Money for our people? Decentralisation and corruption in Romania: the cases of the equalisation,infrastructure and pre‐university education funds

In spite of the attempts, in the most recent years, to introduce simple, accountable and rule‐based mechanisms governing the flows of funds for Romanian local governments (LGs) there is evidence showing that deviations from the norms are still widespread and undermine the stated goals of many policies. This article aims to explore to what extent the political factor (party affiliation, i.e. local informal power networks) interferes with the allocation of public funds as far as three main areas of decentralised policy are concerned: (i) the general purpose equalisation transfers; (ii) the Roads Fund grants and (iii) the transfers for financing the pre‐university education. These components represent a relatively large share of the local budgets and are illustrative for two important attributions Romanian LGs perform today: maintaining the local infrastructure and providing essential social services. Through a set of variables—measuring, on the one hand, the real pattern of resource allocation and on the other hand, the intensity of politicisation in the three areas—we tested the hypothesis that intergovernmental financial flows in Romania are to a large extent captured by rent‐seeking groups. It turns out that this is indeed the case with the funds for infrastructure, and much less so with the transfers financing pre‐university education. Some conclusions from these contrasting situations are drawn which reflect on the broader discussion, the link between decentralisation and corruption. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

泰罗的科学管理理论对地方政府危机管理的启示

目前,我国地方政府在危机管理的意识、专业人才、协调机制、制度建设以及社会动员能力等方面均存在较大缺陷。借鉴泰罗的科学管理原理,有针对性地采取各种措施,对提高我国地方政府的危机管理水平具有十分重要的现实意义。     

高职院校社区管理与服务专业人才培养模式探究--以安徽警官职业学院社区管理与服务专业为例

社区管理与服务专业是在我国社会转型的大背景下应运而生的社科类专业。既要了解创新高职院校社区管理与服务专业人才培养模式的必要性,还要就该专业人才培养模式的现状和创新思路进行分析和探索,进而找出一条适合社会发展需求和体现学院专业建设特色的人才培养之路。     

社会管理创新与社区青年工作发展路径探析——以广州市兴华街兴青年项目为例

青年是社会管理创新的参与者和受益者,创新社会管理格局应重视青年工作,调动一切有利于青年发展、社会和谐的积极因素。基层社区经过一年多的实践,探索以下三条路径引导青年参与和服务社会:有效配置资源、实现资源整合、聚焦青年发展;党建创新、多方合力、青年服务项目成果初现;青年微组织带动、多元主体共建共享、创新社会服务模式。借此努力形成社区关爱青年,青年服务社会格局。     

从判决书看缓刑的适用

刑事司法政策、缓刑制度功能、刑法条文规定、犯罪案件类型及被告人自身情况等都是影响缓刑适用的因素。从判决书反映的情况来看,不管是基层法院还是中级法院,故意伤害案件和交通肇事案件缓刑适用率都相对较高,财产类犯罪案件则较少适用。在实践中,缓刑的适用主要存在对宽严相济刑事政策的把握不准,缓刑监督考察机制不健全等问题。可以考虑从这两方面入手完善我国的缓刑制度。     

Research on the Affordable Housing Community: Review and Prospect

The construction of affordable housing is not only housing construction，but also community cultivation. The construction of affordable housing community is one of the key indicators to determine the effectiveness of the housing policy. Based on collecting related literature in CNKI, the researcher conducts a quantitative analysis of the research literature on affordable housing in China by using Bicomb2.0. The study has found that the quantity of research results is closely related to the development of the policy. The research focuses on the housing policy, financing and post management. Community research is marginalized in the research heat maps, and research disciplines are mostly human geography, management and so on. Then the researcher reviews the four core issues in the study of affordable housing community, such as the spatial location and community segregation of affordable housing, the satisfaction and influencing factors of housing community, the neighborhood interaction and social integration of affordable housing community and public service and community governance of security housing community. Finally, the paper provides proposals for future study.     

Managing Social Risk in China Local Administration: An Examination of SSRA Initiative

Social Stability Risk Assessment (SSRA) sponsored by the local administration is perceived as a socially defined risk-coping initiative since it became mandatory in China. This article observes and unravels SSRA practices by selecting Xuzhou municipality as a sample case. Findings show that local SSRA is operated by the tridimensional mechanism and antecedents of its effectiveness in enforcement are linked with multiple elements of administrative supports. The findings contribute to a full understanding of SSRA in mainland China where there is no electoral democratic regime, and provide implications for developing countries alike. Some recommendations are proposed as a potential driver of these results.     

Lost in space? the role of place in the delivery of social welfare law advice over the telephone and face-to-face

ABSTRACT

Advice that is provided exclusively over the telephone has been promoted by government as more convenient and accessible than face-to-face appointments. The resulting push towards telephone-only provision, as implemented by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, challenges the long history of association between social welfare law advice and local delivery within disadvantaged communities. This article reports on qualitative research comparing telephone and face-to-face advice which uncovers the continuing relevance of place in the dynamics and mechanics of social welfare law provision. Familiarity with the geographical location, knowledge of local policies and procedures, relationships with opponents and allies, and an understanding of the ‘local legal culture’ mean that face-to-face advisers are often able to conduct their legal casework more effectively. Conversely, local knowledge is unlikely to be available to Community Legal Advice telephone advisers. This research suggests that, in addition, telephone-only advisers may be developing a more narrow understanding of the essential qualities of casework. These findings are particularly significant in view of the likely future expansion of remote methods of delivery in legal aid work.     

State transformation and cross-border regionalism in Indonesia’s periphery: contesting the centre

Abstract

This article examines how the decentralisation and fragmentation of the Indonesian state and resultant central–local dynamics affect cross-border regionalism in Indonesia’s periphery. It argues that cross-border regionalism projects are best understood as sites for scalar contestation over regulatory control between central and local government. Moreover, scalar contestation around cross-border regional projects is characterised by the struggles to control relationships with transnational capital between elites operating at different tiers of the state. When elites at different scales have conflicting interests and strategies, this can cause policy incoherence, inhibiting the development of cross-border regionalism. Conversely, when they align, and intersect with the interests of transnational business, cross-border regionalism can succeed. To illustrate the argument, this article utilises the comparative case studies of the Batam free trade zone and West Kalimantan–Sarawak cross-border cooperation.     

我国社区治理“碎片化”整合机制探析

在我国社区治理不断深化的背景下,社区多元治理主体在参与治理过程中面临着"碎片化"困境,主要表现为治理主体的"碎片化"和治理过程的"碎片化"。治理主体"碎片化"分化为内部"碎片化"和外部"碎片化",治理过程"碎片化"表现为整体过程"碎片化"和具体过程"碎片化"。导致社区治理"碎片化"的根本原因在于多元治理主体的错位及协动不足。在未来的社区治理中,可以参考日本的社区协动治理机制,明确社区多元治理主体的角色定位,完善社区多元治理主体协动治理机制,以营造共建共治共享的良好氛围。