Fair and Transparent: The Path of China's Government System Reform: The Path of China's Government System Reform

Author: Mao Yushi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: This book is a compilation of research reports on government system reform from the Tianze Institute of Economics, featuring outstanding reports selected from five consecutive research projects. These reports focus on investigation and research, striving to delve into every detail to identify the root causes of long-standing and challenging issues in government system reform. Based on these findings, they propose practical and feasible solutions. While China's economic reforms have achieved remarkable global recognition, the other side of this success is the intensification of social conflicts and the expansion of public dissatisfaction. Such a development trajectory raises concerns among both the government and the public about its sustainability. The Tianze Institute of Economics, concerned with social development and progress, cannot remain indifferent to this trend. In 1997, we recognized the lag in political reform. However, initiating comprehensive political reform is a daunting task. Most people associate political reform with elements like a two-party system, elections, and the separation of powers. While these are indeed important, political reform encompasses far more. Moreover, the ultimate goal of political reform should first and foremost be the protection of citizens' rights, ensuring that people are not oppressed by the government and can enjoy quality public services. Based on this understanding, we concluded that political reform could bypass elements like a two-party system or elections and instead focus on safeguarding citizens' rights and improving government efficiency. Therefore, the Tianze Institute of Economics established a research project on government system reform and sought funding. In 1998, we secured a commitment from the U.S.-based International Center for Private Enterprise (CIPE) for financial support. The project officially launched the following January. In , we conducted an open bidding process and, through expert evaluation, selected ten proposals out of over twenty submissions. Most of the winning teams consisted of university professors and researchers with extensive experience in research, capable of delivering high-quality work. After one year, the research reports were submitted. We again organized expert evaluations to provide feedback, and the authors refined their reports based on the discussions, ensuring the research met high standards. Additionally, the labor subsidies for each report were determined by expert evaluations, with the highest and lowest differences reaching over one-third. Using this process, we conducted five consecutive cycles, completing a total of 46 projects, including 41 academic ones. During this period, the Ford Foundation supported the fifth government system reform research project, and the Shanghai Institute of Law and Economics provided research funding for all ten topics in the fifth cycle. In the first two cycles, no specific scope was set, relying entirely on the interests and expertise of the bidders. The third cycle aligned with the political reform context, focusing primarily on household registration and free movement issues but not excluding other topics. The fourth cycle concentrated more on education. The recent fifth cycle targeted the judiciary and legislation. Over the cycles, the number of bids increased from over twenty initially to nearly forty. The number of accepted projects varied due to funding constraints. In the second cycle, we also tried student projects to encourage university participation, but the results were not ideal, and the quality of research could not be guaranteed, so this was discontinued. Since the beginning, the names of the research projects and their leaders are as follows in the table below. Phase: Theoretical and Practical Approaches to the Reform of County-Level Fiscal Expenditure Management Zhou Yeyan Research on Criminal Witness Testimony System Media Supervision System Research Chen Xin New Research on Government Economic (Commercial) Contracts Shi Jichun Research on Constitutional Review Feasibility Study of China's Administrative and Professional Civil Servant Classification System Public Opinion: Government Supervision and Supervising the Government Tax Evasion and Deficiencies in Government Management System Proposal for the "Recommendations Draft of the Election Law of the Villagers' Committees of the People's Republic of China" Wang Yu
Second Phase: Innovation Research on Township Heads' Election Methods Analysis of China's Cadre Selection and Promotion System——An Analysis from the Perspective of the Sale of Official Positions County-Level Government Organization Research on Highway Operation Rights Institutional Arrangements, Institutional Change, and the Limits of Government Regulation——Taking the Water Pollutant Discharge Permit System as an Example Current Status and Reform of the Management System for National Natural and Cultural Heritage Resources Reform and Township Democratic Construction The Necessity and Implementation Plan for Educating Rural Migrants into Civilized Citizens Survey Report on the Financial Issues of Urban Community Services in China Starting with Civil Servants——Government Agencies in Public Services and Their Image Pension Fund Funding and New Ideas for State-Owned Enterprise Reform Voices——Public Opinion Expression and Government Handling Mechanisms Analysis Proposal for the Reform of Compulsory Education System
Third Phase: Case Studies on the Impact of Local Government Public Policy on the Motivation and Patterns of Enterprise Migration Historical and Cultural Cities, Urbanization Development: Interests and Institutional Game Theory Research on Local Government Competition Models——Theoretical and Policy Analysis of Building a Healthy Competition Order Among Local Governments China's Market Integration and Local Government Competition—Local Protectionism and Market Segmentation Issues and Countermeasures Research Social, Economic, and Political Impacts of Household Registration Restrictions on Population Mobility and Countermeasures Research Household Registration Reform in the Process of Urbanization Research on the Family Property Declaration System for Provincial and Ministerial Leaders in China
Fourth Phase: Research on China's Compulsory Education Poor Student Subsidy System Problems and Countermeasures of China's Compulsory Education Financial System Reform Research Proposal on the Education of Children of Migrant Workers in the Process of Urbanization Research Report on School Choice in Basic Education in China Research on Government-Guaranteed Higher Education Student Loan Research on the Quality Control and Improvement of Full-Time Unified Examination Master's Degree Programs Real-World Issues and Responses in the Diversified Schooling System Policy for the Development of Distance Education
Fifth Phase: Constitutional Review of the Legislative Powers of Chinese Laws and Regulations Research on the National People's Congress Meeting System Empirical Research on the Reform of China's Representative System Review and Improvement of China's Civil Trial Supervision System Reconstruction of the Power and Responsibility Relations in Judicial Institutions Measures and Institutional Design to Prevent Judicial Corruption Current Status, Problems, and Countermeasures of Court Mediation Problems and Countermeasures of Informal Court Sessions——A Perspective on Civil Trial System Reform Proposal for Improving the Questioning Mode of the National Judicial Examination Research on Civil Judicial Assistance Systems for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan
Note: denotes an unfinished project.
Government system reform is an extremely challenging task. Most of the issues it faces are long-standing and difficult, having been discussed numerous times. To make progress under such conditions requires tremendous effort. On the surface, governments are declared to serve the people and should have no problems. However, hidden behind this facade are countless subjective and objective reasons that often lead outcomes far from the ideal. To solve these problems, one must first identify their root causes, which can then lead to effective solutions. Yet, these causes are often deeply buried and hidden in the smallest details. Without familiarity with the entire process, they cannot be found. Scholars excel at theoretical analysis, but understanding the nuances of the process is not their forte. Therefore, we required the research teams to focus on investigation and research, delving into every detail. Even so, the most concealed aspects may not be openly revealed. Researchers must infer potential secrets from surface phenomena. There is no other way. Before the research began, we repeatedly emphasized the importance of examining details to the research teams. This differs from general academic research and is also a key factor in the success or failure of the project.
Overall, the quality of the research is commendable. The researchers possess high academic credentials and capabilities, and their attitudes are serious. However, we do not expect to solve the grand challenge of government reform with a single effort. It is certain that through this research, we have gained a much deeper understanding of the issues than before. Whether our research can contribute to government system reform is a difficult question. On one hand, we have no material to prove that any government has directly adopted our findings. On the other hand, some government departments have requested our research reports and participated in our discussion sessions, with approximately half of the reports published in various contexts. However, due to broader environmental constraints, our findings have not been widely disseminated. This time, the Legal Publishing House agreed to publish some of the research reports. The selection criteria were either high research quality or significant social relevance. Due to space limitations, some excellent reports had to be omitted. Although this report collection does not include all our achievements, its publication will certainly contribute to advancing China's reform. This will undoubtedly play a positive role in promoting further reforms in China.