The aim of public policy is to serve public interest through a just distribution of natural and social resources. However, many practical challenges remain as the government endeavors to express public will in policy implementation, achieve incremental growth in public goods and rebuild its credibility.

To address these issues, it is important to cultivate officials with a sense of justice, establish a just assessment mechanism and ensure ecological justice when implementing public policy.

Official morality
Good public administration of the government greatly depends on the virtue of civil servants. So, government officials should behave themselves when fulfilling their duties to set the example for other citizens.

A just government first requires just conduct from the officials who execute instructions on its behalf. However, it should be noted that justice of the government cannot be reduced to that of its officials. Any official whose unjust behavior has jeopardized the reputation of the government should be held accountable.

Sustainable assessment
A scientific, sustainable mechanism is needed to ensure justice in assessing governing achievements.

First, we need to establish a system of lifelong accountability and a mechanism for retroactive investigation into accountability for major decisions. Such a mechanism is designed to protect public interest and prohibit misconduct by any government or official. Moreover, GDP is not the only standard for assessment. The effect of public service should also be examined.

Second, the success of public policy should be assessed from a long-term perspective rather than by examining only immediate results. And the effectiveness of those responsible for its implementation should also be considered. The results of implementation can only be tested by time.
 

Third, if a review of any policy finds that it is flawed or has an adverse impact, it should be repealed.
 

Constraint in resource use
To achieve ecological justice, the government needs to look at both the short-term and long-term effects of public policy in order to achieve sustainability.
 

First, we should be cautious about using natural resources. The core of ecological justice is fair distribution of natural resources and environmental responsibilities. For more than three decades since the reform and opening up, China experienced rapid development at the expense of the environment. However, repairing the damage will take the efforts of a generation or even several generations. Thus, a system to cautiously manage resources needs to be introduced to avoid or prevent ecological destruction.
 

Second, pollution transfer should be punished. All ecological consequences should be examined before carrying out a project. Any policy that benefits local people while transferring pollution to other places goes against the principle of justice.
 

Third, we should better protect public land. People’s selfishness and ignorance of environmental cost will destroy the land they inhabit, which in turn will do harm to themselves. We must raise our awareness of protecting public space to avoid the tragedy of losing our homes.

 

Zhuo Chengxia is from the Institute of Political Science at the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences.