Outsourcing local democracy? Evidence for and implications of the commercialisation of community engagement in Australian local government

ABSTRACT

Participatory governance practices are enjoying popularity, not least in local government. This is driven by legislation that requires councils to undertake some of these processes; also by communities and practitioners – parties that derive income from participatory governance. An industry is emerging: one characterised by demand and supply, with frameworks, strategies and processes, training and conferences. This industry warrants investigation so that its impacts upon local democracy can be understood. Following a theorisation of local democracy and community engagement, the paper describes the community engagement industry, presenting evidence about council activities, providers and professional associations to establish that the commercialisation of engagement is a significant phenomenon in Australian local government. Possible risks to local governance and local democracy are explored.     

20世纪70年代美国的西藏政策

美国最新解密文件显示,20世纪70年代美国西藏政策发生了新变化:美国中央情报局虽然继续对西藏分裂势力进行援助,但是削减了援助资金的数额,尼克松政府对待达赖"访美"的立场经历了从拒绝到有条件支持的转变;福特政府时期,随着中美高层互访和交流的深入,西藏问题首次公开进入双边会谈议事议程,并就此拉开中美关于西藏问题对话的序幕。与此同时,美国国会也卷入西藏事务,其对西藏事务的干涉主要包括为达赖集团提供经济援助和政治支持,为日后国会以立法的形式干涉西藏事务埋下了伏笔。     

论20世纪七八十年代日本的石油危机对策

面对突如其来的石油危机 ,日本首先在对外政策上采取稳住石油供应对策 ,放弃对阿以冲突的“中立”政策 ,采取支持阿拉伯国家的“亲阿拉伯”政策 ,加强同中东产油国关系。随着石油危机的缓解 ,日本又积极开展国际合作 ,与西方石油消费大国共同合作避免石油危机再度袭来。与此同时 ,日本在对内政策上大力开展调整主要产业结构对策 ,放弃以重化学工业为主的产业结构 ,发展低能耗、高科技产业 ,力争从根本上摆脱石油危机的困扰。     

20世纪70年代尼克松政府的环保政策

20世纪60年代末70年代初,美国环保运动的发展进入了一个新的阶段。环境保护不再是作为经济发展的附属物出现,而是作为一个独立的领域,有了自己的理论和目标。在迅速发展的环保运动推动下,尼克松政府采取了一系列影响巨大的环保措施,确立了日后美国环保运动的发展方向。但是,由于政治、经济、哲学等多方面原因,1970年之后,尼克松政府在环保政策上有所后退。本文力图通过对尼克松政府环保政策兴衰的探讨,揭示当时美国环保运动发展的某些特点及其与政府政策之间的关系。     

Bad Language and BBC Radio Four in the 1960s and 1970s

In the late 1960s and early 1970s there was a new intensityto complaints from listeners to BBC Radio about the strong languagethey heard on the air. There had long been a public expectationthat the BBC had some form of ‘guardianship’ overthe English language, but there was also now a desire from manyproducers within the BBC to reflect contemporary society moreclosely than it had done in the past, and the use of demoticspeech in dramas and documentaries was one dimension of thischange. Such a desire was part of a broader move towards ‘decensorship’in literature, film, theatre, and popular mores in Britain inthis period. The tension this caused between broadcasters andlisteners was especially acute on Radio Four—the main‘broad brow’ speech network of BBC Radio, and onecharacterized by a fiercely conservative audience. Through previouslyunpublished records of its internal discussions between c.1968and c.1979, this article explores the response of the BBC tolisteners’ complaints and press coverage about swearing.It suggests that BBC Radio reacted strongly to audience concern,but that wider anxiety about the reputation of the BBC as awhole also affected decisions over language. In so doing, itillustrates a previously neglected dimension to the BBC's taskof negotiating a precarious consensus on matters of taste anddecency.     

Explaining the growth of government expenditure: Australian government department appropriations since world war two

Political economists have concentrated on explaining the growth of total government expenditure rather than individual governmental institutions. This paper applies four models of governmental behaviour from the public administration and public choice areas to the growth of the major Australian government departments in the period 1947–1979, and provides forecasts of expenditure for the years 1980–1982. The three models are: budgetary incrementalism, based on the auto‐correlation of departmental appropriations; the degree of bureaucratic monopoly power vis‐a‐vis its financial sponsor; a macro model incorporating social, political and economic incentives for governmental expenditure (e.g. unemployment); and a model based on measurements of the demand of the median voter for government services. The results suggest that a simple budgetary incrementalism model, using a first order autoregression provides the best explanation for institutional growth over the past thirty years and the best forecasts.     

Archaeology of the 1980s through the objectives of the 1970s.

In the author's view the contemporary detente and the spirit of Helsinki may spread historical optimism like that established after the end of World War I. The likeness of mentality leads to a retreat in fashion everywhere, and archaeology will hardly be an exception. Like some others the author also predicts an archaeological structuralism and considers its possible realization with respect to the ‘damned question’ of archaeology ‐ the change of cultures. There has here been sounded an unexpected call to dig less, and one more expected ‐ to theorize more.     

论20世纪70年代美国国会的改革及其影响

整个20世纪,美国国会一共有2次重大的委员会体制改革。第一次是在1946年,第2次是在70年代。如果说1946年国会的改革标志着现代国会制度的最终确立,那么70年代的变革则是在此基础上试图进一步完善国会制度的一次重大努力。     

20世纪七八十年代引滦工程决策历程

水资源短缺一直制约着京津唐地区经济和社会的发展。20世纪70年代,因缺水引发的经济、社会问题逐渐凸显,促使中央和地方政府开始考虑实施跨流域调水工程。引滦工程作为北方最大的跨流域调水工程,其决策经历了曲折的过程。1958年,北京和唐山曾分别提出引滦河水的设想,唐山还实施了引滦入还和引还入陡工程。1972年,海河流域大旱促使中央做出加快实施引滦工程的决定,但由于地质情况复杂等原因,引滦工程设计方案被反复修改。1981年,天津提出了单独引滦济津路线并得到了中央的支持。引滦工程对缓解京津唐用水紧张发挥了重要作用,天津是引滦工程受益最大的地区。     

20世纪七八十年代国史研究学术建制的发展历程

"文革"结束后至当代中国研究所成立前,是国史研究学术建制的探索完成时期.这个时期,国史研究学术建制的发展历程大致分三个阶段:第一阶段,自"文革"结束至中共十一届三中全会开始前,胡乔木提出"赶快着手研究"中华人民共和国史,中国社科院成立现代史研究室;第二阶段,中共十一届三中全会结束后至1982年底,编写《当代中国》丛书启动,中国社科院拟成立现代史研究所的建议未被采纳;第三阶段,自1983年至1990年底,以当代中国研究所成立为标志,国史研究学术建制取得实质性进展.学界在探索完成国史研究学术建制的十余年时间里,始终贯穿着明确的学术自觉意识.这是完成国史研究学术建制的重要思想保证.