Information transparency,monitoring, and incentives under decentralization: Evidence from China's fiscal reform of “province managing county”

Monitoring is deemed crucial for the incentivization of a decentralized organization, but its function relies on information transparency between the central authority and the delegated individuals. We test this hypothesis by considering changes in the fiscal behavior of Chinese county governments following an exogenous fiscal reform in 2004/2005 that removed information obstacles between provinces and counties. Employing data on 590 Chinese counties from 2000 to 2009, we find that counties in the reform provinces adopt a more proactive fiscal policy after the reform, suggesting that they become more incentivized in the political competition for economic growth. Such effects are stronger in counties with fewer competing peers and counties with either high or low ranks in the records of economic growth among peers. The increase in counties' productive spending leads to higher economic growth in later years.     

A High-Performance Quadrilateral Flat Shell Element for Seismic Collapse Simulation of Tall Buildings and Its Implementation in OpenSees

Shear walls are important lateral force-resistant components of tall buildings. Hence, a reliable numerical model that can accurately represent the mechanical characteristics and large deformations of shear walls is critical for realistic collapse simulation of tall buildings. Based on the theory of generalized conforming element, a high-performance quadrilateral flat shell element, NLDKGQ, accounting for the large deformation using the updated Lagrangian formulation, is proposed herein and implemented in OpenSees. The reliability of NLDKGQ is validated using classical benchmark problems and reinforced concrete specimens. In addition, its capability in simulating the collapse of a tall building is also demonstrated.     

Political Commitment,Policy Ambiguity,and Corporate Environmental Practices

A lack of clear political commitment together with confusing rules and enforcement often characterize the institutional context of policy implementation and regulatory compliance in developing countries. By connecting such contextual features to existing models of policy implementation and regulatory compliance, we examine how regulatory factors are related to basic and proactive corporate environmental management practices in the Pearl River Delta region in China. Drawing on data derived from both a survey and in‐depth interviews, we show that a perception of clear political commitment to environmental protection across multiple government levels and units is positively associated with business efforts in basic environmental practices, regardless of the specific enforcement intensity. Nevertheless, a perception of clear political commitment is not related to proactive environmental practices. Conversely, a perception of policy ambiguity, in the form of confusing regulatory standards and enforcement, is negatively associated with corporate efforts in both basic and proactive environmental practices; yet, intensive inspections mitigate these negative associations with policy ambiguity.     

修志应重视口述资料的运用

第二轮修志面临资料缺失问题,而作为资料补充渠道之一的口述史,在地方志领域并没有得到足够的重视。第二轮修志应重视口述资料的运用,使其在志书资料补充收集中发挥更大的功用。口述资料能补充志书关键资料、微观资料、一手鲜活资料,以及印证文献资料。同时,使用口述史资料也面临一些问题,解决这些问题有七项举措:一是研究理论,加大理论指导力度;二是建立制度,提供规范化保障;三是指导工作,推动开展口述资料收集;四是实施项目,投入具体口述史实践;五是实现数字化,使口述资料得以妥善保存、信息共享;六是加强口述史人才队伍建设;七是扩大宣传,提高口述史知名度和在修志中的影响力。     

多种科技方法在古月桥勘察修缮设计中的应用

建于南宋嘉定六年(公元1213年),位于浙江省义乌市的古月桥是折边拱桥这种桥梁发展过渡形式中不可多见的典型实证,具有极高的历史、科学、艺术、文化和社会价值。为了明确古月桥目前的状态,分析其主要威胁及病害原因,判断结构稳定性,进而制定有针对性的修缮方案,采用多种科技方法对古月桥进行了勘察和综合判断。面对桥身残破的现状,工作组采取了三维激光扫描、微观实验、结构分析等多种科技方法综合勘察,不仅较为清晰的地了解了古月桥的病害威胁,也分析了其背后致因及相互之间的联系;最终对古月桥稳定性及保存状况做出了综合判断。上述多种方法的应用,不仅相互印证了勘察结论,也为后续保护工作提供了重要的依据。     

中坝遗址的盐业考古研究

中坝遗址考古发掘中,发现了时代较早的井盐生产遗址。结合古代文献中有关古代巴人的记载,这些考古发现对提示和研究中国西南地区盐业的起源发展,具有重要意义。     

2004年绵竹剑南春酒坊遗址发掘简报

剑南春酒坊遗址是一处分布面积大、布局配套、设施齐全、酿酒遗迹保存较为完整的、遗存特色鲜明的清代酿酒作坊群,其中“天益老号”等作坊数百年传世运转,现仍在生产。2004年四川省文物考古研究院和德阳市文物考古研究所第二次对剑南春酒坊遗址进行考古发掘,清理出酒窖(发酵池)、晾堂、粮仓(晾曲房)、炉灶、水井、浸泡池等酿酒遗迹,还发现有房屋建筑基址以及大量瓷质酒具、食具。发掘出的作坊群遗迹反映出当时的生产规模庞大和酿酒业十分兴盛的情况。该次发掘成果丰富了中国城市工业考古的内容,同时为名优白酒剑南春的酿造历史提供了实物资料。     

江苏省红色旅游与文物保护开发的实证研究

近年来,红色旅游发展为江苏省旅游发展带来了新的机遇,也对市场经济条件下的文物保护事业提出了新的挑战。从分析江苏省红色旅游与文物保护的现状入手,通过问卷调查、现场访谈等方式进行实证研究,提出了红色旅游与文物保护的互动发展模式,并在此基础上提出了具有可操作性的发展对策。     

大数据背景下国内人文地理研究进展与方法审视

通过梳理人文地理领域杂志近年大数据文章解释其与大数据应用的关系，强调其应用给人文地理学研究带来机遇和挑战：①大数据作为研究方法，不能代替传统人文地理研究范式，而是对现研究方法的补充。大数据和小数据需对话交流；②大数据本身是一种话语权，嵌入人文地理研究系统。保证人文地理学多样性，避免过度依赖大数据，需在批判角度审视和运用；③需关注大数据对于人文地理学研究方法和思想的影响；④运用大数据解读地理和空间过程复杂性的同时，应看到大数据应用对公共服务的潜力，思考其结果如何更好的服务社会。     

赤峰市松山区三座店遗址2005年度发掘简报

三座店遗址位于赤峰市西北40公里,松山区初头朗镇三座店行政村三座店自然村阴河左岸洞子山上。遗址分布在洞子山山顶及南坡,最高处海拔730米,西侧是临河断崖,北侧与阴河东岸的山岗相连接,南侧和东侧为沟谷冲积的平川地。2005年7月至11月,为了配合内蒙古赤峰市三座店水利枢纽工程建设,内蒙古文物考古研究所对三座店遗址进行了抢救性发掘(图一)。该遗址由大小两座并列的石城组成,大城在西,小城在东。大城西面是陡崖,东、北两面有石砌的城墙,南面是陡长的坡。从山顶高处直达南侧坡底约140多米范围内,都有遗迹分布,东西宽度从断崖到石墙最宽处可…