Australian Government Policy on Retirement Incomes*

Australia has evolved an unusual dual system of retirement incomes support. There is a means-tested flat rate age pension and a system of occupational superannuation receiving considerable tax concessions. The current system gives rise to four major problems. These are enumerated and possible options for reform discussed.     

Policy Effects in Hyperbolic vs. Exponential Models of Consumption and Retirement

This paper constructs a structural retirement model with hyperbolic preferences and uses it to estimate the effect of several potential Social Security policy changes. Estimated effects of policies are compared using two models, one with hyperbolic preferences and one with standard exponential preferences. Sophisticated hyperbolic discounters may accumulate substantial amounts of wealth for retirement. We find it is frequently difficult to distinguish empirically between models with the two types of preferences on the basis of asset accumulation paths or consumption paths around the period of retirement. Simulations suggest that, despite the much higher initial time preference rate, individuals with hyperbolic preferences may actually value a real annuity more than individuals with exponential preferences who have accumulated roughly equal amounts of assets. This appears to be especially true for individuals with relatively high time preference rates or who have low assets for whatever reason. This affects the tradeoff between current benefits and future benefits on which many of the retirement incentives of the Social Security system rest.Simulations involving increasing the early entitlement age and increasing the delayed retirement credit do not show a great deal of difference whether exponential or hyperbolic preferences are used, but simulations for eliminating the earnings test show a non-trivially greater effect when exponential preferences are used.     

An Analysis of the General Practice Access Scheme on GP Incomes, Bulk Billing and Consumer Copayments

In response to falling rates of bulk billing, in April 2003 the Australian Government proposed changes to the way that general practitioners (GPs) are reimbursed. It claimed that the General Practice Access Scheme (GPAS) would benefit all Australians by providing more affordable access to GP services and improved access to free GP consultations for concession cardholders. This article examines the likely impacts of the GPAS, focusing on the proposed changes to bulk billing and payments to GPs. It examines the current spatial distribution of bulk billing and discusses how the package changes the incentives for GPs to charge patients and likely impacts on GP income, patient copayments and bulk billing rates.     

不同来源收入对我国农村居民消费影响的区域差异分析

采用1995—2009年的面板数据,对我国东、中、西三大地区农村居民不同来源收入对其消费影响的区域差异进行了实证分析。结果表明:工资性收入和家庭经营性收入仍是影响我国农村居民消费的主要收入;财产性收入和转移性收入的影响不显著;三大地区农村居民的各种来源收入的边际消费倾向不同。最后提出,在提高农村居民收入水平的同时,应针对各地区不同来源收入的边际消费倾向的差异,制定能体现出区域差异性的农村居民消费政策。     

The Separation of Spending from Taxation: Implications for Collective Choices

Our fiscal process divorces payment from use. Whilethis divorce has led many analysts of government to separatediscussion of public expenditures from their funding, or usefrom payment, we argue that this approach does not provide auseful framework for understanding our public choices. We arguethat it is the divorce of payment from use that underlies ourfiscal process and, rather than simply dismiss out of handthe study of our fiscal process, it should be an integral partof our study of government. Our framework for describing fiscalinstitutions indicates how our fiscal process invites rent-seekingbecause it allows beneficiaries of programs to avoid paymentfor those programs. We conclude by examining how various changesin the fiscal process may influence our public choices.     

Towards Sustainable Consumption: Economics and Ethical Concerns for the Environment in Consumer Choices

The article examines individual action informed by ethical concerns for the environment as a strategy for moving toward more sustainable consumption. The article first employs a model of rational choice to analyze independent consumer choices among the usually assumed self- and welfare-centered consumers and then expands the model to analyze the implications of other than self- and welfare-centered motivations for consumer choice. The article next analyzes interdependent consumer choices informed by self- and welfare-centered values with the help of a simple game-theoretic model and then moves on to examine the implications of nonutilitarian environmental concerns for interdependent consumer choice in the same game-theoretic framework. The article concludes that although a strategy based on individual action may have limited promise when environmental concerns are widely shared, the case for collective action remains strong because of both efficiency and equity reasons.     

中国的最优消费率及其政策含义

关于中国的最优消费率,长期以来都存在争议。然而,如何从经济学基本理论出发计算最优消费率的问题一直没有解决。本文从分析Phelps的黄金律法则入手,引入关于经济动态效率的新判据,并证明了新判据与黄金律法则的一致性和相互关系。在此基础上给出了最优消费率的求解方法,并利用中国的统计数据,计算出中国的最优消费率。最后,结合中国经济增长的特点及内外部环境,论述了最优消费率的政策含义。     

生育政策调整、退休年龄延迟与城镇职工基本养老保险最优缴费率

文章基于“十三五”规划建议提出适当降低社会保险费率的现实背景,从社会福利最大化视角,运用一般均衡模型对五种生育情景下不同退休年龄的城镇职工基本养老保险最优社会统筹缴费率进行测算,并分析降低社会统筹缴费率的经济效应。研究表明：（1）最优社会统筹缴费率随退休年龄的延长而下降,随人口增长率的上升而提高。0％－100％符合全面二孩政策规定的妇女生育二孩,使退休年龄为60岁时的最优社会统筹缴费率降到191．8％－196．3％,使退休年龄为65岁时的最优缴费率降到107．7％－116．4％。（2）除了受生育政策和退休年龄影响外,最优社会统筹缴费率对物质资本产出弹性、个人主观效用贴现因子和社会贴现因子的敏感性也较强。（3）降低社会统筹缴费率具有积极的经济效应,不仅能促进经济增长和增进社会福利,而且有助于完善我国多层次养老保险体系。因此,文章为降低城镇职工基本养老保险社会统筹缴费率的改革提供了依据。     

面向未来的消费理论及其对刺激内需政策选择的启示

面向未来的消费理论对我们启动内需的政策选择方面有以下启示：１．在刺激居民消费需求方面重视制度建设,以改善人们对未来的预期;２．应把激发投资热情（主要是企业投资）作为启动内需的重点。     

重新理解各种收入及其源泉——辨析"三位一体"公式的二重性

马克思以前的许多经济学家,例如斯密和萨伊,由于没有科学区分剩余价值的分配与剩余价值的生产之间的联系与区别,因而都无意或有意地混淆了收入分配与收入源泉两者之间的联系区别,"三位一体"公式就是这种混淆的理论表现形式.本文为了极其清晰地揭示出分配与生产关系之间的区别,力求全面、深刻地辨析"三位一体"公式的虚伪性和合理性,以便从整体上再现资本作为商品化经济或市场经济主体的复杂二重性质.在这里,唯物辩证的二重分析方法又成为解剖资本分配制度乃至运营制度、生产制度二重性的锐利武器.     

销售商品收入与增值税应税销售额的差异分析

从会计准则对企业销售商品收入的界定和税法对增值税应税销售额的界定的差异入手,通过比较几种销售商品方式下会计与税法的不同处理规定,分析销售商品收入与增值税应税销售额的差异.     

非法非正常收入对居民收入差别的影响及其经济学解释

在我国近些年的经济生活中 ,非法非正常收入的大量滋生与蔓延已经成为社会关注的重大问题。本文重点测算了各种非法非正常收入对我国城乡居民收入差别的影响程度 ,并对体制转轨时期非法非正常收入的发生机理给出经济学诠释。我们测算的结果显示 ,各种非法非正常收入是导致全国 (及城乡 )居民收入差别“非正常扩大”的基本因素 ;而市场化改革过程中不可避免出现的“制度缺陷”是体制转轨时期我国非法非正常收入滋生蔓延的根本原因     

中国城乡居民收入的决定因素分析

利用课题组于2010年年初在全国29个省市区对2009年居民收入抽样问卷的调查数据,研究了不同因素对我国城乡居民收入回报的影响。研究发现,拥有良好的健康状况和较高的教育水平等人力资本,将能获得较高的收入回报;无论是城市还是农村,拥有党员或干部身份等政治资本,将能获得较高的收入回报;城市垄断行业收入高于竞争性行业,就业单位所有制性质不同,对收入回报的影响较大;农村劳动力外出务工为农村家庭带来了较高的收入。     

政府管制对要素收入的影响:基于省级面板数据的估计

基于企业决策均衡的理论分析,本文采用中国2003-2010年的省级面板数据,检验政府管制规模对要素收入的影响,结果表明:随着管制规模的提高,居民竞争性要素收入与管制垄断租之比下降;人力资本对劳动收入份额有较显著的正向影响;第三产业占国内生产总值比重增大对提高竞争性要素收入有贡献。政府的管制干预将导致竞争性供给的要素收入份额相对降低,以及非竞争性垄断租份额的相对上升。本文的政策建议是:缩小收入差距的政策着眼点不是最低工资,而是在产品和要素环节取消管制、放开准入。     

苏北工业化的路径选择

苏北要走出一条既符合新型工业化要求,又能实现区域统筹协调、可持续发展的工业化道路,必须进行科学的路径选择。在企业分布上要改变地方政府对“GDP统计权”争夺的格局,实现企业按市场要求的集聚和集中。苏北工业化要坚持“两条腿走路”,在积极引进外资的同时,下大气力推进本土创业发展“有根”的经济。在产业选择上,则要坚持以利用本地资源实现工业与农业、城市与农村联动、协调发展。     

政府基础设施投资与居民收入关系的实证研究

政府支出的目的之一就是改善人民群众的生活条件,增加居民收入。基于中国1980—2009年的时间序列数据进行实证研究,通过协整检验、Granger因果检验和误差修正模型的建立来分析政府基础设施投资支出与城镇居民收入的关系。结果发现政府基础设施投资支出与城镇居民收入具有长期的均衡关系,且政府基础设施投资支出是城镇居民收入的Granger原因（反向不成立）。     

开发个人退休账户市场研究

文章首先分析了美国个人退休账户的发展特点、规模、历史原因及管理形式，通过最低购买量预测模型的分析，提出中国居民收入水平已经部分具备购买个人退休账户的能力，其中高收入阶层应该成为基金管理公司发展个人退休账户市场的突破口，最后设计了中国基金管理公司开发个人退休账户的产品形式。     

我国中小企业的环境战略及其选择

环境问题已日益成为社会关注的焦点。然而我国中小企业对环境问题一直没有给予足够的重视。本文分析了我国中小企业环境问题的紧迫性,探讨了中小企业环境战略的驱动因素,并提出了可供中小企业选择的四种环境战略。     

The Effects of Changing Cost Vectors on Choices and Scale Heterogeneity

Choice Experiments (CE) are widely used to estimate the values of changes in non-market goods and services. A cost attribute is typically included in a CE questionnaire to enable the estimation of monetary values for changes in the non-market attributes presented. Notwithstanding the central importance of the cost attribute, relatively little research has been undertaken on the impacts of varying cost attribute levels on value estimates, or on individual heterogeneity. In this paper, I present results from mixed logit and generalised mixed logit models that account for unobserved idiosyncratic preference and scale heterogeneity. Respondents are found to anchor their choices on the relative cost levels presented in the survey with results suggesting that people are more sensitive to relative rather than absolute cost vectors. However, the higher cost levels do not lead to significantly higher value estimates, partly because of observed preference heterogeneity towards the environmental attributes. An important observation is that scale heterogeneity is important: accounting for scale— as well as preference—heterogeneity in the generalised mixed logit model leads to significantly improved model fit. The results indicate significant unobserved error variance across respondents, unrelated to whether a high or low cost vector is used.