Trustworthiness: the Commentators

Mark Thompson deplores the decline in the public trust of government and of public service institutions such as the BBC. But there has also been a decline in another form of trust: government's trust in the ability of professionals such as doctors and teachers to deliver high quality public services. And, unlike Thompson's type of trust, this decline was inevitable, because it was based on untenable assumptions concerning professional motivation. The author discusses the importance of trust in an unwritten constitution, including trust in the use made of public resources, trust that appointments are being made on merit, trust that the civil service is ‘speaking truth unto power’ behind the scenes and ultimately trust that it retains the ability to serve future governments. In a world where trust in institutions is diminishing, there are still surprising levels of trust in the world of private philanthropy. The public are only too ready to give donations without seeking to question, especially in the wake of major disasters. Yet the nature of aid agencies has changed dramatically in the past thirty years into major global enterprises with sophisticated media and marketing operations. In this case a greater degree of scepticism from those who donate and paradoxically less trust might actually result in better outcomes from aid and better use of funding. Trust is critical to the mission of the FCO. The public needs to trust the competence and sound judgment of the professional diplomats. The diplomats themselves need to be able to rely on the commonsense of their fellow colleagues. Ministers and diplomats need to trust each other. And other governments need to have confidence in the discretion of their British counterparts. This is an increasing challenge in the world of instant news. Trust can be quickly lost by indiscreet or self‐serving revelations. But the key is to be as open and transparent as possible about the processes of diplomacy. A new survey commissioned by the British Journalism Review demonstrates that public confidence in journalism has collapsed over the last five years. This is particularly true for the commercial broadcasters ITV and Channel 4, whose journalism has traditionally commanded as much public esteem as the BBC. Trust in the BBC and print journalists has also declined, and journalism suffered more than any of the other 16 occupational groups being assessed. This is partly due to the cumulative effect of various “fakery” scandals that have afflicted broadcasters over the last 18 months and partly down to a more widespread cynicism directed at those in authority.     

Financialisation, Financial Literacy and Asset-Based Welfare

This article examines New Labour's policies of asset-based welfare in the broader context of financialisation. It argues that these are indicative of a mode of government concerned to alter individual outlooks and aspirations, and that asset-based welfare, as developed by New Labour, is primarily a strategy for enhancing financial literacy. Exploring and identifying the general contours of New Labour's reform of welfare provision (particularly the rise of conditionality and personalisation), the article presents a case study of the Child Trust Fund, its development and marketing. The article closes with reflections on the fate of such policies after the sub-prime mortgage crisis.     

我国信托业的现状及发展思路

我国信托业的发展可谓一波三折,其间经历了多次整顿,目前仍然存在经营困难、效益低下等问题。我国信托业发展的新思路是:可以兼营银行业,要建设好组织结构。     

信托基金模式在生态园行政管理中的引入——美国旧金山普雷西迪奥信托基金模式及启迪

目前,中国的生态园治理模式采用单一的行政管理模式,由于环境保护让位于经济利益、问责制度不完善等问题,我国生态园管理效果一直不明显。借鉴国外成熟经验—美国运营良好的旧金山普雷西迪奥公园的信托基金管理模式,该模式是兼具公法行政力和私法经营权的混合管理模式,能够调动市场配置资源的作用,有效配置资源的同时也满足公共需求,在经济利益与社会公共利益之间寻求到平衡,解决行政管理僵化,成本高昂的问题,可资借鉴。     

Creating markets in no-trust environments: The law and economics of smart contracts

Smart contracts, self-executing agreements based on blockchain technology, have the capacity to create trust in what we term no-trust contracting environments. We argue that using them in such environments is the path to unleash the full potential of smart contracts. Compared to the contract enforcement mechanisms characterized by traditional contract law or relational contracts, smart contracts can offer a superior solution for facilitating trade.Several lawyers and economists have debated whether smart contracts might offer the prospect of cheaper, faster and better transactions. As we discuss below, contract law scholars caution that they neither replicate the relational context essential for the day-to-day practice of contracting nor offer a superior solution to problems addressed by traditional contract law, such as contract validity and legality. We clarify and systematize the current thinking on the legal nature and reliability of smart contracts, and address the concerns of contract law scholars. While doing that, we suggest a step forward in characterizing contracting environments, contract enforcement mechanisms and the trust relationship underlying contracts.     

Turnover,Trust, and Transfers: An Examination of Local Government Budget Execution

Abstract

Studies of budget execution focus either on the procedural aspects of internal controls and adjustments or the necessity of the changes made in the original budget. Adjustments made on an ongoing basis without undermining the integrity of the budget has been generally seen as a necessary means of creating flexibility while maintaining appropriate controls. In this context, our article addresses one aspect of the local government budget—whether turnover in key leadership and professional position affects the amount of transfer and reprogramming made during the execution process. Based on surveys of municipal budget offices in the Greater Cincinnati area, we report that turnover in some leadership positions does affect budget transfers. This finding also supports the proposition that the stability of key budget roles is an important factor in the budget execution process.     

Problems of corruption and distrust in political and administrative institutions in Slovenia

Corruption is perceived in all societies as a social pathology that causes great material and moral damage and is a threat to the society's continual development. Especially in countries with a freshly consolidated democracy, as Slovenia, the phenomena of corruption must be treated with all due attention. This article emphasises that corruption in Slovenia is publicly perceived as one of the most important and even increasing problems in society. We are also analysing one of the crucial side effects of the corruption, resulting itself in ever deeper public distrust to most significant political and administrative institutions.     

权力围猎场:腐败关系网络是如何搭建的——基于动机理论的行贿路径与腐败治理研究

当前我国法律反腐、制度反腐取得了长足进步,但腐败现象却趋向复杂化、隐蔽化和网络化,案件审理取证难,腐败治理面临新的瓶颈。基于动机理论,通过对腐败官员忏悔录的整理,围绕权力围猎场深入分析腐败双方的关系模式,构建由"规避检查的权力""行贿方式""人情文化""信任"四个维度组成的一般性腐败关系网络模型。研究发现,在权力围猎过程中,行贿者通过关系网络更容易实现对公共权力官员的围猎;在人情文化下,腐败双方的特殊利益互动过程是腐败信任关系的建立并不断强化的过程,且腐败行为主体之间的信任可实现关系网络内信任扩散、信任共享。腐败的治理,需要监管"规避检查的权力",优化权力结构和体制,明确"人情文化"与"行受贿"的法律边界。     

中国互信外交：历史、理念与范式

中国互信外交,自春秋时期肇端伊始,已有近三千年的历史。在这段漫长的历史长河中,中国互信外交在不同的历史时期形成了不同的理念和范式。这些既具时代特色、又一脉相承的互信外交理念和范式,确保了中国互信外交实践的历史连续性,并对当代中国产生了重大影响。当代中国互信外交,在继承前人成果的基础上,结合时代特色,形成了追求＂和平＂与＂和谐＂的互信外交实践理念与相应的实践范式,有效地回应了国际社会存在的＂中国威胁论＂、＂中国崩溃论＂和＂中国责任论＂等论调,对我国顺利推进互信外交和坚定世界各国关于中国和平发展的信念起了巨大的推动作用。     

高校思想政治教育师生信任结构论析

高校思想政治教育是由具有不同基本功能的、多层次的结构或子系统构成和运行的有机系统,师生信任结构是高校思想政治教育有机系统中最基本的结构之一。从对社会学中信任结构的剖析、对目前学界研究成果的论证、对思想政治教育最一般本质的确证中发现,高校思想政治教育师生信任结构具有两面性,它既是一种特殊主义信任,又是一种普遍主义信任。探讨高校思想政治教育师生信任的结构内涵或特征,不仅在学科建设上而且在实践维度中都具有基础性意义。