地方政府为何青睐大科学装置？——基于政治锦标赛理论的解释

Why Local Governments in Good Graces of Big-Science Infrastructure?-- Explanation Based on The Theory of Political Rank-Order Tournament

摘要:

基于政治锦标赛理论,指出当前中国进入了以“创新驱动发展”为特点的经济发展模式“变法期”,地方政府间正在展开一场以科技创新为导向的创新锦标赛。地方政府根据自身竞赛禀赋差异选择创新竞赛的参与方式,由于创新后果的不可预期,最具事前政绩显示度的投入项目往往成为地方政府的竞赛政治正确,表现为事前的科技创新投入越大,地方政府越有可能赢得锦标赛。在这一背景下,建设大科学装置所需的巨额投入及其科技创新价值迎合了地方政府的“锦标”选择偏好,进而获得了众多地方政府青睐。最后,指出要慎防因大科学装置建设“过热”而产生的重复投资、资源浪费、乃至“伪大科学装置”等后果,并提出对策建议。

Abstract:

China has entered into the "reform period" of economic development mode characterized by "innovation-driven development" based on the theory of political rank-order tournament, and a Technological Innovation Oriented Innovation tournament is being launched among local governments. Local governments choose different way to participate in the tournament according to their own endowment. Due to the unpredictability of innovation consequences, the investment projects with the most prior performance often become the tournament " target of local governments, which shows that the greater the prior investment in science and technology innovation, the more likely local governments are to win the tournament. In this context, the huge investment and the value of scientific and technological innovation required for the construction of big-science infrastructure cater to the local government"s preference, and thus win the good graces of many local governments. Finally, it points out that we should be careful to prevent the consequences of repeated investment, waste of resources, and even "pseudo big-science infrastructure big-science infrastructure construction, and puts forward countermeasures and suggestions.