Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2015

 

On the National Governance Quotient

(Abstract)

 

Jiang Bixin and Shao Changmao

 

A nation’s rise and fall depends to some extent upon its national governance quotient. The national governance quotient is a quantitative indicator designed to evaluate a country’s level of governance in quotient form. Its numerical values are the ratios of a country’s governance system, governance capacities and governance costs. By its nature, it is an “alloy” of thinking and techniques for quantifying governance and using numbers to run the country. Its advanced character rests on the fact that its inner core is built on logic and computation and its scientific rationality is guaranteed by such technical platforms as big data and cloud computing. The creation of a national governance quotient offers technological support for and is a fundamental project in transformation from empirical and experimental governance to quantified and scientific governance. Its theoretical and practical value is of particular importance for advancing the system of national governance and modernizing governance capacity. The national governance quotient can be used in the following fields: for the quantified management of the process of modernizing national governance; as a yardstick and “core indicator” for determining whether Chinese governance will have been modernized by 2020; for compiling reports on other countries’ governance quotients in order to obtain international discourse rights in the field of governance; and compiling reports on governance quotients from all over China so as to improve governance levels.