Evolution of the rural social security system in a large country over 35 years: institutional transformation and the Chinese experience

Purpose This paper aims to review the institutional evolution of China's rural social security system in the past 35 years, focusing on major policy transformations of the rural social security system in a large country, and extract the Chinese experience on developing rural social security.Design/methodology/approach This paper systematically reviews the evolution of rural social security system via organizing policy documents, key events and research literature on the construction of rural social security since the Reform and Opening-up.Findings First, institutional transformation is a profound change in China's rural social security system; second, policy transformation has taken place in the main areas of China's rural social security system, including rural endowment insurance, medical insurance and social assistance; third, the policy evolution of China's rural social security system has a unique experience in a large country.Originality/value China is the country with the largest rural population in the world. The process and experience of transforming the social security system in the vast rural areas of China have important value and reference significance for other developing countries.

Smart City Transformation Strategies

Strategies of smart city transformation is the main topic of this chapter. It covers aspects of strategizing and adoption of policies that may facilitate the transformation process and affect the smart city development on both levels: holistic and piecewise implementation. The chapter goes further into strategic planning of developing smart cities, which is identified by three stages: development policy, transformation initiatives, and project planning stage. The chapter introduces the four fundamental tracks of smart cities and analyses reasons for the existence of smart cities. In addition, it covers the different strategies for changes: technological change, social change, industrial change, and policy change with possibilities of using the smart model. Finally, it covers smart city design principles, sustainability, efficiency, resiliency, and others.

Analysis of New Era Social Welfare Policy Transformation Path

It is in the nature of social policy for social welfare services to adapt to the social demands that arise as a result of changes in social structure. Meanwhile, it is a distinguishing feature of social welfare that special attention is paid to specific social groups, particularly vulnerable and difficult communities. The economic, political, and social factors of a society influence the direction of social service policy objectives, which is also influenced by the broader trend of social development, particularly global modernization and the transformation of local social structures. As a result, sorting out and analyzing the external environment and circumstances of the development of social services is both theoretical and practical.

Running head: Bail, Reform, and Foucault’s Dangerous Individual

Over 2.5 million people in the US are incarcerated annually for the sole reason that they cannot afford cash bail. This nearly exclusively affects the working-class, and disproportionately affects Black and brown individuals and communities. Whether someone is incarcerated pending trial affects employment, family stability, and even likelihood of conviction. Across the US, reform efforts are being considered and adopted, but in this paper, I use a political theory approach to argue that racial capitalist ideologies that construct the accused as specifically ‘dangerous’ impede just policy transformation. I start by centralizing Michel Foucault’s genealogy of the ‘dangerous individual’ as a frame for analyzing the logics and movement of the dangerous figure, and then re-situate the concept of the dangerous person in the contemporary US bail context. Ultimately, I argue that the dominance of oppressive ideologies in the bail discourse demonstrates the pervasive race and class biases that persist in the criminal justice apparatus, even in policy reform approaches that promise unbiased outcomes like algorithmic assessments.

Different, Yet the Same: Three Decades of Family Policy Change in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania

The article analyses over-time changes in family transfers in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania from 1990-2018 to seek evidence of similarity in the ethos of policy adaptation. Informed by recent scholarship signalling growing disparities in social entitlements along socio-economic lines in Hungary and Romania, the analysis assesses whether three decades of change in family transfers in three different policy contexts might exhibit the selective, pro-wealthy ethos of social policy transformation described. Using data from an original dataset drawing on exhaustive social legislation pertaining to family allowances, family tax breaks and paid parental leave-related transfers, the article shows that, for most of the last three decades, institutional dualisms in the protection of families with dependent children have grown. Policy drift undercuts the rights of the neediest and policy layering leads to programme expansion targeting dual-earner, high-income families especially. This trend has intensified over the last fifteen years and is most evident in paid leave schemes.

Impact of natural gas pricing policy for energy security and macroeconomic resilience: A literature review from global perspective

Indonesia’s government has targeted 24% of natural gas in the national energy mix by 2050. However, one of the main problems in Indonesia’s natural gas development is the price mechanism. Unlike many countries, Indonesia’s natural gas market, including its pricing, is still heavily regulated and subsidized by the government. The low natural gas price has damaged the investment climate and slowed the natural gas development in the country. An overview of the global natural gas market evolution, as well as a comprehensive analysis of natural gas market transformation from China and Malaysia, were presented in this paper. The wider gap between supply and demand of natural gas and the increase of the LNG market in Asia have pushed China and Malaysia to reform their natural gas market into a liberalized system. This provides an insight to examine Indonesia’s natural gas pricing policies. The highly regulated market often fails to provide the actual cost of supply, leads to underinvestment, and causes a natural gas shortage in a country. Natural gas pricing policy transformation is mandatory to ensure supply stability and keep up with the global natural gas market dynamic. The transformation should be implemented gradually to give natural gas producers and end-users enough time to adjust to the regulations. In the end, gas-to-gas competition should be set as the long-term goal to allow retail competition in Indonesia’s natural gas market.

Transformation Model of Government Policy on Task Force Through Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Handling Strategy in the COVID Tourism Ambassador Program in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Various policies have been issued by the government regarding task force to accelerate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) handling, ranging from presidential decrees, ministerial decrees, governor decrees, followed by decisions from the implementing agencies regarding the policy outputs, and compliance of the target groups. AIM: This study aimed to identify and analyze changes in task force policies as well as strategies used in handling the COVID-19 pandemic through the Tourism Ambassador program in South Sulawesi which is considered as an effective model for handling COVID-19. METHODS: This research was conducted by applying qualitative method that emphasizes interpretation and phenomena holistically. The analysis used was the model of government policy transformation in the task force through the COVID-19 pandemic handling strategy in the COVID tourism ambassador program in South Sulawesi. This study was participated by informants (participants) who were involved in the COVID Ambassador Tourism Program in South Sulawesi. RESULTS: The Provincial Government of South Sulawesi has made policy changes, especially regarding the COVID-19 handling acceleration task force. There were various changes in the government regulatory policies related to the Regulation of the Minister of Health (Permenkes) of the Republic of Indonesia No. 09 of 2020 to Presidential Decree (Kepres) No. 11 of 2020 regarding regulations for Large-Scale Social Restrictions to accelerate the handling of COVID-19 in South Sulawesi. CONCLUSION: Changes in policy related to the acceleration of COVID-19 control and handling in South Sulawesi resulted in a policy output that showed a decrease in the number of COVID-19 positive cases. Implementing the strategy through the COVID-19 Tourism Ambassador program as a model for handling COVID-19 in South Sulawesi is the right strategy.