Recently, Associate Professor Wu Jinjin from the Department of Public Policy published a research paper titled Government Size, Fiscal Decentralization, and Budget Slack: Evidence from Chinese Prefectures in the internationally renowned academic journal The China Review. According to the latest JCR (Journal Citation Reports), the journal ranks in Q1 for “Area Studies.” Wu Jinjin is the first author, with Shenzhen University as the first author affiliation.
The paper examines budget slack in Chinese local governments, noting that slack primarily manifests as idle budget funds and inefficient fiscal management, distinct from the budget buffering functions seen in developed countries. Analyzing panel data from 335 prefecture-level cities, the study explores the impact of government size and fiscal decentralization on budget slack. It finds that larger government size significantly increases budget slack, while fiscal revenue decentralization mitigates it by reducing government size, though fiscal expenditure decentralization exacerbates it.
This research enriches academic discourse on budget slack and offers critical policy insights for optimizing local government fiscal management and improving budget efficiency in China. Associate Professor Wu’s achievement showcases the academic strength of our faculty in public policy and underscores Shenzhen University’s depth and breadth in social sciences research. Moving forward, the school will continue supporting high-level academic research, contributing greater wisdom and solutions to advancing public policy and addressing China’s practical challenges.
Layout: Yu Xinzi
Initial Review: Wang Yingying
Second Review: Wu Jinjin
Final Review: Gu Zhijun
