Asymmetric effects of housing wealth on college enrolment

We investigate the impact of housing wealth, credit availability and financial distress on college enrolment decisions. We find that housing wealth is negatively related to enrolment in public schools and positively related to enrolment in private schools. This evidence suggests that, on average, students substituted away from private schools towards public institutions during the recent financial crisis.     

Generational incidence of savings taxation versus capital-income taxation

This paper examines the incidence of capital taxation in a model in which the taxation of capital is clearly justifiable and using analytical techniques from the tax reform literature. The taxation of capital has long been a controversial issue, with much of the literature concluding that savings/capital-income should not be taxed. Recently, however, Blackorby and Brett have shown in a model with several desirable features that it can be optimal to tax capital, and they provide a simple yet compelling argument in favor of both savings taxation and capital-income taxation. We use the Blackorby–Brett model (i.e. a model in which the taxation of capital can be justified) to revisit the question of the incidence of capital taxation. We focus on the generational incidence of capital taxation; that is, the incidence on a young generation and an old generation. However, an interpretation in terms of the incidence on "capital" versus "labor" (as is traditional in the tax incidence literature) is also provided.     

农村经济的“第二个飞跃”与农用土地制度改革

土地制度的安排与改革决定着农村经济发展的前程。我国农业的改革和发展,要有两个飞跃:第一个是实行以家庭联产承包经营为主的责任制;第二个是发展适度的规模经营,发展合作经济。现行土地制度制约着第二个飞跃的实现,需要调整和完善。土地私有化不是我国土地制度改革的方向。土地制度改革在于适应现代农业建设的需要,构建农地财产权新的框架,以利于农业产业化经营,发展多种形式的适度规模经营。     

包含制度因素的我国城市化动力机制的实证分析

从宏观方面讲,我国城市化的动力机制主要包括产业结构转换力与制度和政策调控力。按照三次产业推动城市化的逻辑顺序,可以将产业结构转换力分为第一产业发展形成的推动城市化的初始动力,工业化推进形成的二级动力,以及第三产业发展形成的后续动力。它们与制度和政策调控力一起,成为推动我国城市化的主要动力因素。通过对各动力因素进行指标体系的构建,从定量研究的角度,分析了各动力因素对我国城市人口增长的影响。     

我国高新区二次创业的理论内涵与评价体系的构建

我国高新区发展进入"二次创业"阶段。从阶段发展规律的角度出发,提出了"二次创业"的理论内涵,并根据温家宝总理提出的高新区"四位一体"定位,设计了衡量高新区"二次创业"能力的"四位一体"评价指标体系。     

无形城市对当前城市运营理念的冲击

无形城市作为新时空背景下的城市发展形态,其无形性和流动性给当前城市运营理念带来了冲击.无形城市给城市竞争力注入了新的参考因子,赋予了城市竞争力新的内涵,必将使城市之间的竞争提升到新的阶段;无形城市顺应了城市二次现代化的要求,也为二次现代化提供了方向;无形城市使得现行的城市管理模式受到冲击,给城市管理者带来了新的挑战.     

Policy instruments for curbing CO2 emissions: The case of the Netherlands

Taxes may seem to be the most attractive instrument for curbing the emissions of carbon dioxide. This paper, however, argues that environmental taxes involve a number of serious complications — especially in an open economy riddled with market imperfections like the Netherlands. Therefore, a wide-ranging policy mix is called for. As far as households and sheltered sectors are concerned, regulation can continue to play a major role. Within the context of unilateral policies aimed at exposed sectors, the combination of subsidies and voluntary agreements may be more cost effective than the tax instrument.This paper was prepared for a conference on Energy Taxation in Europe organized by the Stichting voor Economisch Onderzoek (SEO) and held on December 13, 1991 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The author would like to thank Sijbren Cnossen, Jarig van Sinderen and one anonymous referee for helpful comments on an earlier draft.     

A Reconsideration of the Jumbo/Non-Jumbo Mortgage Rate Differential

Consistent with a series of recent papers, the interest-rate differential between mortgages eligible for purchase based on loan size by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and larger loans is estimated to be 22 basis points over the 1986–2000 period. This differential averaged 19 basis points for the 1996–2000 period. Other significant effects include: loans slightly above the conforming loan limit and originated late in a calendar year often have a lower rate that nearly fully anticipates their likely characterization as a non-jumbo loan after the conforming loan limit is indexed effective each January; loan-to-value ratios affect jumbo loan rates much more than they affect non-jumbo loan rates; loans located in non-metropolitan areas have a 3 basis point differential versus loans in metropolitan areas that is surprisingly small given the likely higher cost to service non-metropolitan loans and the higher degree of uncertainty about non-metropolitan collateral values; and estimated regional mortgage rate differentials have narrowed through time.     

The Capital Tax and Welfare Effects from Asymmetric Information on Equity Markets

This paper explores the implications of informational asymmetries between domestic and foreign investors for optimal capital tax rates and welfare. It adopts a model in which asymmetric information implies a home bias in equity. The paper finds that asymmetric information may raise capital tax rates by reducing the marginal cost of taxation. Furthermore, it shows that investors may gain from informational asymmetries. Although asymmetric information increases the uncertainty as perceived by investors, it may also increase tax rates and allow for a higher consumption of public goods. This reflects that asymmetric information may reduce the distortionary effects of competition among governments.     

Frictions, Heterogeneity and Optimality in Mortgage Modeling

The purpose of this article is to provide a unified framework for incorporating frictions into a theoretical options-pricing model (OPM) for mortgages. This article presents formulation for a frictions-adjustable mortgage model that integrates borrower heterogeneity while simultaneously preserving prepayment and default financial decisions. Our model demonstrates the flexibility of the OPM by simulating separate and concurrent effects of three categories of frictions on the mortgage and mortgage components. Researchers can use our example formulation to determine the effects of specific borrower characteristics on mortgage values without destroying the options theoretic framework.