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.     

Terrorism,violence against the public,and the media: The Australian approach

This paper examines the balance between the apparently competing objectives of government and the media in the general area of violence against the public and details the Australian model for handling issues associated with terrorism and the media. Australia's counterterrorism strategy may be considered holistic, going beyond the idea of a comprehensive capability for response to an actual public incident to include preventive measures and enhancement of the national security environment, suggesting that all elements of the society, including the media, regard security as a cooperative endeavor. These elements have been developed in the “National Anti‐Terrorist Plan” (NATP), developed by Australia's Standing Advisory Committee on Commonwealth/State Cooperation for Prevention against Violence (SAC‐PAV). For the past several years, the SAC‐PAV has been developing a basic strategic guide to provide structure for its many activities, and the committee has agreed that the NATP requires a fourfold strategy for dealing with the media: (1) public communication policies and guidelines, (2) incorporating media response and incident management strategies, (3) media training, and (4) physical controls. In addition, the SAC‐PAV has formulated a set of guidelines for the media to apply when covering terrorist incidents, indicating clearly what crisis managers and counterterrorism response organizations expect of media handling of public crises.     

论经济犯罪的刑民一体化模式——从著作权犯罪切入

目前,我国关于经济犯罪的实质性规定体现在刑法典中,附属刑法形同虚设,刑事规范与民事、经济、行政等前置性规范处于分离状态。刑事规范与前置性规范的脱节,不但使刑法因频繁变动而损害了稳定性,而且易于违背其二次规范属性而冲在打击经济违规的第一线。因此,应采用刑民一体化的附属刑法模式,将经济犯罪的内容直接规定于前置性规范中。立法要坚持刑法是保障法的指导思想,根据宪政要求恰当设置立法权限,并协调好附属刑法与刑法总则的关系。     

论德国法上债权人迟延和给付不能之间的界定

通常情况下,德国法中的债权人迟延和给付不能之间难以发生界定困难的问题。但是在部分案情中这是非常难以实现的。传统的"抽象模式"并不正确,界定债权人迟延和给付不能之间的唯一标准是给付的可补正性。而债权人迟延或给付不能的原因仅影响之后的法律效果。     

交换领域外部性问题的经济法解决——以交易公平的经济法制保障为视域

交易公平是市场经济的基本原则。然而,在我国今天的市场经济体制下,交易不公平处处都有,诸多因素造成市场交易中外部性问题的产生,以致于损害弱者的利益。经济法作为抑强扶弱的社会本位法,可以通过赋予交易中强势集团以较多义务、弱势群体以较多权利、直接限制有违交易公平的行为,直接强制有助于交易公平的行为等途径实现交换领域外部性问题的解决。     

当前“涉黑”职务犯罪问题分析与防治措施

当前,涉黑职务犯罪涉案成员复杂,司法人员及行政执法人员犯罪突出,涉案罪名多为行贿受贿,并且涉案人员职级较高。主要原因一是某些国家工作人员对物质利益的贪婪;二是政府执行力不强,不能有效地管理地方行政事务;三是黑恶势力庞大的经济实力和对党政干部任免的干涉;四是立法滞后,量刑偏轻。涉黑职务犯罪的防治措施应将＂打黑＂与惩治职务犯罪结合起来,依靠群众,形成举报监督网络,加强各级政府建设,完善地方选举制度,完善＂涉黑＂职务犯罪立法。     

中间组织的微观结构分析:从交易成本到交易效率

中间层理论和交易成本理论对垂直一体化现象的解释存在差异。前者关注交易效率,后者关注交易成本。通过引入中间层理论分析当今大量存在的中间组织现象,发现中间组织是一种具有较高交易效率的治理模式,它的大量出现与交易效率的提高密切相关;而一项制度变得更加普遍是由领先者的开拓以及后来者的模仿跟进形成的。     

债权的公法保护

实现公平的竞争是市场经济体制的本质要求,债权的实现意味着市场信用的实现。保护债权以及债权的实现,就是保护交易安全、保护市场的信用基础、保护市场作用的积极发挥,它是市场经济的基本要求。通过公法保护债权是公法的当然责任和重要任务,这在理论上和实践中都是可行的。通过公法的制度和调整方法,对债权进行有效的保护,是指在维护和尊重私法秩序和私法手段的同时,利用公法独特的调整机制,对债权进行更大范围的保护,也就是通过公法制度的建设和完善,给债权的实现提供一个较为宽松的法律环境和制度环境。     

交易成本与区域经济合作

交易成本对国家间的经济合作具有重要影响。区域经济合作的实质是区域内不同主体之间的权利交换,即交易。合作制度是对交易条件的相关规定。合作制度的选择,也就是现有条件下的交易成本最小化选择。区域的具体特点不同,相互之间所需的交易条件不一样,合作制度也不一样。     

处理夫妻离婚时债务应保护债权人利益

随着社会主义市场经济的不断发展 ,人与人之间的交往日益频繁 ,债权债务关系也不断扩大。然而 ,以离婚逃避债务则屡见不鲜。人民法院在处理离婚债务清偿问题时应注意征询债权人的意见 ;在判决由夫妻一方对债务承担清偿责任时 ,应判决另一方负连带清偿责任 ;当债权人向法院起诉主张债权时 ,法院应将离婚双方列为共同被告。