基于新制度经济学视角的“河长制”评析

The frequent water crisis in our country results not only from the environment destruction of water environment as functions of living space and supply depot, but also from the environment pollution of water environment as waste repository. The system of river-leader is an impactful and practical institution put forward by the local government to resume three functions of environment. The diffusion effects of the system of river-leader soon spread throughout the country because it's easy to operate. The system of river-leader originates from local government's institution innovation. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the system of river-leader are analyzed by The new institutional economics theory. The advantages of the system of river-leader are clear power, right and duty attribution; rational-institution innovation based on path dependence efficient; pollution governance by iron hand; and innovative diffusion mechanism deserving to be recommended. There are some disadvantages of the system: unable to eradicate the principal-agent problem, lack of a transparent supervisory mechanism, liable to conspiracy for benefit, ignoring social forces, and difficult to implement administration accountability. The system of river-leader evaluates comprehensively local power structure and the environmental reality, take full advantage of the chief executive's authority to lead in the function transformation of local governments, and propel the change to of environmental institution with Chinese native characteristic. But the system is urgent and transitional now. So it should maximize favorable factors and minimize unfavorable ones in its development, perfecting itself step by step. The system has to be made into an environmental supervisory mechanism with whole social participation, and a sustainable institution of environmental governance should be built.