The Participation Divide? Political Participation,Trust in Government,and E‐government in Australia and New Zealand

Drawing on 438 telephone interview surveys in Australia and 500 in New Zealand, we find evidence of a 'participation divide' where those participating in politics do so using a range of means, including electronic ones. Those less likely to participate in politics, are less likely to participate across all means measured. Those with higher levels of education and income and of European ethnicity are more likely to participate. We confirm the existence of the so-called 'digital divide' with those that use e-government means and those that do not, being stratified by education, ethnicity, income, gender and age. Contrary to our expectations we find that lower levels of trust in government are associated with higher levels of some types of participation, including e-government ones.     

An analysis of budget compliance measurement in South African local government best‐practice financial management technical assistance programs, 2001—2003

South Africa's local government financial management best‐practice technical assistance program (known as MFMTAP) was to reform municipal financial management; achieve credible, realistic budgets and prevent financial failure. We consider whether a budget compliance procedure, developed by National Treasury (NT) to measure funding requirements compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) focusing on ‘realistic’ revenue budgeting, improves our understanding of technical assistance effectiveness. We assess a metropolitan municipality's compliance before, during and after advisory assistance. The compliance procedure was robust. Potential exists for wider application to assess best‐practice technical assistance (BPTA) program financial reform effectiveness. The findings from this single, important sample suggest that MFMA funding requirements are not being sustained 4 years after MFMTAP commencement, attributable to either BPTA performance or termination effects. We conclude that MFMA financial performance can be assessed by the procedure, from analysis of the metropolitan municipality performance assisted by a BPTA advisor for approximately 3 years. The analysis raises questions about BPTA program reform sustainability, but we add the caveat that conclusions cannot be drawn from a single sample metropolitan municipality, but a larger sample need be used for further methodology development to confirm its efficacy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

城市积水考问政府公共服务能力

城市积水处理是城市基础设施建设的一部分,也是政府公共服务的一部分,更是对政府提供公共服务的能力和水平的考问和检验,面对严竣的积水现状,我国政府唯有强化公共服务能力,完善公共服务体系,才是治理之道。     

Getting to Peace? Negotiating with the LRA in Northern Uganda

Getting to peace is not a straightforward process. In Uganda, internal conflict has raged for more than 20 years between the Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army. The construction of a comprehensive negotiated settlement is at the mercy of conflicting ideologies and influences at the international, national and grassroots levels. This paper examines the Juba peace talks, the major actors in the negotiation process, and tension between prosecution and amnesty.

从冲突走向合作:政府与民众的利益关系解析——以浙江省青田县滩坑移民为例

政府与民众的关系是政治领域的永恒主题。多少王朝的兴替,多少政权的更迭,都与此相关,都由此决定。本文试从利益的视角,民众的心态与诉求,政府的行事与作为,解析市场经济条件下政府与民众的关系,如何从冲突走向合作。     

宪政视野中的政权与财产权

政权与财产权有着严格的差异和密切的联系,二者在互动演进中促进了社会的前进和发展.政权与财产权的结合与分离对社会经济政治的发展有着深刻的影响,改革进程深入的中国只有在实践中实现政权与财产权适度分离,才能为宪政中国的早日实现铺平道路.     

新农村建设中的法制困境及对策思考

农村法治是推进我国社会主义新农村建设的根本保障。多年来农村与城市在经济、政治、文化、社会生活等多方面的差别决定和影响着中国法制建设的二元状态。鉴于我国是一个传统农业国家、农村人口众多和农村社会主体法治意识不强等原因,农村法治在社会整体转型的特殊时期面临着法治困境,需要我们从整体性和差异性着眼探寻现代农村法制建设方略,以期加快我国法治进程。     

论和谐视阈中行政法的品格

和谐社会是我们时代的主旋律,促进或实现和谐是行政法学研究与行政法制实践的重要目标.和谐社会时代的到来意味着行政法精神、价值趋向、基本功能及其内在机理必将发生某种程度的转变,这些转变需要引起行政法学界的关注和探讨.     

制约和谐社会构建的法律问题及对策研究

和谐社会不仅是人与人之间、人与社会之间在经济、政治、文化等各个领域的和谐,也是人和自然的和谐,在市场经济体制下以法治为基本方策来构建和谐社会应是最佳选择.应以和谐社会的内涵与特征解读为逻辑起点,从现存法律制度中存在的主要弊端入手,对现存法律问题进行具体分析,进而为构建和谐社会的法律保障提供基本的路径选择.     

中国特色社会主义工会建设之理论基础初探——劳动哲学论纲

需要一种中介和桥梁,把马克思主义的普遍真理和中国工会的具体实践连接起来,把马克思主义的世界观、价值观和方法论,与工会学、劳动关系学等具体的有关工人阶级和工会的社会科学连接起来。劳动哲学就是这样一种中介和桥梁。