Public Rdministration

Establishing the Criteria for Public Rdministration: fln Eualuation of Chinese Gouernment in the lleur Era ht'ng Zhang, Peking University f|}r+ the past century, China has experienced a administrative system must, therefore, fluctuate f fd* of significant historical events, namely, the dynamically between administrative development and ll!-irrioo ir,n" "third-stride" developmental development administration. ffig'(Stading Committee of the National People's The Chinese govemment, however, faces unprece- '&!ps d People's Republic of China, 2001), the dented difficulties in implementing its public adminis- ,lb Hllnal Product (GNP) surpassing a trillion, tration. As for public policy, a first challenge for the mybidding forthe 2008 Olympic Games, and Chinese government is to choose and determine the cri- liffitWorld Trade Organization (WTO). All indi- teria for public administration in China under changing ehChim has entered into a new historic era and circumstances. ryrcngbwards modernization. This new era will Administrative criteria mainly refer to basic value ml rlEhensive development in China, which standards and behavioral norms of govemment admin- iffir ;dornd and innovative institutional changes. istration, i.e. the country's administrative system. Then kf-at* in governmental administration will be comes governmental function, decision-making, and ffiil ts srage, as administrative organizations are the implementation of public policies, supported by a ffiCm in power, decision-making, responsibil- set of fundamental categories: political principles, hdEvi<x. The Chinese government has imple- managerial ideas, behavioral manners, and moral dra hg-term economic development program, boundaries. Regarding administrative criteria, essen- qh r the developmental style of "government- tially the public value standards of society are relative- M-i-' fu more than 20 years. China's gradual ly stable in the democratic countries, and are integrat- tfrregy of "going through river by touching ed into the country's ideology by various kinds of public and social power instrumentalities, including iFd domination require that Chinese admin- administrative institutions. The value of these criteria iffiflrya*dual" role: one role as the direct object lies in rectifying, prompting, restricting, and correcting r&r:5r's great innovation and development, and the administrative behavior of government and provid- ifr r is forerunner and leader. The Chinese ing basic values, which orient administrative reforms rh(Ch has entered a new period in its history. In order to foster economic development and preserve a balanced wiety, it is imperative that the Chinese government execute the country's criteria of public administration as administration, legal administration, democratic administration, efficient administration, regular admin- edrninistration, civil administration, professional administration, development administration, and so on. Reuieu o Uolume l, llumber 3/4 o Jut/Dec 2002 221 and developmental administration. istration of the Chinese government, These criteria are usually recorded in while other still need to be affirmed by public documents, principally the laws Uniuersal ideas haue Chinese agencies. rI and statutes of the country. ,l Though administrative criteria are dominated throughout d the legal forms of administrative con- Regular fl dministration: t ception, administrative concep-tion the historu of Chinese lnstitutional Basis of il may not translate into administrative Chinese Public lllanagement H criteria. As described above, adminis- potitical cultute. in the lletu Era n trative criteria, as part of the country's t ideology, directly behave as a standard Theoretically speaking, government I system of public values validated by regulations can be regarded as public il legal bodies and legal procedures. Administrative con- rules. To some extent, public rules mean institutions t ceptions, on the other hand, are those value standards and laws, which coincide with the soul of the country { that have not been validated by legal public power. and administration. In order to sustain development in even though they are partly accepted by government. the new era and foster changes in international and Theoretically, criteria are close to norms, and concep- domestic conditions within China, the Chinese govern- tions are still close to ideas and theories (Waldo, 1968). ment should convey the notion that rules are para- Conceptions, therefore, combine theory with reality, mount. This should be done through effective institu- induction and deduction, and unify ideas and actions. tional arrangements and public policies embodying the They include elements of justice, reason, feasibility, country's dominant ideology. Public rules consist of and efficiency, and apply universal and particular cir- market rules in the economy, rules on social behavior cumstances. applied to corporations and individuals, and political Universal ideas have dominated throughout the his- rules that restrict public institutions. Under modern tory of Chinese political culture. For instance, "zheng democratic conditions, the country's administration has da guang ming" (be open and aboveboard), "tian xia been never considered the sole body responsible for the wei gong" (the whole world as one community), "ming enactment and execution of public rules; moreover, the zhengyan shun" (right title and proper words), "shi chu validity of public rules enacted by administration insti- you ming" (a good reason for waging a war). Such tutionally requires deliberation and validation by the ideas about public will, public reputation, public highest body in the system of public po*er. But the organs, and public rights, are still prized as the spirit of administration still takes responsibility for enacting the Chinese people. These ideas constitute the funda- and executing public rules because it has the legal sta- mental value for behavior for the Chinese govemment tus as a public body above others. Therefore, it assumes and its executives in these new times. On the other indispensable governmental functions in China's md hand, ideas are related tightly with historic conditions, ernization, and its public policies profoundly affect the i.e. different periods of history and different stages of development of the country and the society. Within this development always bring out different administrative new era, public rules of the Chinese government should ideas. As far as public management of the Chinese have the following elements: government is concerned, these crucial ideas include institutional guarantees, legal administration, demo- Validiry cratic administration, administrative validity (Zhang Guoqing, 2002), as well as regular administration, As the basis of public rules for every government, credit administration, civil administration, professional validity implies that administrative codes and public administration, and developmental administration, all policies must accord with the principles, spirit ad of which I will explore in this paper. Some of the ideas rules of the law (content), their generation must above have been identified as criteria for public admin- with legal proceedings (form), and administrative 222 Chlnese PuDllc fldmlnlshatlon Reuleu, . Uolume I, llumDer 3/4 o Jul/Dec lent, E reflect the common desires and country's political integrity (Angang, dbv Hin€ntal interests of all. First of all, 2000, p. 103). On the other hand, - - question of increasing citizen The principles of the according to legal principles, govern- *$m or limiting eivil rights, it is mental policies that have not been IHi.l that public policies comply lUorld Trade published cannot be considered law. flft laws of the country, especially 1* fu constitution. Moreover, it is 0rganization ... should Stahilitt to install effective institu- that prevent indi- be incorporated as Public rules generally surface after -angements ftom circumventing administra- a period of gestation, remaining stable rcnt *s and regulations, which has important once publicized. However, conflicts blic b be a recurrent theme. Thus, occur alongside rapid development in ions of the rules government administratiue this first modernization effort in ntry is an important component China, and will challenge policy mak- Iin ing and maintaining the principtes of the ing in the Chinese government. and institutions. Dilemmas are readily apparent in the em- Chinese gouernment in following areas: equity and efficiency; ara- economic development and natural itu- these neu times. environment; humanistic develop- the Ht mles of the government ment; international rules and historic tof b rylied to all social bodies, Chinese culture; tradition; domestic rior aeptions of which are clear- conditions; centralized political power ical In this case, the principles of the World and market economic power; national, local, and pri- bm ization such as non-discrimination, fair vate interest; and 'Southeast regions and Midwest has free trade, fair trade, third-part arbi- regions. The Chinese government must continue the mable protection, and so on, should be adjusting public policies to changing realities. Yet, the as important administrative principles of there is also the concern that the Chinese goyernment sti- government in these new times. Other further requires constant propaganda and the enforce- the ideas, like "the public interest is para- ment of public policies and the dominant ideology in the t private property sacrosanct," "equality

Load more