德国地方政府公共服务体制改革与机制创新探微

在新公共管理改革浪潮中,德国属于温和型国家,其地方改革的原则策略选择与中国的渐进改革模式具有某些相似特征,即以法治为核心、以政府能力提升为目标、多价值平衡及公民间接参与为主直接参与为辅。在改革内容上,表现为公共服务的体制改革和机制创新。体制改革包括机构精简(含组织流程再造)和地方政府区划改革,机制创新包括公共服务提供系统的重新设计和公共物品生产方式的重大变化。体制改革的直接价值取向是提升公共服务的供给绩效和强化公共部门的服务能力;而机制创新的直接价值取向则是创设一种新的治理文化,最大限度地动员市场和第三部门参与地方性公共服务的生产,让地方政府"瘦身",实现公共服务生产与供给的可持续性。     

You just made it: Individual incumbency advantage under Proportional Representation

Using close election outcomes, we identify a personal effect of incumbency on the probability of seeking election, and seeking and winning office in subsequent elections for elected officials in an Open List Proportional System. In many cases Danish local elections creates an as-if random distribution of candidates that are elected or not, which is an ideal setting for a Regression Discontinuity design. The incumbency advantage has been studied to a great extent, though primarily in pluralistic electoral systems, while more recent studies have extended the scope to Proportional Representation systems. This study adds to this budding literature by showing an advantage in a new context and focusing on candidate level electoral returns under conditions where candidates are arguably least likely to benefit from incumbency.     

Paving the (Hard) Way for Regional Partnerships: Evidence from Portugal

A fundamental dilemma which troubles advocates of interinstitutional partnerships in regional development pertains to the extent to which partnerships enhance the effectiveness of governance processes and outcomes. This dilemma is particularly relevant in contexts that lack strong cohesive regional development alliances, such as the Portuguese case. This article aims to shed light on the debate regarding the role of partnerships in regional development, drawing on a unique collaborative interinstitutional partnership. It explores the responses to complexity across the different stakeholders, as well as its effects at the formulation and implementation stages of the strategic plans devised to apply for EU funding. Findings suggest that interinstitutional partnerships induce significantly different allocative choices at the agenda-setting. However, the established partnership was unable to cope with the several obstacles that emerged during the implementation, suggesting several vulnerabilities of partnerships, which are explored. Findings suggest the need to reinforce governance mechanisms during the implementation stage.     

The Advantage of Proximity: The Distinctive Role of Local Government in Cultural Policy

The arts and cultural sector has historically relied on funding from state and federal levels of government. Increasingly, however, local government has become a source of distinctive cultural policy making and a provider of significant funding for arts and cultural activities. The paper notes the relative absence of analyses of the role of local government in policy literature. It argues that with the recent proliferation of dedicated local cultural policies and plans, the attention of scholars is warranted. Through an analysis of the cultural plans of five local councils around Australia, the paper argues that the distinctive feature of cultural policy at the local level is a function of local government's proximity to its constituents, flexibility in decision‐making and the discretionary nature of its expenditure.     

Keeping It In‐House: Households Versus Population as Alternative Proxies for Local Government Output

Forced amalgamation has been used as a policy instrument in local government by numerous regulatory authorities across the world. A common presumption underlying municipal mergers holds that larger local councils will experience greater economies of scale. However, the empirical evidence on this question is mixed. Part of the reason for this could lie in the frequent use of population as a proxy for local government output in the empirical literature. This paper examines the use of alternative proxies, particularly the number of households but also the addition of business unit data. We demonstrate that household data represents a more accurate proxy of Australian local government output compared to population size. In addition, the paper employs experimental data, conceptual considerations on population, and household dynamics to establish that the number of households represents the most appropriate measure of local government size for both empirical and public policy purposes.     

失信联合惩戒的地方立法实践及反思

作为一种核心机制,失信联合惩戒在社会信用体系的构建中发挥着无法替代的功能,对于营造诚信的社会经济环境意义重大。实证分析显示,囿于全国性法律的暂时缺失,地方立法在先行先试的过程中出现对失信联合惩戒制度本身的规制缺位、失信行为的种类划分标准参差不齐、失信主体的救济措施缺失以及失信联合惩戒体系互异等现实难题。对此,应当以合法原则、后果与行为相当、必要限度以及责任自负为基本遵循,通过明确区分标准,将失信行为分门别类,完善立法设计,建立失信主体救济机制以及加强法律控制,对相关法律文件进行合法性审查,推进社会信用法律出台,构建统一的失信联合惩戒体系等举措,完善社会信用体系建设,助推国家治理法治化进程。     

在诗意中共存——论侗族地方性知识的和谐生态意识

侗族是一个追求和谐共生的民族,一个具有较高审美创造力的民族,他们在生活实践中自觉不自觉地去追寻这种自由之美、和谐共生的美、精神愉悦之美。这体现在侗族追求人与自然、人与社会、自我与他者的关系认识以及地方性知识的建构上,表现出深刻的和谐共存的生态意识。     

论基层政权的“嵌入式治理”——基于鲁中东村的实地调研

本文以鲁中东村为例,分析了乡村治理中国家权力的见缝插针、国家政策地方规约化以及地方对国家力量援引的运作规则与机制,将国家权力嵌入在村庄的社会结构、关系与规范之中,即基层政权的嵌入式治理。它既加强了国家在农村中的权力,同时也维持与强化了地方性结构与规范,实现国家与乡村社会、国家与农民的有效对接,最终实现国家政策的有效执行和地方秩序的稳定。随着国家能力与乡村社会性质发生双重的转变,当前基层政权的治理机制需要从消极的简约治理、单向度的制度建设中转入积极的嵌入式治理。尤其可以借国家政权从汲取型向输入型的转变契机,将农民对国家的认同进一步提升为国家的治理能力,最终实现基层社会的善治。     

经济开放对地方财政收入规模及结构的影响实证分析

使用中国1999—2007年度省级面板数据,实证分析了经济开放对地方财政收入规模和内部相对结构变化的作用。研究表明:贸易开放度的提高显著增加了地方个人所得税、行为税、财产税和非税收入,整体上也引起地方财政总收入的增加;并使地方财政收入中个人所得税、财产税和非税收入比重上升,城建税收入比重下降。投资开放的提升显著增加了地方营业税、个人所得税、行为税、非税及预算外收入,同时减少了地方增值税和企业所得税收入,总体上对地方财政收入有负效应;并提高了地方财政收入中营业税、个人所得税、行为税、财产税、非税收入及预算外收入的比重。由于外资和外贸对经济及税基的作用差异、现行分税制、地方各项财政收入自身特征、地方政府基于多元目标为促进外资投资呈现出的策略行为等,使经济开放对地方各项财政收入规模及其相对结构的影响具有复杂和非一致性。     

地方政府网络治理稳定性影响因素研究

网络治理理论以其整合政府、市场和公民社会的理念而引起越来越多公共管理研究者的兴趣,如何使其顺畅运行,取得稳定的运行状态成为公共管理领域亟待解决的问题。本文对地方政府网络治理及稳定性的概念进行了界定和分析,识别了资源依赖、关系质量、稳定性3个变量,进而提出资源依赖、关系质量、稳定性变量间影响关系的假设,最终形成地方政府网络治理稳定性影响因素概念模型。在调研访谈的基础上,对西安、南京、深圳等地政府部门进行问卷调查,通过SEM分析,结果表明,资源依赖对稳定性具有显著的正向影响关系,同时资源依赖还分别对关系质量具有显著的正向影响关系。关系质量中的信任和沟通也分别对稳定性具有显著的正向影响关系,而承诺对稳定性的直接影响不显著。据此,在地方政府网络治理过程中,需要对主体间的分工进行明确,注重治理主体资源与能力互补的重要性,重视关系质量的维护。