FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN NEW COOPERATIVE INSTRUMENTS: A CHOICE EXPERIMENT

Globalization of agricultural markets put pressures on producer cooperatives to invest in expansion and growth to safeguard their competitiveness. Availability of capital is limited if farmers do not have incentives to increase their capital contribution. Cooperative literature recognizes the residual rights, transferability, and the appreciation potential of the investment as the potential solutions for the problems that may impede cooperative investments. The objective of this study is to understand farmer preferences regarding investment attributes and the potential for attracting investment capital from members and non‐members. We employ a choice experiment method to test new cooperative investment instruments. The data consist of a questionnaire conducted with 406 Finnish dairy farmers. Random parameter latent class logit model is used in the estimation of the data. The results indicate that most of the respondents regard the new investment instruments positively. However, farmers prefer restricting ownership rights to members. Incentives for members to participate in financing cooperative growth could be designed with capital‐based residual rights, mechanisms for transferability and for the appreciation of firm value. Estimation that considered choice difficulty improved model fit, which highlights the need to address respondent burden also in future studies of hypothetical investments in order to produce unbiased estimates.     

WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR DESERT PROTECTION

This paper uses a referendum-style survey approach known as dichotomous-choice contingent valuation to estimate the benefits of restricting the uses of 6.9 million acres of desert land. Statistical techniques estimate the value to California residents of creating three new national parks and 76 new wilderness areas in the high and low deserts of eastern California. The total amount that California residents would be willing to pay to enact desert protection legislation ranges from $177 million to $448 million per year. This estimate hinges on the assumptions that (i) the residents who did not complete and return the survey questionnaire ("nonrespondents") would receive no benefits from desert protection and (ii) the estimate of willingness to pay for the "respondents" is unbiased.     

WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR SURPLUS SUGAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Sugar supply is managed in the United States to support minimum prices set by law. The 2008 farm bill contains the sugar‐to‐ethanol program to sell surplus sugar to ethanol producers and a program that allows bids from sugar processors. The sugar program is required to run at no net cost to taxpayers. Bids for surplus sugar are analyzed under various scenarios. Sugar processors will outbid ethanol producers given current ethanol prices. At present, surplus sugar bids will not exceed the minimum prices, and the sugar‐to‐ethanol program will not be able to help the government achieve no net program costs. (JEL Q18, Q42, Q48)     

ESTIMATING THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR DIGITAL MUSIC

The general consensus among the copyright piracy literature is that economic incentives and enforcement are both effective strategies that complement one another in reducing the occurrence of piracy. Yet, the key factor underlying these strategies is the ability of the media industries to influence an individual's willingness to pay (WTP) for legal purchases when illegal versions exist. This article estimates the effects of factors influencing WTP for digital music downloads. Our results show that while income and risk perceptions play a dominant role in determining WTP, ethics are also important in influencing WTP. Our results are consistent with the growing consumer acceptance of fee-based music services that can exist alongside peer-to-peer file sharing as well as serve as a viable substitute . ( JEL O34, K42, D12)     

WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR AMATEUR SPORT AND RECREATION PROGRAMS

A contingent valuation method (CVM) survey in Alberta, Canada, allows estimation of the household willingness to pay (WTP) for enhancements in the province's extensive sport and recreation programs. The estimated annual WTP of $18 per household for small enhancements in the programs far exceeds the estimated WTP of households in the United States to avoid the loss of major league sports teams, as determined in previous CVM studies. Those opposed to gambling, which helps to fund the Alberta programs, are more likely to favor using income taxes to finance expansions. ( JEL H41, L83)     

WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR AIR QUALITY: THE CASE OF OUTDOOR EXERCISE

This study uses a contingent valuation (CV) survey to establish a sample of outdoor exercisers' willingness to pay (WTP) for ambient air quality improvements in East Baton Rouge parish, Louisiana. Estimated annual median and mean WTP values are £95 and £191, respectively, per person per year for assurance that ozone levels would not become "unhealthful" on any day. The survey informed respondents that in the prior year the local community experienced 14 days on which ozone levels exceeded federal standards. The study makes the strong assumptions that respondents believed they were "buying" 14 more healthy days and that WTP per day "bought" is constant. Given these assumptions, one can scale this WTP response to represent annual medians and means of approximately £7 and £14 per person per day, respectively. An econometric procedure for generalizing the community's annual WTP to avoid the 14 unhealthful days yields estimates ranging from £3.21 and £5.36 per person per healthy day, or between £12.4 and £20.6 million per year. The unit day estimates are comparable to CV and household production finction estimates of WTP in the Los Angeles basin, suggesting their usefulness for benefits transfer .     

城市居民对居住区位的偏好及其区位选择的实证研究

利用详实的社会调查数据,考察了我国城市居民对居住区位的偏好和支付意愿,以及居民实际的区位选择。首先对影响居民对居住区位支付意愿高低(即支付意愿梯度)的因素进行了理论分析,分析了因素之间的相关关系,并探讨了研究支付意愿与区位选择差异性的方法。在理论分析基础上,建立了支付意愿梯度模型和区位选择模型,利用北京、上海、广州、武汉和重庆五城市的调研数据对模型参数进行了估计。结果显示,高收入群体仍倾向于居住在距离市中心偏近的位置,工作地点、对环境的偏好、城市规模和郊区基础设施完善程度都会从各种方面影响支付意愿的梯度值。市场力量已经在居住区位资源的配置中发挥重要作用,但存量住房流动性低和一部分居民的融资能力不足仍阻碍了其自由的区位选择。     

江苏省城市消费者对食品安全支付意愿的实证研究-以低残留青菜为例

该文以江苏省城市消费者为调查对象,通过假想价值评估法,运用LOGIT回归模型,分析了消费者对食品安全(以低残留青菜为例)的支付意愿及其影响因素.研究结果表明,消费者对低残留青菜中食品安全的平均支付意愿达到了2.68元/斤,其价格溢出为335%.其中,大城市南京的消费者对食品安全的支付意愿为2.42元/斤,中小城市扬州的消费者的支付意愿为2.77元/斤.此外,该文还就影响消费者支付意愿的主要因素进行分析.     

江苏省城市消费者对食品安全支付意愿的实证研究-以低残留青菜为例

本文以江苏省城市消费者为调查对象,通过假想价值评估法,运用Logit回归模型,分析了消费者对食品安全(以低残留青菜为例)的支付意愿及其影响因素。研究结果表明,消费者对低残留青菜中食品安全的平均支付意愿达到了2.68元/斤,其价格溢出为335%。其中,大城市南京的消费者对食品安全的支付意愿为2.42元/斤,中小城市扬州的消费者的支付意愿为2.77元/斤。此外,本文还就影响消费者支付意愿的主要因素进行分析。     

2020年中国城市等级规模结构预测

定量化的城市等级规模模型是分析和预测城镇体系结构演化的重要方法。在回顾了国内外学者在城市等级规模的数量模型方面的研究进展后,利用2002年建设部城市非农人口统计资料,分析了我国城市等级规模现状,建立起位序—规模幂函数模型,证实其分布符合位序—规模法则,并对误差作出分析,继而对2020年我国城市等级规模结构作出预测。     

生产率对中国经济增长的贡献:新的估计

在过去的二十年中,中国经济令人瞩目的增长已经吸引了许多的注意,并由此引发了这一领域内大量文献的出现。这些文献关注的一个问题是中国经济增长中生产率的作用。本文希望通过重新考察关于中国经济增长中生产率作用的争论,对生产率增长提供了一个最新的估计,并由此有助于理解近期的中国经济增长。本文的目的是提出并应用一种增长核算技术,来评估中国经济增长绩效,尤其是技术进步在中国经济增长中的作用。而关于后者的发现可能会对中国未来经济增长的持续性有着重要的政策涵义。     

生态旅游认证产品支付意愿研究--基于浙江省四个景区旅游者的实证分析

生态旅游认证产品能否取得商业上的成功取决于旅游消费者对它的接受程度,通过对浙江省四个景区的实地调查,分析了旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的认知和态度,并运用假设评价方法评估了旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的支付意愿。研究结果表明,旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的选择意愿受性别、教育程度、月收入、旅游频率、旅游方式、过去一年旅游花费、对生态旅游进行专门的认证并授予生态资格证书的赞同程度以及未认证生态旅游产品的价格等因素的影响而差别显著;计算所得的WTP表明,平均而言,旅游消费者愿意支付比未认证的生态旅游产品高35.1%的价格来购买通过认证的生态旅游产品。     

中国新金融业态风险传染典型事实及特征的实证研究

本文根据从网络借贷市场搜集的718家正常平台和129家问题平台数据分析典型风险传染事件发生前后市场资金变化情况,构建模型从月度、周度两个维度研究新金融业态风险传染的特征。结果发现:风险更显著地传染至大规模、人均投资金额低的平台。风险传染期内,平台规模越大,对交易量变化的负向作用越大;平台人均投资金额越高,平台与投资人的联系越紧密,对交易量变化的正向作用越大。随着时间的推移,平台规模与人均投资金额对平台交易量变化的影响程度逐渐减弱。风险传染期间,问题平台与正常平台在危机后的交易量存在较为显著的差异,市场资金流向呈现出一定的替代效应。     

百年来中国城市地理学研究回顾及展望

在收集和整理1900—2009年国内主要地理及相关期刊和外文相关期刊基础上,对近100多年中国城市地理学研究成果进行系统分析。首先,对我国城市地理研究历程进行回顾。其次,对城市地理研究的核心主题和内容进行归纳,大致包括城市化、城市(区域)体系、城市内部空间结构、城市技术地理和全球化、信息化背景下的中国城市地理研究等方面。最后,对我国城市地理研究进行简要评价,并提出未来我国城市地理学有待加强的若干建议:①加强"过程机理和互动关系"的城市地理研究;②加强"全球视野和地方行动"的宏、微观并举的研究;③加强"地理社会与文化转向"的城市社会与文化地理研究;④加强"区域差异性"的城市地理研究。     

论建立政府与民众合作的生态补偿体系

在政府财政为主的生态补偿体系中,社会民众作为生态补偿主体的地位被忽视。确立民众作为生态补偿的基本主体,以民众作为生态补偿的主体,政府为生态补偿提供制度环境,可以将行政特征的生态补偿机制转型为法治特征的生态补偿机制。     

新科技革命对我国经济体制改革的新要求

新科技革命是技术创新成果积累和制度变革相互作用的产物。新科技革命带来的社会生产力飞跃性发展,必然对生产关系和上层建筑产生深刻影响,对我国经济体制改革提出新的历史要求。我国迎接新科技革命的挑战,必须深化改革,为先进生产力快速成长创造良好的制度条件。     

THE REGULATION OF MIGRATION IN A TRANSITION ECONOMY: CHINA'S HUKOU SYSTEM

Unlike most countries, China regulates internal migration. Access to public schools, health services, low‐cost housing, and attractive jobs by those who do not have local registration (Hukou) is often limited. Coincident with the deepening of economic reforms, Hukou has gradually been relaxed since the 1980s, contributing to a migration surge. In this study of interprovincial Chinese migration, we address two questions. First, what is a sensible way of incorporating Hukou into theoretical and empirical models of migration in China? Second, to what extent has Hukou influenced the scale and structure of migration? We incorporate two different measures of Hukou into a modified gravity model nuanced to fit the Chinese case: (1) the migrant's perceived probability of securing Hukou and (2) the perceived joint probability of securing Hukou and a job available only to a registered person. Our tests include a much wider variety of controls especially important for the Chinese case. Using census data for 1985–90, 1995–2000, and 2000–05, we find that migration is very sensitive to Hukou, with the greatest sensitivity occurring during the middle period. (JEL J61)     

CHINA'S RESISTANCE TO ECONOMIC REFORMS

After 10 years of institutional and structural change, expanded economic activity, and subsequent economic difficulties, China adopted an austerity program in 1988. Underlying the ostensible economic reasons for the austerity program, however, was growing political resistance to economic reforms among Communist party members.
This paper puts forth two explanations. One is that the leadership misunderstands the market system, and this leads to errors in economic policy. The second explanation is that rent seeking by strategically situated groups is responsible for much of the resistance.
Because market-oriented reform makes redundant both bureaucrats and job slots for apparatchik appointments, strong resistance to reform exists at the micro level.
Two scenarios could lead to real economic reform: (i) gradual self-limitation by the Communist party as economic decline continues and as the costs of maintaining the existing system increase, or (ii) a breakdown of consensus within the ruling stratum. In this paper, the dual thesis for resistance to reform serves to reinforce the latter scenario.