Broadband׳s contribution to economic growth in rural areas: Moving towards a causal relationship

This paper uses recent data on both broadband availability and adoption to empirically gauge the contribution of broadband to the economic growth of rural areas of the United States over the past decade. Availability data from the National Broadband Map aggregated to county level is used in conjunction with county-level adoption data from Federal Communication Commission. Economic variables of interest include median household income, number of firms with paid employees, total employed, percentage in poverty, and the percentage of employees classified as either creative class or non-farm proprietors. A propensity score matching technique (between a “treated” group associated with various broadband thresholds and a control group) is used to make preliminary causal statements regarding broadband and economic health. Growth rates between 2001 and 2010 for different economic measures are tested for statistical differences between the treated and non-treated groups, restricting the analysis to non-metropolitan counties. Results suggest that high levels of broadband adoption in rural areas positively (and potentially causally) impacted income growth between 2001 and 2010, and negatively influenced unemployment growth. Similarly, low levels of broadband adoption in rural areas lead to declines in the number of firms and total employment numbers in the county. Broadband availability measures (as opposed to adoption) demonstrate only limited impacts, suggesting that future broadband policies should be more demand-oriented.     

Accounting and Finance: authorship and citation trends

Accounting and Finance (A&F ) has experienced a surge in published research in the last decade. The analysis here reveals a marked increase in the number of published articles in A&F since 2003, a distinct trend for published papers to have a larger number of authors, a significant and stable contribution by the top 5 Australian accounting/finance departments, as well as a notable increase in contribution from non‐US foreign universities, particularly those located in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain. An analysis of citations indicates the increasing impact of A&F in recent years.     

新城镇化背景下中国乡村旅游的发展研究述评

伴随旅游产品的类型与形式不断开拓创新,乡村旅游成为现代人出行的主要选择。随着经济社会的快速发展,尤其是中国国家旅游局将2006年定为"乡村旅游年"后,我国乡村旅游进入一个全盛的发展阶段,乡村旅游已经成为旅游业新的增长点。因此,在新型城镇化背景下乡村旅游既要保护农村现有资源、文化特色,又要用科学、动态的眼光引导乡村旅游的发展,从而促进乡村旅游发展模式转型创新。     

城乡居民收入差距对居民消费影响的实证分析

回归分析证明了改革开放以来城乡居民收入差距过大导致整个消费水平越来越低,增加城市居民的收入不能提高我国居民的整体消费水平;城镇居民收入较高,相对于农村居民来说边际消费倾向要低于农村居民的边际消费倾向,如果能增加农村居民的收入,则会提高全国的消费总量及转变农村的消费结构。     

An Empirical Investigation of Trade Credit Demand

This paper investigates the motivations for a firm's demand for trade credit. Demand for credit is modelled as a function of transaction costs motivations, financing motivations, operational considerations, seller compliance issues and supplier marketing, whilst controlling for the firm's business environment and for firm characteristics such as size and industry. This paper builds on previous studies by considering a wider range of factors that can affect trade credit demand holistically on a single sample. It appears that the use of trade credit is widespread, and that it is generally perceived as an important short term financing option, although the availability of trade credit is not a major influence on supplier choice. The level of a firm's trade credit demand is found to be significantly influenced by transaction costs, financing, operational issues, marketing activities by suppliers, the firm's investment in trade debtors and firm size.     

论法治化财政

财政的法治化是公共财政建设的重要内容.本文讨论法治化财政的理想指标体系,并结合中国现实,对中国财政的法治化进程进行定性评价.理想的财政法治化指标体系至少应涵括六个方面的内容:财政的民主立法、财政的法律至上、财政法律体系的完备(健全性)、财政的权利保障度、财政的司法公正、财政行政行为的受约束程度.中国财政立法奉行了民主立法原则,但民主立法进程仍需进一步加快;财政行为的法律至上度有待进一步提高;财政法律体系虽已覆盖财政各领域,但立法层次低,立法质量不高,法律体系尚不够完备;财政的权利保障度和财政司法的公正性正在得到逐步改善;财政行政行为已经有了各种各样的法律约束,但是财政法律体系的不健全从根本上影响了约束程度.     

财政分权视角下中国农村义务教育落后的原因分析

本文认为,中国农村义务教育落后与财政分权有密切关系.分税制特别是偏离公平目标的政府间财政转移支付制度,使得贫困地区具有极强的压缩农村义务教育投入的内在动力,这是导致20世纪90年代中期以来中国农村义务教育状况不断恶化的重要原因.缓解中国城乡义务教育发展差距,必须全面改革分税制,特别是政府间财政转移支付制度.     

我国财政改革中几个全局性问题的思考

按照党的"十六大"提出的战略构想,未来20年里我们将完成经济体制转轨的任务,实现全面小康.这样的构想意味着,中国经济体制改革目标的实现已从政策设计的角度锁定在1978-2020年的时段内,我们正处在承前启后的转折点上.在政府主导的渐进路径上,政府既推进着市场机制的建立,也同时推动着计划手段的创新,在市场机制发挥作用的同时,又始终承担着计划体制下的诸多任务与责任.财政作为政府政策实施的财力保障,以自身的变动见证了这一过程,与体制转轨进程和经济运行状况有着深刻的互动关系.因此,在这样一个特殊时刻,对财政改革中的一些关系全局的问题进行思考、解释,不仅关系到财政自身的运行,无疑也将直接影响到整个经济发展的绩效.本文主要围绕三个方面的重大问题提出了分析的路径与依据,并做出了基本的评价.     

构建推进社会主义新农村建设的财政保障机制

社会主义新农村建设需要与之相适应的财政体制作保障.本文以此立意,分析了1994年财政体制取向与新农村建设目标之间可能存在的冲突,评价了1998年以来财政政策性安排对于缓和农村矛盾、强化农村财政保障的积极作用,最后提出根据新农村建设要求,研究建立财政保障的长效机制的思路.     

Prices of deep discount bonds and the Revenue Act of 1978: An evaluation of market response

This article explores the market response of deep discount corporate bonds to the reduction in the capital gains tax rate incorporated into the Revenue Act of 1978. Such tax change should have increased the desirability of assets acquired for capital gains potential, such as deep discount bonds. Examining a time series of prices and returns for a sample of deep discount corporate bonds and a control group of comparable duration and credit risk corporate bonds selling at or near par did indeed provide evidence of a market price reaction. Moreover, the price changes for the deep discount bonds occurred well in advance of the implementation of the tax change.