Economic Analysis of the Functional Economy of the Chinese Government

Author: Mao Shourong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-03-01
Features: In 1988, under the guidance of Professor Xie Qingkui at Peking University, I pursued a master's degree with a focus on government function research. My initial research was my master's thesis, "Analysis of Contemporary Chinese Government Function Guarantee." This thesis focused on theoretical discussions and combined with the practice of the contemporary Chinese government, providing a theoretical and empirical analysis of the government function guarantee issue under the framework of "institutions, functions, and personnel." The thesis argues that government function guarantee refers to improving the process functions of the government while ensuring appropriate government output functions, thereby reducing the costs required for the internal operation of government functions. Based on this premise, the thesis briefly and comprehensively analyzes various approaches to government function guarantee, such as the optimization of government institution settings, the scientificization of public decision-making, the rationalization of activity processes, and the guarantee of staff quality. The strengths of the thesis lie in: first, avoiding the general discussions on government functions in administrative textbooks and enriching the concept of administrative efficiency with the concept of government function guarantee; second, proposing that the essence of government function issues lies in the government's output functions, i.e., the services the government provides to society, thereby correcting the misunderstanding of the concept of administrative efficiency and emphasizing that the key to administrative efficiency lies in whether the government's output functions meet the functional demands of society; third, introducing the concept of costs from economics into the field of political-administrative analysis, arguing that government function guarantee involves improving the process functions of the government while ensuring that the government's output functions meet the functional demands of society, thereby reducing the costs required for the internal operation of government functions; and fourth, believing that the only way to improve the process functions of the government lies in institutional innovation. The approaches to government function guarantee analyzed in the thesis are essentially pathways for institutional innovation. However, due to the limited scope of a master's thesis and the limitations of my knowledge at the time, these advantages were not fully realized, and many valuable issues were only briefly touched upon without in-depth discussion. In 1991, I was fortunate enough to continue my studies and pursue a doctorate. When filling out the training plan to determine the topic of my doctoral thesis, I chose this historical—government function analysis. My doctoral supervisor, Professor Li Jingpeng, readily agreed to this topic and enthusiastically encouraged me, saying, "It's a good choice. I hope it becomes a masterpiece. Best if it makes a big impact." Professor Li's encouragement gave me great confidence, enabling me to tackle the challenging topic of government function analysis. From then on, I embarked on countless sleepless nights. I began to immerse myself in book after book, embarking on a difficult yet enjoyable journey of exploration. Among them, the enthusiastic encouragement of my mentor has always been one of my driving forces. As a student, the hardships of material conditions are self-evident. Especially at a time when China was undergoing a period of institutional transition, our situation as recipients of government stipends was even more challenging. However, the support from all sides due to these hardships remains unforgettable throughout my life. Among the most unforgettable support was the person who funded me to own a computer. Since I first aspired to an academic career with a young and ambitious heart, my most realistic dream has been to own my own computer. From that moment, I began to work hard on writing and translation, hoping to turn my dream of silent toil into reality. Unexpectedly, my fantasy not only gained the support of my parents, Mr. Mao Qianren and Ms. Zhang Suwei, but also the support of my in-laws, Professor Li Liangyu and Ms. Wu Yuxia. Thus, things became much simpler, and I quickly owned my dream and the helpful assistant for my writing. Thanks to this, my doctoral thesis was completed successfully. During the writing process, many insights came from my fellow students and friends, and the smooth completion of the thesis was closely related to their wisdom and selfless help. For example, the use of the "tragedy of the commons" game model in Chapter 8 to analyze the relationship between the central and local governments benefited from discussions with Dr. Sun Huaxin; Dr. Liu Junning provided many constructive suggestions, helping me avoid many detours; the insights of Dr. Zhao Hují and Dr. He Zengke on government function issues gave me some inspiration, thus saving the cost of thinking; Dr. Qiu Zeqi provided selfless help in computer software; Mr. Li Dong, Dr. Zhao Yongqing, Dr. Wu Xueyong, Dr. Shi Hexing, Dr. Ma Guoqing, Dr. Zhong Anhui, Dr. Wang Honglin, Dr. Wu Deqing, and Mr. Wang Huaining provided considerable convenience in terms of materials; and the multiple discussions on Chinese government issues by the entire members of the China Local Government Research Group of the Department of Political Science and Administrative Management at Peking University also benefited me greatly. Additionally, during my studies, many loyal and loving friends, such as Mr. Tian Jun, Dr. Zhao Hují, Dr. Sun Huaxin, Mr. Ruan Baohua, Mr. Meng Shuchu, Mr. Shi Baoliang, and Mr. Wang Wenzhang, provided support in various aspects of life and study, leaving me deeply moved.