Accounting for Future Generations: Intergenerational Equity in Australia1

Australian governments have published three intergenerational reports since 2002. In line with a general international trend these reports pointed to a problem said to arise from an ageing population which exposes Australia to the risk of a future major fiscal crisis. In this article we argue that by failing to use a generational accounting framework, the reports privilege the elderly at the expense of young people. Added to this, they fail to engage any discussion of intergenerational equity defined as distributive fairness and justice. In this article we explore the value of various approaches to intergenerational justice, focusing on the Principle of Intergenerational Neutrality derived from Rawls' theory of justice. We argue that this does not work as well from a policy point of view as Sen's freedom‐as‐capabilities approach. We conclude that linking Sen's approach to justice to a generational accounting will enable governments to address future issues of equity.     

教育财政支出占GDP4％目标的实现与选择性政策执行——基于江西省县域面板数据的分析

现有的政策执行机制和地方财力是否能够确保1993年就已提出的“国家财政性教育投入占GDP4％”目标在2012年得到实现？江西省1997--2006年教育支出比重的变化显示,地方自有财力的增长并没有相应地提高教育的支出比重。中央的财政政策偏好对地方的财政支出结构有非常重要的影响。中国政策过程中的政治集权和干部管理上的组织控制,使得中央政府可以有效地影响地方政府的支出偏好,如果将教育投入比重达到GDP4％列为地方官员的政绩进行考核,并加大对欠发达地区教育的转移支付力度,就可以从改变官员的支出偏好和提供财力支持上保证这一目标的实现。     

论单一制中国的财政联邦制——以中央与地方财政关系为视角

单一制与联邦制只不过是国家纵向权力配置模式的类型化。任何国家都存在集权或分权两种力的作用,中国便是一个带有联邦制因素的单一制国家。中国财政联邦制的发展与单一制国家结构框架内的体制多有抵牾,但中国财政联邦制的变革并不意味着宪政联邦制的确立。     

韩国财政预算管理体制考察及启示

财政预算管理体制与政府部门有着千丝万缕的联系,考察分析韩国现行财政预算管理体制应首先从韩国财政机构的构成着手,比较分析中韩两国财政预算在编制、执行、决算等预算环节的异同。这对解决中国目前预算年度与立法机关审议批准时期冲突、预算编制时间短、预算编制机构设置不合理和预算执行进度过慢等问题有借鉴意义。     

化解新时代社会主要矛盾的财税法思维

新时代社会主要矛盾发生变化,是以人民为中心的发展思想对我国社会主要矛盾作出的新判断和新表述。财税法作为治国安邦之法,与共同富裕目标衔接紧密,是让改革发展成果更公平惠及全体人民的重要法律领域。财税法通过调整和规范政府间财政关系、政府预算和税收制度,回应和化解新时代社会主要矛盾,为加快建立现代财政制度提供道路支撑。新时代财税法思维包括三个方面:一是立足现代化建设和改革发展,提高政府治理能力、法治思维能力并依法拓展财源,建设现代化经济体系;二是渐进推动民主、促进民生福祉,满足人民美好生活需要,建构预算规范、财力协调和区域均衡的财税体制;三是实现分配正义,通过区域、产业和群体之间的财税制度设计和规则安排,促进发展更加平衡更加充分。借助财税法思维化解新时代社会主要矛盾有利于加快国家治理现代化和迈向全面小康的步伐。     

The Effect of Fiscal Decentralization on the Financial Condition of Municipal Government

This study examines the effect of fiscal decentralization between states and their local governments on the financial condition of municipal governments. There are strong theoretical arguments on both sides of the federalism debate about the benefits for and against decentralization. Most of the research in this area investigates economic and social welfare consequences of fiscal decentralization. There is limited research, however, on the effects of fiscal decentralization on the financial health of local governments. Using data from the nation’s 150 largest cities, this study finds that intrastate fiscal decentralization results in weaker financial condition for municipalities in those states.     

犯罪论对刑法典的形塑作用——以德国犯罪论与刑法典的关系史为线索的考察

刑法典与犯罪论体系的关系是犯罪论体系论争的一个前提性问题。对此,主张"维持论"的学者提出了"刑法典对犯罪论具有制约关系"的命题。通过对德国犯罪论与刑法典关系史的考察,可以看出,无论是构成要件、违法性还是罪责,都不是德国刑法典的产物,而是德国刑法学者智慧的产物。更为重要的是,阶层犯罪论体系的这些基本概念,通过在刑法学界形成共识之后,形塑了德国刑法典的发展。我国犯罪论体系的建构不应拘泥于刑法典本身的规定,因此引入德国阶层犯罪论体系并不存在障碍。     

论清代徽州禁约合同——兼议与禁约告示、禁约碑之区别

中国古人习惯于用合同的方式来解决各种财产纠纷和社会矛盾。禁约合同是古代合同类型之一种,多是同族、同村人等为禁止盗窃、禁止砍伐树木、保护荫木来龙水口等事务,共同立约承诺并议定罚则的合同文书。部分禁约合同,由于请求官府支持,而转化成禁约告示、禁约碑,约束范围扩大、效力上升,已可视为乡规民约。禁约合同本身没有外部约束力,其内部约束力是传统合同"信"价值的表达。禁约合同是私人间由于财产的共有或公有产生一种调和权利纠纷的自发秩序,也是地缘社会维护生活安宁,将一些陋习予以禁止,共同约束自身和抵御外来侵犯的约定。然而,从禁约合同、禁约告示、禁约碑等的整个体系来看,禁约产生和运行是需要外部保证的,这种外部保证就是国家法或官方的支持。据此,禁约合同才能发挥基层社会调和权利纠纷的作用。     

Beyond the Blame Game: Political Strategies for State Funding Reform

There is growing concern that intergovernmental financial relations in the Australian federation are becoming increasingly acrimonious and dysfunctional. This paper argues that it is necessary to analyse State funding as a whole, including the critical relationship between State‐level taxation and its reform and the broader Commonwealth Grants Commission regime, if we are to establish a system of State funding which is financially sustainable, promotes economic efficiency and is broadly congruent with established norms of Australian federalism. Above all, based on international experience, we argue Commonwealth leadership is required to achieve this goal. We conclude with a case study concerning resource taxation which demonstrates how the Commonwealth could provide leadership using a ‘bundled’ approach to policy reform. It is argued that such an approach has the potential to alleviate wider intergovernmental conflicts which currently afflict Australian federalism.