Research On The Impact Of The Central Environmental Protection Supervision Mechanism On The Enforcement Of Local Environmental Protection System

The system implementation mechanism is the "password" that opens the black box of the system implementation process,and plays an important role in solving the problem of how to improve the system implementation.In recent years,the influencing factors of system implementation have been found continuously,but there are few studies that specifically analyze it from the perspective of micro-mechanism,and most of the studies are limited to the normative level of analysis,and lack of empirical analysis.In the field of state governance in China,the system implementation is a weak link.The weak implementation of the system is inseparable from external constraints such as technical feasibility and resource availability,but a key factor is the issue of the system’s implementation mechanism.In this regard,the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC proposed to "improve the authoritative and efficient system implementation mechanism",hoping the system implementation mechanism can skillfully and effectively improve the cadres’ system implementation and governance capacity.So,what kind of characteristics or what kind of requirements does the mechanism meet belong to the authoritative and efficient system implementation mechanism?This is the problem that this paper needs to focus on.In order to better explore this issue,this paper selects the central environmental protection supervision mechanism in the enforcement mechanism of the environmental protection system as an analytical tool to open the "black box" of the implementation process of the local environmental protection system.As an important part of the state system,the environmental protection system is the core element of environmental governance.However,in the field of environmental governance,there is a paradox that "perfect environmental protection system and poor environmental governance performance" and "high attention to environmental issues and poor implementation of environmental protection system" coexist.Since 2015,the central government has established an environmental protection inspection mechanism,with the aim of improving the enforcement of the environmental protection system through such a mechanism.So,what is the logic of the operation of the central environmental protection supervision mechanism?Can it improve the implementation of local environmental protection systems?These are the questions that need to be discussed in this paper.In response to the above problems,this paper focuses on the local government as a research perspective to observe the impact of the central environmental protection supervision mechanism on the behavior of local governments in the implementation of the environmental protection system.The main work of this paper includes:Firstly,this paper will put forward an overall analysis framework of the system implementation effect of local governments based on the perspective of the relationship between central and local governments.Based on the assumption that the local government is a "rational economic man",the paper constructs the logical analysis framework of the local government’s behavior of "information-incentive".When the two elements of information and incentives change,the system implementation effect of the local government will change.Secondly,this paper will analyze the traditional governance mechanism.It focuses on analyzing how the political incentive mechanism,financial incentive mechanism,and information transmission mechanism shape the incentive incompatibility and information asymmetry between the central and local governments,which leads to the ineffective implementation of the local environmental protection system.Thirdly,this paper will take the central environmental protection supervision mechanism as the analysis tool,analyze how it changes the information structure and incentive structure between the central and local governments,and put forward relevant research hypotheses.Fourthly,this paper will verify the effect of the central environmental protection supervision mechanism.From the two different stages of "full coverage" and "looking back" of the central environmental protection inspector,the paper makes an empirical analysis on the effect of improving air quality and whether it is sustainable.The research contributions of this paper are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:Firstly,it provides an overall analytical framework on the impact of local government system implementation.This analytical framework can explain the implementation effect of local government system from both positive and negative aspects,which makes up for the deficiency of previous studies in using single attribution explanation when analyzing the factors affecting the implementation of environmental protection system.Secondly,this paper enriches the literature on the implementation of local environmental protection systems.This paper selects the central environmental protection supervision mechanism as an analytical tool to observe the impact of local governments on the implementation of environmental protection systems under the central environmental protection supervision,which is a useful supplement to the research on the factors affecting the implementation of local environmental protection systems.Third,it enriches the literature on the central environmental protection supervision mechanism.This paper uses quantitative research methods to provide an important supplement for the central environmental protection supervision mechanism and the local government’s environmental protection system implementation,and provides micro experience support for improving the local government’s environmental protection system implementation.This paper uses the daily air quality panel data of 329 prefecture level and above cities in China from September 2015 to August 2018 to observe the effect of the central environmental protection supervision mechanism on the improvement of air quality,which makes up for the lack of data integrity and scientificity in the existing research.The research results show that the central environmental protection supervision mechanism has a significant reduction effect on the air quality index and the concentration of fine particles,inhalable particles,sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.The robustness test also further proves the reliability of the conclusion.Moreover,compared with the "look back" stage of the central environmental protection supervision,the "full coverage" stage of the central environmental protection supervision can significantly improve the air quality in China.This shows that the central environmental protection supervision mechanism can improve the implementation of the environmental protection system of local governments in China.Through the continuous inspection,it is found that the air quality can still be improved in a short time after the central environmental protection inspection team is stationed.The air quality index does not rebound immediately after the central environmental protection inspection,indicating that the central environmental protection inspection mechanism can continuously improve the air quality in a short period of time.Through the heterogeneity test,it is found that the younger the local officials are,the more significant the central environmental protection supervision mechanism is in improving air quality;Moreover,as local officials who are not Provincial Standing Committee members,the central environmental protection supervision mechanism has a more significant effect on improving air quality.The paper finally deduces that an authoritative and efficient system execution mechanism needs to meet two basic requirements:one is to eliminate the information asymmetry between the principal and the agent,and the principal can obtain real and effective demand information and master the behavior of the agent;Compatible with the incentives between agents,that is,the agent achieves its own goals and also achieves the principal’s goals.