The Impact of Court Delays on the Prosecutor and the Defendant: An Economic Analysis

One important aspect of the economic theory of criminal court delay is to understand how the prosecutor and the defendant make their decisions, and how these respond to changes in trial delay. If both parties jointly maximise expected utility, trial delay may increase or decrease the number of trials, depending upon the decision makers' attitudes towards risk. The main policy implication is that providing the criminal courts with more resources in the form of additional judges and court capacity may lengthen the trial queue rather than shorten it. This is a counterintuitive result contrary to popular belief.     

Does Size Still Matter? An Empirical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Victorian Local Authorities

Efficiency approaches to the question of whether population size matters to optimal local government have proved largely inconclusive. However, recent exploratory empirical work employing an effectiveness approach – as proxied by citizen satisfaction survey data – offers a promising way forward. The present paper seeks to build upon an earlier cross-sectional analysis of Victorian local government by employing longitudinal data over a three-year period – 2008 to 2010 – for Victorian local authorities. The greater depth of data confirmed the positive associations with population density but suggests that negative linear relationships dominate over parabolic associations for population size. This result underlines the need for the collection of more local government citizen satisfaction data by Australian local government systems, given its potentially fruitful application in tackling contentious questions in contemporary local government policy debates.     

Transnational policy networks in the migration field: a challenge for the European Union

The migration policy field is a multilayered and fragmented area still lacking a strong global and European regime. Nonetheless, different initiatives and fora have been promoted in the last decade to increase the international dialogue on migration, with the active participation of non-state actors, and particularly civil society organisations (CSOs). The article reviews selected initiatives undertaken at the UN and European level, whereby institutional representatives engage with CSOs in furthering migration policies. These initiatives and platforms may constitute transnational policy networks (TPNs). It explores signals towards the consolidation of more structured and ‘hard’ forms of participatory policy-making on migration issues, as well as obstacles present in this engagement dynamic. The key question addressed in this study is whether and how European institutions have engaged with the TPNs in the field of migration. The article also explores how some of the TPNs influence institutional policy-making at the EU level.     

Analysis on the major obstacles of public participation in public policy-making

Participation in public policy-making is one of the important approaches for citizens to affect public policy, and also the guarantee of the scientific and democratic paths of the public policy. To enhance the cognitive level and ability of the citizen who participate in public policy-making, ensure the institutionalization and procedures of the public policy-making, make the information about the public policy-making open and transparent, this paper points out the main obstacles of citizens＇ participation in public policy-making mostly at present and enhance the quality of public policy.     

企业最优资本结构及其良性循环的实现

资本结构对企业的经营至关重要,随着我国社会主义市场经济的发展和现代化企业制度的建立,企业资本结构的优化已成为现代企业筹资决策中的核心问题。     

Kantei diplomacy? Japan's hybrid leadership in foreign and security policy

This article operationalizes Japanese leadership in foreign and security policy, specifically the Abe administrations’ consistent China balancing. It will do so to dispel instances of Premier-centered diplomacy and posit that Abe's diplomatic agenda has rested on a ‘hybrid’ policy-making authority, where the leverage enjoyed by the Prime Minister's office (the Kantei) rested on little-appreciated politicized personnel appointments and demotions within the bureaucratic apparatus, specifically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, successful Japanese leadership has functioned especially when operating within the scope of the US strategic framework towards East Asia. While structural constraints, such as the ever-present influence of the USA and bureaucratic coordination, may constrain options, effective leadership in foreign policy-making can indeed make a difference within those boundaries.     

一致与冲突：政府决策的民主化与科学化

随着中国政治体制改革的不断深入推进，理论界关于政府决策民主化与科学化的研究日益升温。对于决策民主化和科学化二者之间的关系，理论界长期以来的主流观点是二者具有正相关性或一致性，但实际上二者还存在着负相关性或冲突性。全面把握二者的关系，尤其是在政府决策实践中正确处理好其负相关性或冲突性，有助于进一步提升政府决策的能力和水平，推进政府体制改革。     

政官关系与日本民主党政权的政策决定

基于“政治主导”的政治理念，民主党政权在政策决定过程领域推行政官关系变革。历经鸠山内阁、菅内阁与野田内阁，随着政官关系变革态势的减弱并遭受顿挫，民主党政权的政策决定过程反复变化。政官关系定位不准，不仅导致民主党政权的政策决定过程反复变化，也削弱了其决策效益与执政能力。     

效益最优视角下的我国视频侦查工作进路——基于周克华案、波士顿马拉松爆炸案、伦敦地铁爆炸案的比较研究

我国视频侦查工作的实施状况包括投入与效果两个层面。周克华案、波士顿马拉松爆炸案、伦敦地铁爆炸案中的案件基本参数状况、资源投入状况与收益状况是评价视频侦查工作实施状况的具体指标。视频侦查工作效益最优是指在视频侦查资源成本投入一定的情况下实现侦查效益的最大化。视频侦查工作效益最优的经济学模型包括理想与现实状态两种函数。视频侦查工作的效益最优还应当兼顾法学与社会学领域的内容。效益最优视角下的我国视频侦查工作进路是一种体系化的工作形式,由原理、硬件、人员与机制四个层面的内容组成。     

群体的心理构成与人员的优化组合

群体的心理构成是群体成员的不同个性心理特征及其相互作用形成的人员组合类型。这种类型不仅繁多 ,而且还决定了群体的功能和组织状态。为此 ,人员的优化组合应注意 :根据群体的任务和目标 ,确定人员优化组合的基本原则和标准 ;提倡和谐互补的人员组合 ;协调那些不和谐 ,但可以互补的人员组合 ;全面考虑人员调配或重新组合的效果