On the Political Economy of Low Skilled Immigration and the Welfare State

This paper inquires into the collective decision making on both unemployment insurance and immigration. It is shown that low skill immigration typically increases the contribution rate to the unemployment insurance system. This can translate into higher benefits, the increase of the economy-wide unemployment rate nonwithstanding. The host country allows for immigration only if high skilled natives are sufficiently powerful. Furthermore, political rights of immigrants are restricted to a minimum.     

The Long-run Effects of the Italian Pension Reforms

The paper analysesthe reforms of the Italian mandatory pension scheme for employeeslegislated in the 1990s. To assess the effects of the reforms,a microsimulation model calibrated on cross-section data is developed.The model is aimed at estimating the average income of a memberof a cohort, as well as the average per capita income of allindividuals alive in a given year. The long-run effects of thereform are analysed, comparing the characteristics of alternativefinancing schemes. A substantial improvement of the equity aswell as the long-run sustainability of the Italian public pensionschemes emerges. However, the dreary demographic scenario callsfor further tightening of eligibility rules sometime in the nextdecades if long-run sustainability of public debt is to be achieved.On the basis of sensitivity analysis, some changes aimed at hedgingthe system against unexpected shocks are suggested.     

试论中国福利社会与西方福利国家的区别

建设福利社会是我国社会福利体系建设的长远目标,但建设福利社会不是把中国发展为西方式的福利国家,二者之间存在着根本差异。西方福利国家已有60余年历史,中国福利社会刚刚起步;西方福利国家归根结底是资本主义国家,中国福利社会则是中国特色社会主义的社会形态;西方福利国家的意识形态是多元化的,中国福利社会则坚持一元化的马克思主义;西方福利国家充满着国内外的政治算计,中国福利社会旨在增进全体人民的福祉;西方福利国家更多地追求＂高福利＂,中国福利社会则强调＂福利适度化＂。     

The Welfare State in a Changing Environment

We analyse how the welfare state, i.e., social insurance that works through redistributive taxation, should respond to increases in risks and to increases in the cost of operating the welfare state. With respect to risks, we distinguish between risks that can be insured and such that cannot (background risks). Insurable risks can be reduced by costly individual self-insurance and by costly social insurance. We show: (i) Self-insurance will be higher the more costly is the welfare state and the larger are background or insured risks. (ii) Full social insurance can only be optimal in a costless welfare state. (iii) The optimal welfare state is not necessarily larger the less costly it is. (iv) The welfare state need not optimally expand when risks increase that it insures. (v) It should, however, expand when risks increase that it does not insure.     

Growth and Welfare Effects of Fiscal Policy in an Endogenous Growth Model with Public Investment

In this paper we analyze growth and welfare effects of fiscal policy in an endogenous growth model along the balanced growth path. As to the model we assume that sustained per capita growth results from public investment. The government uses its tax revenue for investment in public capital, for investment subsidy and for transfer payments. We then analyze how the balanced growth rate reacts to variations in those policy variables. Further, we study welfare effects of varying the fiscal parameters and demonstrate that, in general, maximizing economic growth is not equivalent to maximizing welfare on the balanced growth path.     

构建符合我国国情的家庭福利政策体系研究

目前我国正处于经济、社会和文化急剧变化的现代化进程中,传统的家庭结构、规模、功能已发生了深刻的变化,出现了许多新问题。本文从保障家庭经济安全;支持家庭照顾能力,分担家庭照顾责任;扩展基础性的教育保障,实现区域内教育资源均衡发展等角度出发重构了我国的家庭福利政策体系。     

职业福利功能之争

对职业福利功能的判断或定位,决定了在职业福利发展及其与公共福利的合作机制方面的政府政策引导方向、力度、方式或方法。国内外学者对本国或世界范围内公共福利与职业福利作用关系的实际考察发现:补充理论、替代理论和福利多元主义理论对职业福利的功能做出了不同的判断。由于对各福利供给主体功能等价原则以及国家之外的福利供给主体对国家的替代能力的质疑,替代理论和福利多元主义理论缺少广泛支持;对公共福利的补充功能成为世界范围内职业福利的功能定位。然而,职业福利本身具有高度复杂性,要使职业福利充分发挥补充功能,仍需对其本身进行深入研究。     

公共福利支出视角下的农村社会保障体系建设

对于我国现行的农村社会保障体系,本文基于财政福利支出的视角提出了相关问题,主要包括：支出导向单一化、支出监督管理存在多方面的问题。随后,本文介绍了福利支出项目在社会保障体系中的分配功能及其政策效应。最后,根据农村公共福利支出多样化的发展要求,基于提高农民素质、发挥农民劳动力优势的目标,本文提出了完善我国农村社会保障体系的相关政策建议。     

低碳产业补贴政策对福利分配的影响

本文从低碳产业的外部性出发。探讨了补贴对低碳产业发展的影响。首先,通过假定补贴政策对低碳产品的需求弹性不同．分析了补贴增加的福利总额在生产者和消费者之间的分配。其次,假定对低碳产业生产者进行补贴,将会使整个低碳行业生产者收益增加,推动低碳产业的快速发展。最后,提出了构建低碳产业的补贴政策要根据低碳产业发展规划分步实施的政策思路。     

职业福利的定位及其发展趋势

从世界范围来看,职业福利的发展越来越受到重视。由于职业福利的内容具有复杂性、广泛性,各国和地区的经济和社会发展水平,造成了职业福利概念边界模糊,这也使职业福利成为最具有挑战性的研究领域之一。本文从蒂特马斯所提出的职业福利概念出发,通过职业福利与法定福利、附加给付以及社会政策的关系定位,针对广义职业福利范围太宽泛的问题,提出了强制——选择性的维度,对职业福利进行了重新界定和划分,并对职业福利的发展趋势进行了分析。