MUNICIPAL AMALGAMATION AND THE GROWTH OF THE LOCAL PUBLIC SECTOR IN SWEDEN*

ABSTRACT. The proposition that a decentralized structure of local governments can effectively constrain public sector growth is empirically investigated. Data on Swedish municipal sector size for the 1942–87 period are analyzed within the context of a median voter model. The results indicate that decentralization, measured by the number of units of local government serving a given population, constrains the influence of institutional factors (e.g., rent seeking, bureaucracy) on local budgets as long as these units exceed some minimal threshold size. The findings support the view that communities should be given the flexibility to determine their own ideal pattern of local governments.     

THE EFFECTS OF TAXES,EXPENDITURES, AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE ON METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT*

ABSTRACT. Data for 28 metropolitan areas over a 15-year period are used to determine the impacts of government spending, taxes, and public infrastructure on total employment and disaggregated employment. After carefully controlling for the government budget constraint we find that taxes are negatively related to total employment and education spending is positively related to total employment. Nevertheless, we find that it is difficult for metropolitan areas to influence the composition of their employment with government tax and expenditure policies. Moreover, at current levels of public infrastructure, marginal changes in infrastructure have no strong effect on employment.     

中国的政治地理环境分析及外交对策探讨

本文从政治地理学的角度分析了当今中国的政治地理环境特点,认为中国在地缘政治上处于亚太地区的枢纽位置,海陆邻国众多,国际关系错综复杂,潜在性的不稳定因素较多,政治地理环境比较严峻。鉴于这种特殊的政治地理环境和中国目前的国力等实际情况,提出了因势利导、放眼未来的外交方略与对策,即理智而妥善地处理好中美关系,积极争取欧洲、转化美国,立足亚太"舞台",发挥大国作用。认为当今中国迫切需要的是继续争取一个良好的发展环境,坚持不懈地走强国之路。     

PUBLIC PERSONNEL POLICY IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT: AN OVERVIEW

Although frequently treated as apolitical by social scientists and practitioners, public personnel administration has always been infused with political considerations. Today, it is more widely recognized that personnel policy choices can have political ramifications of major consequence. However, this policy realm is characterized by a number of competing values espoused by different governmental institutions and private groups. The civil service reforms of 1978 created more coherent personnel policy and greater clarity among the various competing interests and participants. Nevertheless, the political environment of public personnel administration remains so complex that the issue of whether it is possible for public managers to manage lively is legitimately raised.     

江苏省城乡公共服务区域差异的调查分析

根据江苏省样本地市的城乡公共服务水平及居民满意度调查数据,通过构建指标体系及权重,构造重要性与满意度矩阵等方法,本文从基础教育,医疗卫生,社会福利,文体服务、公共设施和生态环境及公共服务等方面对江苏省城乡公共服务水平的差异进行了分析。结果表明:江苏省城乡公共服务水平的区域差异明显,苏北地区的城乡差异较大,苏中和苏南地区较小;居民对城市公共服务满意度总体好于农村;城市与农村各类公共服务水平差距显著,尤其表现在文体服务与公共服务设施上;多数地市城乡公共服务水平协调度偏低。针对分析结果,本文提出了促进江苏省城乡公共服务协调发展的政策建议。