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置身事内:中国政府与经济发展

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本书是是兰小欢多年教学、调研与研究内容的凝练,将经济学原理与中国经济发展的实践有机融合,以地方政府投融资为主线,深入浅出地论述了中国经济的发展,笔触简练客观,并广泛采纳了各领域学者的最新研究成果。全书分上下两篇。上篇解释微观机制,包括地方政府的基本事务、收支、土地融资和开发、投资和债务等;下篇解释这些微观行为与宏观现象的联系,包括城市化和工业化、房价、地区差异、债务风险、国内经济结构失衡、国际贸易冲突等。最后一章提炼和总结全书内容。

通过对中国政治经济体系的论述,作者简明地刻画了地方政府进行经济治理的基本方式,并指出,中国政府通过深度介入工业化和城市化的进程,在发展经济的同时逐步推动了市场机制的建立和完善,以一种有别于所谓发达国家经验的方式实现了经济奇迹。基于对改革历程与社会矛盾的回顾与分析,作者也在书中对当前推进的市场化改革与政府转型进行了解读,帮助读者增进对中国发展现实的把握。

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2021

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兰小欢

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Profile Image for Alan Tsuei.
397 reviews28 followers
August 10, 2022
大陸學者寫的“認識中國制度”簡化版,本以為可以多少了解一些今天中共的治理與制度,但最後還是淪為替中共一黨專政獨裁與法治精神缺失擦脂抹粉的宣傳,而且作者似乎對歷史似乎沒有太多考證,所以書中出現不少張冠李戴的情事,加上中共自改開後有不少政策的180度轉彎,之前一窮二白千萬人頭落地的歷史也都被作者給自動無視了,再者中共為了確保對政權財權的掌控,自然對行政單位百般設限,標準的負責之人不享權,而享權之人不負責,講白了就是中共擺明不願放權,卻又沒有能力管理全國,所以只能勉為其難讓專業介入發揮,但卻要對其百般限制所產生四不像的結果,不然明確政府制度、各級分層負責管理,再加以中立且公開透明的監督單位又有什麼困難做不到的?
下面列舉一些不同的看法:
1.江西井岡山在民國時是三不管地帶?不就是鮑羅廷這個俄共的境外勢力把江西省長李烈鈞趕走後所故意造成的嗎?
2.中國特色?馬列思想是中國特色嗎?搞人民公社廢除家庭觀念是中國特色嗎?
3.人治非法治不就是毛澤東1959年廢司法部搞出來的嗎?
4.政府權責不清不就是中共的大權集中,小權分散所長期導致的嗎?權力要真的有法可區分清楚,那想推責任的時候不就不好辦了嗎?這就是沒有“制度”的團體的通病,都是上位者只想權不負責所刻意造成的。
5.因為信息複雜,所以關鍵崗位上都要儘量安排信得過的人?這不就是今天綠共的所作所為嗎?這樣替搞小團體搞黑箱來脫罪也太誇張了點。
6.所謂的“國家”的長治久安,說穿了就是“黨”的長久專政,所以財稅也要確保“中央”能得到餅最大的一塊,比如解放軍是實打實的黨衛軍,是黨的軍隊,但是卻要國家的財政來支養,軍人的退休金或職位安插還要佔用國家的稅收,這就是為什麼永遠都會有許多說不清講不明的地方,不過只要在名稱前掛上一個“國家”或“替人民服務”的招牌似乎就可以解套了。
7.中共自己黨內也有許多派系與人馬,這些人馬都有自己的下線與利益要顧,自然可以利用法治上的漏洞與缺陷來自肥,這雖然是人之常情,但不也是小團體管理的通病嗎?國家的財政就像菜市場買賣一般討價還價,美國的州政府因為本身的獨立性較強所以相對擁有更多的話語權,而大陸則是看地方的派系勢力而定,所以黨國不分所造成的就是這樣的結果,但在維持中共專政的前提下,這些又都是可以被妥協與搓掉的茶壺內風暴。
8.最近的地方大搞房產而出現的經濟危機也是中央把財權稅收歸己有所產生的結果,地方不得不利用土地來增加收入並達成既定指標,這也可說是放衛星的另類翻版,自然黑帳鳥事一堆,和2008年的美國衍生性次貸風暴有異曲同功之妙。
9.中共今天不斷在宣傳“不忘初心”,可惜偏又對近代史上下其手,造假篡改,真要不忘初心的話,不是應該無產階級專政?不是應該公佈黨高層財產?不是應該政黨三三制?不是應該自由與民主?口號喊的震天如雷,但實際就是為了生意而忘了主義,難怪不論怎麼改革怎麼調整,問題都難以解決,反正話都是黨在講,人民有否定或質疑的權力嗎?
10.當時奪權時講的是國民黨貪污腐敗,結果現在執政70年了,怎麼還要文人出書對這種腐敗貪污找台階下呢?動不動就是中國自古以來,真要推到前朝或前前朝的話,命不都白革了,血不都白流了?而且現今大陸的貪污腐敗還是在強力管控言論下所爆出來的,要真是開放媒體實行第四權的話,真不知道會有多少見不得人的事浮上台面。
11.電子產品本身就有價格不斷下降的趨勢,這在全球化與技術進步的前提下尤其明顯,因為這是放諸全球皆準的道理,如果把工廠轉移到東南亞、甚至勞動力更廉價的國家的話,那價格只會更往下滑,而且市場與通路的擴大,自然規模經濟會表現在優惠的價格上,作者所提到的論點其實並非最直接的原因。
12.大陸在經濟發展的過程中其實學國府是最多的,可是作者卻隻字不提,故意忽視,當然其中有政治的因素,但這樣教學著書,不就害慘了千萬學子嗎?
13.中共的城鄉不平衡就是源自中共搞出的戶籍二元制,更是過去一而再再而三的把人民趕出城或下放所形成的,加上大飢荒時保城市犧牲農村的必然後果,這段歷史更讓大陸出現了農民工這個階層,作者怎麼能大言不慚的歸為城市化的奇蹟?加上怎麼能把地方政府與房產商炒作出來的高房價,一股腦的推到老百姓身上呢?
14.國府在戰後的財政赤字主要是八年漫長抗戰所帶來的,不是內戰的原因,這明顯是受中共的穢史影響,別忘了,當時所謂的“蘇區”一樣通膨嚴重,只不過中共以鬥爭地主資本家來解套罷了…
15.中共在金融危機出台的四萬億計劃其實就是增加政府支出來提振經濟,這個美國在大蕭條時做過,國府在石油危機時也做過,但這造就了大陸過多的基建與產能,最後只能利用一帶一路輸出這些過多產能,當然也造成了近來財務結構不良的斯里蘭卡等國出現內部危機。
16.產業升級是在搞工業加工出口時就要對產業的上中下游做出整體規劃,這樣才不會讓國內企業在面臨轉型上有太多困難,也可以大幅降低產業轉型上的門檻,這都是國府在60年代搞紡織加工業時所得到的經驗。
17.鄧樸方已經講過了,中共讓一部分人先富起來就是紅二代與和黨關係良好的人士,因此大陸現在的貧富不均不只是扶貧的問題,而是根本上階級不公的問題。
18.貿易戰與衝突則是再正常不過的道理了,企業之間會競爭、個人之間會競爭、政黨之間或之內會競爭,國與國之間的競爭自然也是不用大驚小怪了,奇怪的是中共與美國都是採取民粹的手法,把責任當皮球互踢,也難怪川普要說自己和習近平是好朋友了,正是英雄所見略同啊…另外,全球化中資本的流動是很快速的,但勞工的流動就相對遲緩,這也是全球化前眾所周知的問題,只是各國要去考慮怎麼將全球化所產生的利潤做更好的社會福利配置才是正途。
19.記得之前行政院長孫運璿有講過,自己任內經濟與工業小有成就,但就是遺憾文化教育做的太少,今天大陸因為卡了個黨在國上的因素,所以歷史、文化、法治與公平仍然是難以突破的障礙,這樣就算經濟發展上了軌道,也會讓社會在長期出現許多問題與紛爭…
Profile Image for Hailong Hao.
294 reviews88 followers
Read
September 4, 2021
虽说兰老师在书中表达了自己对中国经济未来的乐观情绪,我也能部分认同。但我一直以来的隐忧并没有因此消除:我自己学经济学出身,对中国经济很多政策尚且看得云里雾里,身边那些从来没有学过经济学的朋友,更是不知道每一种政策背后都有什么意义,以及这种决策究竟出于什么目的。很多人意外地失去了利益,很多人意外地得到了利益,但不管悲剧喜剧,大家都生活在一种不安之中。

本书让我们看清了不少政策背后的东西,但一则还不够,二则是这些东西原本应该在制定政策之时就让大家明白。兰老师古道热肠,作为学者让我们更了解国家经济机器的运转,但这不是他的责任,真正的责任在那些掌控机器的人。
Profile Image for Melody.
54 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2022
无法判断书中的观点是否正确,至少提供了认识政府和经济的一个角度。
1 review1 follower
June 2, 2022
读完之后出离愤怒了,如此违反经济学常识,马后炮式解读中国经济,并且为一系列失败的中国经济政策提供正当性解释,完全是侮辱读者智商。果然书如其名就叫置身事内,完全不管世界经济机器如何运转lol
Profile Image for X-Ray Xu.
26 reviews
May 9, 2023
着重回顾了历史上左右转向和油门松紧的操作因果,有提纲挈领的通畅。也避开了对车的设计、机制和驾驶人员的讨论,统计数据陈旧不足,不免隔靴搔痒的无奈。

公共服务的规模经济、边界、信息复杂性、激励->地方和中央的平衡和分权: 上机形式权威,下级实质权威,规模经济小的、不标准化的由地方管理

为了调动地方政府发展经济的积极性->1980-1993实施财政包干体制: 地方政府成为财政收入的分成者“分灶吃饭”,地方大力兴办乡镇企业,地方保护主义、为工业化培养了大量工人。
财政包干->中央较地方变弱,央地博弈: 中央财政预算收入占全国比重越来越低,全国财政预算总收入占GDP比重也越来越低。

为了增加中央收入->1994年的分税制改革: 中央税、地方税(如营业税、土增税)、共享税(中央拿走增值税的50%,企业所得税的60%)。
分税制改革->中央收入增加: 中央预算占比从22%提高到55%,占GDP比重从11%提高到20%。通过中央转移支付和税收返还来填补地方预算内收支缺口。

为了缓解基层县乡财政困难->加大上级统筹和转移支付: 分税制改革后,财权层层上收,事权层层下压,中央财政蒸蒸日上、省级财政稳稳当当、市级财政摇摇晃晃、县级财政哭爹叫娘、乡级财政精精光光。
财政供养人员越多,得到的转移支付越多->地方政府扩编,财政供养人员增加: 1994年不到3万千,2008年到4631万,之后不再公布。

为了地方增加收入-> 乡镇企业贡献降低,转而发展“土地财政”:1998年停止分房,实行商品房和土地招拍挂制度是土地财政的重要催化
土地财政->一方面低价供应大量工业用地,招商引资;另一方面限制商住用地供给,尤其限制住宅用地,从不断攀升的地价中赚取土地垄断收益。

为了加速土地财政提供资金->发展地方政府融资平台/城投公司: 加杠杆,以土地为抵押进行表外融资。
地方政府融资平台->增加了金融风险:上行期,经济增长、城市扩张、地价上涨,可以偿还连本带利越滚越多的债务。下行期,经济放缓、地价下跌、土地出让收入减少,压垮融资平台甚至地方政府。

为了处理下行期的暴雷->通过债务置换、融资平台转型、资管新规等方式处理地方政府隐性债务。
去杠杆、表外融资受限->转而发展政府引导基金,到2019年6月,国内共设立了1700家政府引导基金,到位资金4万亿->一级市场泡沫。

生产环节征税而非消费环节征税,90%税收征自企业->政府轻民生、轻消费、重视企业和招商引资
->对于教育医疗投入不足->留守儿童和留守老人问题
->房价高、医疗和教育价格高->高储蓄率、低消费: 中国消费占GDP比重从80年代65%下降到2018年的44%,vs. 美国70%,欧美日本55%

重视企业,扩大招商引资->竞争性的提供优惠和补贴,放松环保等要求,重复投资、产能过剩、环境污染
为了降低企业资金成本,刺激投资和工业化->银行压低给企业的贷款利率
低贷款利率,同时为了保证银行利润->压低储蓄利率->抑制居民存款收入->更高储蓄率,更低消费。

“水多加面,面多加水”,“”问馒头为什么越蒸越大”,解决方法归结为:尊重市场规律,让要素自由流动;以人为本,城市化的核心是人而不是土地,城市化是为了服务于人。
Profile Image for Xiaoning.
49 reviews4 followers
February 20, 2022
网上对此书的评价很高,但是我并没有读出作者有什么新意,也没有对中国经济政策有更深的理解, 很可能是没有读懂。不管怎样,以下是我读完之后的感悟。

作者首先讲解了中国政府运作方式,特别是中央和地方的分税制。分析了地方如何借力土地政策,官商互助,大力发展经济。其中举例了京东方,新能源面板和成都宽窄巷。书的后半部侧重于探讨中国面临的挑战:居民高房价,地方政府高债务,国家重生产。作者认为以人为本是解决这些问题的关键。

作者一再强调他只是试图理解政府怎么做和背后的原因,而不试图讨论政府应该怎么做,或者在几种方案里,政府为什么做了那样的选择。所以本书的观点和目的已经非常明确,作者只是将那些已经被广泛接受的论点总结在一起,加上一些案例,然后做适当引导,得出结论,政府现在做的事情就是将来人民和国家应该做的事。读完之后的最大失望就是这么广泛受到好评的一本书,作者没有真诚的讨论态度,有意回避很多问题,全书也没什么新意,只是在重复中央的意识引导。

现在讨论以前的政策只是一个纯思想上的思辨而已,已经没有实际意义,不讲也罢;说起未来,作者认为政府以人为本,其中有很多案例可以展开探讨,现在政府的做法是不是合理,怎么做会更好:北京去低端人口,国家建设雄安新区,全国各地青山绿水搞旅游,打击课后补习行业,打击滴滴阿里,打击游戏行业,国企搞大搞强...

高房价,高债务,重生产轻消费,人口自然流动,农民进城,发展服务业,怎么改善呢?国外有什么经验呢?

3 stars for clarity in writing on such a complicated subject, take away 1 star for author's lack of sincerity. 2 stars
Profile Image for Jiacheng Zhang.
11 reviews5 followers
January 5, 2022
內容精當,通俗易懂,持論中正,是讀懂中國經濟的上佳入門讀物。
不足之處也在於這個「通俗易懂」,口語化表述,沒有深度,泛泛而談。
有意思的是,這本書雖然很新,但是作者提到最多的路線並不是「新時代」,而是「科學發展觀」。
Profile Image for 汪先生.
403 reviews52 followers
June 14, 2022
迷惑性极强,披着合理性的外衣为胜利的结果呐喊,过程中的灾难和苦痛完全成为了注解,数字掩盖掉了人,没有什么新东西。
Profile Image for Yiwei.
125 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2025
个人认为这书被过誉了,政体部分的解说略死板,大学思政课教材既视感。经济部分稍微提供了理解国家政策的视角。书还推荐了阅读清单,打算收藏起来慢慢看。刚好豆瓣有人总结了
Profile Image for Barack Liu.
600 reviews20 followers
April 22, 2024

515-Embedded Power-Lan Xiaohuan-Economics-2021

Barack
2024/04/21

"Inside the Matter", first published in 2021. It organically integrates economic principles with the practice of China's economic development, takes local government investment and financing as the main line, discusses China's economic development in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, and adopts the research results of scholars in various fields. Through the discussion of China's political and economic system, the author concisely describes the basic ways in which local governments conduct economic governance, and points out that the Chinese government has gradually promoted the establishment of market mechanisms while developing the economy through deep involvement in the process of industrialization and urbanization. and perfection, achieving an economic miracle in a way that is different from the experience of so-called developed countries. Based on the review and analysis of the reform process and social contradictions, the author also interprets the current market-oriented reforms and government transformation in the book to help readers enhance their grasp of China's development reality.

Lan Xiaohuan received a bachelor's degree in economics from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in 2001, a master's degree in economics from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2006, and a doctorate in economics from the University of Virginia in the United States in 2012. The main research fields are labor economics, development economics, political economics, public finance, etc.

Table of Contents
Part 1 Micro-mechanism
Chapter 1 Powers and Affairs of Local Government
Section 1 Characteristics of Government Governance
Section 2 Externalities and Economies of Scale
Section 3 Complex Information
Chapter 2 Finance, Taxation and Government Behavior
Section 1 Tax Sharing System Reform
Section 2 Land Finance
Section 3 Vertical Imbalance and Horizontal Imbalance
Chapter 3 Government Investment, Financing and Debt
Section 1 Urban Investment Companies and Land Finance
Section 2 Local Government Debt
Section 3 Local officials in attracting investment
Chapter 4 The role of government in industrialization
Section 1 BOE and Government Investment
Section 2 Photovoltaic Development and Government Subsidies
Section 3 Government Industrial Guidance Fund
Next article Macroscopic phenomena
Chapter 5 Urbanization and Imbalance
Section 1 House Prices and Resident Debt
Section 2 Imbalance and Factor Market Reform
Section 3 Economic Development and the Gap between Rich and Poor
Chapter 6 Debt and Risk
Section 1 Debt and Economic Recession
Section 2: Why the Debt Is Building: Lessons from Europe and the United States
Section 3 China’s Debt and Risks
Chapter 7 Domestic and International Imbalances
Section 1 Low Consumption and Overcapacity
Section 2 Sino-US Trade Conflict
Section 3 Rebalancing and Domestic Cycle
Summary of Chapter 8: Government and Economic Development
Section 1 Inter-regional competition
Section 2 Development and Transformation of Government
Section 3 Development Goals and Development Process

The vitality that a society can burst out of is inseparable from how it is organized. The same population and natural resources can produce completely different efficiencies under different national systems. To deeply understand a country's economy, one cannot bypass its political institutions. From the unification of the six kingdoms by Qin Shihuang in 211 BC to the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, China has experienced more than 2,000 years of social evolution, and various political systems and reforms have emerged in the past dynasties. According to statistics, the relatively stable period of unification lasted for more than 950 years, accounting for about 45% of this period. The changes in the rise and fall of chaos are inseparable from the system at that time. There are often differences between theoretical systems and actual operations, and this difference affects the stability and development of the country. Fortunately, today we can not only study China's own history through vertical comparison but also compare the history of China with other countries. We can even make horizontal comparisons and analyze the political and economic situations of different countries in the same period. The fundamental purpose of all these efforts is to find a more efficient political and economic system.

A problem often becomes complex because the number of objects involved in the problem increases dramatically. The national economic and political systems we see today are complex and dizzying, but this was not always the case at the beginning. In fact, many laws and regulations are gradually improved and developed through continuous practice. Tracing complex problems back to their origins often leads to simpler starting points. Starting from these simple situations and gradually understanding them in depth is the key to grasping the essence of the problem. For example, in computer science, many algorithms for processing big data are often created because the original intuitive methods are no longer applicable as the amount of data increases. As we need to process more and more information, just as population density, geographical conditions, and language and cultural differences must be considered when dividing administrative regions, we have to seek new solution strategies.

There is a Chinese proverb: "The mountains are high and the emperor is far away", which means that it is difficult for a central power to extend to remote areas. Whether it’s a country, a company, or a small team, if you want to reach your full potential, you must be as flexible and efficient as a healthy human body. In this process, the flow of information from the center to the end, and then from the end back to the center must be unobstructed. If the information transmitted from the end to the center is distorted, the center will make wrong judgments. Just like we see, hear, and feel wrong, wrong information can lead to unreasonable coping behaviors. On the other hand, the instructions from the center to the terminals must also be executed smoothly and effectively. For example, a waist injury may cause damage to the main arteries of the spine, affecting the nervous system, and making it impossible to effectively transmit instructions from the center to the end, leading to limb paralysis or coordination disorders. In the same way, even if instructions are conveyed, if the center cannot ensure that these instructions are implemented at all levels, it will cause inflexibility in organizational actions. Therefore, in a sense, the circulation of information is equivalent to the extension of power. The more efficient the flow of information, the more efficiently power can be extended.

One of the key functions of local government is to attract investment, not only at the domestic level but also at the international level. If a city can attract residents and funds from other domestic cities, its development prospects will be very bright. Furthermore, if the attractiveness of a city can transcend national borders and affect other countries around the world, then the development of the city and even the entire country will experience explosive growth. On the contrary, if the original inhabitants of a city, that is, those who have been born and raised here, begin to consider moving away and investing their money in other areas, then the decline of the city is not difficult to foresee. There are many factors that inhibit investment promotion, such as war, poor public security, harsh natural environment, and low quality of residents. In contrast, factors such as good natural conditions, high quality of residents, and superior government policies can significantly enhance the attractiveness of a city. From a broader perspective, everyone should also work on making themselves more attractive to others, rather than pushing them away.

To truly understand government behavior, one must understand its fiscal and taxation status, because without funds, no matter how good the plan is, it will be difficult to implement it. In fact, this principle applies not only to governments but also to individual behavior analysis. We look not only at where a person spends his money but also at what proportion of his or her available funds these expenditures represent. "Voting with your feet" refers to the direction of population flow and reflects people's real needs and desires. Likewise, people are "voting with their hands," that is, expressing their wishes and ideas about where to invest the material resources they control. Therefore, it is not reliable to just follow someone's words, you must see where they go and where they spend their money. Whether it is economics, politics, or management, they cannot escape the influence of economic issues. Not to mention "ruling the country and bringing peace to the world", even if we just pursue "cultivating ourselves and bringing order to the family", it will be difficult to achieve without an economic foundation. "With a basket of food and a ladle of drink, in a back alley, people can't bear their worries, but they won't change their happiness even when they return home." How many people have been able to do this in the past and present? For ordinary people like us, who are still troubled by basic survival issues in our daily lives, how can we spare the energy to think about higher-level spiritual pursuits?

From 1980 to 1994, my country mainly adopted the contract economic model. The contract system greatly stimulated local economic creativity and effectively revitalized the rigid planned economic system. However, a significant shortcoming of this system is that it gradually weakens the central government's proportion of national revenue, resulting in the weakening of the central government's fiscal power. After all, the power of the government comes not only from the "barrel of the gun" but also from the "pocket bag." This is the fundamental reason for the implementation of the tax-sharing reform in 1994. Its core purpose is to allow the central government to regain financial power. For those with vested interests, such as Guangdong and other economically developed regions, such changes in the system are naturally difficult to accept. Therefore, Premier Zhu Rongji invested a lot of energy in promoting this reform and tried hard to persuade provincial leaders. You can imagine how difficult this process is. The public usually only sees the results of policies, not the complex game process behind them. Whether a policy can be successfully implemented depends not only on the merits of the policy itself but also requires extensive top-to-bottom support to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy.

In 1998, two major events occurred in China. First, urban units stopped welfare housing allocation and gradually realized the monetization of housing allocation. This means that in the future, people can no longer rely on units to solve their housing problems, but must buy them on the market themselves. At the same time, if rural collective land is to be converted into urban construction land, it must be expropriated by the state and turned into state-owned land. This gives the city government a monopoly on land construction. Especially around 2000, the land bidding, auction, and listing systems were opaque, and there was a huge gray space in the process of converting rural land into construction land. After entering 2000, real estate became one of the main sources of income for local governments, and housing prices also soared. The generation that was young in 2000 has now entered middle age. The class gap between those who could afford to buy property back then and those who couldn't has widened dramatically. Their next generation, that is, my generation, looking back 20 years later, can clearly see the huge gap between rich and poor caused by real estate. This huge gap makes many young people feel hopeless, powerless, and desperate, hence the self-deprecating saying "lying flat". However, both domestically and globally, the degree of change today is greater than it was 20 years ago. Who can predict whether there will be new policies or events that may lead to a reshuffle of wealth? Those young people around the year 2000 may have felt just as confused and uncertain about the future as we do today.

17 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2023
浅显易读的小书,前半部分尤其让我感兴趣,更系统的了解了财政收入的演化和土地金融的来龙去脉。疑惑为何不提包括“营改增”等大事。另每章末推荐的书似十分可读,以后找机会系统看看

(一)分税制改革 (另见https://www.chinanews.com.cn/m/gn/201...

20世纪80年代:财政包干,如“收入递增包干”1988年的北京为例,以1987年的财政收入为基数,设定一个固定的年收入增长率4%,超过4%部分都归北京,没超过部分与中央五五分成。造成了“两个比重”不断降低:中央财政预算占全国财政预算收入比重,全国财政预算总收入占GDP比重越来越低。后者原因包括(1)承包制不稳定,分成比例每几年要重新谈判一次,地方政府有意不让预算增长太快 (2)预算外收入:给企业减免税,在通过其他诸如行政收费、集资、摊派、赞助等手段收一些回来。

1994年分税制改革把税收分为三类:中央税(如关税)、地方税(如营业税、企业所得税)、共享税(如增值税)。同时分设国税(收中央+共享)、地税两套机构(收地方+共享),与地方财政部门脱钩,省一下税务机关以垂直管理为主。

增值税占全国税收收入的1/4。改革之前,增值税(即产品税)是最大的地方税,改革后变成共享税,中央拿走75%。为防止地方收入急剧下跌,中央设立了“税收返还”机制:保证改革后地方增值税收入与改革前一样(1993年为基数),新增部分才和中央分。(p55中央地方博弈)

企业所得税是我国第二大税种,2018年占全国税收收入23%。2002年改革前按行政隶属关系上缴:中央企业交中央,地方企业交地方。地方企业比中央企业多,所以六成以上的所得税交给了地方。02年改革中,除一些特殊央企的所得税归中央外,所有企业的所得税中央和地方六四分成(仅02年为五五分),同样设置了税收返还机制,把2001年的所得税收入定位返还基数。

中央占全国预算收入比重从改革前22%一跃变成55%并长期稳定在这一水平。国家预算收入占GDP比重也从11%增加到了20%以上。

(plus: 2016年营改增, 这其实是一次中央和地方收入分成改革,改革后,原来由地税局征收的第一大税种营业税取消,变成由国税局征收的增值税,国地税业务范围此消彼长)

2018年,国税地税再次合并.


分税制改革前,企业的大多数税收按隶属关系上缴,改革后则变成了再所在地上缴,这自然会刺激地方政府招商引资。

绝大多数税收征收自企业,且多在生产环节征收,所以地方政府重视企业而相对轻视民生,重视生产而相对轻视消费


(二)土地财政

98年发生了两件大事,城市土地的真正价值才开始显现。第一是单位停止福利分房,逐步实行住房分配货币化,商品房和房地产时代的大幕拉开。第二是修订后的《土地管理法》开始实施,规定农地要像转为建设用地,必须经过征地后变成国有土地,这样就确立了城市政府对土地建设的垄断权力。(19年修正案打破这个垄断)

99年和2000年国有土地转让收入并不高,因为尚未普遍实行土地“招拍挂”制度(01提出,02明确)。土地出让收入01年开始激增,03占地方公共预算收入55%,10年68%。另土地财政还包括直接和土地相关的土地增值税、契税等税收和房地产企业的增值/所得税。若加总,18年的土地财政占89%。

地方政府也要承担拆迁补偿和“七通一平”等基础性土地开发支出(生地-熟地,p91华夏幸福)。18年,地方政府还入不敷出。当然地方政府真正要的是土地开发之后吸引来的工商业经济活动。

地方政府发展经济的方式就从之前的“工业化”变成了“工业化与城市化”两手抓:一方面继续低价供应大量工业用地,招商引资;另一方面限制商住用地供给,从不断攀升的地价中赚取土地垄断收益。

商住用地虽然面积上只占出让土地的一半,但贡献了几乎所有的土地使用权转让收入。因此“土地财政”的实质是“房地产财政”。

所谓经济发展,无非就是提高资源使用效率。而我国是一个自然资源相对贫乏的国家,在经济起步阶段,能利用的资源主要就是人力和土地。过去几十年的很多重大改革,大都和盘活这两项资源、提高起使用效率有关。


读完感觉简直跟币圈FTX暴雷机制如出一辙,果然太阳底下没有新鲜事

1) FTT抵押借贷 v.s. 土地金融,本质是把土地未来的收益抵押借贷,是土地财政嫁接了资本市场加上了杠杆
2) 抵押借贷运作核心在FTT价格 v.s. 土地金融核心在土地价格
3) 为了支撑FTT价格
一在实打实获客和利润,增加币的需求,然而钱来的太容易盲目杠杆
二在FTT高度控盘

而为了支撑土地的价格
一在于招商引资吸引人流入城市增加需求,然而盲目扩张效率低下
二在于高度限制商业住宅土地供给,抬高房价

4)Alameda的资金来源大部分从FTX借钱,FTX是自己的

而我读完本书刚刚才知道的是,各地方城投公司土地金融放款方最大头是地方城商行(10年2.2万亿, v.v 四大行2万亿,国开行2万亿,其他股份制银行与农村合作金融机构合集1万亿),而2015年,七成左右的城商行第一股东是地方政府。城商行存款来源不稳定,普遍高度依赖同业融资(包商大于一半)

所以本质是挪用FTX客户资金+外部机构借款,地方政府是挪用本地居民在城商行存款+ 同业拆借款.

不同的命运结果只在于是否有最后的兜底方而已


分税制后基层财政出现了严重的困难。06年农业税彻底废止。12年80%的乡镇实施了“乡财县管”,21世纪初“扩权强县”和“财政省直观县”。实质上把我国五级的行政管理在财政管理体制上“拉平”了,变成了三级体制(中央-省-市县)

PS:书中提的一个观点深以为是:信息是权力-上级虽然名义上有最终决定权,拥有“形式权威”,但由于信息复杂,不易处理,下级实际上自主性很大,拥有“实际权威”。维护两类权威的平衡是政府有效运作的关键。
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8 reviews
June 29, 2022
看完有几天了,但是书评一直拖着,因为这是一本我很难用局外人去评价的一本书。就像书名说得那样,《置身事内》,身为局中人,所以很难抛弃一些情感去克制地评价它。

这本书让我看懂了政治政策的同时揭开了我内心深处被隐秘的期待所掩盖的真相——地方政府并不是很重视它辖地内的人们。

第一个特点是城市化过程中“重土地、轻人”。第二个特点是招商引资竞争中“重规模、重扩张”。第三个特点是经济结构上“重投资、重生产、轻消费”。
从地方政府的角度出发,为了抢夺来自中央有限的资源配给,它们要做的第一件事就是吸引中央的注意,有什么比财政增长能更快的出成绩的呢?尤其是当属官们的任期只有3年左右的时候。没有任后追责制度,于是官员们为了升迁做出亮眼的成绩开始“不计代价”——例如,土地金融。

也可以说事急从权,只有先抢到资源发展起来才能做大做强再去思考民生,但是没有任后追责制度,就导致那几年经济发展的黄金期留下了众多“毒瘤隐患”,面子工程层出不穷,超多烂尾楼,即使到现在也是楼多屋空,优先选择看得见的城市绿化、交通道路工程,明明是多雨城市偏偏不管下水道系统,每年雨季都要被淹一次,根本就不去思考这会给多少家庭带去伤痛以及老百姓的财产损失弥补也可能是个天文数字。

补偿可能迟迟落实不到位,最终是受益者得益越来越多,而受损者却屡遭打击。虽说平均值是变好了,但那些受损的人的生活不是理论上的平均数字,他们会为了自己的利益而反抗和行动,这是保护主义的根源。
所谓的贷款一层套一层,最后的实际还债人还是被均摊到了你我他身上。这导致富人更富,穷人更穷,经济大萧条时期,富人财富损失如果是10%的话,平民百姓则是倾家荡产,当经济回升时,富人的财富会比之前又有明显的增加,而普通人这个时候已经没有“本钱”去创造资产了,更有甚者光是身上的债务就能让他过去、未来的很长一段时间都是零增长。

换句话说,债务常常把风险集中到承受能力最弱的穷人身上。
所有实施过的政策都不能脱离当时的社会背景去看它,当你回顾那个时代的时候你会发现大多数政策虽然是“上有政策,下有对策”的产物,但是你好像也确实想不到更好的路子了。比较乐观的是中央现在在民众心理的威望、信誉非常高,我国大概是人民信任政府程度最高的一个国家了,中央注意到了这些隐患,一直在尝试纠正、拔除这些问题。

比如07年温家宝总理就提出了:

“中国经济存在着巨大问题,依然是不稳定、不平衡、不协调、不可持续的结构性的问题。”
但是奈何天有不测风云,08年全球金融危机爆发,中央不得已出台“4万亿”计划,稳定了经济增长,然后进一步被迫强化了结构失衡的问题。从现在来看,“4万亿”可能有些溢出,这导致了后续我国产能过剩,从进口国家转型成出口国家,但是身为一直生活在中国、理论上经历过“全球金融危机”,实际上仰赖我国政策倾斜的原因并没有在自己身上受到过实际冲击/受到的冲击非常小乃至现在看来几乎可以忽略不计的“我”(或者说老百姓)而言,我们是实实在在的受惠者。从个体来看,08年北京奥运、汶川地震、大雪灾这些要比金融危机带给我们“国内人”的影响要远远大于金融危机。所以作为一个老百姓来说,这个政策的效果我个人认为是非常非常非常好/有效果的。

前面提到“4万亿”计划导致产能过剩,于是我国开始转型出口型国家,这里是另一个让我很“挫败”的一个地方。——其实不是产能过剩,是我国国民消费能力没有明显增长。为什么大家不愿意消费了?因为工资涨了、物价高了、房价去到天上了、户籍限制(后来取消了),再加上我国文化传统,老百姓大多是储蓄型用户,习惯了“囤”钱,所以消费一直没有明显增长。

更为直白的原因是什么?钱不够。所谓的经济增长,因为政府的倾向,资源全部倾斜到了企业身上,与此同时政府对待“打工人”没有相关补助政策、对企业也没有尽到监管职责,导致层层剥削(资本家重利的本质),员工的工资待遇并没有明显提升——每一个人都为这个企业、行业、本地政府、国家创造出了巨大的利润,但是平摊到“每一个人”身上,什么都没有。

我国明明是全球公认的消费潜力最为巨大的市场之一,但是在我国政府(可能要除了中央,因为中央一直在以宏观角度看待问题,奈何总是“上有政策,下有对策”)眼里,我们就像隐身了一样。

以至于到现在,我国的社会主要矛盾已经完全变了:

2017年党的十九大报告指出:我国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾。这是自1981年党的十一届六中全会提出“我国所要解决的主要矛盾”(即人民日益增长的物质文化需要同落后的社会生产之间的矛盾)以来,中央首次重新定义“主要矛盾”,说明经济政策的根本导向发生了变化。
最后,作者身为一个经济学家,对我国经济未来前景是持乐观态度的,我在难受伤心的同时也不得不承认在我心里我还是信任我的国家的,原因很简单:

这种信念不是源于学术训练,而是源于司马迁、杜甫、苏轼,源于“一条大河波浪宽”,源于对中国人勤奋实干的钦佩。它影响了我看待问题的角度和处理信息的方式,我接受这种局限性,没有改变的打算。
没人知道未来会怎样。哪怕只是五六十年,也是一个远超认知的时间跨度,信念因此重要。1912年,溥仪退位,旧制度天崩地裂,新时代风起云涌,直到改革开放,仿佛已经历了几个世纪,但实际不过66年。
以上只是一些让我有些“痛苦”的阅读体验,事实上这本书里面也有很多值得令我骄傲的政策和“经济战争”,只不过不想再细说了。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ггг Ггг.
24 reviews3 followers
February 7, 2025
Very good, the book has a significant number of typos and grammatical mistakes, but they don't really take away from substance. My criticism would be directed at the author's seeming tendency to see the west, and really only America (as it is the only country that he really touches on specifically and any slight detail) as a reference and model for China to pursue as it moves to a higher stage of development, i.e. for him to a further embrace of the market. He mentions healthcare and education as key sectors that need to expand and their comparative % of gdp with respect to the US and Europe. America's healthcare and education segments of the gdp are pristine examples of how terrible unfettered market direction of the service economy can be. The more I look at Chinese intellectuals that aren't associated with the party the more and more I'm convinced that these people would have seen to it that China was way poorer and with far less prospects than it has now and it wouldn't really matter in the slightest to them as long as the results were the result of the sacred Market.
19 reviews2 followers
October 4, 2022
Probably the best book I have read published in mainland China about the internal logic of the Chinese bureaucracy system, its relation with the Party, and its role in society and the economic developement.

From the very beginning, the author proposed that "it is not realistic to consider the role of the Chinese government without taking its band with the Party into consideration". That's true. But still, the previous three administrations of Chinese have also revealed the subtle but importance difference between them.

Back to the economic perspective of understanding the Chinese government, its special training and selection system is a core. In the past three decades, GDP is the most important metric to evaluate a local officer. But now, this system is experiencing a change. Also, the author emphasize the risk in the debt of local governments, which is now like a bomb to blow the Chinese economy, especially considering its challenge from the real estate market.
Profile Image for Cheng.
97 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2022
虽然一直关注中国相关的各类新闻,但是对���政治经济这块并没有系统了解,连政府如何运行都不了解,谈和看懂新闻事件背后的脉络?作者这本书语言通俗,难得能在这么短的篇幅里说清楚中央与地方的博弈,以及几次大的财税改革及其带来的影响。

作者一直在强调中国的特殊性,以及研究经济问题不能忽视针对特性的分析,依我愚见,国家与国家之间的共性是多于差异的,只是很多时候确实是这些差异带来了“反常”的结果,如何将理论考虑这些差异,而不是单纯强调我们不一样是更有价值的。虽然这是一件困难的事情。

看衰中国的人很多,看好中国的人也不少,如桥水的老板、芒格与巴菲特。作为一名中国人,作者看好中国并不意外,而且从过去的发展来看,中央政府的行为是有迹可循且合乎道理的,我们没有理由相信中国会在未来经济发展道路上犯下愚蠢的低级错误。

在经济建设这个领域,错误已然不少,在更广阔的领域,我看到了更多错误。又让我不得不悲观。

正如作者所说,过好自己的生活。

谨慎看好中国。

Profile Image for Lily.
73 reviews3 followers
January 18, 2022
对理解中国政治经济很有帮助的一本书
Profile Image for Parachute.
4 reviews
February 5, 2022
咱们老百姓要了解政府在经济发展中扮演的角色,首先要把“政府”这个庞大的概念细分开:“条条”和“块块”垂直方向的上下级关系,水平方向的同级关系,从不同方向上影响财政。

所以首先是第一个问题:如何划分行政区域?经济发展落到实处,需要划出一个个“执行单位”去做事,要考虑自然条件和人文历史因素,还要使得执行效率尽量高。关键的概念叫做外部性,就是某区域的事务对其他区域的影响大小,要尽量减少部门协同给上级带来的行政压力。细分成讲三个考虑点:不同公共服务的辐射范围、人文分布影响的行政效率、区域边界的行政穷困。不同公共服务的维护成本影响范围不同,辐射范围超大的归于上级,辐射范围有限的交与各个下级区划,有多大预算就服务多大体量;人口密度、文化特点受地理和历史因素影响,需要安排多少的人来管,又需要把哪些人放在一起管;区域边界容易出现三不管现象,交界处容易出现两边交接不顺利或是发展不同步的现象,也是区域矛盾的爆发点。

第二个问题是:如何让政府内部人员保持良好配合?不同人拥有的信息不同,拥有信息优势的人通常拥有决策优势;官员之间的利益也存在矛盾和冲突,上下级可能存在传递和隐瞒问题,同级之间可能存在岗位竞争的问题。地方领导的任期长短和发展目标的长短,也存在不匹配的情况。要明确各个位置的权利和责任,根据发展方向来制定相应的激励机制和追责机制。

第三个问题是:高房价从哪来?笼统地来看,经过分税制改革以后,地方政府所拿到的钱比较少。过去几十年间政府的主要任务是发展经济。为了手上有足够的资金去发展经济,地方政府选择的路是政府投资和土地金融。给工业提供便宜土地和便利政策,拉动就业;发展房地产,给住房和商业提供的地很贵,从而获取收入。然后将拿到手的资金用于投资和扩大生产。书中提到了一些城市投资实体项目的例子,比如旅游开发的城投公司,投资京东方和光伏行业。政府也会拿资金去进行投资,包括作为LP去找私募基金,募集定向投资基金,即产业引导基金,把钱用在规划项目的投资上。

第四个问题:以后的钱应该往哪个方向流动呢?政府参与的基金带有隐性的风险兜底;构造资金链产生的“影子银行”;某些糟糕项目的投资不合理;制造业的就业增长会慢慢变慢,实业投资的需求减少……这些问题都值得考量。过去“重土地轻人”的发展模式虽然带来了飞速的发展,但产生的发展不平衡需要逐步调节过来,形成大平衡和双循环,否则进一步的发展会被限制住。重心从发展转移到人身上,从“生产型”转变为“服务型”政府,也是钱的流通方向转变。打通地域发展的一些限制,例如城市农村土地,户籍制度,过高房价,公共服务不足……

后面是一些零散的想法和摘抄

上世纪60年代被国际局势促成的三线备战,将工业建设分散在中西部各地。工厂、科研机构、基础设施违背自然发展趋势地在中西部地区扎根下来,却为90年代的乡镇企业发展、农民转化成工人埋下伏笔。延缓了差异巨大化的时间,平缓了改革的过渡。要是为了改革专门去做分散化,反而很可能做不走。感慨历史的巧合。

增发货币方式中我最感兴趣的是量化宽松,那些因为债务卡住的业务由央行印钱来接手过去,让钱流动起来,接手的钱也会被人拿去还债,不会促进通货膨胀。但这种方式直接受益的是富人。

省直管县的方式会更好吗,以后的日子拭目以待。

从小平民到大政府的视角转换是温情又残酷的,代表着作为一个平民愿意暂时脱离自身利益诉求,耐心听一听政府的起因经过用心良苦。我们虽然力量不对等,但我愿意安心成为你的一份子。但这又是残酷的,个体的经历被抹平,成千上万的个体在表单上以数字的形式展示出来,经济发展的数字波动可能就是千万家的欢喜和哀愁。作者在前言提到的“同情的理解”,不是强者对弱者的怜悯,而是暂时的同步感情,尝试理解。的确,看完这本书的最深的感受之一就是迫不得已,大家都想做好事,却局限于现实,无论是历史还是人性,都在一定条件上限制着我们的行为,也影响着走势。多年前的“因”,可能成为多年后的“果”,种种要素缠绕在一起,绕成了难解开的结。例如08的四万亿救市,或是土地金融带来的的高房价,都在获得的同时也做出了牺牲。

「限制债务增长的另一项根本性措施是资本市场改革,改变以银行贷款为主的间接融资体系,拓展直接融资渠道,既降低债务负担,也提高资金使用效率」谁拿钱谁担责,以前是政府和银行,所以风险很集中,以后把风险分散在民众和企业间,让大家直接投资。但这样似乎又需要调控,不然可能出现非正常投资。
「推进国内大循环要求提升技术,攻克各类“卡脖子”的关键环节。而科技进步最核心的要素是“人”。因此地方政府加大教育、医疗等方面的民生支出,正是对“人力资本”的投资,长远看有利于科技进步和经济发展」从“人口红利”向“人力资本”的转变,是民族富强的一个体现。
「但从根本上讲,我的乐观并不需要这些头头是道的逻辑支撑,它就是一种朴素的信念:相信中国会更好。这种信念不是源于学术训练,而是源于司马迁、杜甫、苏轼,源于“一条大河波浪宽”,源于对中国人勤奋实干的钦佩」读到的时候被这段感动,我们学的东西花里胡哨千奇百怪,但归根到底只是朴素的想法,想要中国更好,想要中国人过得更好,想要我们作为人的生活更好。

「我是个经济学家,基于专业训练的朴素信念也有一个:生活过得好一点,比大多数宏伟更宏伟。」

希望大家的生活都能过得好一点。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ed.
344 reviews4 followers
July 2, 2023
Pretty informative for me and hit quite a few of the questions I have had.

The beginning with tax inform was useful but slow going. I do really like how the author not only references but also discusses view points from other economists around the world along with actual comparisons. The recommended books are great too especially since the author took time to highlight a few in each chapter and shared explicitly why he recommended these books. I really appreciate the author deep diving into why he thinks some specific situations in China cannot firefly follow the US and global practices as well as what he sees as risks in the current China system.

The one part I hope the author would have done more is on domestic spend. As that’s the huge unlock it would be good to go to more detail on the issue, maybe from tier one cities to the rural. The author mostly tackled from a macro solve in terms of moving away from infrastructure investment.
117 reviews18 followers
Read
September 21, 2023
This book is a good review of what happened in China in the past few decades. Even if you are already familiar with the economic history of China, you may still find some interesting new details.
The author covered little about what should have been done or what should be done now.
Lastly, as for interpretability, the author resorts to the uniqueness of the Chinese economy. This is often heard in China. It is true that China is different from the "West" in its development in the past 40 years. However, there are lots of similarities if one does research in developing countries like South Africa, Brazil, India, eastern European countries. Or if we shift the time horizon by one or two decades, there are lots of similarities compared to other Asian countries. Researchers in any fields should not be satisfied with just recording what happened, but look for interpretability. More work needs to be done in this area.
Profile Image for Sharon.
52 reviews6 followers
July 26, 2024
有句话是别人夸夸其谈某事 特别有道理 直到谈论到你熟悉的领域 作为一级市场从业者 本书谈论私募基金的篇章简单明了 形容准确 虽然涉及到的概念比较浅显了 但至少准确 比我前几天看的一本专门讲股权和融资的书好了很多
也比较代表我对整本书的看法:写得很好 简单明了 准确 但略微有点浅显了

很多一笔带过的内容不知道是否是审查限制 比如我想读这本书的初衷:土地财政
最近看了很多关于房价的悲伤新闻 其中一个我印象最深的是在微博看到的一个视频 308万买的房子 110万卖掉了 四年还了48万房贷 首付108万 180万的房贷卖了房子也没还上 还要继续还70万 视频里说亏了260万我都不敢信 掏出纸笔算了一下才发现是真的 只住了一年的房子 现金就亏了200多万 23年过完年就被裁了 一年多了还没找到工作 实在撑不下去了卖的房子
作者显然是中国多头 不过如今的审查制度之下 如果看空中国 肯定不能出版一本书来说这事 但是怎么说呢 一边读第四章中作者对于国资帮助企业做大做强走向世界的自豪 一边想到如今腰斩的房价 拒绝抗鼎也无力再抗鼎的年轻人 找不到工作的大学毕业生 疯狂考公考编的社会现象 以及竭泽而渔的苛捐杂税 薅完大户薅羊毛的态势
很惊悚啊多头们
作为一级市场从业者本身也对国内的市场感到好奇 国资做LP是真正搞死了一级市场 当然多头是什么话也不会说的 一朝天子一朝政策 时代车轮滚滚而过 翻篇了
希望今上不要再做中国唯一的首席经济学家了 就多花点心思多贪点钱吧 别再干活啦 啥也别干就专门贪钱还能贪更多 不要再指导各行各业了 不把每一个行业都搞死誓不罢休?小学博士毕竟只上过小学 骗骗网友得了别把自己也骗了

早上刷微博看到陈志武对吴晓求说:建议把A股市场关了 现在越来越回到国家计划、管理资源配置 所以既然是政府重新管制经济 微观调控经济 那就干脆不要再花那么多的成本 特别是很多领导们又不喜欢搞金融的人拿那么多的工资 干脆就逼着这些人去改行做别的工作 让社会不要去装的做一个四不像的资本市场
吴晓求是现任的人大国家金融研究院院长 人微言轻但我一百万个赞同
Profile Image for cunningrocks.
24 reviews2 followers
December 7, 2025
You can judge this book by its title.

A comparative framework would be helpful for an illiterate Amerikkan like myself. I can't help but wonder if it's possible to write a similar book, particularly the first half, about governance in the USA (a very inward looking impulse but I can't help myself)? Not sure.

Case studies show that 2008 stimulus was a major opportunity for growth, not so in the Atlantic world.

Could use a more historical approach, and it's pretty dry and non-ideological (but it's literally a textbook so idk what I was expecting). Useful footnotes and references. Doesn't answer all of my questions about modern Chinese political economy, but a solid starting point for future studies. will revisit this later at some point.
Profile Image for Blamky.
5 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2022
This book can offer you a bit of a structure of China's economy and its interactions with the government, but since it's students and public oriented it cannot provide more in-depth details. Some arguments in chapters in the second part are not very convincible. And the author is too optimistic about the current China, which is apparently contradicts to today's China, underlying that he could not capture the real picture or he dare not to speak for it and thus it falls into the cliche and cannot offer enough profound insights.
Profile Image for Yiyuan.
4 reviews
November 16, 2025
The author does provide an easy to follow explanation of how land economy has been working and not working in China. An insightful read for folks who don’t have too much expertise in China. The 2nd half of the book felt lacking depth though, which is understandable as too much criticism to the status quo would be strictly prohibited in current China.

Interesting that it’s a few years after the book was done and there have not been a sign of reversal of the property and real estate crisis in China.
Profile Image for Chelsea.
159 reviews
January 8, 2022
作为一本帮助如何理解政府行为以及政策的通俗读物,用经济学视角去看待政府不仅是掌握的资源,更重要的在经济活动中发挥的角色和作用去理解当代的问题地方政府的债务问题,土地财政和土地金融,重投资生产带来的产业结构失衡,同时对于新兴行业技术科技如光伏,液晶屏,通讯对政府引导推动的作用伴随着一些产能过剩市场竞争能力低效企业并存的现象,经历的模式典型三个特点,在城市化过程中”重土地,轻人;在招商引资重”重规模,重扩张“,在经济结构上”重投资,重生产,轻消费“,而解决的根本之道在于政府职能的转型由生产投资型转变为服务型政府,这也可以近年来各级政府大力推进智慧城市,智慧园区,智慧水务,智慧交通,教育等走向民生问题,以人为本的行为佐证,但是我们也应看到对于进入一些新兴技术产业政府的引导扶持,土地市场的一级开发等也着实需要政府的干预投入。而对于政策的理解如文中的这一句可以说是鞭辟入里 “其实即使在今天,中央重大政策出台的背后,也要经过很多轮的征求意见、协商、修改,否则很难落地。成功的政策背后是成功的协商和妥协,而不是机械的命令与执行,所以理解利益冲突,理解协调和解决机制,是理解政策的基础”。
Profile Image for D.
45 reviews
April 16, 2022
Great read for this shanghai covid lockdown 2022.
really took my mind of our everyday struggle here, and offered comfort in getting to know my country better while locked up.
the list of recommended book is great! you feel the author really really cares, and want readers to really learn something, rather than those typical academic showoffs.
just got a paper copy online, hope to hold it in my hands soon.
1 review
November 11, 2022
### 扩展阅读
- 杰作China Reconnects: Joining a Deep-rooted Past to a New World Order(Wang,2019)
- 他乡之税:一个乡镇的三十年,一个国家的“隐秘”财政史
- 《现代资本主义:三次工业革命中的成功者》(哈佛商学院麦克劳)
- 《美国增长的起落》
- 纪录片《美国工厂》
- 小镇喧嚣:一个乡镇政治运作的演绎与阐释
- 浪潮之巅
- 《20世纪全球资本主义的兴衰》
- 《大合流:信息技术和新全球化》
- 《城乡中国》
- 《走向自主创新:寻找中国力量的源泉》
- 《新火:走向自主创新2》
- 为什么是欧洲?世界史视角下的西方崛起
- 资本全球化:一部国际货币体系史(原书第3版)
- 《史上最伟大的交易》
- 《全球经济史》(英国史学家艾伦)
- 《大国大城:当代中国的统一、发展与平衡》
- 《光变:一个企业及其工业史》(路风)
- 《银行的秘密:现代金融生存启示录》
- 《亚洲大趋势》
- 《中国,永不破裂的泡沫》
- 纪录片《大同》(中国市长)
- 《棉花帝国》
- 《邓小平时代》
1 review
February 14, 2025
An easy-to-read book to understand the current Chinese economy, especially how it has been and is being shaped by the Chinese governmental policy.

After reading the book, I have a deeper understanding of the problems of the current Chinese social economy. For some governmental policies, I started to look at the reasons behind it, rather than just criticizing them.

Afterall, development means keep solving problems.
Profile Image for Oscar.
43 reviews2 followers
May 23, 2022
It appears to be a conclusion to the traditional concept of how China took off, focusing on micro-level evidence compared to the "championship" literature. But I'm not sure if this model still works in the "new normal." And everyone must recognize that this system is fragile and susceptible to political power, as we saw in Shanghai.
Profile Image for Shuangshuang Zheng.
4 reviews
January 11, 2023
置身事内是复旦经济学教授兰小欢的关于中国政府与经济发展的一部著作。 书中从发展经济学的角度介绍了中国政府在经济发展中的角色,并从空间与时间两个方面展开去阐述。 其核心观点包含了推动中国发展的具有中国特色的经济政治体制的三大组件:掌握大量资源并可以自主行动的地方政府,协调和控制能力强的中央政府,还有人力资本雄厚和组织完善的官僚体系。

中国的经济发展离不开上述三大组件。 学习中国的发展过程有助于对目前国家的经济发展现状及其形成的理解。但是与此同时他又提出历史的经验不一定适合用于未来的发展,发达国家的发展经验也不一定可以完全照搬。中国未来的发展路径一定是坚持实事求是的,坚持具体问题具体分析的,在实践中不断探索和解决问题才是中国改革与发展的关键。
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