以消费为主导扩大内需******
作者：王微（国务院发展研究中心市场经济研究所所长、研究员）
党的二十大报告从新时代全面建设社会主义现代化国家的要求出发，对加快构建新发展格局、着力推动高质量发展作出了一系列重大部署，提出“把实施扩大内需战略同深化供给侧结构性改革有机结合起来”。中央经济工作会议提出“要把恢复和扩大消费摆在优先位置”，要求“增强消费能力，改善消费条件，创新消费场景”。这些对着力扩大内需、增强消费对经济发展的基础性作用提供了重要指引。
近年来，我国在深度参与国际产业分工的同时，不断提升国内供给质量水平，着力释放国内市场需求，促进形成强大国内市场，内需对经济发展的支撑作用明显增强，特别是消费基础性作用持续强化。《扩大内需战略规划纲要（2022－2035年）》显示，改革开放以来特别是党的十八大以来，最终消费支出占国内生产总值的比重连续11年保持在50%以上；住行消费等传统消费显著增长，城镇居民人均住房建筑面积稳步提高，汽车新车销量连续13年位居全球第一；消费新业态新模式快速发展，2021年实物商品网上零售额占社会消费品零售总额比重为24.5%，人均服务性消费支出占人均消费支出比重为44.2%。可以说，消费已经成为进一步扩大内需的最大动力来源。
我国超大规模市场优势和巨大内需潜力是长期积累培育、从量变到质变的结果。从消费需求看，我国拥有规模广阔、需求多样的国内消费市场，拥有形成超大规模消费市场的人口基础，消费结构升级与消费创新共同推动我国消费市场持续壮大繁荣，消费作为经济“稳定器”和“压舱石”的重要性日益上升，以消费为主导的内需增长空间广阔、动力强劲。
一方面，商品消费提质升级态势明显。人民群众对美好生活的向往总体上已经从“有没有”转向“好不好”，人们更多选择高品质、高附加值、高技术的商品消费，不断推动商品消费加快提档升级，消费韧性不断增强。另一方面，服务消费快速发展。2021年，居民人均服务性消费支出10645元，服务消费已经成为支撑消费增长和服务业新体系加快构建的重要动力。还要看到，消费人群高度分化、消费加快向城市集聚等态势也日益明显。预计到2030年，我国中等收入群体占总人口比重将超过50%，对居民消费的贡献将超过70%。此外，新消费群体将加速形成，预计2030年“Z世代”创造的新兴消费市场规模将达到16万亿元，60岁及以上老年群体创造的“银发经济”规模可达20万亿元。同时，大型中心城市将成为消费新增长极，国际消费中心城市对消费的引领带动作用将进一步提升，一批辐射带动能力强、资源整合有优势的区域消费中心加快形成，中小型消费城市梯队建设逐步成型。
需要认识到，有效扩大和更好满足消费，对构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展意义重大。面向未来，必须坚定实施扩大内需战略，准确把握国内市场发展规律。要切实消除现存障碍，充分释放被抑制的消费潜能，特别是正在加快升级的中高端消费潜能；深化供给侧结构性改革，加快推进供给结构调整，加大服务消费领域的改革开放力度，不断增加多样化多元化的服务供给，加快释放服务消费升级孕育的巨大增长潜力；进一步促进消费线上线下融合创新，加快新型信息基础设施建设；不断完善有助于培育建设国际消费中心城市的政策体系，加快打造具有国内外影响力的新商圈、新平台、新场景；以县域消费为抓手促进多层次消费市场协调互促发展；等等。总而言之，就是要多措并举，不断释放内需潜力，充分发挥内需拉动作用，建设更加强大的国内市场，推动我国经济高质量发展。
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
