This book offers readers a comprehensive introduction to the functions of the government in contemporary China. Further, it creates a framework to describe urban governance in todays China, which consists of four basic modes: the omnipotent government mode, autonomous governance mode, integrated governance mode and cooperative governance mode.
The book defines a city as a gathering place for high-quality public service resources, and the basic task of urban governance is to provide high-quality public services and maintain the sustainability of fiscal revenues. By focusing on current hot topics in urban governance in China, including the institutional development of urban governance, model interpretation, city/county relationship, cross-border governance, cross-sectoral coordination, street management, community service provision, and municipal performance evaluation, it clarifies a number of common misunderstandings in the field of urban management and practice.
Lastly, the book analyses the current integrated governance model used in Chinese cities, which relies on the authority of the government and integrates the market and social subjects across borders by means of qualification identification, resource support, elite absorption, party-group embeddedness, and project cooperation. However, this model is currently facing several problems. In order to address the potential risks of integrated governance, the book argues that we need to develop new institutional arrangements based on collaborative governance.
Hongshan Yang is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Public Management, Renmin University of China; Director of the Institute of Public Finance and PublicPolicy; and is also the Deputy Secretary General of the Graduate Education Steering Committee of the National Public Administration Professional Degree. His interests include intergovernmental relations, urban governance, and China's policy process, and his published works include Intergovernmental Relations, Economic Globalization and Political Development, Contemporary China's Political Relations, Municipal Administration and other textbooks, as well as the translation of Urban Management: American Perspective. He has also published more than 40 journal papers. He presided over the National Social Science Foundation project Research on Urban Governance Structure Based on Resident Autonomy and Beijing Social Science Foundation major project Research on Policy Innovation Mechanism of Chinese Local Government.He received the Huo Yingdong Education Foundations Young Teachers Award, Peking Universitys Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award, and the Beijing Higher Education Excellent Textbook Award, and was named one of Renmin University of Chinas Top Ten Teaching Pioneers.
Introduction.- The Nature of Cities and the Mission of Governance.- Institutional Change of Urban Governance in China.- Integrated Governance: An Explanatory Framework.- Municipal-County Relations: Dividing and Governing Municipalities or Mixed Model.- Institutional Development of Cross-border Governance in American Cities.- Institutional Development of Urban Cross-sectoral Synergy.- Reform of Urban Street Management System.- Urban Community Service and Public Space Construction.- Systematic Comparison of Municipal Performance Evaluation.
