The Choice Of Policy Instruments And Case Application For The Development Of Pension Service

Developing pension service is facing new challenges and opportunities in the context of changing demography, the cyclical economic movement, and industrial transformation and upgrading. With such a complex and serious background, how to use the public policy tools to develop pension service has an important practical significance. It is not only necessary to carry out the continuous innovation of institution and mechanisms, but also need to choose, combine and optimize the policy instruments.Since the beginning of pension service from the new China, it has experienced the germination period, development-exploration period, system-establishment period and rapid development period. Though the pension service industry has made some achievements in the process of development, those questions remain to be solved. For example, the limited development idea; the industrial development limited with the low level of marketization; the fall-behind material supporting policies; the staff with low service level; and the internal management confusion. To solve the problem such as above, something needs to put into effect in the policy level, for the policy instrument is an effective bridge to achieve policy objectives.By reviewing the sources of the classification of policy instruments, this study establishes the new classification method: the mandatory instruments, the economic instruments, the service instruments and the instructional instruments, and based on which the policy instruments analysis framework of pension service is build. Besides, in-depth analysis was carried out on the connotation of the framework, and to explore the internal logic of the policy instruments selection in the development of pension service.Appling this framework can analysis how to use all kinds of policy instruments to meet the demand of the different types of elderly people. Mandatory instruments play a fundamental role and an overall status. It is suitable for solving the endowment problem of macroscopic. Data analysis shows that the more the state authority applied, the better the effects are, so more adapted to the countries and regions with the concentrated central power. Economic instruments have the characteristics of operational. The use of economic instruments closely associated with the market development degree. When a high degree of marketization, and the government financial resources are enough, their use effects are obvious. Service instruments’ main consuming bodies are not only government, but individuals or organizations. Therefore the service instruments have obviously autonomy. They will play better in regions of volunteer with high civil enthusiasm. Instructional instruments are the complement to the service instruments. They are often to meet the high level requirements for the elderly. So a mature region in the development of civil society will be more use of instructional tool.Results show that if the policy is macroscopic and basic goal, the government can take measures of establishing laws and regulations, supervision and control, and government regulation. If policy program is feasible and the government money is enough, the government can consider taking economic instrument. If the policy projects with high acceptance, and with small external effects, the government can mobilize service instrument, such as family, community and voluntary organizations, to play its function to reduce the pressure on the government. When the national development degree is higher and citizen consciousness is strong, the government can consider using instructional instrument as a supplemental development.