Privatizing Social Security in the United States—Comparing the Options

This paper uses a new version of the Auerbach–Kotlikoff model to consider alternative ways to privatize the U.S. Social Security System. The new model incorporates intra- and intergenerational heterogeneity and is closely calibrated to U.S. fiscal institutions. Three privatization issues are considered: financing the transition, participation rules, and progressivity. As shown, Social Security's privatization can substantially raise long-run living standards. But these gains come at the cost of welfare losses to transition generations and take a long time to materialize. The long-run poor have much to gain from privatization even absent an explicit redistribution mechanism. Finally, privatizations that give initial workers the option of remaining in the current system have particularly low transition costs and particularly favorable macroeconomic consequences. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D9, E6.     

Corporate Social Responsibility——From the Perspective of Polish Enterprises

Corporate social responsibility （CSR） is becoming more and more frequently emphasized part of management in the structure of Polish enterprises. These results from the fact that growing awareness of consumers, destructive impact of industry on the natural environment, economic scandals, unethical behavior among entrepreneurs, bring about redefining the principles of a business activity on the market by entrepreneurs. As a result of the above, such values as honesty, trust, or responsibility take on greater importance. Additionally, more and more often, Polish entrepreneurs pay attention to the influence of the company on the environment, the way the stakeholders are treated, while striving to maximize profit. The present paper looks into the subject of social responsibility from the point of view of Polish enterprises. To verify this objective, there was the analysis of the due literature performed, and also carried out the survey among 174 entrepreneurs running their business activity in the area of Southern Poland. The research tool used in the research was the questionnaire （PAPI and CAWI）. In the conducted research, there were factors analyzed referring to knowledge of social responsibility among the people holding both managerial and lower-level positions, in particular opinion, is it important for enterprises to be driven by ethical standards？ How to implement CSR in their structures？ How to understood concept of CSR？ What are the reasons for the implementation of CSR in the strategy of the company？ The considerations （both the theoretical and practical ones） confirmed that the Polish enterprises feel the increased need to implement the activities in the field of social responsibility, which, in the present conditions, constitutes an important part of running a business activity.     

The Technical Innovation Mode of the Knowledge Enterprises and the Government Substitute——The Management Innovation of the Chinese Knowledge Enterprises

The Chinese economists believe that the government substitute has the positive external effect on the management of the knowledge enterprises. The mix innovation mode of the government substitute will improve the efficiency of the technical innovation mode of the knowledge enterprises. The knowledge enterprises of the developing country can use the mix innovation mode of the government substitute for reference.     

New Thinking of Traditional Industry Development under the New Economic Condition——Classification of the Industry by the Management Mode of Nike

This paper has announced the arrival of new economic era through an analysis of Nike＇s management mode. The traditional industry classification can＇t meet demands of industry development. We should inherit and improve traditional economy in order to adapt to the development demand of new economy.     

Ramifications of a Flat Tax—Shifting the Burden to the Middle Class

An alternative to the current US tax system would be a flat tax. According to its supporters, the flat tax would decrease the complexity of the tax system. Opponents contend that the flat tax will shift the tax burden to the middle class. The current research tested the claim that the flat tax will shift the tax burden to the middle class by developing simulations of two flat tax proposals, the Steve Forbes Plan and the Hall and Rabushka Plan, and then examining the change in the tax burden for different income levels as compared to the current tax system. The results show that both plans shift more of the tax burden to middle income class taxpayers than under the current US tax system.

Positive Research on China’s Economic Growth Quality——Analyze the Fluctuating Situation of the Factor Input and Aggregative Productivity

I.The estimate of the factor input and its contribution to the economic growth1.Calculate the parameter of output elasticity of theChinesefactor inputThe output elasticity of the factor input is that the func-tion how factor input growth affects the outpu…     

Positive Research on China＇s Economic Growth Quality——Analyze the Fluctuating Situation of the Factor Input and Aggregative Productivity

To analyze China‘s fluctuating situation of the factor input and aggregative productivity is not only the main method to seek the source of the economic growth but also the main way to weigh the level of economic growth quality. As to economic growth of a country, the improvement of the productivity is extremely important. The growth of the output can be realized through two kinds of ways: increasing the quantity of factor input of orimproving the effciency of the input and output. Therefore, the level of economic growth quafity does not mainly depend on the amount of invesTed factor, but the importance of improving the produtivity since Pesources are rare.The relative improvement of efficiency in use of the invested factor marks the economic growing quality. So, in order to understand the economic growth quafity of China to some extent, it must analyze Chinese factor input and aggregative productivity. This is the main topic that this text wilt be probed into.     

Outrunning the gender gap—boys and girls compete equally

Recent studies find that women are less competitive than men. This gender difference in competitiveness has been suggested as one possible explanation for why men occupy the majority of top positions in many sectors. In this study we explore competitiveness in children, with the premise that both context and gendered stereotypes regarding the task at hand may influence competitive behavior. A related field experiment on Israeli children shows that only boys react to competition by running faster when competing in a race. We here test if there is a gender gap in running among 7–10 year old Swedish children. We also introduce two female sports, skipping rope and dancing, to see if competitiveness is task dependent. We find no gender difference in reaction to competition in any task; boys and girls compete equally. Studies in different environments with different types of tasks are thus important in order to make generalizable claims about gender differences in competitiveness.     

The Outlines of Ryazan'''' s New Policy——Partnership for the sake of development

Russia and China are connected not only by extensive frontiers ,but also via comprehensive partnership.Frommy pointof view,the model of economic development ,whichis being carried out in China today,is worth maximal attention.Knowingthat inthe recent years investments was one of the key engines of the Chinese economics development ,we are extremelyin-terestedin your experience of wideningthe investments .It is not anipse dixit .One of the main directions inthe programforthe reformof municipal services is the creation of favorable environment for investments .     

Value of a Statistical Life—the Case of Poland

This study investigates the relationship between wages and the risk of work-related death for male blue-collar workers. The size of the premium for risk and its statistical significance depend heavily on the inclusion of industry dummy variables into the regression. Irrespective of the type of risk variable used, controlling for industry at a finer breakdown lowers the price of risk and its statistical significance. Estimates of the value of a statistical life (VSL) proved to be more robust when an aggregated risk measure at three-digit occupational level was used. In this case, the VSL varied from 0.79 million USD (for the model with industry dummy variables at the three-digit level) to 2.41 million USD (for the model without industry dummy variables). To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study estimating VSL using the compensating wage differential approach for countries in Central-Eastern Europe.     

Optimal auction with resale—a characterization of the conditions

Zheng has proposed a seller-optimal auction for (asymmetric) independent-private-value environments where inter-bidder resale is possible. Zheng’s construction requires novel assumptions—Resale Monotonicity, Transitivity, and Invariance—on the bidders’ value distribution profile. The only known examples of distribution profiles satisfying these assumptions in environments with three or more bidders are uniform distributions. Using inverse virtual valuation functions as a novel tool, we characterize the set of distribution profiles satisfying Zheng’s assumptions. Our characterization result shows that the assumptions, while being strong, are satisfied by many non-uniform distribution profiles. Hence, Zheng’s result applies more generally than one may have thought before. A crucial step in our analysis is to show that Invariance implies Resale Monotonicity and Transitivity.     

Competitiveness and the Benchmarking of Nations—A Critical Reflection

This paper provides a critical evaluation of the role and validity of indices used to measure national competitiveness. It examines the growth in the number and range of such indices and explores their growing importance in benchmarking national economic performance. It also provides a detailed critical interrogation of four of the most commonly used indices, and examines their robustness in relation to their ability to predict overall economic performance. The results indicate that the indices are poor proxies and predictors of growth and are thus potentially misleading for policy-makers. The paper concludes by reflecting on the broader benchmarking and image-making role played by competitiveness indices.     

Gender pairing and bargaining—Beware the same sex!

We study the influence of gender and gender pairing on economic decision making in an experimental two-person bargaining game where the other party’s gender is known to both actors. We find that (1) gender per se has no significant effect on behavior, whereas (2) gender pairing systematically affects behavior. In particular, we observe much more competition and retaliation and, thus, lower efficiency when the bargaining partners have the same gender than when they have the opposite gender. These findings are consistent with predictions from evolutionary psychology. Implications of our results for real-world organizations are discussed.     

The after-Christmas sale that never ends——But profits aren''''t found in the bargain bin

Kristina Taylor picks a handful ofclothing from the sale rack at Macy'sNew York flagship store, passes pricetags past a scanner on the wall, andawaits the verdict. She can hardly believe her eyes: That pink Calvin Kleinjeans shirt, Which went for $58, isPriced at $8.70, and a purpletank top, once $100, is now$14.70. "There were prettygood sales before Christmas,but not as good as now," saythe 28-year-old StudentIt's a bargain out there.There were sales beforeChristmas. There were salesaf…     

On the Measurement of Enterprise Growth——-The Ugly Duckling Turning into a White Swan

Based on the review of domestic analyses of current situation and development trend problems of enterprise growth, this paper proposes some key problems of measures to enterprise foundation, index of system and their reality in use.     

Cuba—Is the “Special Period” Really Over?

Since 1989, Cuba has struggled to recover from the loss of Soviet trade and subsidies. The Cuban government dubbed the period between 1990 and 1994 A Special Period in Peacetime in recognition of the 35% decline in GDP. Instead of restructuring its economy, the Cuban government used a bandaid approach that permitted self-employment, raised prices, legalized the dollar, and decreased government subsidies of state enterprises. Although growth resumed in 1994, the Cuban economy never fully recovered to pre-1989 levels of GDP. This paper discusses the investment, trade, and production problems that continue to plague the Cuban economy.     

Evaluating a leading indicator: an application—the term spread

This paper analyzes the procedures that have previously been used to evaluate indicators. These methods determine whether the indicator correctly classifies periods when there was (not) a recession. These approaches do not show whether or not an indicator signaled a turn or failed to predict it. This paper then presents a new approach and applies it to the term spread series. The results are mixed because the indicator predicts every recession but also generates a large number of false signals. This result may explain why economists do not always place great weight on this series.     

Regional Development of Manufacturing Industry in the Eastern and Midwestern Regions of China——Based on the Theory of “Home Market Effects”

“新经济地理理论”强调规模经济是地区贸易和国际贸易的驱动力,这种力量被克鲁格曼称为“本地市场效应”(Home Market Effects).本地市场效应理论不仅具有重要的理论意义,而且具有现实的经济意义.借助时间序列分析方法,笔者重点实证检验了中国东、中西部地区相关制造业的本地市场效应.检验结果表明:多数制造业部门在中国东、中西部区域经济发展中,本地需求规模起到了主要作用,企业劳动生产率和固定成本对本地市场效应的向心力和离心力作用.因此,在追求未来区域经济和谐发展的过程中,注重培育相关产业的本地市场效应十分重要.     

Selling Chinese—made Oil Equipment around the World—How CPTDC Turns into Premier Equipment Exporter

China Petroleum Technology Development Corporation(CPTDC), a subsidiary of the China National Petroleum(Group) Corporation (CNPC), is the biggest internationalpetroleum and petrochemical equipment trader in China.Established in 1992, CPTDC has the right to engage in exportand import business as well as foreign economic operations. Inthe last ten years, guided by the "Going Overseas" policy of itsparent company, CPTDC has devoted its attention to exportinghome-made petroleum equipme…