Meritocracy and the Singapore Political System

The separation of implementation from policy has been diffused as ‘agencification’ around the world. It is considered an organisational reform based on new public management (NPM). The semi-autonomous public organisations executing policy are set up and are given a greater flexibility in operations in exchange for strengthening accountability for results. The central government of Japan also adopted the organisational reform in which agencies were called independent administrative institutions (IAIs). The reform intends not only to make the public service more transparent but to improve efficiency and quality of services through separating the implementing functions from the policy units, ministries and departments. It is assumed that flexibility in operations and result orientation would improve organisational performance through a feedback instrument of evaluating results into the budget other than an incentive mechanism. This article investigates whether the intended objectives have been accomplished. The specific focus is on the impacts on the budgetary system in terms of performance. The analysis shows that in Japanese agencies, ex-post performance information has not been fed into the budget process. Also the actual outcomes are explained by an incremental funding system, technical problems in measurement of results (performance measurement) and bureaucratic motivation through adopting a principal agent model.     

Green consumer markets in the fight against climate change

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the greatest threats to environmental security, as attested by the growing frequency of severe flooding and storms, extreme temperatures and droughts. Accordingly, the European Union's (EU) 6th Environment Action Programme (2010) lists tackling climate change as its first priority. A key aim of the EU has been to cut CO₂ emissions, a major factor in climate change, by 8 per cent until 2012 and 20 per cent until 2020. The European Commission has proposed the encouragement of private consumer market for green products and services as one of several solutions to this problem. However, existing research suggests that the market share of these products has been only 3 per cent, although 30 per cent of individuals favour environmental and ethical goods. This article uses Public Goods Theory to explain why the contribution of the green consumer market to fighting climate change has been and possibly may remain limited without further public intervention.     

The social relations of money as universal equivalent: a response to Ingham

In a recent debate in Economy and Society, Ingham criticized Marxist theory of money on the grounds that it relates money to commodities through the labour theory of value, while ignoring credit money. Ingham suggested instead that money is constituted by social relations characteristic of credit, namely relations of ‘promise to pay’. Drawing on Marx, this article shows that, pace Ingham, it is necessary theoretically to relate money to commodities. Money is indeed constituted by social relations, but these are commercial relations among ‘foreign’ commodity owners, not credit relations. The social relations of money are successfully captured by Marx's concept of the universal equivalent, when that is interpreted as monopoly over the ability to buy. In this light, both commodity and credit money are forms of the universal equivalent, but qualitatively different from each other.     

平衡论发展模式之回顾与创新——兼论平衡论作为方法论

作为一个部门法的理论基础,可以有三种理论模式:价值论、超越价值的论断以及方法论。平衡论是公法的理论基础,它发展的历程涵盖了所有这三个方面的模式。本文将平衡论作为研究公法的方法论——这种方法论有别于以前的方法论模式,并试图以平衡论的视角来重构公法体系。     

邓小平理论的“返本”与“开新”

在马克思主义发展史上,邓小平理论既有"返本"的一面,又有"开新"的一面."返本"主要表现在:在唯物史观的层面回归生产力决定论,在科学社会主义理论的层面重新回归社会主义物质基础论."开新"不仅表现在创立了中国特色社会主义的理论体系,更表现在实现了从结构主义的社会主义观向功能主义的社会主义观的根本转变,从理想主义的社会主义观向现实主义的社会主义观的根本转变.     

税法权利的逻辑结构——以霍菲尔德的权利分析理论为据

基于美国分析法学家W.N.霍菲尔德的权利分析理论,税法权利不仅是税法规范的价值核心,而且理应成为实证税法学研究的真正起点。税法权利的逻辑结构纵横交错,在横向的维度上,税法权利包括课税权和纳税人权利;在纵向的坐标上,税法权利既有原权利,也有救济权。课税权包含数项具体权能。纳税人权利广义上包括自然权利和税收法律关系中的权利,狭义上仅指后者。"有权利就有救济",救济权的前提是原权利遭受不法侵害,救济权是原权利得以实现的保障,救济权的逻辑结构体现为"要求——义务"的法律关系。     

大国政治未必悲剧——论“米氏”逻辑的困惑与出路

进攻性现实主义在传统现实主义和新现实主义上发展起来,并形成了自己完整而独立的体系,把现实主义的发展推进到一个新的高度。但是进攻性现实主义偏激地强调了国家进攻性的本质特征,忽视了国家合作的可能及其现实意义,从而导致理论在逻辑上的巨大缺陷和“存在合法性”危机的出现。特别是其基于“国家是理性行为体并竭力寻求国家权力最大化”的理论假设进行的理论推演,有着极大的缺陷和片面性。     

江泽民在确立邓小平理论指导地位过程中的重大贡献

江泽民同志在理论方面作出的伟大贡献是:理论指导上,始终高举邓小平理论伟大旗帜,确立邓小平理论在全党的指导地位,建议在党章中把邓小平理论确立为党的指导思想;理论创新上,坚持以发展着的马克思主义指导发展着的实践,准确把握时代特征,科学判断党所处的历史方位,紧紧围绕建设中国特色社会主义这个主题,集中全党智慧,总结实践经验,以马克思主义的巨大理论勇气进行理论创新,逐步形成“三个代表”重要思想。     

马克思主义基础理论课教学应重视培养学生的人文精神

培养人文精神是对人的灵魂和心智的熏陶。在高校马克思主义基础理论课教学中,应当通过系统深入地介绍马克思主义基本理论,坚持并弘扬蕴含于马克思主义基本理论中的人文精神。重视培养当代大学生的人文精神与帮助他们牢固树立科学的世界观有着内在的一致性。     

邓小平对毛泽东思想的继承和发展

邓小平同志继承和发展毛泽东思想,并依据中国特色社会主义建设实践,建构起邓小平理论。邓小平理论和毛泽东思想一脉相承,均归属于马克思主义科学理论。