Social Capital and Economic Performance in the American States*

Objective. This study tests the claim that areas with higher levels of social capital have superior economic performance. Method. The 14‐measure index of social capital created by Robert Putnam is reconstructed for an extended time period and integrated into cross‐sectional regression models including physical capital, human capital, and other factors relevant to state economic performance. Results. The analysis shows that social capital has no discernable influence on aggregate measures of output and employment. However, it does have a positive and significant impact on measures of economic equality and employment stability. Conclusions. This study does not support the claim that social capital is a general prerequisite for prosperity, but it does suggest that it may serve to reinforce a particular mode of communitarian economic development.     

Exploring voting behavior on American Indian legislation in the United States Congress

Using roll call data from 1970 to 2000, this study explores the impacts of partisanship, regionalism, and Indian constituency on congressional pro-Indian voting in the U.S. House and Senate. This study incorporates and tests a new measure of constituency by accounting for the presence of a federally recognized tribe within congressional districts. The presence of an Indian nation has a positive effect on the voting behavior of elected officials concerning American Indian legislation, with a significant relationship observed between pro-Indian voting and congressional districts with Indian tribes. The results also suggest a strong partisan influence on the likelihood of voting with the pro-Indian position in both the House and the Senate, but with notable differences between the two chambers. Finally, partisan voting on Indian legislation intensified from the 1970s to the late 1990s, which led to more contentious voting patterns on Indian affairs in the legislative branch over time.     

Public Access to Government Information in the Digital Age: Findings from China

The openness of government information is an unavoidable issue in the digital age. The Chinese government makes great effort to publish administrative information and seek advice on good governance from the general public, but is nonetheless unable to meet citizens’ legitimate demands for the right to know and participate. This study analyzes this contradiction from four angles: the driving force, the type of information, the access platform, and the annual examination and supervision system for government information disclosure. The findings showed that (a) netizens’ heavy pressure rather than Chinese authorities’ strong leadership pushes forward the disclosure of government information; (b) administrative information concerning the public agenda rather than the policy agenda best meets the needs of the general public; (c) commercial Weibo websites are a more satisfactory channel than official government websites for practical requests; and (d) as a unique institutional arrangement for examination and supervision, the annual report on government information disclosure should be standardized.     

美国中产阶级的历程和政府的制度安排

在一批"分离派"教徒为逃避英国国教的迫害乘坐"五月花"号流离到新大陆后,按照船上的41位自由的成年男人签名的<"五月花"号公约>,欧洲人开辟了自己的新家园,他们不仅慢慢地把没有强权压制和贵族剥削的美国建成政治自由之地,而且塑造了中产阶级的经济天堂.     

城市化与美国县政府自治:一项知识史的考察

美国县政府出于调整治理结构进而提供城市化等新式服务的目的,自20世纪初开始了寻求自治的努力,也就是挣脱州政府的法律束缚——狄龙规则,其结果是百年来有近150个县成为拥有自治章程的自治县。美国学界对此进行了跟踪研究,大体上以县的现代化尤其是大都市区化为重点来考察县自治,至20世纪80年代后进入了对县自治全面总结的时代。综而观之,县追求自治的努力需要州议会的立法支持,在实际过程中牵涉多方利益,而其效果更多的是一种大都市区化下县政府焕发生机,提供区域性服务的愿景。     

Public Opinion and Dynamic Representation in the American States: The Case of Environmental Attitudes*

Objective. We investigate causal processes linking environmental conditions, attitudes, and policies in the American states: Is public opinion about ecology shaped by environmental conditions? Are state policymakers responsive to environmental opinions? Does public opinion respond to policy adoption? Methods. Using public opinion data from the DDB Worldwide Life Style Survey to measure aggregate state attitudes about the environment, as well as measures of water quality and policy intervention, we capture the dynamics of representation in the American states on the environment during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Results. Our findings support a thermostatic model of representation—state environmental opinions are influenced by environmental conditions and are responsive to policy outputs alongside improved environmental conditions. Conclusions. This model of the opinion‐policy linkage refines our understanding of representation and focuses us not just on the passage of public policy to address public desires, but the effectiveness of that policy as well.     

社区党建对基层党组织建设的创新

基层党组织作用的发挥,从根本上讲,取决于基层党组织能否适应中国社会发展的客观要求。社会主义市场经济体制的逐步建立带来了中国社会的深刻转型,使得基于传统"单位制"的基层党组织与转型社会之间的适应性存在很多问题,基层党组织面临很多新挑战。而社区党建的开展,适应了社会转型对基层党组织设置形式、领导作用和社会参与的新要求,实现了社会转型条件下基层党组织建设的创新。     

创新产业政策 推进产业结构调整

产业政策是政府宏观控制的重要手段,国家的发展战略通常体现在产业政策上。充分发挥产业政策的作用,是确保产业结构调整和优化升级的必要条件。产业政策发挥作用的立足点在于弥补“市场失灵,”创造并维护适度竞争的有活力的市场,目的是培育新的产业或强化战略性产业,形成新的比较优势。创新产业政策,应遵循市场规律,强化引导性,提高针对性,加强预见性,注意协调性,增强权威性,并与其他调控手段协同配合,才能发挥推进产业结构调整的作用,从而保证经济社会全面协调可持续发展。     

创新培训方式着眼能力提高——中共南宁市委党校创新学员培训工作

论文根据中共中央颁布的《干部教育培训工作条例(试行)》精神,围绕干部能力培养的主题,论述了培训方式与能力形成的关系,指出了现代培训的理念,以及现代培训与传统培训的区别,,简要阐明了现代培训的方式方法,指出了马克思主义中国化理论最新成果的教育培训是当前干部教育培训的重要内容。     

美国联邦政府治理腐败研究：从1883年《彭德尔顿法》的视角观察

以1883年美国国会通过的《彭德尔顿法》为切入点,对19世纪中后期美国官场的腐败乱象进行审视,梳理和总结美国联邦政府治理腐败的过程和成功经验,发现:第一,迄今为止,腐败是世界上许多国家在发展中遇到的一个不可回避的现实问题,近代西方民主国家也不例外。并且,腐败多高发在社会转型时期。第二,根据19世纪中后期美国联邦政府治理腐败的经验,健全法制和强化舆论监督是反腐败的关键所在。通过《彭德尔顿法》和文官制度改革,美国联邦政府废除了政党分赃制,在法律和制度上界定了官员的身份和权限,对用人上的腐败进行了强有力的治理,堵住腐败源头,防患于未然;同时利用和强化舆论监督,对腐败发起强大攻势,使其难有藏身之地。经过这次治理,腐败在美国逐渐呈现下降趋势。