Police Powers and Accountability in a Democratic Society: Introductory Report

This article by general rapporteur Joachim Kersten introduces the reports which were presented at the Twelfth Criminological Colloquium, organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, from 24-26 November 1999. Europe is undergoing a phase of rapid change. This affects the conditions of policing in each country and on the European continent as a whole. It is actually the legal, political and cultural context of policing that is undergoing rapid change. This colloquium and earlier ones carried out by the Council of Europe served a crucial purpose: they are an assessment in the European context of what is happening in relation to the police, police ethics and human rights in democratic societies.     

公共管理责任机制与我国责任型政府的构建

公共管理责任机制作为一种约束政府行为的有效机制,把政府与公民联系起来,并促使政府最终对公民负责。迄今为止,公共管理产生了两种责任机制,即传统责任机制与管理主义责任机制。基于对传统责任机制和管理主义责任机制的比较与分析,我国责任型政府的构建,应着重从以下几个方面进行:转变政府职能,建立有限政府;创新施政理念,建立人本政府;坚持依法行政,建立法治政府;完善监督机制,建立透明政府;加强行政伦理,自觉履行责任。     

由“问责风暴”谈公务员行政法律责任的完善

一段时间以来,国内安全事故频频见诸报端,有不少官员被依法追究行政法律责任,其影响之大被媒体形容为中国掀起"问责风暴"。这种现象应当引起我们对公务员行政法律责任完善的思考,问责应当形成常态机制,而不能是运动式的追责效果,在这方面可以借鉴香港地区的"廉政公署"制度,健全公务员行政问责机制。     

Misappropriation of Institutions: Some Lessons from the Environmental Dimension of the NAFTA Investor-State Dispute Settlement Process

Trade regimes at all levels have confronted the dual challenge of rapidly expanding foreign direct investment, and the vigorous growth of international environmental regimes. Attempts to develop a global investment regime have encountered resistance, not least from environmental interests. At the same time, regional trade regimes have sought to address both the environmental and the investment agenda but in a very different manner. This article looks at problems encountered with the investor-state dispute settlement process established by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The institutional dimension of this process is largely drawn from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and existing international institutions for commercial arbitration. The article traces some of the difficulties encountered in attempting to use institutions designed for a specific purpose and implemented in one organizational context, to achieve a different purpose in another organizational context. It discusses the problems that arise when institutions appropriate for settling commercial disputes between private actors are used as the basis for balancing private interests and public goods, the environment in particular. It highlights the importance of a more developed understanding of the interplay between institutions and organizations at the international level so as to avoid undesired outcomes.     

提高领导干部行政执行力问题研究——以吉林省为视角

行政执行力是政府权力有效运行的重要保证,而领导干部的行政执行力直接关乎着政府的行政执行力。因此,提高领导干部的行政执行力是提高政府效能的迫切要求。对于吉林省而言,领导干部行政执行力的高低决定着老工业基地振兴的成败。所以,提高各级政府和领导干部的行政执行力,确保中央政策和吉林省发展战略准确有效的执行,是吉林省政府自身建设的重中之重。     

论党政官员问责制——关于党政官员问责的概念、模式、程序和趋势研究

针对一部分官员存在职务不作为、职务违纪违规、职务犯罪三种违规症候,党和国家采取了对应的三种追究形式,即官员问责、纪律处分、刑事处罚。其中,党政官员问责制就是侧重职务不作为或不当作为导致重大事故发生的追究形式。党政官员问责制的模式包括六大要素,即主体、对象、范围、形式、程序和结果运用等。实施党政官员问责刺,一要精确把握“关于实行党政领导干部问责的暂行规定”和相关法律法规的精髓;二要对官员问责具体涉及的法律法规、过错事实、官员过错与重大事故的因果关系、责任追究的种类十分清楚;三要明确问责主体（决定机关、办事机关）和问责程序并严格按党纪和相关行政法律法规办事。     

论食品安全监管的制度创新

我国《食品安全法》在食品安全监管方面有若干制度创新,目前监管合作比监管分工更具挑战性与艰巨性,因而应废除各类商品免检制度。政府官员的问责机制不能取代国家对受害消费者的赔偿责任。食品安全监管部门应树立发展与规范并重、公平与效率兼顾、监管与服务相统一、监管与维权的理念。     

国外非政府组织社会责任研究述评

随着非政府组织在数量、组织以及活动范围的不断扩大,其作用越来越大,已经成为权力结构的一部分,由此引发了关于其社会责任问题的研究。本文对国外非政府组织的角色和功能做了历史分析,对于其社会责任的争议做了评述：从非政府组织的社会责任概念、逻辑形式、类别、代表性问题、相关利益者责任、责任机制等方面进行了比较分析。     

责任政府语境下的行政问责制常态化探究

责任政府是现代民主政治的一种基本价值理念,它彰显了宪政体制下公共行政的民本取向与法治取向的和谐统一。一个有公信力和高效率的政府,理应而且必须是负责任并可问责的政府。因此,构建责任政府是我国行政管理体制改革的重要价值目标。而近年来兴起的行政问责制,昭示着政府治理范式的渐进转型,是我国构建责任政府的重要路径选择。当前,我国的行政问责制正由"风暴"现象向制度化和常态化层面转轨。完全实现行政问责制常态化,关键在于强化异体问责,厘清问责标准,健全公益诉讼制度,革新行政生态环境。     

Legislative strength and democratic satisfaction in presidential democracies

The gap between electoral winners and losers in democratic satisfaction has been well documented in the literature. Scholars further argue that in consensual systems, where the institutional design involves more power sharing, the winner-loser gap is smaller than in majoritarian systems. However, how the powers of legislatures, the primary national-level agency to impose restraints on the executive, affect the winner-loser gap has not been thoroughly studied. Utilizing data of 29 countries in the world over ten years, this paper verifies that in presidential democracies, when legislatures have more oversight power, the winner-loser gap in satisfaction tends to be reduced. The relationships are particularly evident when opposition parties have distinct policy platforms, as these oppositions are better able to utilize the legislative arena to voice their positions. Furthermore, the effect of legislative strength on losers’ consent is more pronounced among voters who are more interested in politics.