Book Description

This book presents an exploration of the idea of the common or social good, extended so that alternatives with different populations can be ranked. The approach is, in the main, welfarist, basing rankings on the well-being, broadly conceived, of those who are alive (or ever lived). The axiomatic method is employed, and topics investigated include: the measurement of individual well-being, social attitudes toward inequality of well-being, the main classes of population principles, principles that provide incomplete rankings, principles that rank uncertain alternatives, best choices from feasible sets, and applications. The chapters are divided, with mathematical arguments confined to the second part. The first part is intended to make the arguments accessible to a more general readership. Although the book can be read as a defense of the critical-level generalized-utilitarian class of principles, comprehensive examinations of other classes are included. ... Read more

Book Description

While the importance of ethnic Chinese communities in the economies of Southeast Asia is a widely studied subject, their chosen forms of political expression are less well documented. Widely affiliated "umbrella" organizations constituted the main representative bodies for Chinese interests during colonial eras, but very few communities have continued to rely on such organizations to the present day.

Formed to mediate between the Chinese community and the local governing body, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry has been the focus of ethnic Chinese economic and political power in the Philippines since the 1950s. Unlike other organizations, its actions have often been influenced by its relations with the government of the Philippines, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan.

In Chinese Big Business in the Philippines, the Federation is a platform for the broader issues of leadership and the adaptability of business-based political organizations in general. In the Philippine context, challenges to the survival of the Federation have arisen from the dynamism of local politics, the increasing social integration of the ethnic Chinese community and economic globalization. As the Chinese become increasingly integrated into Philippine society, younger generations are forming rival organizations with political and social agendas, claiming a broader base of support in the community outside the economic elite. The author critically assesses the viability of the leaders of Chinese big business in the Philippines to represent a constituency that is becoming increasingly politically articulate and socially diverse. ... Read more

Book Description

This ambitious volume is the first book to present a comprehensive analysis of the domestic and external challenges to Europe's different welfare systems. Drawing on the very latest research, these world-class scholars examine the capacity of different systems to resolve fundamental challenges, such as demographic change and the rising cost of social protection, faced at the start of the 21st century. ... Read more

Book Description

The effectiveness of market discipline -- the strong built-in incentives that encourage banks and financial systems to operate soundly and efficiently -- commands much attention today, particularly in light of recent accounting scandals. As government discipline, in the form of regulation, seems to grows less effective as the banking industry and financial markets grow more complex, the role of market discipline becomes increasingly important. In this collection, which grew out of a conference cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a diverse group of academics and policymakers address different aspects of the ability of market discipline to affect corporate behavior and performance.

A major purpose of the book is to develop evidence on how market discipline operates across non-government regulated industries and in different countries, how successful it has been, and how it may transfer to a regulated industry. The chapters examine such topics as the theory of market discipline, evidence of market discipline in banking and other industries, evidence of market discipline for countries, the current state of corporate governance, and the interaction of market discipline and public policy. ... Read more

Book Description

These essays review current theoretical debates, explore the role of regional context, and offer case studies of legal culture and civil society in Mexico and China to demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between market and democracy and the implications for other transitional polities such as Russia and for U.S. foreign policy. Designed for classroom use, this volume adds a focused comparative perspective for courses on Chinese, Asian-Pacific, and Latin American politics, development, and contemporary history. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

It is often pointed out that "for every bad borrower, and for every failed project, there is also a culpable lender or investor."This observation is particularly apt for the debate now raging in the capital markets: should private bankers and investment managers bear a greater share of the costs when financial crises erupt in emerging economies? Critics who have analyzed the "plumbing" of the world's financial architecture have thus far devoted enormous attention to the demand side -structural weaknesses in emerging markets.They have excoriated the IMF for ineptitude and policy mistakes.

But the authors of this study argue that financial leaders of the G-10 nations (industrial nations that were hardly affected by the crises of 1997-98) owe a responsibility -- both to their own citizens and the emerging markets -- to take a far more vigilant stance.Dobson and Hufbauer criticize the supply side of world capital markets and ask how G-10 capital suppliers can reform their own financial systems to make the world safe for large-scale international capital flows. They draw a comprehensive picture of international finance through an extensive review of capital flows, the major financial players behind these flows, and the balance between costs and benefits of international capital movements. The authors analyze the implications of changing the rules of the game and recommend specific policy measures. ... Read more

Book Description

In this seminal work, the authors argue that there are distinct local factors that shape the environment of economic development decision-making.These factors, taken together, constitute a community’s local civic culture. Using survey and case study data from U.S. and Canadian cities, the authors make the case that different cultures will produce different types of economic development policies, and that local civic culture will effect the whole array of local policies.The focus on economic development policy provides a window on local decision-making and allows for the development of a theory, introduced by the authors, about the role of local civic culture in framing local decisions of all types. This ultimately provides a theoretical vehicle for categorizing cities and predicting policy outcomes. The book concludes with an overview of what is known about the economic development process and highlights the questions raised about that knowledge by the analyses used here and the focus on civic cultures.New research questions are posed and new directions raised for continued application of a local civic culture approach toward understanding urban policy processes. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers a detailed, critical account of the economic transformation of the Czech Republic since 1989. It follows the development and implementation of a reform strategy based on ‘shock’ therapy and rapid privatization, set against the background of turbulent political change and conflict.

The aim of the government in the mid 1990s was the creation of a ‘Czech’ capitalism, with Czech-owned business empires and banks. A detailed analysis of developments in banking and industrial enterprises shows how the chosen strategy led instead to continuing inefficiency, flawed management decisions and uncontrolled profiteering. These combined factors contributed to serious economic difficulties in the latter part of the decade, with success stories largely confined to foreign-owned firms. After 1998, a new government attempted to encourage economic revival based upon a fresh strategy which emphasized the sale of banks and industrial enterprises to foreign owners. Even with this new reform strategy, Myant concludes that the results were, at best, mixed. Throughout the analysis, the author provides in-depth commentary on a variety of topics including the sources of economic growth, the role of the central bank, developments in banking and industrial enterprises and the impact of inward direct investment.

It is rare to find such a comprehensive book which assesses the economic transformations of a single country. The detailed analysis and pertinent conclusions will be welcomed by academics and researchers with an interest in transition economies, European integration, international finance and political science. ... Read more

Book Description

The expert contributors to this book examine recent developments in empirical methods and applied simulation in evolutionary economics. Using examples of innovation and technology in industry, it is the first book to address the following questions in a systematic manner:

•Can evolutionary economics use the same empirical methods as other research traditions in economics?

•Is there a need for empirical methods appropriate to the subject matter chosen?

•What is the relationship between appreciative theorizing, case studies and more structured empirical methods?

•What is the relationship of modeling and simulation to empirical analysis?

Evolutionary economics is a relatively new research tradition and a book such as this, which discusses the need for empirical and simulation methods appropriate to evolutionary economics, will be of great interest to researchers of evolutionary economics and technological innovation. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers a wide-ranging overview of the state of labor market forecasting in selected OECD countries. Besides presenting forecasting models, the contributions provide an introduction to past experiences of forecasting, highlight the requirements for building appropriate data sets and present the most up-to-date forecasts available.

In most cases the forecasts project mismatches in the labor market as they are likely to occur in the coming years with respect to occupational groups, qualifications and employment in specific sectors. The authors demonstrate how these insights might be used to help reduce employment risks both for the individual worker and the national labor market as a whole. The country examples also show how information on labor market trends is disseminated and used by various actors, such as policymakers, firms and individuals.

In a world of rapid structural change, the results of the research presented in this book could help cushion the impact of potential shocks from future mismatches and skill shortages in the job market. Policymakers at the supranational, national and regional level, and academics in the fields of labor market theory and policy can all draw valuable information from this insightful study. ... Read more

Book Description

This book fills the need for vigorous, policy-relevant research on the linkages between labor markets and the provision of benefits by employers and governments. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Culture and the Labour Market attempts to define the meaning of culture and the nature of its possible consequences on economic processes and outcomes. In particular, the book examines alternative theoretical and empirical approaches to the economic analysis of cultural effects in the labor market. Using extensive new data from fourteen countries, the author finds tangible evidence of substantial cross-cultural differences in beliefs about wage inequality.

To enhance the study, Siobhan Austen looks in detail at the meaning and importance of social norms, shared beliefs and attitudes throughout the world. She examines recent trends in wage disparity around the globe and relates these to changing beliefs about the legitimacy of inequality. The results reveal that cultural norms relating to wage disparity actually alter with the experience of high levels of inequality. Significantly, the analysis also indicates that cultural norms have the potential to modify certain economic outcomes such as the wage structure and level of unemployment.

This comprehensive and highly original study of the economic influence of culture will be indispensable to labor and social economists. It will also be of value to academics working on labor market theory and policy, and the hitherto neglected link with culture. ... Read more

Book Description

Bringing together contributors from both the university sector and business-centered research institutions, this comprehensive volume offers diverse perspectives on the impacts and consequences of globalization in different parts of the Asian region. ... Read more

Book Description

Growth and development are among the most exciting subjects in economics, and the application of their principles to African economies is both needed and timely. African Economic Development comprises a collection of articles written especially for this volume, which offer an authoritative statement about economic growth and development on the continent. Chapters are grouped together according to the major influences on growth and development and their effects, as well as the significant or unique problems which have slowed or undermined African growth, and the manifestations of development by country or region and by industry. While many books on regional economics become quickly outdated and overly narrow, these multidisciplinary regional studies with an economic bias will be considered cornerstones of the field for some years to come. ... Read more