The Simple Welfare Economics of Network Externalities and the Uneasy Case for Subscribership Subsidies

The goal of universal service has dominated the telecommunications policy landscape for at least the past half century. This policy objective has been promoted with cross subsidies from long-distance telecommunications services to subscribers to local telecommunications service. The economic rationale for these cross subsidies is network externalities. In this paper, we show that: (1) the presence of network externalities, even if substantial in overall magnitude, does not generally justify a subscribership subsidy, even a well-designed one; and (2) the empirical realities of telecommunications markets make it unlikely that subscribership subsidies of any kind will increase social welfare.     

关于“双顺差”背景下实现中国内外均衡的思考

内外均衡目标是指充分就业、物价稳定、经济增长及国际收支均衡。目前，中国正面临通货紧缩的压力和国际收支双顺差的格局，因此需通过扩张性的财政及货币政策进行协调，同时辅以汇率及利率政策。只有内外兼顾统一才能使经济实现稳定发展。     

中国电信业务普遍服务资金筹措方式研究

本文针对引入竞争后 ,通过交叉补贴实现普遍服务资金筹措体系瓦解的现状 ,运用财政学及经济学的有关理论 ,根据我国各电信业务的市场结构 ,研究了不同税种对企业行为和经济效率的影响 ,建立了适合我国普遍服务资金的筹措途径。     

Economics of compatibility standards and competition in telecommunication networks

The pro- and anti-competitive implications of technical compatibility standards are introduced in general terms and then applied to current issues in telecommunications policy. The demand and supply for standards under regulated monopoly and the transition to deregulation and competitive entry create a tradeoff between the traditional goal of achieving positive externalities from interconnection and the alternative goal of providing enhanced service offerings that may involve sacrificing universal connectivity. We argue that this tradeoff has affected the utilization of data communication networks in the U.S. and Europe. In addition, we identify problems of competing interests that complicate the European approach to standards “harmonization” in the case of telecommunications. We conclude by noting that the nature of standards and standard-setting process can have marked effects on the incentives to conduct private research and development.     

LIBERALIZATION OF EUROPEAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS: SECTORAL DYNAMICS AND STRUCTURAL MUTATIONS

ABSTRACT ** :  This contribution intends to draw up an assessment of structural changes in the telecommunications sector impelled by the European policy of liberalization. Deep transformations with contrasted results have occurred. A strong differentiation in offer of services and a considerable fall in cost appears. After a strong growth, however, investment sharply decreased with the financial crisis. Employment has become a variable of adjustment for companies subjected to strong risks due to the economic situation. Lastly, the assertion of the universal service of telecommunications is accompanied by an important reduction of public service missions.     

Telephone pricing structures: The effects on universal service

We use 1987 data to study the household demand for access to the telephone system. Previous analyses find demand to be highly inelastic and, therefore, predict that local rate increases will have little impact on the goal of providing universal telephone service. We estimate that price has a considerably stronger effect on access demand, especially at low incomes, and argue that elasticities increased in the 1980s. But our evidence also suggests that the structure of telephone rates matter: where local measured service is available, changes in flat rate prices have no effect on access demand.     

论教育普遍服务制度建设与农民反贫困

受教育水平决定了农民对新的技术、信息的反应速度与吸收应用能力,是关系农民职业选择能力的重要因素;教育对农民收入具有最高的边际收益的投入,教育投入是农民脱贫的重要手段。实证研究表明,教育是影响农民收入的最主要因素,提高农民收入应该制定教育普遍服务政策,确立我国教育普遍服务目标与水平,建立教育普遍服务基金,合理分配教育资源,并配合以相关政策措施,以促进农民收入可持续增长。     

公共价值视角下电力普遍服务社会价值测量

通过分析公共价值视角下社会价值的内涵和特点,提出了包括受助对象的福利价值、一般纳税人的环境价值和电力企业的经济价值三方利益相关者偏好意愿的电力普遍服务社会价值测量框架,并构建了测量模型。以云南省富民县为例进行了实证分析。结果显示,1999—2015年该县电力普遍服务的经济价值为负、社会价值为正,从而证明了电力普遍服务对于电力企业而言不具备经济性,但有较高的社会价值。     

经济增长与能源消费：来自山东省的经验证据

本文运用协整分析和误差修正模型技术．探讨山东省经济增长与能源消费之间的关系。实证研究结果表明，山东省经济增长与能源消费存在长期均衡关系．并存在从经济增长到能源消费的单向因果关系；经济增长与能源消费之间的关系是非线性的，因而不能从能源消费的线性变化推测出经济增长率的变化；山东省经济受电力消费的影响较大，为了在2010年单位地区生产总值能源消耗降低20％的政策目标．山东电力消耗较高的产业必须加以调整。     

跨国公司对华投资与中国市场产业发展思路初探

改革开放以来,中国利用国外直接投资的规模不断扩大,跨国公司普遍将中国市场作为当前目标市场。跨国公司的中国市场战略,对中国国内市场形势和产业发展也具有重要影响。中国必须针对跨国公司中国市场战略形势,完善相应的产业政策,有效地借助全球经济发展的有利条件,实现中国经济又好又快地发展。     

产业集聚与经济增长质量——基于全球82个国家和地区面板数据的实证分析

本文通过五个维度构建了国家层面的经济增长质量指标体系,采用熵值法测算了全球82个国家和地区的经济增长质量指数,并在此基础上实证研究了产业集聚与经济增长质量的关系。研究发现：制造业集聚与服务业集聚水平的提高有助于改善一国的经济增长质量,但两者对经济增长质量的影响渠道有所不同。服务业集聚对经济增长质量的影响在不同类型国家之间存在异质性,即服务业集聚程度的增加能够明显改善非OECD国家和地区的经济增长质量,但对OECD国家和地区的经济增长质量影响不显著。此外,FDI对制造业集聚与一国经济增长质量的关系以及对服务业集聚与一国经济增长质量的关系,分别具有正向调节效应和负向调节效应,而人力资本水平对制造业集聚和服务业集聚与一国经济增长质量的关系均具有正向调节效应。本文的研究结论对于如何制定相关产业政策以推动经济高质量发展具有重要的参考价值。     

Universal service obligations in LDCs: The effect of uniform pricing on infrastructure access

This paper develops a model to analyze the impacts of asymmetric information on optimal universal service policy in the public utilities of developing countries. Optimal universal service policy is implemented using two regulatory instruments: pricing and network investment. Under discriminatory pricing asymmetric information leads to a higher price and smaller network in the rural area than under full information. Under uniform pricing the price is also lower but the network is even smaller. In addition, under both pricing regimes not only the firm but also taxpayers have incentives to collude with the regulator.     

INTERACTION BETWEEN NATIONAL ACCOUNTS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY

An important application of national accounts is in the formulation of socio-economic policy. This paper starts out with a discussion of the current situation in the Netherlands. Subsequently, it identifies several universal trends (more micro-oriented policy formulation, globalization, the rise of the flexible service economy and the increasing intertwinement of economic, social and environmental policies) and outlines how the national accounts might be adapted and extended so as to enhance its role as the core information system for policy formulation at the macro-and meso-level.     

城市化对农民收入增长影响的动态计量分析

农民收入的提高关系到整个社会的顺利发展,而城市化是提高农民收入的一个重要途径。通过动态计量模型分析来说明城市化对农民收入增长的影响,即对城市化与农民人均纯收入两个经济变量进行协整分析;对两个经济变量进行格兰杰因果关系检验;在VAR模型的基础上,运用脉冲响应函数来分析两个经济变量之间的关系;在实证结果的基础上提出了相应的政策建议。     

Universal Service: An economic perspective

This paper discusses some important issues that feed the debate on the notion of Universal Service, namely, its definition, justification, cost and financing, within a unified economic framework. In view of the diversity of both the historical and forward looking situations under which the implementation of universal service is envisioned, we provide a systematic analysis of the economic trade-offs associated with various scenarios. We also draw on some actual universal service experiences that have reached some appreciable level of maturity, most notably in telecommunications and postal services, to illustrate and sometimes fine tune some of our arguments.     

中国特色社会主义市场经济货币政策体系的形成及演变*

伴随中国特色社会主义基本经济制度的发展，与之相适应的宏观调控机制不断完善。货币政策体系作为其中重要组成部分，在持续深化改革的进程中逐渐演进，成为构建更加系统完备、更加成熟定型的高水平社会主义市场经济体制的重要内容。在货币政策最终目标及中间目标、货币政策工具、货币政策传导机制等方面正在形成与中国特色社会主义基本经济制度相适应的政策体系，并且具有鲜明的中国特色。本文讨论改革开放以来中国货币政策体系的形成、演变过程及特点。     

中国特色社会主义市场经济货币政策体系的形成及演变

伴随中国特色社会主义基本经济制度的发展,与之相适应的宏观调控机制不断完善。货币政策体系作为其中重要组成部分,在持续深化改革的进程中逐渐演进,成为构建更加系统完备、更加成熟定型的高水平社会主义市场经济体制的重要内容。在货币政策最终目标及中间目标、货币政策工具、货币政策传导机制等方面正在形成与中国特色社会主义基本经济制度相适应的政策体系,并且具有鲜明的中国特色。本文讨论改革开放以来中国货币政策体系的形成、演变过程及特点。     

Unconventional monetary policy,liquidity trap,and asset prices

This article offers a fundamental critique of monetary policy implemented in the United States following the 2007–8 global financial crisis. It aims to show that the misunderstanding of the mainstream theoretical thinking underlying monetary policy actions led to the ineffectiveness of the policy response to the 2007–8 global financial crisis. The conventional view that monetary policy is the stabilization tool has serious flaws and is ineffective for bringing about economic recovery. The Federal Reserve’s experiment with the so-called unconventional monetary policy exposed the weakness of the conventional belief in understanding how banks operate, how the monetary authority can influence the yield curve, and how the monetary transmission mechanism works, resulting in prescribing an ineffective treatment to boost economic activity. In this regard, it is argued that the Federal Reserve’s decision to let long-term interest rates be market determined represents a significant self-imposed constraint, which limits policy options regarding monetary policy actions and the effective control of long-term interest rates. By limiting the setting of policy rates only to the overnight interest rate, the ability of the monetary authority to influence long-term interest rates is both weak and indirect.     

Money,Credit, and Business Fluctuations*

This paper provides a critique of standard theories of money, in particular those based on money as a medium of exchange. Money is important because of the relationship between money and credit The process of judging credit worthiness, in which banks play a central role, invokes the collection and processing of information. Like many other economic activities involving information, these processes are not well described by means of standard production functions. Changes in economic circumstances can have marked effects on the relevance of previously accumulated information and accordingly on the supply of credit Changes in the availability of credit may have marked effects on the level of economic activity, while changes in real interest rates seem to play a relatively minor role in economic fluctuations. This alternative view has a number of implications for policy, both at the macroeconomic level (for instance, on the role of monetary policy for stabilization purposes and the choice of targets) and at the microeconomic level.     

Exchange rate expectations and economic policy uncertainty

This study provides a new angle on the relationship between political decisions and exchange rates. We link a conventional exchange rate modeling approach to the literature on the political economy of exchange rates and studies dealing with the role of policy announcements for financial market expectations by addressing the impact of policy uncertainty on exchange rate expectations and forecast errors of professionals. Our results show that expectations are not only affected by announcements but also by the degree of uncertainty regarding the future stance of economic policy. We find that forecast errors are strongly affected by policy uncertainty compared to expectations, suggesting that the effect of uncertainty is not efficiently accounted for in market expectations. Our main findings hold for economic policy uncertainty, fiscal policy uncertainty and monetary policy uncertainty. In addition, the estimates for the Japanese yen suggest a safe haven role of the yen since higher policy uncertainty in the US results in an expected appreciation of the yen.