A Research On Issues Of Basic Public Service Equalization

In this paper the author challenges the traditional item of public goods or public services of which economists use a definition that rests on the criteria such as non-rivalness and non-excludability. This article argues that the item of public goods or public services in public policies is different from the item in economics. That is, the item of public goods or public services in public policies is socially constructed. By using the ideal type, the author points out that the concept of public goods or public services which economists use equals to collective goods while the concept of public goods or services in public policies includes common-pool goods, toll goods, collective goods and even some individual goods. What's more, an original opinion is put out in this article, which believes that Basic Public Service Equalization is a course of the basic public services to be more and more equal. Then, by considering hierarchy, adequacy, independence and clarity, this article constructs a system composed of 25 basic objective indicators. At the basis of carefully calculating the 25 basic objective indicators, the article attains the Gini Coefficient of basic public services from the year of 2004 to 2008 among 31 provinces. The Gini Coefficient of comprehensive basic public services implies a reverse trend of Basic Public Service Equalization process, and the Gini Coefficient of six large types can obviously reveal the structural problems. The article deems that economic development gap among regions, the binary system between cities and rural areas, the halfway reform of public financial system, the nonstandard transfer payment system between governments, the single basic public service provider and the inferior over-all planning cause the reverse trend of Basic Public Service Equalization process, and finally the author presents corresponding countermeasures which include five urgent actions:lay down laws to set the standard of basic public services, reform the public financial system, normalize the transfer and payment system between governments, establish new supply system of public services and relax control on the Hukou policy.