Can Federal Grants Mitigate Social Competition?

The European economic integration leads to increasing mobilityof factors, thereby threatening the stability of social transferprograms. This article investigates the possibility to achieveby means of voluntary matching grants both the optimal allocationof factors and the optimal level of redistribution in the presenceof factor mobility. We use a fiscal competition model a la Wildasin(1991) in which states differ in their technologies and preferencesfor redistribution. We first investigate a simple process inwhich the federal authority progressively raises the matchinggrants to the district choosing the lowest transfer and alldistricts respond optimally to the resulting change in transfersall around. This process is shown to increase efficiency ofboth production and redistribution. However, it does not guaranteethat all districts gain, nor that an efficient level of redistributionis attained. Assuming complete information among districts,we derive the willingness of each district to match the contributionof other districts and we show that the aggregate willingnessto pay for matching rates converges to zero when both the efficientlevel of redistribution and the efficient allocation of factorsare achieved. We then describe an adjustment process for thematching rates that will lead districts to the efficient outcomeand guarantee that everyone will gain. (JEL Classification:H23, H70)     

The macroeconomics of the labor market: three fundamental views

We distinguish and assess three fundamental views of the labor market regarding the movements in unemployment: (1) the frictionless equilibrium view; (2) the chain reaction theory, or prolonged adjustment view; and (3) the hysteresis view. While the frictionless view implies a clear compartmentalization between the short- and long-run, the hysteresis view implies that all the short-run fluctuations automatically turn into long-run changes in the unemployment rate. We assert the problems faced by these conceptions in explaining the diversity of labor market experiences across the OECD labor markets. We argue that the prolonged adjustment view can overcome these problems since it implies that the short, medium, and long-runs are interrelated, merging with one another along an intertemporal continuum.

Reforming the Taxation of Multijurisdictional Enterprises in Europe

In 2001, the European Commission proposed replacing the currentsystem of taxation of multinational companies by the taxationof a consolidated base, computed at the level of all the Europeanentities of a multinational enterprise, and then distributedfor taxation purposes among the various jurisdictions in whichthese entities operate, according to pre-established criteria.In this article, we propose a discussion, especially focusingon two related issues, the choice of the formula and the compositionof the consolidating area—either the entire European Union(EU) or some Member States within an Enhanced Cooperation Agreement—,as well as on their impact on the size and distribution of taxrevenue and economic activity, and on the intensity of tax competition.Our tentative policy conclusion is that the reform deservessupport provided that (i) the formula puts emphasis on criteriathat the firm may not too easily manipulate, (ii) the activitiesof the multijurisdictional enterprise are enough mobile, (iii)the consolidation is made compulsory within the consolidatingarea and (iv) the consolidating area protects its capacity toactually levy tax by adopting a crediting system vis-à-visthe rest of the world. (JEL code: H32, H73, H87)     

近代上海房地产市场波动的金融分析(1929～1935)

1929~1935年,上海房地产市场在短短的五六年间经历了暴涨和暴跌。文章通过对房地产市场的金融分析,发现导致上海房地产市场在短期内大起大落的主要原因是币值和物价的变化。由于近代币值和物价的变化,结果导致货币市场上流通量发生剧烈波动,并影响了房地产市场的投机需求,导致房地产市场大起大落。这也提醒人们在分析房地产市场价格时要注意币值及物价对供求关系的影响,注意甄别各种不同的需求及其比重。     

论市场的上层组织及其功能

论文认为市场的上层组织的建立既是成熟市场经济体制的标志,也是发展中国家和转型国家市场化进程中的一个"坎".市场上层组织具有生产性、风险转移和前瞻性三大功能,而有效率的产权制度和法治化社会是建立市场上层组织的两个基本条件.     

我国国有商业银行风险管理体系的构建

我国国有商业银行的风险包括市场风险和公司持有风险。构建符合国际惯例适应我国国情的国有商业银行全面风险管理体系。国有商业银行应积极从风险控制向风险管理转变。     

The Crash of 1882 and the Bailout of the Paris Bourse

The crash of the French stock market in 1882 presented the Paris Bourse with its worst crisis of the nineteenth century. Its structure was similar in key respects to today’s futures markets, with a dominant forward market leading the Bourse to adopt a common fund to guarantee transactions and liquidity. While this mutualization of risk protects clients and brokers from idiosyncratic shocks, it is generally assumed that it also provides considerable protection against systemic shocks, as no twentieth century exchange has been forced to shut down. Using new archival data, this paper shows how a stock market crash overwhelmed the Bourse’s common fund. Only an emergency loan from the Bank of France, intermediated by the largest banks, prevented a closure of the Bourse.

Volatility Relationship between Crude Oil and Petroleum Products

This paper utilizes calculated historical volatility and GARCH models to compare the historical price volatility behavior of crude oil, motor gasoline and heating oil in U.S. markets since 1990. We incorporate a shift variable in the GARCH/TARCH models to capture the response of price volatility to a change in OPEC’s pricing behavior. This study has three major conclusions. First, there was an increase in volatility as a result of a structural shift to higher crude oil prices after April 1999. Second, volatility shocks from current news are not important since GARCH effects dominate ARCH effects in the variance equation. Third, persistence of volatility in all commodity markets is quite transitory, with half-lives normally being a few weeks.

我国应对“非市场经济地位”问题的对策

我国的"非市场经济地位"间接地加大了我国应对反倾销的成本,为国外向我国征收高额反倾销税或确定倾销成立提供了便利,是国外对华滥用反倾销起诉的一个客观因素,但"非市场经济地位"并没有影响到我国外贸大局。就"非市场经济地位"问题的利弊得失,本文探讨了我国目前应对"非市场经济地位"问题的具体策略。     

欧盟竞争法豁免制度及对我国的启示

竞争法豁免制度可以平衡竞争政策与经济政策、社会政策之间的冲突,有助于实现竞争法的多重价值目标。以基础性条约、欧盟理事会的条例、欧洲委员会的通知、指导建议及欧洲法院判例为渊源,以个案豁免和类别豁免为内容,欧盟的竞争法已建立起完备的豁免制度。我国反垄断法豁免制度的构建既要借鉴"他山之石"又要立足于"本土资源"。在制度设计上至少应思考并解决三个问题:豁免制度具体应包含哪些类型的豁免?豁免制度的适用采用审查确认制度还是直接适用制度?豁免制度立法采具体列举式还是原则概括式?