Resources,Sovereignty, and Governance: Can Mongolia Avoid the ‘Resource Curse’?

The revenue generated from Mongolia's natural resources has the potential to transform the Mongolian state and society. Indeed, investment in mining has already led to a spate of urban growth in Ulaanbaatar and rural development throughout the rest of the country. Yet Mongolia's natural resources could also contribute to a ‘natural resource curse’ if not properly managed. Effective governance in relation to the state's natural resource sector is, therefore, essential. This article examines Mongolia's sovereignty in order to determine whether or not the state is capable of ‘good governance’ in relation to the mining sector.     

Democratic Culture and Participatory Local Governance in Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh has introduced several initiatives seeking to develop participatory governance at the local level in order to maximise the outcomes of aid-assisted development projects. This article examines the impact of these initiatives and demonstrates that participatory local governance faces a number of challenges in Bangladesh, in particular, absence of democratic culture and tradition and disengagement of citizens, asymmetric distribution of patronage and weak institutions. In theory, political elites and bureaucrats in Bangladesh advocate democracy, accountability and local-level participation, but in practice, they have an affinity for power and centralised authority. Their reform initiatives seem half-hearted and disjointed restricting the growth of democratic culture and participatory local governance at the local level in Bangladesh.     

Local Government Modernisation in England: A Critical Review of the LGMA Evaluation Studies

New Labour has subjected English local government to an unparalleled period of reform. This article reviews the Local Government Modernisation Agenda evaluation studies commissioned by central government. The review identifies valuable insights from the studies into the contemporary state of English local government, central government and central–local relations. However, the studies also illustrate the need for research on public service reform to include analyses of the political origins of reform policies and the political–bureaucratic issues involved in their implementation. It is also argued that future research needs to rediscover the value of studying local politics ‘in the round’, the impact of socio-economic and non-local factors on local policy outcomes and the role of new sources of policy influence in the channels of central–local relations.     

Networks in the Policy Process: An International Perspective

Abstract

This article (and more broadly this special issue) indicate that various types of policy networks, including governance networks, social networks, proto‐networks, and issue networks are defining the way that policy processes take place in various parts of the world. By focusing on network behavior in Africa, eastern Europe, and Denmark, it is clear that interorganizational cohesion, accesibility, trust generation, and “framing” issues are central to understanding network policy outcomes. Important implications regarding links between network characteristics and democracy are also suggested.     

当代中国行政结构扁平化的战略构想——以市管县体制为例

宪法规定的中国行政层级为中央 -省 -县 -乡 (镇 )四级 ,但实际运行层级为中央 -省 -市 -县 -乡 (镇 )五级。不仅与法律相悖 ,而且与效率相左。其在城乡一体化、权责配置、组织规模和行政成本等方面所暴露出的种种弊端 ,已成为行政改革的严重障碍。经济的市场化、信息的网络化、管理的现代化为行政结构的扁平化提供了理论基础和现实条件。通过增加省级数量 ,改革市管县体制 ,市县分治 ,构建省直接管理县 (市 )的少层次大幅度的、扁平化的公共行政体制 ,应成为当前我国行政体制改革的战略选择     

从“权利规范模式”走向“行为控制模式”的数据信托——数据主体权利保护机制构建的另一种思路

单纯通过立法赋予当事人权利并不能改变"强权即正确"的残酷现实。相比于传统赋权模式,信托机制以信义义务实现了数据控制人与数据主体之间权利义务的不均衡配置,通过凸显隐私保护、降低举证难度、提高数据泄露时公民获得救济的机率,保护了数字时代数据主体的脆弱性,进而发挥私法救济的功效,间接促成信托机制在数据保护与责任规则相互作用下的一次完美嬗变。     

劳动力视角下深度贫困的生成逻辑及治理路径

厘清贫困问题生成逻辑是实施有效贫困治理的前提条件。如今在全国脱贫工作取得巨大成就的同时,少数深度贫困地区却因多种常规扶贫措施均无法奏效而陷入久扶不能脱贫的困境。在对陕西省L县进行实证研究的基础上,发现劳动力因素是导致深度贫困地区致(返)贫最普遍原因之一。据此,按劳动力自我发展意识与可行性能力两大根本属性在不同维度的排列组合,将其区分为生存性劳动力、非自愿生存性劳动力、发展性劳动力与潜在发展性劳动力四种基本类型,进而在"发展意识—可行性能力"这一分析框架下深刻剖析贫困问题生成逻辑。研究发现,劳动力因素对于家庭能否脱离贫困至关重要,生存性劳动力对于脱贫作用有限,脱离贫困主要依靠发展性劳动力,缺乏发展性劳动力则容易致(返)贫。基于此,未来深度贫困地区贫困治理路径则应区分劳动力类型,在做好政策兜底的基础上聚焦于培育发展性劳动力,为脱贫攻坚提供根本动力保障。     

柳州市融安县实行村级干部绩效考核制度的实践与思考

对村级干部进行绩效考核是一个新课题.柳州市融安县在此方面进行了积极探索和实践.文章通过总结该县实行村级干部绩效考核取得的初步成效,针对存在的主要问题,提出了进一步完善绩效考核制度的相应对策.     

中国古代乡村基层组织建设的史鉴管窥

中国古代是以农立国的农本国家,十分重视基层组织的建设。从周之乡遂到明清保甲,辗转相承,代有兴革,绵延不绝,积累了极其丰富的乡村基层组织建设的实践经验,为确保基层的和谐稳定和实现国家的稳固发展打下了坚实的基础。这些弥足珍贵的实践经验,对中国古代社会巩固基层、维持治安、寓教于民、保障民生、自治自立有着重要的现实意义,也对今天构建共建共治共享的现代基层社会治理新格局和全面推进乡村振兴战略具有重要的史鉴价值。     

Governance and youth unemployment in Africa

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to identify governance indicators that can reduce youth unemployment in Africa. Thereby, the authors incorporated governance indicators into the growth model. The dynamic panel estimation of the model, based on data from the World Bank, the IMF and UNCTAD for the period 2002–2016 found that some governance indicators such as control of corruption and political stability have a negative influence on youth unemployment in Africa. Moreover, political stability does not reduce youth unemployment in highly corrupt countries which are rich in natural resources. Similarly, other governance indicators such as government effectiveness, regulatory quality, the rule of law, voice and accountability are not yet producing the expected effects in African countries. As a result, political authorities must improve governance indicators, including the control of corruption and political stability.