Municipal Mergers in New Zealand: An Empirical Analysis of the Proposed Amalgamation of Hawke’s Bay Councils

Local government policymakers across the developed world have frequently employed municipal amalgamation to improve the operation of local councils, and New Zealand is no exception. This paper empirically examines claims made in Potential Costs and Savings of Local Government Reform in Hawke’s Bay that the merger of the five local authorities in the Hawke’s Bay Region of New Zealand would generate significant cost-savings. We empirically test for the existence of scale economies in a single merged Hawke’s Bay council and find that no cost-savings can be expected. This removes a key argument for a forced Hawke’s Bay amalgamation.     

Does Size Still Matter? An Empirical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Victorian Local Authorities

Efficiency approaches to the question of whether population size matters to optimal local government have proved largely inconclusive. However, recent exploratory empirical work employing an effectiveness approach – as proxied by citizen satisfaction survey data – offers a promising way forward. The present paper seeks to build upon an earlier cross-sectional analysis of Victorian local government by employing longitudinal data over a three-year period – 2008 to 2010 – for Victorian local authorities. The greater depth of data confirmed the positive associations with population density but suggests that negative linear relationships dominate over parabolic associations for population size. This result underlines the need for the collection of more local government citizen satisfaction data by Australian local government systems, given its potentially fruitful application in tackling contentious questions in contemporary local government policy debates.     

Transnational policy networks in the migration field: a challenge for the European Union

The migration policy field is a multilayered and fragmented area still lacking a strong global and European regime. Nonetheless, different initiatives and fora have been promoted in the last decade to increase the international dialogue on migration, with the active participation of non-state actors, and particularly civil society organisations (CSOs). The article reviews selected initiatives undertaken at the UN and European level, whereby institutional representatives engage with CSOs in furthering migration policies. These initiatives and platforms may constitute transnational policy networks (TPNs). It explores signals towards the consolidation of more structured and ‘hard’ forms of participatory policy-making on migration issues, as well as obstacles present in this engagement dynamic. The key question addressed in this study is whether and how European institutions have engaged with the TPNs in the field of migration. The article also explores how some of the TPNs influence institutional policy-making at the EU level.     

司法解释场域的“央地矛盾”及其纾解——以“地方释法”为中心的分析

在以统一法制为目标的法律解释体制下,最高司法机关供给的司法解释资源无法满足地方司法机关的释法需求,构成了司法解释场域的“央地矛盾”.为了缓解供需矛盾,地方司法机关开始自发转向“地方释法”,试图以发布地方释法文件的方式实现司法治理效果.中央虽对“地方释法”持禁止态度,但制定的相关规制规范却过于宽松,未能起到应有的限制作用...     

犯罪防治与和谐社会建构——中国法学会犯罪学研究会2006年研讨会综述

构建和谐社会,必须要有效地预防和打击犯罪。2006年中国犯罪学研究会围绕和谐社会的主题展开探讨,内容涉及犯罪学与和谐社会、治安警务、司法制度、罪犯矫正、刑事政策、跨国犯罪、未成年人犯罪等。本文对此次研讨会的有关主题进行简要介述。     

贝克的风险社会理论及其启示——评《风险社会》和《世界风险社会》

乌尔里希·贝克的风险社会理论是一种重视制度面向的社会学批判理论,其认识论基础是反思的现实主义,其理论预设是等级秩序的存在.中国以一种特殊的方式开始进入风险社会.风险社会理论透视出中国在现代化反思能力、法律系统、科学理性和社会理性的互动、环境法基本原则方面存在一些问题.     

论道德与和谐社会

道德建设是社会主义和谐社会建设的重要组成部分.这是由道德的社会功能,即调节功能、教育功能、自律功能、舆论监督导向功能和执政合法性的维护功能所决定的.道德可以为和谐社会提供观念基础、精神支撑、强大动力和有利保障.所以,建设社会主义和谐社会,应坚持继承优良传统与弘扬时代精神相结合的原则;坚持效率与公平相协调的原则;坚持洋为中用,融合发展的原则;坚持开拓创新,与时俱进的原则.     

论宗教与和谐社会

宗教作为一种社会意识和文化系统,它几乎与人类文明史上的所有社会形态都结下了"不解之缘".它既有深广多面的精神资源,又有丰厚辉煌的历史文化遗产,同时还是民族融合的纽带.在社会主义社会,它将具有长期性、民族性、群众性、复杂性、国际性等特点.在和谐社会的构建中,具有很强的道德教化作用、社会稳定作用、心理慰藉作用、文化展示作用和对政治文明建设的推动作用,是社会主义和谐社会的有机组成部分.     

严疏结合疏密有致 --论和谐社会中的刑事法网结构

当前,党中央明确提出了“构建和谐社会”的目标。作为国家治理社会的手段之一,犯罪网结构的设置理应遵循这一目标的要求。所以,应克服盲目求“严”而适当求“疏”,真正做到刑事法网的严疏有致,力求和谐统一,为和谐社会的构建提供刑法保障。     

地方政府债务风险的宪法学释析

地方政府债务风险的处理应当遵循宪法逻辑,即政府与公民是一种信托关系,只要公民权利的需求仍在,政府就没有破产的理由。因此,地方政府破产只是财政破产但行政不破产。在地方政府破产重整程序中,地方政府提供的保障民生的基本公共服务优先于地方债的债权,因为前者保护的是大多数人的基本生存权。诉诸民主体制才能从源头上控制政府的发债权进...