Do Public Officials Trust Citizens? A Welfare State Perspective

In this exploratory study, we investigate whether public sector officials and non‐public sector officials differ in the trust they have in members of society and whether this difference is associated with the welfare regime in which they work. Using survey data from the sixth round of the European Social Survey, we compare public sector officials' trust to that of non‐public sector officials in 13 countries with four different forms of welfare regimes. Our results demonstrate that public officials have a higher level of trust than non‐public officials do. Furthermore, trust among both public and non‐public sector officials is much higher in social‐democratic regimes, followed by corporatist countries, liberal regimes, Israel (as a unique case) and, lastly, southern European regimes. As expected, public officials' degree of trust reflects the general trends of their societies. Interestingly, in social‐democratic regimes, differences between trust among public and non‐public officials are the highest compared to the other regimes. In addition, an individual‐level analysis in five countries illustrative of each welfare regime indicates that while income, belonging to a minority group, and age are significant factors in explaining public officials' trust, socio‐demographic variables contribute little to the differences between public and non‐public officials. Given the critical role of trust in the functioning of the welfare state, our results imply that further awareness and mechanisms for increasing the degree of trust of citizens among public officials are warranted.     

Is Food Insecurity Associated with Depressive Symptoms in South Korea?

Emerging studies have suggested a possible link between food hardship and depression; however, empirical knowledge is limited. In South Korea, more public discussion has been conducted regarding the prevalence and consequences of food insecurity on mental health. To begin to address the knowledge gap, we applied family stress theory and investigated the association of food insecurity with depression in South Korea. We employed observational data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study, the first data to draw on food insecurity information from a nationally representative sample in Korea. Our sample consisted of 744 non‐elderly household heads. The independent variable “food insecurity” was measured using a six‐item scale adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Scale. The dependent variable “depression” was measured using 11 questions from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale adapted for Koreans. After controlling for income, material hardship, and other factors, our ordinary least squares regression findings show that food insecurity significantly predicts depression. Our findings are consistent whether food insecurity is measured on a continuum or in categorical groups. More research and empirical evidence should be shared to provide legitimate grounds for policy interventions that address and prevent food insecurity and mental health issues.     

One narrative or several? Politics,cultural elites,and citizens in constructing a ‘New Narrative for Europe’

ABSTRACT

European Union (EU) institutions have cultivated narratives of European integration for a long time. For its 2013–2014 ‘A New Narrative for Europe’ project, however, the European Commission for the first time explicitly used the ‘narrative’ label. Drawing on non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews and qualitative discourse analysis, this article contrasts the drafting process and the resulting declaration’s narrative structure and content with its discussion by citizens in a web-based consultation. The analysis shows that participating citizens forcefully demanded a bottom-up debate and advocated pluralistic perspectives. In these circumstances, elite-driven attempts at strengthening European identity and EU legitimacy are likely to be ineffective.     

慈善概念的移植何以未完成:一个政策过程的分析

寻求法律移植与习俗的有机统一无疑是中国法律现代化最为重要的问题。由于缺乏微观政策过程的分析,对这一问题的探讨大多停留在宏观层面。本文从法律现代化和法律多元主义的理论视角出发,以《慈善法》中“慈善”概念的形成为例,探讨了法律移植与习俗如何通过立法体制影响法律的形成。研究发现,习俗通过回应性立法的制度安排以及立法者的双重身份被纳入到决策中。法律移植的慈善概念则通过法律专家与立法者的深度互动产生作用。然而,立法过程中提案与审议的分离以及政治官僚制的决策模式使得形式理性法律的建构面临双重消解。因此,促进立法体制的优化才能实现立法中形式理性与价值理性的有效融合。     

The Value of the Relationship in Volunteer Home Support Programs Working with Vulnerable Families

This paper reports on a program evaluation project that included interviews with 35 parents from high-risk backgrounds who received home volunteer support as part of the Dalwood Volunteer Home Support Program. It provides insight into the meaning and value parents attach to the volunteer relationship. The evaluation findings suggest that home volunteer support was associated with parent perception of increased wellbeing, decreased social isolation, and an improved relationship with their child. The results also suggest that parents perceived their relationship with their volunteer as significant in providing a secure base relationship.     

兼容并包——魏晋时期儿童教育述论

魏晋时期,儒学衰微,玄风盛行,儿童教育呈现出新的特点:教育内容兼涉玄儒．重视门第教育,教育方式灵活多样,重视寓教于乐。这些变化与当时的社会变化密切相关,也对社会发展产生了很大影响。     

中国社会福利的新发展主义走向

传统社会福利思想注重维持救助对象基本生活水平,发展性福利观则强调社会问题的预先防范,主张通过必要的援助与支持,为服务对象自强与自立创造条件,二者均有局限性。新发展主义福利观试图融合二者,强调经济发展成果惠及各个阶层。发展主义取向在改革开放前已经萌芽,在改革开放前已经成型。在科学发展观与构建和谐社会背景下,中国社会福利正在走向新发展主义的新阶段:在注重社会政策的投资和发展效应的同时,更为强调政策对福利对象基本生活的保障水平及其福利水平的提升。     

Does the perception of benefit fraud shape tax attitudes in Europe?

After the negative effect of the recent financial crisis on public finances in many countries, it is of a great interest to study attitudes towards taxation to identify effective policies to enhance public support for taxation and welfare programs. In this paper, we analyze empirically people’s attitudes towards taxation in European countries. In particular, we test whether the perception about benefit fraud may produce different effects on preferences over the size of the welfare state along the income distribution. Moreover, we test if contextual variables are relatively more relevant than individual characteristics in determining attitudes towards taxation. Using different data sources for many EU countries in 2008, we contrast those hypotheses taking advantage of multilevel techniques. Our results suggest that policies targeting the deterrence of benefit fraud such as higher penalties and more frequent benefit investigations, increase the high earners’ willingness to pay taxes and then the size of the welfare state. We also find that contextual characteristics explain a larger variance of attitudes toward taxation than individual characteristics, suggesting that the same policy for all UE countries might be not a good strategy.     

高校财务管理目标多元化及其协调

高校财务关系及财务管理目标呈现多元化趋势,这种趋势源于以教育投资主体多元化为主因产生的利益相关者群体。应采取有效措施,协调多元化财务管理目标,以发挥资源最大化效益。     

西北贫困地区畜牧业扶贫福利效应及其影响因素:以宁夏为例

产业扶贫是精准扶贫的"重头戏",在脱贫攻坚过程中发挥着关键作用。当前,脱贫攻坚已经进入关键期,畜牧业扶贫势必变得更加重要,但是贫困户作为畜牧业经营的主体,只有保障其福利不受损,才会继续依托畜牧业增收脱贫。深入研究畜牧业精准扶贫对贫困户福利的影响,对于完善精准脱贫长效机制和增加农户收入具有重要现实意义。因此,推动贫困地区畜牧业的发展,充分发掘其在精准脱贫中的潜力,消除深度贫困户从事畜牧养殖的门槛,有助于进一步发挥畜牧业在反贫中的作用,从而实现持续稳定脱贫。