Power and dispossession in the neoliberal food regime: oil palm expansion in Guatemala

ABSTRACT

Guatemala’s palm oil production has surged in line with the global demand for biodiesel and vegetable oil production. While corporate land grabs have been a popular concept in agrarian studies, we emphasize the integral roles of the state and racially-charged political power relations, enhanced by the neoliberal food regime. These power relations, with racism at their core, foster land control grabs occurring alongside the rise of the palm oil industry. Their effects extend beyond merely the dispossession of land. The oil palm expansion and related dispossessions mostly benefit the international markets and the wealthy ruling class comprised of creole descendants and affluent ladinos. The soaring industry has given rise to human rights violations and a lack of access to or control of various resources, such as food and water. Based on fieldwork, we show that dispossessed Guatemalans, especially the indigenous, experience rising poverty, domestic food shortages and an influx of foreign foodstuffs as the meagrely paid work in the oil palm sector is only available for the few.     

Enhancing the effectiveness of international development: a systems approach

Every day 25,000 people die of hunger and hunger-related causes. While it is recognised that the international development system is not as effective as it should be, years of endeavours to achieve greater harmonisation of international aid and to create an effective architecture pass by without adequate results. The article introduces a framework for enhancing the effectiveness of the international development system, based on fundamental concepts of Systems Thinking. It discusses the complex systemic challenges to development and suggests that more effective control is a key precondition for greater effectiveness in development as a whole.     

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.     

中国绩效预算的改革雄心与低度现实：来自沿海某省份的调查

本研究选择我国南部A省作为案例，采用参与式观察、访谈、文件查阅的方法对其进行了实地调研，从改革目的、评价指标和结果运用三个维度着手，研究了我国地方政府绩效预算改革的雄心设计和实际运行的差距，分析了雄心设计遵从度低的原因。研究发现，如果改革者指望通过设计一套规则让支出部门照办来推进改革的想法过于乐观，财政部门雄心勃勃的目标设计在现实操作中的遵从度很低。A省绩效预算改革以加强控制为改革目的、主要以测量产出为评价指标、含糊其辞但实际意图是面向政府内部的目标设计，在表面上都与运行结果相吻合。经过深入分析可以发现，由于省财政厅目标设计能力有限、支出部门合作意愿不高等主客观原因，导致在控制强度、指标运用效果以及结果运用力度方面，运行与目标设计存在着差距。出于不招致强烈的改革抵触情绪等政治因素的考虑，财政部门不得不选择妥协。展望下一步改革的方向，改革者只能顺应“低度发展”的预算改革阶段，通过策略性的、循序渐进的方式推进改革，克服政治上和技术上的巨大障碍，在雄心勃勃的设计和差强人意的低度现实之间谨慎地寻求统一。     

大城市社会空间演变态势剖析与治理反思——基于上海的调查与思考

改革开放以来，在全球化和向市场经济转型的背景之下，中国的社会和经济格局发生了深刻的变革，城市社会空间结构演变成为当代中国城市转型的主要特征。通过对上海人口、房地产等经济社会数据分析可知，当前上海人口、居住等社会空间正呈现剧烈的演变态势。随着工业化和城市化进程的加快，上海未来社会空间将呈现城市社会空间分异、城市社会空间两极化、城乡结合部居住形态多元化、城市社会结构重构、城市“双城”现象凸显、弱势群体居住边缘化、城乡二元结构空间显现、城市部分社区老龄化等演变趋势。大城市社会空间演变将带来类似西方城市居住隔离、空间剥夺、阶层矛盾、公共空间漠视等负效应。在“和谐社会”等治国理念下，反思传统的城市治理模式，提出城市规划公共利益职能归位、加强房地产投资的引导与控制、推进市民利益维护机制建设、推进“以人为本”的混合型和谐社区建设、制定合理的人口容量战略、制定合理的人口分布战略等新型治理模式具有重要意义。     

整体性治理模式的兴起——整体性治理在英国政府治理中的理论与实践

政府治理一直是政府和学界非常关注的问题,在西方,随着信息化、数字化技术的普遍使用,已经兴起了与信息时代相适应的政府治理新模式,即整体性治理,它主要是针对新公共管理带来的碎片化、空心化政府等一系列问题而提出,强调整体与合作和信息时代背景。整体性治理成为当代政府治理新理念,也是探究政府改革的学术前沿领域,因此,对之研究具有重要的理论和现实意义。本文介绍了整体性治理理论在英国兴起的时代背景,同时详细阐述了整体性治理的一般概念和核心特征,介绍了其实际运用情况,分析了它存在的障碍和缺陷,并对其前景进行展望。通过对其进行较全面的介绍,以期引起对这一理论模式的学术重视与探讨。     

“法外治理”:社区调解与中国基层社会的非正式控制

由于转型时期社区矛盾和民事纠纷的增加,社区调解对于中国基层社会治理和秩序控制的作用日益变得重要。社区调解源于传统中国乡村自治基于法外情理的民事调解,在当代中国社会治理中被赋予新的涵义,它可以被界定为一种法外治理,既强调法外的情与理的运作,又主张法、情、理三者的结合。与正式社会控制不同的是,作为非正式控制方式的社区调解,其社会功能不仅在于秩序控制,而且在于社区团结和社区自治。居委会作为群众自治组织,其在社区调解中的角色正面临挑战,但是社区调解的变化本身也是居委会重建其自治功能的机遇。     

三角模型框架下协同型政府的特征分析——以官僚制政府和企业家政府为参照

20世纪90年代中后期，西方国家相继进入了新一轮政府改革运动。与“官僚制政府”和“企业家政府”相比，新一轮改革强调部分之间协调行动、相互促进，强调整体功能大于局部功能之和。我们将这一轮改革所欲实现的政府形态称为“协同型政府”。将三角模型作为协同型政府的组织分析框架，并与官僚制政府和企业家政府相比较可以得出，协同型政府表现为善治的政府、“无边界”的政府、“社会人”政府、使命驱动的政府、灵活应变的政府、“外向型”政府和“魅力型”政府。为此，政府必须着力培养战略思维和发展眼光；必须努力提升自身形象和凝聚力；必须不断提高合作能力；同时，又必须善于放权，吸引更多主体参与治理。     

A Comparative Approach to Performance Management: Contrasting the Experience of Australia,New Zealand,and the United States

Abstract

Despite the use of the same vocabulary and seemingly similar agendas, the experience of these three countries cannot be comprehended without attention to the different contexts in which the countries operate. This paper focuses on the experience in these three English speaking countries dealing with the structure or context of the institutional arrangements, the process of defining outcomes, issues related to timing, availability and investment in data systems, predominant values that are at play, experience with gaming, and accountability arrangements. It provides thumbnail sketches of the framework and experience of these three countries and compares their experience in performance management. While there are significant differences that emerge from contextual variety, there are some shared dynamics in the three systems. I call these “normal tensions” in the system. Yet these tensions have been largely ignored in the performance management movement.