Mltiple Logics Of Public Services In Rural Areas

In Western literatures, there are three theoretical perspectives about public services supply: the state, privatization and local self-government. Accordingly, there are three co-existence institutions to supply public services: political organization, economic cooperation and community. In order to analyze the practice of public services in China , scholars have borrowed the theoretical framework from the Western. On basis of insufficient supply of public services in rural China, they have pointed that we should change the unilateral supply to multiple supply.According to the literature, the paper pointed out that the supply of public services in the West is based on the theory of nation-social relations of limited national borders and protection of civil rights based on. Whether it is liberal ideas in US, or the Nordic welfare state, they both take this concept as the basis. However, because of China's political tradition and national nature, China does not exist this kind of nation-social philosophy. Thus, taking this the analytical framework to explain China's rural public services, not only is difficulty in theoretical, but also is contrary with the practice of rural public service supply.By a study in an affluent town, we point out that public service provision is the result of multiple logical in rural China. First of all, as political organizations, the results of the political culture and the accumulation of political experience have made the government try to control grassroots socity by power. In the provision of public services, it accordingly reflects this political control logic. Logic of power supply showed through the top-down supply of public services, and a variety of commands which are scripts of power.Second, afer the tax-sharing reform, land revenue has become the most important financial source of local governments . To achieve the maximization of land revenue, the investment environment has become the most important goal of urban management. During the process of improving the investment environment,the development of basic infrastructure have also lead to improve the supply level of public services. Although the purpose is not to improve public services, to some extent the situation of rural public service supply have improved. This reflects services economic logic in the supply of publicFinally, facing the fierce conflicts,the state have spent a lot of time, money, and resources to maitain social stability. People's livelihood has been regarded as a breakthrough point by the state to resolve various social contradictions from the grass roots. The public services as one of Livelihood objectives , such as health, education, investment, reflect the bureaucratic logic in providing public services. Because public services provision,as one of people's livelihoods, has become an important criterion for assessing the grassroots officials, this is the bureaucratic provision of public services under pressure.Therefore, the supply of public goods in China can not simply apply the logic of the Western concept, more powerful explanation should come from practices of public services in rural China . The proposed multiple logics of public service is a new attempt to analysis the supply of public services in (rural) China.