Study On China’s Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy

Cultivated land is the basic material for human survival, it is also the important strategic resource in a country’s development. Land problem is complicated, which is not only related to "hard power" on the level of national development such as agricultural development, economic structure, social life and ecological security, also involved in "soft power" as social system, social management, social culture and social civilization. The use of cultivated land resource is restricted by those factors; at the same time, it will directly influence the development of national "hard power" and "soft power".Like many countries, the Chinese government made strict Cultivated Land Protection Policies, and the Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy is an important part of them. This policy requires the "Cultivated Land for Non-agricultural Construction" and "Supplementary Cultivated Land" should be kept balance both in quantity and quality within the scope of the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). The policy influence will not only involve the national public resource allocation and interest distribution, but also relate to the social equity and justice, as well as the fundamental political system design. Therefore, on the basis of analyzing the historical evolution, constitution and positive role of the policy, the research focuses on the main problems of the policy. Through the Policy Network Theory, the research seeks the deep reasons for these policy issues, and puts forward policy suggestions.First of all, this paper sets "Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy in 1997 and a series of later issues for policy adjustments" as the research object. The policy includes cultivated land control policy, supplementary cultivated land policy, and a set of laws, regulations and evaluation policies, etc. Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy has operated more than ten years in China. According to the several times of adjustments by the Communist Party and the country, this study divides the policy evolution into three stages:the quality balance period (1997-2003), the quality-quantity balance period (2004-2010) and quantity-quality-ecology balance period (2011 to present).Secondly, this paper builds the policy analysis framework as "policy subject analysis, policy content analysis and policy operation process analysis". (1) From the perspective of the policy subject composition analysis, the policy process can be regarded as extensive and complex social network relations by policy makers, practitioners and participants, and the policy process itself is the adjustment process to the balancing benefits of all sorts of relevant subjects. According to Rhodes Model, this paper studies the types and relationship interaction of the actors in the dynamic balance of the policy network. Under the combination of power and interests, the Policy Community, Intergovernmental Network, Producer Network, Professional Network and Issue Network make resources exchange and interests adjustment. In this process, they not only make the original policy network structure changed, but also promote the operation of the policy network so as to influence the policy results. (2) As the regulatory requirements of the public policy process, each stage will have some corresponding policy files made. Public policy "discourse" is not only the key policy text information, but also the implementation of "government power". From the perspective of policy content analysis, this paper builds up a system of "the Pedigree of China’s Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy" through a "multidimensional Angle" (Time, Longitudinal Hierarchy and Transverse Structure). Then, this paper selects 52 relevant policy texts as research samples. After coding and policy theme frequency statistics, this paper carries out quantitative analysis on the content of the policy text. (3) Policy content analysis focuses on the "static structure" of the policy, and to achieve policy targets, it must be implemented, which means the policy process is a "dynamic operation" process, as the realization of administration by the process of "word" to "activity". From the perspective of the dynamic policy operation process, this paper analyzes the problems in policy issues, policymaking, policy legalization, policy implementation, policy evaluation and policy adjustment, as well as the dynamic operation network system of Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy.Thirdly, this paper reveals main problems of Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy:(1) The coordination of multiple policy targets; (2) Policy content design flaws; (3) Inadequate policy subjects interaction; (4) Lacking of public participation in the policy process; (5) The deviation in policy implementation; (6) Lacking of evaluation in policy process. Through further analysis, the deep causes of the policy problems are:the inadequate understanding of the dynamic nature of policy issues, lacking of the policy community, the imbalance structure of policy-making network, the policy implementation’s failure to form a network together, the block in policy operation network running, and the normative rules of policy network.Finally, this paper puts forward the strategies for Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy:(1) Putting forward a new concept of "the value of cultivated land resource", and optimizing land spatial pattern. (2) Establishing a multiple policy targets system to realize "economic-social-ecological-cultural" balance. (3) Forming policy communities in Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy. (4) Optimizing the structure of Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy network. (5) Transforming of local government administrative roles.Conclusions:(1) The realization of the coordinate and orderly multiple policy targets will decide the future direction of the Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy. (2) The adjustment and optimization of policy content is a key process of perfecting Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy. (3) The transformation of local government administrative role is an effective way to reverse policy implementation deviation. (4) The elimination of the block in policy operation network is the basic guarantee to the virtuous cycle of Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy. (5) The establishment of public participation mechanism is the inevitable choice of Cultivated Land Requisition-Compensation Balance Policy.