The culture of risk regulation: Responses to environmental disasters

Disasters challenge the equilibrium of regulatory regimes and make policy shifts more likely. Using an institutional theory of cultural biases and the concept of cultural “surprise”, this article analyses the direction and intensity of media argumentation in respect of policy shifts. Instead of assuming a demand for greater State intervention after dramatic focusing events, as suggested by other theoretical frames, cultural theory opens a variety of options that range from embracing regulatory responses from different cultural biases to the radicalization of current, but failing, instruments. The analysis of media reaction to the environmental disasters caused by the oil spills of Exxon Valdez (United States), Erika (France) and Prestige (Spain) shows that the demand for more hierarchy does not monopolize the overall argumentation. The change demanded often implies a radicalization of a particular prevalent view where the associated institutional setting is failing its supporters.     

Promoting customer engagement: A new trend in utility regulation

This paper traces a new development in regulation that encourages utilities to engage more directly with their customers. We make four contributions: First, we perform a comprehensive analysis of how regulators are using customer engagement, and offer a simple model for understanding different customer engagement initiatives. Second, we review assessments of customer engagement. We find that there are no quantitative, empirically robust assessments of the effectiveness of customer engagement as a regulatory tool. Third, we develop two detailed case studies of an energy regulator and a water regulator that are in the forefront of customer engagement efforts. We find that there is no direct link between the engagement strategy used and the economic incentives received by a firm. Finally, we propose a framework for improving the customer engagement process. The new framework relies on microeconomics, modern tools of program evaluation, and supplying the regulated firm with direct incentives to engage with the customer.     

论党内法规制度建设的理论基础问题

从“推进党的制度建设科学化”到“加快党内法规制度体系建设”,体现了我国政党治理法治化的发展趋势。法律的政治化与政治的法治化是近代以来世界民主法治建设的基本发展特点,党内法规制度建设应当以法治与政治的统一性原理建构其理论基础。要以政治性引领党内法规制度体系建设,确保其规范内容上体现先进性、规范目的上聚焦领导力、规范渊源上关照实践面。同时,更要以法治性补强以往党的制度建设的短板,运用法治思维和法治方式加快党内法规制度体系建设,增强其概念的可通用性、体系的可衔接性、执行的可协同性。     

后疫情时代共享用工的可持续发展及法律规制

共享用工是疫情冲击下企业的跨界自救之举,但因我国人力资源供求的不平衡、企业用工成本的增加、劳动人口数量减少及劳动态度转变、共享用工第三方平台的崛起等原因,其在后疫情时代依然存在常态化的可持续发展空间。共享用工实现了输出方企业劳动力闲置与输入方企业用工荒的对接,提高了人力资源配置的灵活性及使用效率,但也存在着界定及表现形式不确定、法律关系模糊化的问题,同时劳动者、劳动力输出方、输入方甚至第三方亦面临潜在法律风险。因此,要促进共享用工的规范化发展,必须从政策和法律层面双管齐下,完善其制度建设,并建立包括监管部门、行业协会、共享用工平台在内的一体化规制体系。     

论物权法调整空域使用权的合理性

我国《物权法》没有明确规定空域所有权,但是应当解释为承认了空域所有权的存在。现行法律没有认可空域使用权的物权属性,只能认为空域使用权是行政许可利益。但行政许可机制的运行与效率价值旨趣相悖,其产生的产权不确定性不利于空域高效利用。市场机制和私权制度的引入是改革的重要方向。国家所有权具有私权属性,空域所有权也不例外,而空域使用权是空域所有权基于权能分离产生的权利,只能具有私权属性。这种定性在价值上也具有合理性,这主要是基于市场机制对空域利用效率的保障作用以及私权属性对市场机制顺畅运作的支撑地位。在私权体系中,将空域使用权规定为物权最为妥当。     

理性看待现金分红新规定

2008年10月7日证监会发布了<关于修改上市公司现金分红若干规定的决定>.分红新规中的分红要制度化等规定意味着管理层建立和完善上市公司分红机制,打造理性市场和引导投资者进行价值投资的决心.但新规定还存在诸如分红制度不具有强制约束力,只对需要再融资的上市公司加以限制等诸多问题,应在实际操作中加以逐步完善.     

行政法上的利害关系人新探

从大陆法系国家公权利和反射性利益相区分的角度看,与行政主体相对的私人可以分成行政相对人、利害关系人和一般公众,他们是行政法"人像"的具体展开。从本质上看,利害关系人是由反射性利益人转化而来的一类公权利人,这类行政法上私人的确立必将改变行政过程中的利益结构,推动行政过程的民主化,促使行政法重心的转移。     

Mapping EU agencies as political entrepreneurs

The European Union relies on decentralised agencies to implement important transnational regulations, such as certifying the safety of medicines. However, the authority of these agencies does not have ‘hard’ legal status and crucially depends on disseminating ideas and information effectively: what can be termed ‘political entrepreneurship’. This article provides the first comprehensive analysis of the political entrepreneurship of EU agencies by constructing a conceptual typology of entrepreneurial strategies. Drawing conceptually on transnational public administration, a new database is constructed of the ‘entrepreneurship’ of 33 EU agencies in 2014 based on their media communication activities, face‐to‐face networking in workshops and collaborations, and knowledge dissemination and ‘learning’ exercises. This is mapped against the political salience of agencies in the European Parliament and media. The mapping exercise shows four types of entrepreneurial strategies covering the population of EU agencies: technical functional, insulating, network‐seeking and politicised. The typology is validated through semi‐structured interviews in 11 EU agencies, showing the core characteristics of each type of strategy. The article concludes by arguing that this typology provides an important addition to existing categories of EU agencies based on autonomy and accountability, and advocates a future research strategy examining the interaction between agencies’ entrepreneurial strategies and the expectations and reactions of stakeholder audiences.     

Transnational public goods provision: the increasing role of rising powers and the case of South Africa

The paper delineates three debates, which will be conflated. One line of discussion relates to public goods at a transnational level. Here, the referencing of debates regarding the characteristics of ‘a common good’ will be of significance. A second strand addresses the group of countries known as the ‘rising powers’ and the role these countries could play towards a globalised common good. A third discussion thread analyses South Africa as a case study for the main rising power on the African continent. By creating connections between the lines of discussion, this paper drives forward the debates on how the role of rising powers can be conceptually repositioned in the light of a changing global context, and explores how these countries can respond to global challenges.