Structural shifts in urban population density gradients: an empirical investigation

This study investigates the structural shifts in urban population density gradients by first using the shifting regression technique of Farley, Hinich, and McGuire to detect the possible change in the structure of an urban area. Secondly, a generalized random coefficient technique is used to simultaneously detect the possible structural change and stochastic behavior of density gradients. Data for 50 United States SMSA's are used to do the empirical analyses.     

The role of family decision in internal migration: the case of India

This paper analyzes the effects of family decisions and individual decisions on rural-urban migration in India under 2 different rural institutions--family farm and wage labor systems. An analytical framework for explaining family migration decisions reveals that whenever a member of the extended family migrates, he gives up his share in the produce of the family farm. When this happens, the number of adult members on the farm goes down and the total product is affected. 3 case studies of Indian villages are analyzed for this study. 2 empirical relations are examined: 1) if individual migration decisions are predominant, and 2) if family decisions are important in determining the overall flow of migration. Relationships between migration decisions and other variables, such as: 1) number of males in urban areas; 2) urban wages; 3) daily wage rate; 4) average agricultural income; 5) railway distance between rural and urban areas; 6) size of the labor market in destination region; 7) probability that a migrant arriving in an urban area will find a job; and 8) comsumption expenditure, in urban areas estimated by working class consumer price index, are determined. Results show that: 1) the market determined wage variable does not play a very significant role in migration decisions; 2) distance is one of the most important variables in analyzing migration; and 3) the aggregate flow of migration is affected if migration decisions are predominantly family decisions. These findings have relevant policy implications for less developed countries (LDCs), especially because large flows of rural-urban migration in recent years have forced governments to adopt policies for controlling the flows to reduce the burden of unemployment in the urban areas. Government policies affecting rural institutions will have an impact on migration flow; those that lead to a reduction of uncertainty in agriculture will affect average per-capita consumption levels in family farms and hence influence the flow of migration.     

TENURE PATTERNS AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF CANADIAN AGRICULTURE

The belief that farm land should be owned by the farmer has long been supported by economists. Their objections to tenancy have been based on inefficient resource use and lack of incentives. Further, both in the U.S. and in Canada, it has been assumed that a society of predominantly land owning farmers contributes to political stability. However, an analysis of the data for Canada shows that during the period 1921–66 there has been a growth in land rental but this growth has not inhibited the commercialization, specialization and general development of agriculture. Hence, Canadian economists who are called upon, in increasing numbers, to advise developing countries on measures to develop agriculture have to be wary of prejudging tenancy as inefficent per se but should examine the actual working of tenancy systems for elements which induce inefficiencies.
LA COMMERCIALISATION DEL'AGRICULTURE CANADIENNE - Depuis longtemps, les économistes appuient la croyance que les terres arables devraient ètre posséder par le fermier. Les objections à la location sont basées sur l'incompétence des ressources d'usages et le manque d'encouragement. De plus, nous présumons qu'une société de propriétaire de ferme contribuera largement à la stabüité politique. Une analyse de ces données au Canada démontre que durant les années 1921–66, une croissance dans la location des terres n'a nullement aidé au développement agricole. Désormais, les économistes canadiens qui sont appelés en pita grand nombre à renseigner les pays en voie de développement, devraient être prudent avant de préjuger l'incompétence de la location, mats plutôt examiné les éléments qui occasionnent cette incompétence.     

The three US food policies: An ideological interpretation

Historically, and notably so since 1933, three ideologies have been evident, and in conflict, in the farmfood policies of the USA. The gradual transformation of US agriculture since World War II into an agribusiness industry, and into the dominant world food exporter, has necessitated the modernising of these three ideologies. How the new food politics of the Carter Administration will differ from those of the Nixon-Ford Administration is of worldwide concern. Whether the new food policy ‘agenda’ will be aggressively committed to the development of a neo-Jeffersonian food ideology will be a major US political issue in 1977.