Socioeconomic Development and Voluntary Associations in Swedish Municipalities

Abstract

This paper explores the link between voluntary associations and socioeconomic development in Swedish municipalities. According to previous research in the field of social capital, the causal flow goes from having many associations to a high level of socioeconomic development. It has been argued, however, that the causal flow from the level of socioeconomic development to the level of social capital is so weak that it can be ignored. This paper tests a simple simultaneous equation model in order to test whether the causal flows from socioeconomic development to social capital and the inverse are simultaneous. The study is carried out at an aggregated level (the municipalities) that corresponds to the lowest administrative level in Sweden. The results indicate that the socioeconomic development cannot be ignored and that there is a simultaneous relationship. Moreover, the empirical findings indicate that the relationship is negative between the variables expressing socioeconomic development and associational density.     

Anti-Immigrant Parties,Local Presence and Electoral Success

Abstract

Does the local organisational presence of anti-immigrant parties affect their chances for electoral success? In order to answer this question, the article explores the potential of a supply-oriented explanation to anti-immigrant party success by examining the electoral advancements the Sweden Democrats (SD) made in the 2006 and 2010 elections. Our results indicate that traditional demand-side explanations to anti-immigrant party success can be successfully complemented by an ‘internal supply-side argument’ to make the electoral fates of these parties more intelligible. Whether the SD had a local organisational presence had a substantial effect on its results in the national election and on the probability of gaining representation in local councils. Thus, the party’s fate in the national as well as local elections was largely determined by whether or not it had a local organisational presence in Swedish municipalities.     

The Impact of Rural Votes in Foreign Policies: The FTA Policies under the DPJ Government in Japan

The recent trend of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) has pressured the governments of many countries to make such arrangements with their trade partners. Since its foundation in 1998, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has advocated free trade policies, partly because the party was an urban-based party. Thus, many expected that, when the DPJ assumed power in 2009, it would implement free trade policies as it had promised in the past. However, the DPJ government failed to deliver on its promise after spending three and a half years in office. It contrasts sharply with the Korean government under the leadership of Lee Myung-bak, which managed to conclude FTAs with its major trade partners, including the United States and the European Union. Both governments' free trade policies faced strong opposition from the agricultural industry, as farmers in Japan and Korea lacked international competitiveness. What explains the reasons why the Japanese government has been struggling to implement its free trade policies, while its Korean counterpart succeeded in signing a number of FTAs? Focusing primarily on the case of Japan and using the Korean case as reference, this study tries to provide an explanation for this puzzle by analyzing the impact of rural votes in the policy-making process.     

信息化条件下四川省城乡社区警务基本态势及发展研究

信息化对公安机关社会管理和打击犯罪的社会责任提出了更高要求。信息化条件下城乡社区警务面临新的挑战。以四川省城乡社区警务建设为研究对象,调查分析信息化条件下城乡社区警务基本态势及面临的挑战,可提出依托社区信息化发展、增强信息主导警务的理念、完善社区警务情报信息工作机制、强化社区民警能力培养等发展措施。实现信息化在社区警务运行中全方位的渗透和融合,可推动城乡社区警务发展,提高社区治安防控能力。     

贵州民族地区农村中小学数学教师专业化发展对策研究

本文应用调查法、访谈法、文献法等研究方法,对贵州民族地区农村中小学数学教师专业发展进行了调查研究。在深入调查现状的基础上,制定出符合该地区实际的对策:高等院校的引领;开展校本研究;充分发挥数学教研组在的作用;养成质疑反思的习惯;加大对教师的队伍建设和考核力度;发展民族地区农村现代远程教育等。     

农户兼业化与农村土地制度变迁——基于家庭内部分工的分析框架及政策含义

基于家庭内部分工的框架,将农户看作两个人的生产系统,讨论了家庭内部分工与专业化对农村土地流转、土地调整两个重要制度变量的影响,研究了农户兼业化对土地制度选择的意愿及其对中国农村土地制度变迁的政策意义.Probit模型的计量结果表明,农民家庭内部分工降低了土地流转意愿;在家庭人地比的一定范围内农户响应人地比例的变动而选择土地流转的意愿比土地调整要更为强烈.研究的结论是,男性和女性人力资本在非农就业的差异,以及兼业农户没有降低农业产出的效率特征,决定了具有比较优势的分工使兼业农户不会轻易放弃土地承包权;分工经济使农民对现有土地家庭承包制的利用程度的重要性超过土地流转制度创新的潜在利润,农户的反应倾向于选择土地流转应对稀缺的土地要素禀赋对土地调整的压力;农户的制度选择意愿在一定程度上受家庭内部分工预期收益所左右,形成了制度变迁的路径依赖和锁入效应.     

中国的反贫困政策:评价与展望

近年来,随着改革开放的不断推进,中国的贫困问题已逐渐由农村贫困发展为农村贫困与城市贫困并存的局面.本文考察了中国现行的贫困标准和总体贫困状况.并对国家反贫困政策绩效进行了初步评价.在此基础上,针对现行反贫困政策存在的主要问题,提出应按照统筹城乡协调发展的理念,建立统一的城乡贫困标准、监测体系和国家反贫困政策,树立农村与城市反贫困并重的理念,统筹城乡社会保障和就业制度.     

The innovative performance of foreign-owned enterprises in small open economies

This paper compares the innovative performance of foreign-owned and domestically owned enterprises in five European countries. We look at innovation inputs, outputs, and examine how strong foreign-owned enterprises are embedded in the innovations systems of their host countries. We find that foreign ownership is associated with similar levels of innovation input, but higher levels of innovation output and higher labour productivity compared to domestic ownership. In four of the five countries, affiliates of foreign multinationals show a similar or even a higher propensity to co-operate with domestic partners than domestically owned enterprises.

Indispensable,yet Invisible: Drinking water management as a local political issue in Swedish municipalities

ABSTRACT

Local policy-makers’ incentives to address an issue is conditioned by how they perceive public attention. Our study focuses on drinking water management at the municipal level in Sweden. Provisioning and management of drinking water is a responsibility of the local governments. Interviews with local politicians and public administrators in seven municipalities reveal that local policy-makers think that citizens view provisioning of drinking water as a taken for granted service, and also lack knowledge of and interest in drinking water issues. Public attention is further seen as a double-edged sword since engagement in water issues often is a result of problems with water provision. The findings are discussed from a theoretical perspective of the role of agenda-setting in public policy. It is argued that the view of policy-makers of citizens as unengaged negatively affects the incentives to bring drinking water to a prominent place on the local policy agenda.     

中国后扶贫时代中的返贫风险控制策略——基于风险源分析与人力资源开发视角

党的十九届五中全会明确将“巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果”作为“民生福祉达到新水平”的重要任务。巩固扶贫成果的关键在于防止返贫,而防止返贫的关键在于控制返贫风险。基于新中国农村扶贫的实践与政策分析,当前中国存在救济型扶贫、保障型扶贫、易地搬迁型扶贫、开发型扶贫和参与型扶贫五种扶贫模式,可以分析比较出不同扶贫模式下返贫的直接风险源和根本风险源。借助人力资源开发理论与方法,可以从自我开发、培训开发、岗位开发、干部开发、组织开发等方面实现风险控制,为地方政府与领导干部防止返贫风险与实现乡村振兴提供了有效参考。