The curse of natural resources in the transition economies*

The curse of natural resources is a well‐documented phenomenon for developing countries. Economies that are richly endowed with natural resources tend to grow slowly. Among the transition economies of the former ‘Eastern Bloc’, a similar pattern can be observed. This paper shows that a large part of the variation in growth rates among the transition economies can be attributed to the curse of natural resources. After controlling for numerous other factors, there is still a strong negative correlation between natural resource abundance and economic growth. Among the transition economies the prime reasons for the curse of natural resources were corruption and a neglect of basic education. In order to overcome the curse of natural resources and move to a sustainable path of development, the resource abundant transition countries should fight corruption and ensure that their resource revenues are invested in human capital or the preservation of natural capital.     

Unemployment and the dynamics of political support for economic reforms

I analyze the dynamics of political support for economic reforms using a version of Rodrik's (1995) two-sector model of the transition economy. The key role is played by the pattern of flows between the state and private sectors and unemployment. It is shown that while the workers in the private sector always support rapid reforms, the workers in the state sector and the unemployed will support rapid reforms only at the outset of the transition. Later, state-sector workers and unemployed vote for a reduction in the speed of reforms.     

On the timing of information release

We consider a simple principal-agent model in which moral hazard concerns can make it attractive to delay the release of valuable planning information. We also demonstrate that temporary manipulation of the content of the information released can be valuable.     

On the emergence of public education in land-rich economies

We analyze the emergence of large-scale education systems by modeling the incentives that the economic elite could have (collectively) to accept taxation destined to finance the education of credit-constrained workers. Contrary to previous work, in our model this incentive does not arise from a complementarity between physical and human capital in manufacturing. Instead, we emphasize the demand for human-capital-intensive services by high-income groups. Our model seems capable to account for salient features of the development of Latin America in the 19th century, where, in particular, land-rich countries such as Argentina established an extensive public education system and developed a sophisticated service sector before starting significant manufacturing activities.     

On the nonexistence of recursive equilibrium in stochastic OLG economies

We study a class of stochastic Overlapping generations (OLG) economies that have one-memory equilibria, that is equilibria that are determined by the current and past realizations of the states of uncertainty. This class is negligible, but important. In particular, it contains all the known examples of nonexistence of recursive equilibrium. We show that, within this restricted domain, the existence of recursive equilibrium is actually typical, and such examples are therefore nonrobust. We thank Felix Kubler, Herakles Polemarchakis and Steve Spear for many useful discussions. This paper was started while the first author was visiting Columbia Business School.     

Bad loans,soft budget constraints and the political economy of financial market reform in transition economies

Financial market imperfections and especially the bad debt problem are among the most important factors impeding economic restructuring in transition economies. This paper analyses the implications of non-performing loans for the lending policy of banks and for the ensuing allocation of credit. It is shown that a lending bias exists in favour of old debtors, which not only impedes structural change but may also counteract policies intended to harden budget constraints and to promote restructuring. The paper also discusses from a political economy perspective, why despite these negative implications financial market reforms were not pursued more forcefully in most countries.     

On the optimality of interest-bearing reserves in economies of overlapping generations

Summary Paying interest on required reserves is considered in an overlapping generations model in which the return to capital dominates the return to fiat money. As Smith (1991) showed, financing interest on reserves benefits the initial old at the expense of future generations. We show that the transfer of wealth associated with interest on reserves can be offset by an accommodating open market purchase, so that the payment of interest on reserves is a Pareto improvement. We also show that paying interest on reserves improves welfare even when financed by distorting taxes on capital.The authors thank Mike Cox, Greg Huffman, Evan Koenig, and Bruce Smith for helpful discussion. Any remaining errors are solely ours. This work originated while Freeman was a Research Associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.     

On the dual nature of weak property rights

In the natural-resource literature, conventional wisdom holds that weak property rights will cause a resource to be over-exploited. This is because weak property rights are typically perceived as a problem of input exclusion – or theft of un-extracted resources. We present evidence to the effect that weak property rights often take the form of contestable outputs – or output theft – and that this has an impact on resource use. We propose a model of resource use under generally weak property rights – or weak state presence – when resource users face the dual problem of input exclusion and output appropriation. We show that introducing the possibility that outputs be contested acts as an output tax, with the added twist that resource users effectively determine the tax level. This tax has a depressive effect on input use. Whether the resource is under- or over-exploited depends on the relative severity of output appropriation and input exclusion problems. Increasing enforcement measures against theft may lead to severe resource overuse. Efficiency considerations require to account not only for direct resource input use, but also for thieves’ efforts and gains as well as the costs of enforcement against theft and trespass.     

On the dual nature of weak property rights

In the natural-resource literature, conventional wisdom holds that weak property rights will cause a resource to be over-exploited. This is because weak property rights are typically perceived as a problem of input exclusion – or theft of un-extracted resources. We present evidence to the effect that weak property rights often take the form of contestable outputs – or output theft – and that this has an impact on resource use. We propose a model of resource use under generally weak property rights – or weak state presence – when resource users face the dual problem of input exclusion and output appropriation. We show that introducing the possibility that outputs be contested acts as an output tax, with the added twist that resource users effectively determine the tax level. This tax has a depressive effect on input use. Whether the resource is under- or over-exploited depends on the relative severity of output appropriation and input exclusion problems. Increasing enforcement measures against theft may lead to severe resource overuse. Efficiency considerations require to account not only for direct resource input use, but also for thieves’ efforts and gains as well as the costs of enforcement against theft and trespass.     

De-industrialisation and the balance of payments in advanced economies

This paper defines de-industrialisation as a secular declinein the share of manufacturing in national employment. De-industrialisation,in this sense, has been a widespread feature of economic growthin advanced economies in recent decades. The paper considersbriefly what explains this development and quantifies some ofthe factors responsible. It then examines the experience ofBritain and America, which are two countries that have combinedrapid de-industrialisation with a strong overall economic performance.The paper considers both the domestic situation of manufacturingindustry in these countries and its foreign trade performance.It concludes by examining in detail the British balance of payments,and documenting how improvements in the non-manufacturing spherehave helped offset a worsening performance in manufacturingtrade.     

浅析企业融资中的财务资源配置

公司中存在的财务问题涉及到经营管理的方方面面，但都可以归结为财务资源的配置、利用及其效率等相关问题，因此本文从财务资源配置的目标、方式与效率出发，重点讨论融资中的财务资源配置问题，以期对我国企业的融资管理给以借鉴。     

Assessment of natural resources and the policy of subsidies in grain production

Based on the analysis on the status quo of natural resources input in Brain production and on the policy of Brain subsidies, this paper puts forward a new idea - establishing grain subsidies through assessing the value of the natural resources in Brain production. The assessment of the natural resources in Brain production provides rationale and reference standard for the policy of Brain subsidies, which will promote the sustainable use of natural resources accordingly. This paper concludes： （1） it is necessary for the grain subsidies to assess the full value of natural resources, including economic value, ecological value and social value： （2） the government should give farmers direct subsidies or environment subsidies according to the economic and ecological value of natural resources in grain production, （3） the social value of natural resources can be realized by establishing the country social security system, taking the social value as the criterion for the payment for part of farmers＇ insurance.     

On the continuity of equilibrium and core correspondences in economies with differential information

Summary. We study upper semi-continuity of the private and coarse core and the Walrasian expectations equilibrium correspondences for economies with differential information, with Boylan (1971) topology on agents information fields.Received: 16 January 2004, Revised: 28 October 2004, JEL Classification Numbers: D50, D82, C70. Correspondence to: Ezra EinyWe wish to thank Carlos Herves, Nicholas Yannelis, and an anonymous referee for their helpful comments.     

On the welfare equivalence of asset markets and banking in Diamond Dybvig economies

Why do people choose bank deposit contracts over a direct participation in asset markets? In their seminal paper, Diamond and Dybvig’s (1983) answer this question by claiming that bank deposit contracts can implement allocations that are welfare superior to asset markets equilibria. The present paper demonstrates that this claim is false whenever the asset market participants are highly rational.     

南水北调中线工程水源地生态农业系统研究

本文运用系统论的分析方法,探讨了南水北调中线工程水源地如何围绕中线工程的基本要求,即在打造清水走廊,保证水质安全的同时,推动区域经济、社会和生态的可持续发展。同时,提出构建以特色农业为主要内容的生态农业系统,是保护南水北调中线工程水源地水质安全,实现区域经济可持续性发展的关键所在。     

论法学意境中的自然资源概念

自然资源的概念是自然资源物权法律制度的核心,也是构建自然资源物权法律制度的基石,更是研究自然资源物权法律制度的起点。如何科学构建法学意义上的自然资源,界定其内涵和外延成为首要解决的问题。在考察资源的原始字义和自然资源词义的演变的基础上,认为,法学意义上的自然资源是指在一定的社会经济条件下,存在于自然界或处于自然状态,可由权利主体直接支配或享有特定法益的、具有相对稀缺性的天然形成或生成之物的总称。     

成本控制前提下的薪酬激励性研究

当今企业的竞争,归根结底是人力资源的竞争,特别是人才的竞争。而薪酬,作为企业吸引、激励和留住人才的手段也日益受到重视。对于企业来说,薪酬意味着巨大的成本。因此,如何在保证成本不变的前提下建立公平合理的薪酬体系,并提高薪酬的激励性是许多企业必须要解决的难题。在分析当前的成本下造成薪酬激励性不高的原因的基础上,提出了企业可如何在成本不变的前提下提高薪酬的激励性的相关对策,填补了理论研究的空白,对企业具有重要的参考意义。     

浅析员工援助计划(EAP)在压力管理中的作用

知识经济时代,人力资源对于社会经济发展有着越来越强大的作用。而EAP(Employee Assistance Programs)也越来越成为众家企业重视的培训版块。为了舒缓员工的压力,改进员工生产效率和生活质量,EAP培训正在中国悄然兴起。着重浅析EAP在员工压力管理中的作用,通过各种方式去提升员工工作满意度、减缓其工作压力。     

On the dominance of the Keynesian regime in disequilibrium growth theory: A note

This note shows that non-Walrasian disequilibrium models of monetary growth (which are rare) can be considerably simplified in their dynamics if appropriate flexibilities of market economies are taken into account that help to avoid certain types of rationing of economic agents as they are typical for the non-Walrasian modeling of macrodynamics. We consider and modify accordingly an established example of this type of model building and show that propositions on stability and the loss of stability of the then remaining Keynesian regime are much easier to derive and also much more transparent than in their original non-Walrasian setup with its regime switches right at the steady state of the economy.