Territorial reforms in Europe: effects on administrative performance and democratic participation

Territorial reform is the most radical and contested reorganisation of local government. A sound evaluation of the outcome of such reforms is hence an important step to ensure the legitimation of any decision on the subject. However, in our view the discourse on the subject appears to be one sided, focusing primarily on overall fiscal effects scrutinised by economists. The contribution of this paper is hence threefold: Firstly, we provide an overview off territorial reforms in Europe, with a special focus on Eastern Germany as a promising case for cross-country comparisons. Secondly, we provide an overview of the analytical classifications of these reforms and context factors to be considered in their evaluation. And thirdly, we analyse the literature on qualitative performance effects of these reforms. The results show that territorial reforms have a significant positive impact on functional performance, while the effects on participation and integration are indeed ambivalent. In doing so, we provide substantial arguments for a broader, more inclusive discussion on the success of territorial reforms.     

Senkt New Public Management die Verwaltungsausgaben in den Schweizer Kantonen? Eine empirische Analyse über zwei Dekaden

In light of the growing public spending in many regions of the world, this study scrutinizes relevant determinants of core public administration expenditure at the cantonal level in Switzerland, focusing particularly on New Public Management (NPM) reforms. The empirical study comprises all 26 cantons in the period from 1993 through 2014 and uses both cross‐sectional and longitudinal analytical methods. In addition to NPM, we control for various variables related to political parties, institutions, socioeconomics and culture. The results show no clear relationship between NPM reforms and expenditure, although such reforms were often intended to cut costs. Our explanation for this finding is that NPM as a concept is rather inconsistent. Various control variables are either positively or negatively related with expenditure. All in all, our findings suggest that public expenditure is still mostly determined by politics and can only be influenced by administrative reforms within certain narrow limits.     

国际组织对公共养老保险改革的影响

本文采用文献法和历史分析法,研究了国际组织在不同阶段对各国公共养老保险改革施加影响的途径和方式,尤其是国际组织在我国养老保险"统账结合"制度的建立与发展过程中发挥的作用。在此基础上,提出了针对我国养老保险制度改革的政策建议。     

Redistribution and recognition: land reforms in Kerala and the limits of culturalism

The most important achievements of the Communist governments in Kerala, India were the implementation of the land reforms and the legislation of the Agricultural Workers' Act. Using ethnographic and archival research based on these events and the processes through which they became a reality, this paper will question some of the fundamental assumptions of the influential Subaltern Studies project and postcolonial theory like the positing of governmentality and passive revolution as the general characteristics of ‘Third World’ societies' experience with modernity. It will argue that, more importantly, their culturalist framework, with its gross ignorance of class and material concerns, is hardly adequate to understand the fusing of the aspirations of recognition and redistribution or the material and cultural that characterizes the struggles by the peasantry and agrarian labor, and their synthesis by the Communist Party. Despite their professed aim of inaugurating a democratic project with the peasant as citizen, Subaltern Studies and postcolonial theory, unlike the Communist movement, do not envisage any material transformation of the agrarian classes that will actualize this objective.     

对我国“大部制”改革若干问题的思考

大部制顺应了市场经济和服务型政府建设的要求,它是成熟市场经济国家与服务型政府职能相一致的政府组织体制,是与西方地方自治前提下的中央地方权力功能性分立相一致的。中国的国情决定我们在实行大部制改革过程中应深刻调整中央地方的关系,协调与党的机构、人大政协机构的关系,从决策、执行、监督相一致的高度设计,打破目前部门利益格局的权力运行框架。     

Is China Headed for a Debt Crisis?

正AS local government debts pile up,there are concerns about the effects on the Chinese and world economy.To evaluate the risk posed by such debts,the State Council in 2011 and 2013 instructed the National Audit Off ice to comprehensively examine the debt status of regional government bodies.The two audits–one     

高考改革背景下新建本科院校综合改革路径分析

党的十八届三中全会提出了深化中国教育的改革,高考改革和高校改革意味着中国教育的改革已经进入了攻坚阶段。尤其是高考改革,直接促使新建本科院校提速综合改革的进程。为此,应该在以下四个方面加快进程:办学定位由教学型到现代的教学—服务型;人才定性由技能型到现代的技能—素质型;专业定向由应用型到现代的应用—基础型,课程定制由实践型到现代的实践—通识型。     

对市级党校社会培训跨越发展的理性思考

推动市级党校社会培训跨越发展是新形势下一项重要的现实课题。市级党校在开展社会培训时,不能把追求经济效益作为首要任务,而应把社会效益、围绕中心服务大局放在第一位,通过争取政策、建章立制、队伍建设、打造团队、转型增效、提炼精品、塑造品牌、深化合作等路径,推动社会培训实现跨越发展。     

对公安专科学校治安专业教学改革的思考

公安专科院校治安专业教学改革的目标是通过治安专业的教学改革，强化学生应用能力和实践技能的培养。治安专业专科教育具有不同于一般职业教育的显著特色，就是其综合性和实践性。治安专业教学在课程设主、教材、教法、教师队伍等方面存在一些问题，因此要从优化课程设置、重构治安教材、更新教学方法、提高教师队伍素质等方面进行教学改革。     

成市排水系统运行安全性分析

对邯郸市排水系统运行中存在的安全向题进行分析,提出了解决城市排水运行安全隐患的5条措施.