Enhancing life satisfaction by government accountability in China

Finding the rationale for democracy requires not merely a conceptual task but also an empirical study. One rationale is that democracy maximizes people’s happiness by satisfying everyone. A further qualification of this is that democracy minimizes the maximum regret of the disadvantaged. This is compatible with the protection theory of government, which states that the government serves to protect the powerless. These arguments lead to hypotheses that perceived government accountability enhances the life satisfaction of the citizen, especially the powerless one. The hypotheses attain support from the present study, which surveyed 732 inhabitants in Beijing, China. Accordingly, government accountability including reducing corruption and inequality and increasing tolerance and democracy showed significant effects on life satisfaction in all economic, cultural, and political aspects. Furthermore, the effects are stronger on one with lower education and occupational status, and working outside the government. These findings demonstrate the salutary effect of the legitimation policy by enhancing government accountability or democracy in China. This article evolves from a research project, solely funded by the Strategic Research Grant of the City University of Hong Kong (#7000902). Its principal investigator is Kwan-kwok Leung and the other research team members are Glenn Drover and Chau-kiu Cheung.     

关于外汇期货套期保值比率的实证研究

最佳套期保值比率(OHR)的估计方法一直是金融工程理论研究的核心问题,从最开始的幼稚法到JSE法 以及随后的很多其他改进方法,保值效率都有不同程度的提高。使用包含误差修正结构的GARCH模型估计外汇 (澳大利亚元)期货的套期保值比率。通过效率比较,证实该模型所得到的套期保值比率比起传统方法都具有更好 的降低风险能力。     

A Risk-Based Approach to Setting Priorities in Protecting Bridges Against Terrorist Attacks

This article presents an approach to the problem of terrorism risk assessment and management by adapting the framework of the risk filtering, ranking, and management method. The assessment is conducted at two levels: (1) the system level, and (2) the asset-specific level. The system-level risk assessment attempts to identify and prioritize critical infrastructures from an inventory of system assets. The definition of critical infrastructures offered by Presidential Decision Directive 63 was used to determine the set of attributes to identify critical assets--categorized according to national, regional, and local impact. An example application is demonstrated using information from the Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory for the State of Virginia. Conversely, the asset-specific risk assessment performs an in-depth analysis of the threats and vulnerabilities of a specific critical infrastructure. An illustration is presented to offer some insights in risk scenario identification and prioritization, multiobjective evaluation of management options, and extreme-event analysis for critical infrastructure protection.     

Highways and Population Change*

Abstract In this paper we return to an issue often discussed in the literature regarding the relationship between highway expansion and population change. Typically it simply is assumed that this relationship is well established and understood. We argue, following a thorough review of the relevant literature, that the notion that highway expansion leads to increased population growth in the vicinity of the improved infrastructure finds only weak and often conflicting support. Using data on all major highway expansions in Wisconsin covering the period from the late‐1960s through the 1990s from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), and census data at the minor civil division (MCD) level covering the period 1970 to 2000, we deploy the analytical tools of geographic information system (GIS) software, and theory from the expanding literature in spatial analysis and modeling, to take a fresh look at this relationship. Our analysis reveals that there is a modest relationship between highway expansion and population growth among MCDs within 10–20 miles of the expanded major highway. The causal structure, however, is complex. Our starting hypothesis argues that population growth precedes highway expansion as frequently as population growth results from highway expansion, but the data show otherwise. The dominant causal influence appears to flow from highway expansion to population growth.     

现代新儒家与中华民族精神内涵

现代新儒家对中华民族精神内涵的认识是不尽相同的,但中华民族精神蕴含在中华儒家文化之中是其理论共识。儒家的＂和谐＂与＂理性＂、＂内圣外王＂之道、人文精神、＂极高明而道中庸＂及＂心性之学＂等,都是中华民族精神固有的内涵。现代新儒家致力于从儒家文化视角来解读中华民族精神,是有失公正性的,不加分析地全盘肯定儒家文化及其蕴含的民族精神,也是不符合历史辩证法的。现代新儒家力图从深层的精神内核来认识儒家文化和中华民族精神,是中华民族自我认识过程的深化和发展,也是继续研究中华民族精神不可或缺的重要文化资源。     

突破理性官僚制伦理困境的基本逻辑

官僚制化的行政管理是民主政治的委托授权式的他治的现代范式,但西方理性官僚制构造了形式合理性与实质非理性的伦理悖论,在公共权力运行中导致他治与自治的矛盾是公共行政的现代性困境。西方以否定他治为指向的解构理性官僚制的运动并不能为中国的公共行政改革制作范式。在人类还没有能力实现自治的境况下,否定合理的他治是乌托邦式的幻想。但面对理性官僚制发展不足的问题,应在反思理性与建构理性相统合的视阈中避免西方所遭遇的现代性悖论,需要以公共生活的智慧限制他治对主权的僭越以及克服官僚制本身的形式合理性与实质非理性的伦理困境,这一智慧在制度伦理视界体现制度与人格双重向度的整合。     

高校辅导员调解能力提升路径研究

在高校学生管理中,辅导员是预防学生矛盾激化的“第一道防线”,这要求辅导员需要具备较强的调解能力。将从高校学生矛盾冲突的现状出发,挖掘辅导员在调节能力上的不足,剖析人民调解与高校学生管理的内在联系,提出高校辅导员调解能力提升的路径。     

零部件进口对中国制造业技术进步的影响

在中国制造业转型时期,零部件进口对促进我国技术进步至关重要,将出口品国内技术含量作为衡量技术进步的标准,对零部件进口与中国制造业技术进步的关系进行量化分析。研究结果表明:扩大零部件进口规模对技术进步有正向影响,但发挥作用存在一定时滞,且在高技术行业中促进作用尤为显著;扩大零部件进口种类能显著促进技术进步,主要体现在低技术行业;外商直接投资、人均资本和研发投入均对技术进步有正向影响,但对不同技术层次行业的影响程度存在差异。     

海峡西岸经济区农村人力资本投资研究

＂十一五＂时期是福建省全面建设小康社会、加快海峡西岸经济区建设的关键时期。要提高广大农民抗贫穷能力,走上增收致富之路,最根本的就是要加大农村地区的人力资本投资。运用社会分层、人力资本等相关理论,采用理论分析与实证分析、逻辑推理与统计分析相结合的研究方法,认为人力资本投资不足是制约农民素质提升的关键。在该观点的基础上,以海峡西岸经济区为例,从教育投资、培训投资、健康投资、迁移投资四个方面,对农村人力资本投资进行了分析,提出了加大农村人力资本投资,推动城乡和谐发展的政策建议。     

模糊的边界：社区组织自治权力的退缩

社区的自治状态是社区各类权力主体在维护社区秩序、促进社区发展的过程中通过相互之间的职能协作达到的一种自我维续样态。通观公共经济理论对社区治理与公共产品供给的边界讨论,政府、社区自治组织、营利性组织的职能边界在理论发展上日渐走向明朗化。但是,在我们对上海市的相关调查中,却发现社区自治的边界依然存在着种种模糊,这些模糊主要是由政府对社区、市场的介入引起的,而这种权力的入侵有其客观的社会、经济基础。对社区治理职责边界的改进,重点在政府。