弹性财政:基层化缘行为及其解释

Flexible Finance: An Explanation on Grassroots Almsgiving Behavior

化缘是中国地方和基层治理中普遍存在的现象。化缘行为的产生和重复出现,有着深厚的体制性、结构性根源。弹性财政为基层化缘行为提供了体制空间。弹性财政体制契合了基层治理不确定性、非规则性的需求,维系了基层治理的灵活性。然而,过度蔓延的化缘行为,强化了基层对上级的依附性,并成为滋生腐败的温床。近年来,国家大大强化了技术治理手段在财政体制中的运用,推动财政体制从暗箱、模糊、复杂向透明、清晰、简单转变,提升财政体制的理性化水平。国家不断硬化财政约束,不仅使基层化缘遭遇越来越大的瓶颈,而且刚性财政体制与基层治理的灵活性需求之间存有难以调和的矛盾。在基层社会仍然存在大量不确定性、非规则性的条件下,如果消除基层政权灵活应对的空间,且又不为其提供可支配的、制度化的"活钱",那么基层治理可能陷入更深的困境。对中国基层化缘行为与基层政治、国家治理之间关联机制的深入分析,有利于开启基于中国实践经验的财政政治学研究的新空间。

Almsgiving is a common phenomenon in China’s local and grassroots governance.The occurrence of the almsgiving behavior has deep institutional and structural roots.Flexible finance provides institutional space for grassroots almsgiving.The flexible fiscal system meets the uncertain and irregular needs of grassroots governance and maintains the flexibility of grassroots governance.However,the excessive spread of almsgiving has strengthened the dependence of the grassroots on their superiors and has become a breeding ground for corruption.In recent years,the state has greatly strengthened the use of technological governance in the fiscal system,promoted the transformation of the fiscal system from a black box,vague,complexity to transparency,clarity,and simplification,and improved the level of rationalization of the fiscal system.The country’s continuous hardening of fiscal constraints has not only caused more and more bottlenecks in grassroots almsgiving,but there are also difficulties to reconcile contradictions between the rigid fiscal system and the flexibility needs of grassroots governance.Under the condition that there are still a lot of uncertainties and irregularities in the grassroots society,if the grassroots government eliminates the space for flexible response and does not provide it with disposable and institutionalized"living money",grassroots governance may fall into deeper dilemma.An in-depth analysis of the linkage mechanism between grassroots almsgiving,grassroots politics,and national governance will help open up a new space for fiscal politics research based on the practical experience.