Territorial Politics,Devolution and Spatial Planning in the UK: Results,Prospects, Lessons

This article critically analyses the debates which have unfolded in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum of 18 September 2014 concerning the constitutional arrangements of the UK as a plurinational state and the internal governmental structure of England. The debates unfolding in the UK reflect and illustrate two central themes in planning, territorial development and public policy. First, they highlight the contested distribution of power across multiple layers of government in states with an inherited centralized pattern of governance that are now facing strengthening regionalist and nationalist claims. Second, they illustrate the linked growth in the demand for new governance and strategic planning arrangements in large metropolitan areas with fragmented administrative and institutional boundaries. The article first discusses what the outcome of the Scottish referendum (and its aftermath) means for planning in Scotland. It then turns to the debates on devolution in the rest of UK which were stoked in the wake of the referendum, looking at the planning implications of further devolution in Northern Ireland and Wales, and at the possible consequences of the various options currently being aired to solve the ‘English question’. Finally, ongoing debates on decentralization to regions and city-regions in England are briefly considered.     

治理视域下的区域地方政府间合作探析

面对全球化的挑战和多元利益诉求的兴起,中国各级政府顺应世界治理的发展趋势,推行各项改革以实现政府—社会的关系调整与权力配置,从而提升政府能力和社会治理水平。但随着地方政府自主发展意识与权力的强化,区域地方政府间合作却陷入困境。从治理导向即分权化框架和治理的核心理念出发,剖析区域地方政府间低效合作现象的深层机理即分权化体制下的权责失衡与“经济人”的行动逻辑,继而有针对性地提出以完善分权化宏观制度为支撑、以培育公民资格与多元治理主体为基础、以建立治理组织网络模式为依托的有效途径,构建区域地方政府引导下与市场、社会组织、公民高度融合的区域多中心治理体制,以保证区域地方政府间合作的高效运行。     

Empirical research on fiscal expenditure efficiency of local governments in China： 1978-2005

利用DEA非参数技术和受限Tobit模型,本文核算了分权财政改革后中国省级地方政府财政支出的相对效率,并对影响该效率变化模式的各种因素进行了解释。     

民国时期省制改革过程及动因研究

民国时期的地方行政制度改革经过了长时间的争论与实践,自北京政府时期省—道—县三级制,省成为行使监察职能的一级政府,到南京国民政府时期的省政府合署办公和新县制,省一级政府从行政区划到机构建制、政府职能等方面都有着重大的变化。这一变化过程集中体现了中央集权与地方分权两种政治主张的斗争,其实质则是中央与地方在利益分配上的博弈。此外,省制改革也考虑到了各省的差异性,整体上呈现出行政现代化的趋势。     

我国财政分权与政治激励下的农村公共财政

对比分析1993-2008中央、省、市、县乡政府财政收入与支出的发展趋势,发现农村公共财政薄弱。同时,短期GDP和财政收入作为政治激励的主要指标,诱使地方政府官员把有限的农村财政资源投入“单程晋升锦标赛”中,更弱化了农村公共财政。在新农村建设中,必须求真务实,务求实效,完善财政分权与政治激励制度,加强农村公共财政：化解地方政府债务,加大农村公共财政投入;规范财权与事权,完善我国财政分权制度;规划功能区域,改革考核选拔激励制度。     

财政分权、经济集聚与环境污染——基于省级面板数据的实证研究

如何实现经济发展与环境质量之间的协调发展已成为热点议题，文章基于我国1997—2016年数据从财政分权、经济集聚的视角出发实证检验了其对我国环境污染的影响机理。结果表明：财政分权、经济集聚对环境污染分别产生负向和正向作用，经济集聚可以促进财政分权减少环境污染；进一步针对地区进行分析，发现经济基础、资源禀赋等差异会导致财政分权、经济集聚对环境污染的影响机制存在较大差异，财政分权导致东北和东部地区污染加剧、中部和西部地区污染减轻，经济集聚明显有利于东部和西部地区、不利于东北和中部地区的财政分权减少环境污染。应因地制宜推动财政分权改革和地方政府考核机制创新，以提高环境质量。     

财政分权体制下地方政府转型的内在逻辑

我国在市场化取向的改革中,财政分权一直是经济转型的重要内容,这种特殊的分权制度安排为地方政府向增长型政府的转型提供了一个重要机制。本文运用新制度经济学的分析范式重新诠释了地方政府转型的理论内涵,梳理了西方国家政府模式演变的历史脉络,揭示了我国地方政府从增长型政府向公共服务型政府转型的内在逻辑,并建构了地方政府转型的激励与约束机制。     

政治集权与经济分权相结合——中国中央与地方关系的新模式

中共十四届三中全会后,我国开始进入了全面建设社会主义市场经济体制的改革阶段。在改革的过程中,我国中央与地方关系逐步形成了中央政治集权与市场经济分权相结合的新模式,这一新模式具有重大现实意义。     

Health system decentralization and recentralization in Italy: Ideas,discourse, and institutions

This paper explores the dynamics of health system decentralization and recentralization in Italy, investigating why and how the territorial organization of the health system has changed over time. Drawing from discursive and historical institutionalism, the explanatory framework revolves around the role of ideational and institutional factors. The methods include process tracing and interpretive‐discourse analysis. Empirical material is drawn from documents and in‐depth interviews to experts and decision‐makers. Through the analysis of the reform trajectories in light of decentralization and recentralization processes, the paper shows that the territorial organization of the Italian health system has changed through a mechanism of gradual transformative change that I here call ideational and institutional bricolage, which involves the interplay between ideas, discourse, and institutions.     

Decentralized Implementation of Flood Resilience Measures – A Blessing or a Curse? Lessons from the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan and the Royal Docks Regeneration

This article presents a case study on the implementation of the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan in the Royal Docks, a regeneration project in the East of London. On paper, the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan advances the shift from traditional flood control to flood resilience, because of its long-term horizon, estuary-wide approach, and emphasis on floodplain management. In practice, however, we identify three frictions between vision and reality: a lack of local ownership of the plan, a lack of clear guidance for floodplain management, and limited capacities with local authority. These frictions suggest an ongoing ‘public-public divide’ in decentralized governance.