Single or double bounded contingent valuation? A Bayesian test

This paper evaluates the performance of asymptotic approximations of the Bayes factor to appraise the relative likelihoods of the bivariate and the restricted double bounded models for contingent valuation. The performance of the Bayes factor test is studied by Monte Carlo simulation showing that it correctly chooses the bivariate model when appropriate, but tends to over predict the double bounded model when the correlation coefficient is not estimated accurately. However, the quadratic error in estimating willingness to pay is reduced if the model preferred by the test is chosen. In addition, we consider the effect of averaging the estimates of WTP from both models, weighting each model with its posterior probability. The results show that ‘model averaging’ across the competing hypothesis further reduces the squared error. The applications with two data sets on National Parks show that the test rejects the restricted double bounded hypotheses against the bivariate model.     

Climate Change Policies and Tax Recycling Schemes: Simulations with a Dynamic General Equilibrium Model of the Italian Economy

A dynamic general equilibrium model of the Italian economy is used to assess the impact of carbon taxation (or auctioned carbon permits), where additional revenue is used to cut either existing taxes on labor or on capital income. Simulation results do not support the existence of the so-called "double dividend" when labor taxes are reduced, whereas lower tax rates on capital have mild positive effects on growth and welfare, with progressivity properties on income distribution. These findings hinge on the assumptions of open economy, given world interest rate, and capital mobility.     

COMMERCIAL ART MUSIC

A commercial environment is clearly good for contemporary popular music but can ‘art’ music flourish in such an environment? In the past art music has prospered on a commercial basis and there are advantages in exposing art to commerce. For example, commercial patronage is likely to be more diverse and allow more room for experimentation than a single patron or subsidising body. Moreover, commerce encourages two‐way communication between artist and audience.     

证券法上的民事责任功能研究

我国证券市场在短短十几年的时间内,在募集资金、推动国有大中型企业改制、优化资源配置等方面发挥了不可替代的重要作用.但不容乐观的是伴随着证券市场的发展各种违法违规现象在不断发生.尽管我国对证券违法行为明令禁止,并对严重的违法行为加以行政处罚甚至刑事制裁,然而证券市场上的违法行为仍然禁而不止.究其原因,除了管理层对证券市场发展的总体政策摇摆不定,监管者对违法行为处理不力等因素外,证券法上未建立完善的民事责任制度是重要的原因.本文从证券法上的民事责任功能的探讨入手,阐述了证券法上的民事责任具有的功能是证券刑事责任、行政责任所不能替代的原因,进而论证了建立完善的证券民事责任的必要性.     

基于异构数据库的企业产品质量控制模型设计

企业产品质量控制是一项复杂的系统工程,来自不同生产单元的数据具有较强的异构性,不利于质量控制系统的整合。基于XML的数据集成方案为解决这一问题提供了可能。文章探讨了基于XML的质量控制模型的架构,为产品质量控制提供了一个较好的平台。     

从欧盟《电子垃圾处理法》的出台看国际贸易技术壁垒

世界贸易组织成立后，国际贸易中的保护措施发生了较大的变化。其中关于技术方面的贸易保护措施日益引起各国的高度重视。最近通过的欧盟《电子垃圾处理法》就是其中的一例。笔者在此主要讨论了该法的由来、对中国电子行业产生的影响及其带来的启示。     

建筑工程管理中全过程造价控制对策研究

随着社会经济和科学技术的发展,建筑工程如雨后春笋般涌现出来,规模也呈现出不断扩大的趋势.在对建筑工程进行管理的过程当中,工程造价是一个十分重要的因素,但是,要想在建筑工程当中对工程的造价进行良好的控制是十分不容易的,并且工程造价贯穿于施工的全过程.因此,要对工程造价进行全面良好的控制.     

Altruism and the Economic Values of Environmental and Social Policies

Altruism is a type of non-use value which can have different definitions depending on the type of goods entering the utility function of the altruists and their expectations about the contributions of others. The purpose of this paper is to measure the trade-offs between different types of altruist values originating from social and environmental policies. Environmental policies are concerned with reducing health effects from a power plant while social policies involve both the attainment of public facilities for education and leisure and an increase in the income of the affected population. The empirical application utilizes a choice experiment technique which allows for valuation of multiple goods. Health effects are decomposed into the values of the risk of becoming ill, the duration of the episodes and the limitations imposed by illness. Altruist values are elicited from a population that is not affected by pollution. Results show that altruism is significant for policies directed to reducing health effects and improving the income level of the affected population, whereas there is egoism for a policy aimed at improving public facilities in the polluted suburb. The value of altruism is significantly influenced by the expectations of net benefits to be received by the affected population.     

Environmental Product Differentiation and Environmental Awareness

In this paper, we have considered a duopolistic model of environmental product differentiation with two types of consumers (green and brown) to analyze how environmental awareness affects the environment. “Green” consumers value the physical and environmental attributes of the good they purchase while “brown” consumers only value the physical attributes. We find that more environmental awareness may not be good news for the environment as the firm that produces the good without environmental attributes may increase its sales. The result depends on the degree of product differentiation and the cost to achieve it. Social welfare can also be inversely related to environmental awareness if the negative environmental effect dominates the positive market effect.      

Exploitation and time

This paper analyses exploitation and class formation in a dynamic context. An intertemporal model of a subsistence economy is set up and, among other results, it is proved that, in an interior equilibrium, Differential Ownership of (Scarce) Productive Assets is an inherent feature of a capitalist economy, while exploitation tends to disappear in the long run. Asset inequality is therefore proved to be a normatively secondary (though causally primary) wrong. It is also argued that these results raise several doubts about the possibility of providing robust micro-foundations to Marxian concepts by means of Walrasian general equilibrium models.