Is a problem shared a problem halved? Shared services and municipal efficiency

It has long been argued that shared services represent an efficacious means of securing efficiencies for municipalities. Indeed, pressures from fiscal austerity, taxation limitations, and the specter of forced amalgamations have resulted in an increasing uptake of shared service arrangements. However, the extant evidence is rather inconclusive and is largely restricted to analyzing the nett efficiency outcomes for the specific service shared. We broaden this evidential base by examining the association between shared service production and the efficiency of entire municipalities. Our analysis, employing a 5‐year panel of data, suggests that shared services are associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall municipal efficiency. We conclude by explicating on the public policy implications arising from our prima facie surprising results.     

The ‘Short Addiction Program’: experiences from an intervention by the correctional services in Norway

Do participants in a short term training program in prison find that it helps them to cope with their addiction better than before? This article explores the effects of a pilot project conducted in two Norwegian prisons. The study is based on interviews with 16 participants. The data show that the program increased inmates’ motivation and provided them with better tools to deal with their addiction. The conclusion is therefore that this kind of program could be the first step towards enabling prisoners with addictions to cope better with the challenges involved.     

Competition and switching in public service markets: Can they reduce inequalities?

Regulatory reforms to public infrastructure services across European Union (EU) countries were aimed at increasing consumer welfare by introducing competition and choice into service markets. However, empirical evaluations have questioned whether these reforms have benefitted all consumers, suggesting that vulnerable groups of service users (especially those with lower levels of formal education), might be locked into poorly performing services. We assess the relationship between the level of competition in electricity and fixed telephony markets in EU countries and evaluate the affordability of these services for different socio‐educational layers. Our findings show that – although in countries where there is a relatively high frequency of switching, inequalities between socio‐educational groups are smaller and eventually disappear – competition as such does not play a part. These results suggest that demand‐side regulation that successfully enables consumer switching has the potential to equalize social welfare, thereby reflecting a possible convergence of regulatory instruments and the central aims of the welfare state in this context.     

治安秩序构成要素分析——治安秩序论之三

治安秩序是由一定的时空点和治安秩序的破坏力、控制力三个基本要素构成的.一定时空点是治安秩序的载体,破坏力是治安秩序构成要素中最活跃的因素,控制力是治安秩序构成要素中决定性因素.现实的治安秩序状况就是治安秩序的破坏力和控制力在一定时空点上相互作用的表现情态.当治安秩序控制力大于或等于破坏力因素时,治安秩序就会稳定或基本稳定,反之,则会出现不稳定或非正常状况.     

从必要“扣除”的角度审视中国现阶段的按劳分配

经典涵义的按劳分配以单一的生产资料社会主义公有制在经济上的直接实现——必要“扣除”为前提，它不过是生产资料社会主义公有制在经济上的间接实现。社会主义市场经济条件下，所有制结构的多元化以及公有制实现形式的多样化，使得必要“扣除”由分配的前提转变为分配本身，即按公有生产要素分配。现阶段，作为社会主义公有制“背面”的按劳分配，在国民收入的初次分配中，只能以按生产要素分配的方式直接和间接的实现，并在国民收入的再分配领域尽显分配的社会主义性质。