A Study On The Imbalance Of The Provision Of Public Goods In Rural China

The theory of public goods origins from western academe, it becomes perfect gradually under the background of developed market economy, politics, and culture of western countries. But it has special political, economic system and traditional culture in China, especially in rural areas, so the rural public goods have particular intension and extension, and we must provide rural public goods in our ways. A study of the provision of rural public goods is of much benefit to digest the theory of public goods and develop the Chinese-characteristic public financial theory. The effective provision of rural public goods can improve market system in China, improve the welfare of peasants, and construct socialism new countryside successfully.The thesis analyses its particularity of rural public goods in China, analyses its imbalance of provision empirically, thinks the imbalance owes to the behavior of consumers and providers. The thesis advances the essence of public goods - non-rivalrousness and non-excludability of the utility public goods brings to consumers, rethinks the cost of excluding, analyses its particularity of rural public goods in China systemically. The primary results are as follows:First, the rural public goods in China is particular. The particularity results from the special meanings of non-rivalrousness and non-excludability in rural areas in China, and so, the intension and extension is particular of rural public goods in China.Second, the provision of rural public goods is imbalance. The abolishment of agricultural tax will alleviate the imbalance, but not elimination. Our empirical study shows the peasantry burden exceeds the general government agricultural expenditure greatly. But the agricultural tax is only a small fraction of peasantry burden; the peasants'vulnerability is still unchanged and they have poor ability of revealing their preferences for public goods; the incentive of governments to provide conspicuous public goods, such as urban public goods and rural conspicuous public goods is still alive and well; the other providers won't change their behavior of providing public goods because of the abolishment of agricultural tax. So the abolishment of agricultural tax can't eliminate the imbalance of provision of rural public goods.Third, the peasants need the kernel of public goods. By definition, the kernel of public goods is his utility supplying to consumers when consumers consume it; the crust of public goods is the goods itself. As consumers, the peasants place value on the kernel of public goods, but not the crust. So, all providers should pay attention to the practical utility of rural public goods they provide.Fourth,Government should play a dominant role in the provision of rural public goods in China. Though other provider can provide some rural public goods, it is not perfect by any manner of means owing to many factors, so their provision should be only complementary.