Optimizing the spatial assignment of schools to reduce both inequality of educational opportunity and potential opposition rate through introducing random mechanism into proximity-based system

A serious spatial inequality of educational opportunity was revealed worldwide, for wealthy families can access good schools by buying real estate with good school' enrollment quota. Although the existing studies had revealed that random-based school assignment can significantly improve equality of opportunity allocation, random mechanism was adopted only in few places. Two major resistances of introducing random mechanism exist: the possibility of increased commuting distance to schools and the effected relative beneficiaries. In order to make the random-based allocation more feasible, this study proposes a spatial optimization model to take these two factors into account into proximity-based school assignment system. The proposed multi-objective allocation model, with the constraint conditions of assigning students to 3 closest schools and school capacities, was developed in this study to minimize the spatial disparity of educational opportunity and the potential opposition rate of introducing random mechanism into proximity-based assignment system. The model will be solved by a heuristic algorithm and applied to a case study area of Shijingshan District, Beijing. The results showed that the proposed model could improve spatial equality of educational opportunity significantly, but along with a minor increase on commuting distance to schools. In addition, potential opponents of introducing random mechanism decrease as the weight of parameters related to opposition rate increases in the model, reducing nearly 10% in the best case. Therefore, the solutions provided by proposed model may encounter less resistance in a democratic voting system. However, the results also indicated that there would be some relative beneficiaries who may oppose introducing random mechanism into proximity-based school system even in the best case. This implies that, to achieve equal educational opportunity in the context of proximity-based school system, optimized allocation is needed along with a more even distribution of educational resources.     

"五四"时期社会主义问题论战的再思考

通过对陈独秀等早期共产主义者与梁启超、张东荪为代表的资产阶级改良派知识分子群体的论战所进行的重点考察，指出以暴力革命为特征的社会主义之所以能够迅速地在中国找到自己的立足点并形成强有力的社会思潮，是与中国特定的历史条件、社会条件和文化条件相适应的。正是这种特定的历史、社会、文化环境造成了社会主义思潮在落后的中国生长的重要根基。     

模式变迁与性别平等—社会性别视角中的中国城镇女性就业

计划经济时代我国城镇女性的就业模式是“去性别化”的,该模式导致女性对社会性别角色的偏识;市场机制迫切呼唤更加灵活、弹性和多样化的女性就业模式与之适应。“性别化”的就业模式满足机会均等原则,对促进我国女性就业具有积极作用。我国政府应建立一系列与新的就业模式配套的,包括劳动就业、社会保障、继续教育等引导性而非约束性的公平与效率统一的社会政策,积极帮助女性转换就业观念,调整就业模式,保障女性的合法权益。     

Inequity in inpatient healthcare utilisation 10 years after Apartheid

This paper provides evidence about socioeconomic inequity in inpatient healthcare utilisation in South Africa after 10 years of reform after Apartheid, and examines which are the contributing determinants. We use the South African sample of the World Health Survey from 2002–03 and estimate horizontal inequity in inpatient healthcare utilisation using the concentration index. We further decompose inequity in inpatient care to explore the contribution of the different determinants of use. We find that inpatient healthcare utilisation is found to be pro-rich distributed in South Africa. The rich are more likely to use inpatient healthcare than the poor, given the same level of need. In addition, race is found to be the most important contributor (42%) to socioeconomic inequity in inpatient healthcare utilisation in South Africa. Gender, education and the consumption level are also found to be important contributors, but to a lesser degree than race. Our findings provide evidence that socioeconomic inequity in inpatient healthcare utilisation still exists in post-Apartheid South Africa and that policies, regulations and research should contribute to a more equitable utilisation. The implementation of National Health Insurance could help to reduce the major problems and large (socioeconomic and racial) inequalities of the South African healthcare system.     

包容性增长——基于文献的注解

通过回顾现有文献,梳理了包容性增长的提出和倡导背景、内涵本质、实现对策,以及包容性增长的度量和实证量化研究及其具体应用。研究表明,从具体的应用领域和行业层面切入进行深度研究,进而在度量方法方面有所突破,探寻经验证据并提出具有针对性和可操作性的政策建议,是包容性增长研究可行的方向,可以推动包容性增长的践行。     

Consumer rights of the elderly as vulnerable consumers in South Africa: some comparative aspects of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008

Although consumer protection is not a new concept in South African law, the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) now provides for a much more comprehensive and encompassing mechanism to protect consumers. Consumers are protected, not only in the provision of goods and services, the conclusion of contracts but also in the promotion and marketing thereof. The CPA further provides special protection to a particular type of consumer which is the vulnerable consumer and includes elderly consumers. Importantly, and for the first time in the history of South African law, the consumer is provided with eight core fundamental consumer rights. As this contribution is an attempt to provide an interdisciplinary analysis from a legal perspective, identification of what is considered to be an ‘elderly' consumer, needs to be assessed by referring to relevant empirical studies from both an international as well as South African perspective. The focus of this study is on the protection of the elderly as a category of vulnerable consumers in terms of the CPA. The investigation will attempt to show that the elderly is protected in terms of all eight of the fundamental consumer rights within the CPA. Special reference will be made to two fundamental rights of the consumer in terms of the CPA. First, the elderly consumer's right to equality in the consumer market (Part A of the CPA) which provides additional protection as the CPA also refers to the Constitutional right to equality. Second, the elderly consumer's the right to fair and responsible marketing (Part E of the CPA) which in terms of the research is compared with the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Certain problems regarding elderly consumers are identified and the importance of consumer rights as well as the implementation of the correct consumer policy is argued.     

论区域环境保护合作行政协议的适法性

在区域性污染越来越严重的背景下,仅从行政区划的角度考虑单个城市的环境污染防治已经难以满足现实需要。我国在实践中摸索出了一种为了克服行政区划障碍展开而行政合作的方式,即行政协议。运用于环境保护领域的行政协议是区域环境保护合作行政协议,其在近年来的环境保护实践中发挥了一定的作用。     

既得利益、均等化与政府间财政转移支付影响因素——基于河北省的实证分析

以河北省为例,通过对2007年和2008年有关数据的实证分析来探究现行财政转移支付政策的主要影响因素和政策取向,认为对地方既得利益的考虑是影响河北省财政转移支付政策的决定性因素。在此基础上,财政转移支付政策对人口密度低的地区、标准财政供养人口比例高的地区和民族自治县有所照顾,具有一定的均等化效应。但同时也对人均财政收入高的地区倾斜,存在非均等效应。整体呈现渐进性的改革特征,政策取向仍是维护地方既得利益,而不是均等化。此外,由于过度地考虑既得利益,财政转移支付对地方政府财政努力产生了反向激励作用。     

税务行政合作理念探析

税收的合法性是税务行政的依据。现代行政是民主行政,参与、平等、协商等民主思想逐渐影响着人们的税收生活。税务行政领域中急需一种能够指导行政主体双方的理念以及依此构建的一系列机制。税务行政中引入合作理念能够使征税主体与纳税主体之间的对抗关系变为合作信任关系,对服务型政府建设理论的创新和建立现代和谐税收关系理论意义重大。     

和谐社会视角下新疆弱势群体子女教育公平问题

贫困农民、下岗失业者、进城民工等是当前我国社会转型期内弱势群体的主体构成部分。新疆弱势群体的子女在义务与非义务教育阶段均存在着教育机会均等严重失衡的现象,这主要是由弱势群体的经济状况贫困、文化素质低以及社会政策制度等方面原因造成的。在解决弱势群体子女的教育机会均等问题时必须综合考虑。