治、心理、交流、动力、稳定和社会基础。     

Is a problem shared a problem halved? Shared services and municipal efficiency

It has long been argued that shared services represent an efficacious means of securing efficiencies for municipalities. Indeed, pressures from fiscal austerity, taxation limitations, and the specter of forced amalgamations have resulted in an increasing uptake of shared service arrangements. However, the extant evidence is rather inconclusive and is largely restricted to analyzing the nett efficiency outcomes for the specific service shared. We broaden this evidential base by examining the association between shared service production and the efficiency of entire municipalities. Our analysis, employing a 5‐year panel of data, suggests that shared services are associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall municipal efficiency. We conclude by explicating on the public policy implications arising from our prima facie surprising results.     

Voter responses to refugee arrivals: Effects of settlement policy

In this paper we leverage a sudden shift in refugee settlement policy to study the electoral consequences of refugee settlements. After the 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election, the newly elected right-wing government made a concerted effort to spread newly arrived immigrants across the country, with the consequence that some municipalities with limited experience in settling refugees accepted to do so. We propose that such policy changes have political consequences, increasing the salience of immigration issues and shifting voters’ preferences to the right. We further propose that successful refugee integration can move (parts of) the electorate to the left, with stronger political polarization as a possible effect of the policy change. Applying difference-in-differences techniques, we find no evidence of unidirectional shifts in voter sentiments, but support for the hypothesis of stronger political polarization.     

Institutional Arrangements and State and Local Financial Forecasting

Abstract

The articles in this symposium present various consequences that effectively result in changes from adopted budgets during the implementation phase, which derive from institutional structure. The institutional structures referred to include such attributes as internal policy, procedural methodology, longevity in office, and reward and incentive systems related to performance outcomes

For local governments, structural influences studied include changes in leadership in the executive and legislative branches, longevity in office of budget administrators, and differences related to mayor-council vs. council-manager forms of government. Internal policies reported on cover methodology used to forecast revenues such as quantitative methods versus informed judgment, budgetary controls and spending policy related to mandated spending beyond local government control, and procedures for benchmarking within the agency as well as with peer groups and professional standards.

Consortia of governments are referenced regarding performance evaluation as is the process for gaining consensus between the executive and legislative branches, including expert outside opinion. Other influences on performance outcomes reported on are those tied to the risk-reward system built in to the institutional structure, which includes risk tolerance of the individuals who make pension fund investments.     

地方政府行政审批制度改革的困境与对策——基于F市外经贸系统的实证考察

基于流程再造的研究视角,本文对F市外经贸系统中的行政审批事项、内部运营、跨部门与跨层级审批等状况进行了实证考察,指出当前地方政府行政审批制度改革中存在越减越肥与审批拖沓、简政放权中的统筹不足、重审批中的轻监管等问题。文章提出应从提升行政服务中心的窗口办理效能、搭建行政审批网络一体化平台、建立审改公众参与制度、建立审改绩效考评制度等四个方面来推进行政审批制度改革。