Using Cultural Theory to Analyze the Metagovernance of the Nuclear Renaissance in Britain,France, and the United States

The governments of Britain, France, and the United States are seeking to promote renewed investment in nuclear power through metagovernance. Metagovernance describes the way governments can leverage state power and resources to shape the behavior of networked actors to advance policy goals. To metagovern, governments use a variety of policy tools but the factors shaping the design of these policy tools remains unclear. Grid‐group cultural theory is used to show that the design of the policy tools used in metagovernance reflects both an underlying cultural bias within government and prevailing institutional circumstances. The paper demonstrates the utility of cultural theory in the study of metagovernance.     

The social–economic impact of shale gas extraction: a global perspective

This article explores the global social–economic impact of shale gas extraction, comparing the differing social and economic impacts shale gas extraction may have on communities in developed and developing countries. It argues that the benefits of fracking are more likely to be enjoyed by communities in highly and very highly developed countries rather than by those in countries with low or medium levels of development . Additionally, it shows that the potential risks and drawbacks of shale gas and its extraction are more likely to be experienced by communities in these latter countries than by those in highly or very highly developed countries. However, it also demonstrates that even communities in developed countries are vulnerable to environmental and health risks associated with shale gas extraction.     

Inter-municipal cooperation,economies of scale and cost efficiency: an application of stochastic frontier analysis to Dutch municipal tax departments

Inter-municipal cooperation is increasingly popular in European countries. Saving cost is a key motivation. This paper analyses the relation between inter-municipal cooperation and cost efficiency among Dutch municipal tax departments between 2005 and 2012. Motivated by the notion that cost savings are ascribed to scale economies, the relation between cooperation and cost is modelled explicitly through scale. The size of the cooperation is incorporated as a determinant of cost efficiency. The results indicate that inter-municipal cooperation can contribute to reducing cost and that the relation can be explained by scale. Municipalities or cooperations sized around 10,000 inhabitants are estimated up to 30% inefficient. At 60,000 inhabitants, the benefits of scaling are largely exhausted. Other than through scale, municipalities that cooperate are not estimated to operate significantly more or less efficient.     

中国公务员绩效薪酬改革前瞻

为提高公务员和行政组织的效率,中国有必要实施公务员绩效薪酬改革。实施绩效薪酬符合功绩制的要求,可以有效破除官僚主义、提高行政效率以及革除"官本位"思想观念,但在实施过程中,也面临着绩效考核指标难以准确界定,绩效考核过程和结果难以做到客观公正,不利于团队协作精神的发扬以及损害公务员的内在工作动机和行政机构的公共使命等一系列困难和问题。可以通过准确确定绩效薪酬改革的方向,合理限定绩效薪酬实施的范围,恰当规定绩效薪酬实施的比例与方式等措施,妥善处理和有效克服上述困难和问题。     

The Effect of Formal and Informal Contracting Mechanisms on Implementation Performance in the U.S. Federalist System

The relationship between contract management capacity and implementation success in local government contracting is well established. However, less is known about how specific contract mechanisms are linked to this success. This study uses implementation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to examine the use of formal and informal contract management techniques in the implementation of energy projects. The use of formal contract mechanisms, such as full and open competitive bidding, contact rescission and outcome-based performance measures, exhibits a statistically significant effect on implementation performance. The findings advance contracting theory and have practical implications for local government contracting and implementation success in fiscal federalism.     

论公诉权的能量——以撤回起诉和再行起诉为研究对象

我国1996年刑事诉讼法中没有撤回起诉的规定,但相关司法解释赋予了检察机关撤回公诉权。在目前的司法实践中,撤回起诉权遭到了一定程度的滥用。检察机关往往无时间、无次数限制地随意撤回起诉,然后再重新提起公诉,导致出现反复"撤回起诉——再行起诉"的程序循环现象,损害了刑事司法的尊严,侵犯了当事人的合法权益。其实,公诉权是有能量的,有一个耗尽的问题。因此,应当对国家追诉权进行必要的限制。     

再议我国刑事普通程序简化审

刑事普通程序简化审程序是具有中国特色的有罪答辩程序 ,该程序迎合了当今国际刑事诉讼立法的发展趋势 ,在我国无论从理论上还是从实践上都具备构建的必要性和合理性 ,同时 ,还必须建立相应的配套机制 ,真正实现公正和效率两大诉讼目标。     

政策制定中的电子参与:质量、满意度和效率

电子参与的广泛应用,给提高政策质量与合法性带来了机遇,但也带来了不确定性和挑战。本文重点探讨以下几个关键问题:如何促进理性参与,提升电子参与的质量;如何对参与中浮现的各方利益加以协调,使参与者满意并实现各方利益的共赢;如何科学筹划与管理,降低政府信息处理成本和社会参与成本,提高电子参与效率。     

提高地方行政监察职能的实践与思考

行政监察工作在保证政府机构和工作人员依法行政、廉洁从政方面具有不可替代的作用。行政监察必须立足改革发展稳定大局,围绕党委、政府的中心任务和重大决策来开展相关工作,为经济和社会的全面发展营造良好环境。当前加强和改进行政监察工作需要注意四个方面的问题：一是增强行政监察工作的法制性,促进依法行政和依法监察的同步规范;二是增强行政监察工作的协调性,促进监察机关与职能部门密切合作;三是增强行政监察工作的公开性,促进行政监察与社会监督紧密结合;四是增强行政监察工作的有效性,促进行政机关和工作人员效能提升。     

Counterinsurgency for wind energy: the Bíi Hioxo wind park in Juchitán,Mexico

Sustainable development and climate change mitigation policies, Dunlap and Fairhead argue, have instigated and renewed old conflicts over land and natural resources, deploying military techniques of counterinsurgency to achieve land control. Wind energy development, a popular tool of climate change mitigation policies, has consequently generated conflict in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Istmo) region in Oaxaca, Mexico. Research is based on participant observation and 20 recorded interviews investigating the Fuerza y Energía Bíi Hioxo Wind Farm on the outskirts of Juchitán de Zaragoza. This paper details the repressive techniques employed by state, private and informal authorities against popular opposition to the construction of the Bíi Hioxo wind park on communal land. Providing background on Juchitán, social property and counterinsurgency in Southern Mexico, this paper analyzes the development of the Bíi Hioxo wind park. It further explores the emergence of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ counterinsurgency techniques used to pacify resistance against the wind park, enabling its completion next to the Lagoon Superior in October 2014. Discussing the ‘greening of counterinsurgency’, this contribution concludes that the Bíi Hioxo wind park has spawned social divisions and violent conflict, and intervened in the sensitive cultural fabric of Istmeño life.