Disentangling Energy Policy from Environmental Policy*

Objectives. I attempt to disentangle energy policy from environmental policy in order to explain the shifting politics surrounding the former. I can then explain why energy policies have historically provided distributive benefits but also the implications of the fact that energy proposals have in recent years become more regulatory in nature. Methods. I use a range of methods. These include qualitative accounts of the evolution of energy policy, graphic depictions of congressional activity, spending, and partisanship, and multivariate analyses of oversight activities. Results. I find that policymakers have historically treated energy issues as distributive policy, resulting in an emphasis on spending and oversight but not on substantial legislation. Over the last three decades, as policymakers push energy proposals that are more regulatory in nature, energy politics have become more divisive and partisan. Conclusion. Ultimately, I conclude that the enactment of strong energy policies will necessarily involve conditions that have been conducive to passage of other strong regulatory policies.     

应对气候变化之政策与政策工具选择

在应对全球气候变化的紧迫形势下,经过多年的博弈,欧美将口号变为实际行动,各国基本实行的是市场机制下的碳税、排放贸易机制混合的碳减排制度,在工具选择上遵循公平性、适应性和有效性的标准。我国目前气候变化政策工具主要采用行政手段,可考虑由专家与政府共同决策,按照共同但有区别原则、分地区集团化进行的减排路径,建立以市场为主、行政为辅、法律监管为后盾的减排政策机制,实现经济工具、政治工具、法律工具的三位一体。     

积极财政政策下的税收政策取向

积极财政政策作为我国近期宏观调控经济的基本政策,已取得了一定效益.我国继续实施积极的财政政策还有一定的空间和时间,但仅以增发国债为主的积极财政政策有其局限性,而减税在弥补扩大投资的局限性方面有不可替代的作用.减税政策是"十五"期间国民经济发展的客观需要,应保持相对长期的稳定性,并应遵循一定的原则.     

Policy Diffusion and Policy Transfer in Comparative Welfare State Research

For many years, comparative welfare state research has followed a ‘methodological nationalism’ in the sense that countries were treated as independent units. Yet the recent ‘spatial turn’ in comparative politics has also influenced welfare state research. For some years now, the field has been witnessing a growing interest in questions about interdependencies and policy diffusion between countries. In this article, we provide a structured overview of the state of the art in the policy diffusion and transfer literature that deals specifically with social policy. We present and critically evaluate existing theoretical concepts and quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches that enable the analysis of interdependencies between countries. Moreover, we summarize the empirical findings of quantitative and qualitative studies on the diffusion and transfer of social policy, from some pioneering studies to the latest findings. Against this background we point out what we believe to be promising avenues for future research. We focus on five areas: theoretical work on the mechanisms underlying diffusion and transfer; methodological approaches; the impact of domestic institutions and policy characteristics on social policy diffusion and transfer; programme‐specific dynamics; and the systematic combination of horizontal and vertical interdependencies.     

Yugoslav Social Policy

Yugoslavia provides an interesting example of a decentralized system of policy-making which implies the abolition of the state's main role in economic and social affairs. Self-management is the basic principle of the socio-political system in Yugoslavia. It involves all levels, processes and fields of social relationships from working organizations (enterprises) and local communities to the communes, republics and Federation. The implications of this system of socio-political organization for social policy and provision are examined.     

Federalism Policy,Economic Policy and Implementation of the Bailey Report

The Bailey Task Force (BTF) report is reviewed from the perspective of a would-be implementer. The BTF report is partially implementable if its writers were able to resolve three critical issues. First, they might emphasize how its four Program (Block) Grant proposals would influence the economy through opening up employment opportunities. Next, they should spell out how pilot developments of certain Program Grants could proceed with model legislation, and should indicate the contents of that legislation. Finally, they should be more specific about consultative mechanisms involving non-government agencies and local government.     

Economic Policy and Social Policy: Policy-linkages in an Era of Globalisation

This article argues that changes in the role of the state in economic affairs will affect the process of social policy. Growing economic integration caused by globalisation now places a greater constraint upon the discretion of the nation state, bringing about a transformation into a more competitive state. States are increasingly having to compete against each other in order to promote competitiveness and attract foreign direct investment (FDI) from international capital markets. This competition influences in turn the social policy formation requiring the redesigning of social policy. Thus, welfare states may need to reform their social policy towards a "business-friendly social policy". The analysis of social policy inputs and outputs presented here suggests that there are common trends in most welfare states towards: a market-conforming policy on business taxation, a reduction of the share of employer's contributions in social protection revenues, more limited income security programmes, an increased allocation of resources for active labour market programmes and less state intervention in the labour market. All these reforming trends in social policy can be understood as a response of welfare states to the evolving needs of business caused by structural change, notably globalisation.     

积极财政政策的退出与稳健财政政策的实施

多年来,我国综合国内外经济形势,实施了积极财政政策,扩大了内需,刺激了消费,在促进国民经济持续快速稳定增长方面发挥了巨大的作用。但另一方面也加大了政府的财政风险,导致了某些行业和局部的经济发展过热,从而严重地妨碍了市场化进程。根据我国宏观经济形势的发展变化和巩固宏观调控成果的要求,必须让积极财政政策退位,转而实施稳健财政政策,并把握好“控制赤字、调整结构、推进改革、增收节支”的方针。     

意识形态在对外政策中的作用

意识形态在对外政策中的作用是国际关系研究中的一个重要的理论和现实问题。本文从意识形态涵义、特点和功能入手 ,探讨意识形态与对外政策的关系及意识形态在对外政策中的作用。本文的主要观点是 :首先 ,意识形态通过影响决策者对国家利益的判断而影响国家对外政策的目标选择 ,如果意识形态导致国家对其利益的错误认识 ,意识形态将损害国家的现实利益 ;其次 ,由于任何意识形态都包含有道义和理想化的政治目标 ,它可以为国家的对外政策提供道义上的支持 ,使对外政策显得合理、正义 ;第三 ,由于以意识形态的吸引力来实现对外政策目标成本最低而成效最持久稳定 ,所以 ,意识形态可以成为实现对外政策目标的最高明的手段。     

Power and Policy Making

POLICY MAKING IN BRITISH GOVERNMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF POWER AND RATIONALITY BY Brian Smith.
COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY: THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL CHOICE IN EUROPE AND AMERICA by Arnold Heidenheimer     

Introducing The Policy Forum

No abstract available for this article.     

Resources for Social Policy

The paper attempts the difficult task of identifying and exploring key resource factors which may influence social policy in the next millennium. It begins by critically examining the impact of demographic trends upon finance and demand for welfare in Europe. The possible impact of this is then examined in relation to the role of the family as a primary welfare resource and upon the supply of professional services. The implications of diminishing environmental resources are then examined and green social policy proposals are briefly outlined. However, the paper argues that the key resource is public goodwill and support for a range of social policy interventions. "The public" has been regarded as homogeneous in many surveys, but this paper argues that trends in middle-class welfare support and welfare activity pose concerns for the future of welfare provision.