Demise of the Developmental State? Implications for Social Policy Development in Hong Kong

This paper argues that Hong Kong is now at the crossroads of its journey towards social policy development. While economic development still seems to be the unwavering objective of the Hong Kong government, the demand for democracy and social development can no longer be ignored because of a strong civil society fostered by economic success. The current state of affairs provides a window of opportunity for the Hong Kong government to strengthen its legitimacy through the development of social policy and to promote social harmony through inclusivity in social welfare. The findings from the present empirical survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia‐Pacific Studies (HKIAPS) in 2010 demonstrate that Hong Kong people identified social harmony as the main direction for social development, closely followed by economic development, and democracy and freedom. Respondents who chose social harmony as the main goal of social development were more likely to take a step back and find common ground when fighting for their own rights or the rights of society. This paper concludes that these findings reflect the crucial importance of taking social harmony into consideration in the social policy development process.     

The socialist dimensions of democracy --with comments on the myth of the bourgeoisie and democratic politics

巴林顿·摩尔的“没有资产阶级,就没有民主”使得民主变成了资产阶级的专利,今天这个专利演变为亨廷顿的“中产阶级带来民主”。从社会主义运动史与比较制度变迁的关系出发,我们可以发现民主经历了一个正反合的演变过程,从原初旨在实现人人平等的多数人统治,演变为保护少数人即资产阶级财产权的工具,再发展到今天作为实现大众平等权的工具。在民主的发展过程中,资产阶级的主要贡献在于宪政建设和精英民主,而大众民主的到来,则要归功于以下层阶级为主体的工人运动和其他非资产阶级阶层的斗争。在考察民主历程的基础上,重新认识民主的社会主义属性,有助于质疑形成于特定经验的社会科学的普适性问题。     

生活方式视角下民主的形成

一般人们所说的民主是一种政治制度,但是真正要实现民主还得在日常生活中形成才有牢固的根基。因此,可把民主看成一种生活方式,它代表着自由、平等、人权、法治、妥协等精神。根据人性论的观点,民主精神不是人们生来就有的,但民主可以通过环境的教育和影响来塑造、形成、发展、传承和提高。     

加尔文教的“两个国度”思想对西方宪政民主的深远影响

在宗教改革运动中产生的加尔文教不仅以其"天职"观念为资本主义经济活动提供了一种合理性根据,而且也以其"两个国度"的思想为西方现代宪政体制奠定了重要的神学基础。从加尔文教所坚持的圣约理想中,引申出一种以上帝权柄作为保障的民主观念。这种圣约民主观念在法国胡格诺派、苏格兰长老会、英格兰清教徒反对君主专制的斗争中,逐渐与世俗的自然法学派思想相合流,最终导致了西方现代宪政民主体制的产生。     

Examining the link between democracy,social policy,and inclusive development in South‐East Asia

This research investigates the impact of democracy on inclusive development and mainly addresses the question “Does democracy matter in the delivery of larger and more effective social policies that improve inclusive development?” The four cases selected to empirically analyze the relationship among three variables (democracy, social policy, and inclusive development) were Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The three main variables were modeled and analyzed by partial least squares–structural equation modeling technique. The finding revealed that social policy was one of the potential variables linking democracy and inclusive development, especially when the development of democratic institution runs stably.     

寻求民主发展与公民参与的统一——一种参与式民主的进路

寻求民主发展和公民参与的统一是现代民主理论必须面对的一个重大问题。在当代西方精英主义民主理论中,更多强调的是公民参与和民主发展的矛盾和对立。而参与式民主理论从个体、共同体、国家三个层面对民主的内涵进行了重构,突出了公民参与的教育、整合和制约功能。通过在地方事务、社会团体和公共领域中的公民积极参与,从而实现民主发展和公民参与的统一。本文描述了这种参与式民主的进路,为中国民主的发展提供另一个可资借鉴的视域。     

宪政民主制度的基本特征

宪法民主制度是由宪法性法律所功立的一种限制公共权力、保障公民有管理国家的平等权利的政治制度。其基本特征是:尊重基本人权但警惕人们循私和滥权;拥有至高无上权威的良好宪法;建立法治政治和有限政府;建立民主、高效、负责的政治体制及其运行机制;保障公民的政治权利的真正实现。     

论中国近代民权的思想特性

中国近代民权是由西方民主权利思想转化而来的本土化思想形态,是与专制权力进行斗争的思想武器,是论证近代权力与权利的正当性的革命话语。它从传统政治文化中的民本思想中蜕变出来,有选择地借鉴西方先进政治制度,扬弃了西方各种政治学说的适用成分但又有别于西方民主观,具有自身的思想特性。它含义复杂,在不同历史情境中有不同的所指。它与民本、民主、人权、自由等既有联系也有区别。工具性、集体性和激进性是中国近代民权在社会功能上的特性。     

共治民主：应对气候变化的民主模式初探

应对气候变化是一个特殊的公共领域。为应对气候变化,民族国家和国际政治都已经悄然发生并将继续发生调适性变化,这就是共治民主的形成。在这一人类活动领域,无论聚合民主还是协商民主,抑或一种局限于二者之中的参与民主概念,都不敷使用。共治民主是利益相关各方共同合作或自主实现公共利益的过程;它是共治定向的而非共识定向的;它是合作的,而非博弈的;它是社会的,而非政治的。     

协商民主视阈中的中国共产党党内民主建设

协商民主与党内民主都是学术界研究的热点问题。党内协商民主对当前党内民主建设具有重大的理论意义与实践价值。虽然协商民主并非是发展党内民主的惟一路径,但党内民主的推进无疑可以借鉴协商民主的若干合理之处。具体而言,就是在中国共产党的领导下,坚持民主集中制原则,以人民利益为最高价值追求,从协商民主中汲取符合国情和党情并对社会主义民主政治发展有益的元素,以改革创新精神推进党的建设。     

. . .and why there is no simple solution, but reasons for optimism

This article has three objectives. First, to apply the debate concerning deliberative or discursive democracy to the subject of social policy in order to renew and update the long-standing attempt to go beyond the paradigm of welfare-state capitalism. The 'crisis of universalism' is outlined and this is then explained in terms of the traditional welfare state's 'democratic deficit'. Second, to suggest that applying these debates reveals two paradoxes that bear implications not only for social policy but also for the entire project of discursive democracy. The first paradox refers to the need to combine proceduralist and pluralist theories of deliberative democracy, despite the ultimate irreconcilability of these philosophies. The second refers to the problem of social transition and the fact that democratisation and social equalisation require one other. The third objective is therefore to suggest that welfare traditionalists have nothing to fear from what are here called 'post-universalist' critiques.     

The democratic challenges and potential of localism: insights from deliberative democracy

This article considers the democratic challenges and potential of localism by drawing on insights from the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. On a conceptual level, the ideas embedded in localism and deliberative democracy share much in common, particularly the democratic goal of engaging citizens in decisions that affect them. Despite such commonalities, however, there has been limited conversation between relevant literatures. The article considers four democratic challenges facing localism and offers a response from a systems perspective of deliberative democracy. It argues that, for localism to realise its democratic potential, new participatory spaces are required and the design of these spaces matters. Beyond structured participatory forums, local democracy also needs an active and vibrant public sphere that promotes multiple forms of democratic expression. This requires taking seriously the democratic contributions of local associations and social movements. Finally, the article argues that, to fulfil its democratic potential, localism needs to encourage greater democratic and political connectivity between participatory forums and the broader public sphere.     

Karl Marx's sociological theory of democracy: Civil society and political rights

This essay reconstructs Marx's relationship to democracy and liberalism through an examination of his early work which was directly concerned with the issues of understanding democracy as a kind of society. Only with an analysis of the dynamics of civil society—a political economic, sociological, and historical understanding—could the true nature of citizenship be discerned. In contradistinction to liberal political theory, he would argue that political theory could not stand on its own if it analyzed only the state. Marx came to understand the contradiction between the liberal state and civil society as what he called a sophistry because it undermined the possibility of the democratic agency of workers. This was a sophistry, not because he opposed political democracy, but because the development of capitalism undermined the possibility of democratic agency. Citizenship could be nothing but a “lion's skin” of politics concealing the nature of civil society beneath it. This contradiction would drive Marx's thought forward as he moved from liberalism to democratic socialism with his developing understanding of the structure and dynamics of capitalism from 1843 until the end of his life. The essay illustrates two closely related claims about Marx's thought regarding liberalism and democracy. First, I argue that Marx engaged in a democratic critique of liberalism; second, and as a response to his democratic critique of liberalism, Marx developed a more sociological understanding of democracy, and hence believed that political democracy was a necessary condition of freedom, though not a sufficient condition.     

宪政的法哲学分析

宪政是人类智慧的产物,是人类政治文明和法治文明的结晶。回顾宪政的历史发展过程,宪政的思想渊源是自由主义、共和主义;宪政的制度构建离不开民主、法治和人权理论及实践;同时,市场经济的发展以及政治国家与公民社会的二元分立对宪政理念及制度的形成和发展也起到了基础性的作用。从法哲学的视角出发,以上问题分别构成了宪政发展的思想基础、政治基础、经济基础和社会基础。对这些问题进行理性的思考和分析,特别是从法哲学角度的分析,能够为宪政问题的研究提供科学的理论根据。     

中国的民主模式与党内民主的实现——民主与党的领导之间的关系

民主是什么,众说纷纭,难以界定;但民主不是什么,却是可以澄明的。中国式民主长期以来受到国内外的广泛关注,有反对中国走民主化道路的,有认为中国民主模式已经成熟的,也有比较客观地认为中国的民主化仍在路上,受到诸多因素的影响的。作为后发展中国家,中国的民主化道路复杂尤甚。国家主导的有序化民主必然要求党内民主的改革和深入,这已成为推进中国民主的突破口。     

Factors affecting the development of social work and its professionalisation process: the case of Greece

This article discusses some of the factors that have shaped the development of social work in Greece and analyses its present level of professionalisation. There were four main factors: (i) the familialist-statist social care model in which social work operates in Greece; (ii) reluctant state support related to a complex set of specific political, social and economic conditions; (iii) the pressure of new needs in recent years as a result of the aging population, family changes and increasing numbers of immigrants; and (iv) the European Union's financial support and regulatory role in various social policy sectors. The present status of the profession indicates a satisfactory protection of professional rights, a slow but steady improvement in the educational process, but also limited occupational control.     

行政法的现实反映与价值追求

21世纪 ,在实现法制文明化、现代化这一历史进程中 ,包含一项重要内容 ,即行政法制现代化。中国行政法制现代化是一个长期的工程 ,需要以完善的行政法律规范为基础。完善的标准在于 :一是行政立法应满足社会的客观需要 ,反映新的经济关系 ,以实现行政法对经济发展的保障作用 ;二是行政法应体现和保障人民群众的民主权利 ,彰显民主、科学 ;三是行政法要协调好行政权与各种权力与权益的关系 ,在价值上达到社会公正理念。     

Community Organizing for Social Justice: Grassroots Groups for Power

Social justice, community organizing, and task-oriented groups are inextricably connected. Collective action through community organizing can generate the requisite power to overcome unjust social relations and achieve changes that further human rights, participatory democracy, and distributive justice. Most community-organizing work is conducted through task-oriented groups that enable organizational activists to engage directly in collective action for social change. This article presents examples of the use of task groups by a variety of constituencies, in multiple arenas, employing citizen participation, community development, and social action community-organizing approaches and strategies.     

科学发展观的人学追问

科学发展观的本质和核心是以人为本,它强调社会发展的根本目的在于生产力发展的基础上,不断促进人的全面发展,充分体现了马克思主义人学的价值追求。坚持以人为本,既是经济社会发展的长远指导方针,更是实际工作中必须坚持的重要原则。作为工作原则,就是我们在实际工作中如何看待人、对待人。我们的工作既有经济和文化工作,也有政治和司法工作。然而,我们在上述工作中,因对人的理解方面的不足,出现了一些不尊重人的权利和权利未能获得有效保障的现象。如果我们从马克思主义人学的视角和立场对科学发展观加以检视和追问,将有助于上述现象的克服和解决,有助于深刻把握科学发展观的精神实质。     

The Role of Consultative Democracy under the Constitutional Framework and the Associated Rule of Law*

The logical sequence of China’s state governance is “governing party—consultative conferences—people’s congresses—the people.” The “governing party—consultative conferences” link in the chain involves political consultation through people’s consultative conferences. The “governing party—consultative conferences—people’s congresses” link involves a process of obtaining legitimacy for the Party’s views based on political consultations which are then translated into the national will by the system of people’s congresses. The “people’s congresses—the people” link involves the two-pronged logic of elections and governing the country according to law. The “governing party—the people” link is an illustration of the party’s mass line, which essentially involves social consultation. Consultative democracy usually includes the political consultation in the “governing party—consultative conferences” link and the social consultation in the “governing party—the people” link in the chain, both of which are connected through the system of people’s congresses. This logically determines the inner relations between the Party’s leadership, consultative democracy and the people’s congress form of representative democracy and shapes the institutionalization of consultative democracy. That is, in the process of democratic decision-making, a circular system consisting of “political consultation—legislative consultation—social consultation” is created to guide development of the actual system.