Post-Crisis Experiments in Development Finance Architectures: A Hirschmanian Perspective On ‘Productive Incoherence’

Abstract

The Asian and especially the global crisis of 2008 have catalyzed decentralization of the developing world’s financial governance architecture. I understand this state of affairs via the concept of “productive incoherence” which is apparent in a denser, multilayered development financial architecture that is emerging as a consequence of heterogeneous practical adjustments to changing circumstances rather than as the embodiment of a coherent doctrine. Drawing on Albert Hirschman, I argue that the absence of an encompassing theoretical blueprint for a new economic system—i.e. a new “ism” to replace neoliberalism—is in fact a vitally important virtue. If we cannot live without a new “ism,” I propose “Hirschmanian Possibilism” as a new doctrine—one that rejects an overarching theoretical framework from which to deduce the singly appropriate institutional structure of the economy. Hirschmanian Possibilism asserts instead the value of productive incoherence as a framework for pursuing democratic, ethically viable development institutions.     

An Institutional Perspective on International Financial Governance: How Much Has Happened Since the Crisis?

This article studies some institutional trends in international financial regulation after the great crisis of 2008. It supports the idea that the largest financial corporations are working to create several components for an international self-regulation. Private firms make up the architecture of this complicated global mechanism, which is backed up by governments. Meanwhile, this built-up mechanism is based on several assumptions about the origins of the great financial crisis and on the capabilities of governments to reach the objectives they are expected to achieve. This article concludes that a new financial crisis will develop, and the “too-big-to-fail” financial corporations are already preparing strategies on resolution regimes.     

金融与区域发展国际研究进展及启示

关于金融与区域发展关系的研究大多沿用宏观金融发展理论的思路和方法来分析金融与区域发展的关系,以两者的因果关系和识别金融促进区域经济增长的机制为重点,往往将区域视为封闭的、孤立的,忽略区域所具有的空间结构属性。而最近一些研究极其强调自地理学的空间视角来研究金融及其与区域发展的关系。这些研究多来自金融地理学领域,一些来自区域金融学领域,文章从金融空间和金融空间与区域发展两个方面评述国际有关研究,在此基础上提出我国需要特别关注的金融与区域发展问题。     

Fiscal policy and capital mobility: the construction of economic policy rectitude in Britain and France

This research examines the regulatory response of the European Union to the global financial crisis, addressing the questions of whether, how and why the global financial crisis has changed the ‘old’ politics of financial services regulation in the EU and resulted in the emergence of a ‘new’ politics. It is argued that, with a good dose of political opportunism and ‘anti-free market’ rhetoric, a continental advocacy coalition sponsoring a ‘market-shaping’ regulatory approach has capitalised on the crisis, tipping the balance of regulatory power in the EU in its favour, as compared to the pre-crisis situation.     

国际气候谈判中欧美分歧探析

国际合作是人类应对全球气候变化的必然选择。由于利益诉求的差异,各国(国家集团)在国际气候谈判中产生了激烈的矛盾碰撞,导致谈判进程举步维艰。欧美在国际气候谈判中的矛盾是制约谈判进程的关键障碍之一。欧美为维护国家(集团)竞争力和争夺气候谈判领导权,在对待气候变化问题的态度、温室气体减排和构建后京都时代国际气候机制等重大问题上存在着深刻的分歧。     

An examination of firm licensing behaviour after a payday-loan ban

In 2008, Ohio enacted the Short-Term Loan Law capping interest rates to 28% APR, effectively banning the industry. Previous analysis has shown that while the policy was effective in eliminating the payday lending industry, expansion occurred within the pawnbroker, small-loan and second-mortgage lending industries in effective policy periods. Extending this previous analysis, using branch-level licensing records from the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, this study examines the firm’s decision to license at the branch-level both with a zip code and within a county. I predict the effects of the ban on the likelihood of entry in the small-loan and second-mortgage industries while also controlling for incumbent status as a payday lender. Results at the zip-code level show that the likelihood of entering the lending market as a small-loan lender increases by 35.4% and initiating a second-mortgage license increases by 6.3% after the signing the Short-Term Loan Law. At the county level, the probability of initiating a small-loan licenses increases by 15.3%, while the likelihood initiating a second-mortgage license increases by 6.3%. At the county level, branches previously operating as payday lenders are 1.1% more likely to re-license as small-loan lenders, though has no effect on licensing as a second-mortgage lender.     

Contributors

This paper attempts to show that convergence or divergence in the European Union (EU) will be influenced by developments in the periphery of Europe to a considerable extent, although the core situation cannot be ignored. In essence, therefore, it is the relationship between core and periphery that will determine the future of the EU. The main thesis of this study is that the EU economic position is such that divergence is more likely to occur than convergence. The focus of the analysis is what has come to be known as “Peripheral Fordism”, which enables us to suggest that periphery prospects for economic development are predicated upon substantial expansion of their industrial sectors based on indigenous forces. It is therefore the existing institutional structure within the EU that poses obstacles to convergence.     

Introduction to “Economic and Financial Governance in the European Union after a decade of Economic and Political Crises.”

ABSTRACT

This paper offers the Introduction to the Special Issue “Economic and Financial Governance in the European Union after a decade of Economic and Political Crises.” We introduce the five papers. We distill three important lessons they offer for EU integration.     

美日欧发展高新技术产业的比较研究

在全球竞争目益激烈的背景下,美日欧不断调整完善科技创新战略,加强重点领域研发,大力发展高新技术产业,培育新的经济增长点,以便在竞争中占据有利地位。通过从九大方面,包括产业发展战略模式、产业发展重点领域、法律保障、科技管理体制、科技投入、产学研合作模式、政府在科技成果转化和商业化中的作用、技术创新财税支持政策、科技人才政策等,对美日欧发展高新技术产业进行分析和比较．以期了解美日欧在发展高新技术产业中的做法和特点,使我国在发展高新技术产业中有所借鉴。     

基于区域物流金融的第三方物流服务创新浅析

进入新世纪以来,中国区域物流金融服务在国内发展迅速,成为物流企业和金融行业共同关注的焦点领域。从区域物流金融业务的发展以及现状进行分析,以＂物流、信息流、资金流相结合＂为导向提出创新建议,以供借鉴。     

简析欧盟推动科技创新及促进地区发展的政策

经过6次扩大,欧盟目前已经拥有27个成员国,其各个成员国的不同的发展状态和经济发展水平,加剧了整个欧盟层面上区域发展的不平衡状况。为了缩小其成员国以及地区间的经济差距、增强其社会凝聚力、进一步推进经济、政治一体化,欧盟制定并推行了一系列的旨在缩小地区差距以确保各成员国经济社会能够相对均衡、协调发展的地区政策。多年的实践使得欧盟在地区发展领域积累了丰富的经验,也在促进其成员国,特别是经济较为落后的成员国经济和社会发展方面取得了相当的成绩。本文试图对欧盟的地区政策,特别是其通过科技创新为地区发展所作的努力作一剖析,希望读者有所收益。     

Rethinking the allocation of macroprudential mandates within the Banking Union – a perspective from east of the BU

This paper argues that reforms of the Banking Union should be aimed at increasing efficiency of the single market as well enhance financial stability in the European Union. We argue that this can only be achieved if the Banking Union becomes more accommodative to non-Eurozone Central and Eastern European countries. It can be achieved if within BU institutions, the allocation of competencies reflects the subsidiary demands of CEE governments. Using the example of macroprudential regulation, we develop a number of reform options that could result in the better functioning of the Single Supervisory Mechanism and thus benefit all EU member states.     

地区金融发展水平综合评价及比较分析

构建了地区金融发展水平综合评价指标体系,利用2009年31个省(自治区、直辖市)的截面数据,运用因子分析法对各地区的金融发展水平进行了综合评价。结论如下:我国各地区的金融发展水平存在显著差异;各地区对各种金融工具的利用效率存在相对差异;各地区与其金融发展相匹配的外部环境尚待改善。最后,提出各地区应充分利用各种金融工具及发展地区金融必须使之与实体经济相匹配的政策建议。     

Real Convergence and European Integration: The Experience of the Less Developed EU Members

This study aims at providing an assessment about real convergence across countriesand regions in the EU, focusing more specifically on the four cohesion EU members.The results show that in the course of the last few years a process of convergence hastaken place between the per capita income levels of the EU regions and also, to a largerextent, of the Member States. Nevertheless, advances in real convergence are largelydetermined by the growth strategy implemented by the countries themselves. Lastly,our study suggests that the Community's regional policy has played a significant rolein favor of real convergence between the Member States of the EU. One importantlesson to be drawn is that the accession is likely to contribute significantly to improvingthe possibilities of the current Central and East European countries (CEECs) candidatesin aligning their per capita income levels with those of the EU members.     

How have global financial institutions responded to the challenges of the post-crisis era?

The study examines the largely unexplored effect of changes in the competitive landscape for large, global financial institutions on their ability to take risks, as well as deploy capital and labour in an efficient manner based on a novel measure of inefficiency. The analysis shows during 2001–2013 that inefficiency peaked during the 2008 crisis period and has fallen back to levels close to pre-crisis periods. The model also performs well in out-of-sample forecasts of the financial firms’ future market values. These results suggest that large financial firms have been adjusting to the ‘new normal’ of the post-crisis period and thus are able to use capital and labour more efficiently within the constraints of current market conditions. In addition, a non-linear pattern between inefficiency and a firm’s asset size suggests that there might be an optimal scale for such firms in the $450–650 billion range.     

中国金融发展的区域差异与区域金融协调发展研究进展与评论

文章从以下几个方面对中国金融发展的区域差异与区域金融协调发展的研究状况进行了考察:区域金融发展水平及其差异的测度方法;区域金融发展与经济增长关系;金融发展区域差异的动态特征与构成;金融发展区域差异的形成原因;区域金融协调发展政策。在此基础上,从金融地理学和新金融发展理论视角,分析了现有研究的不足和未来研究的改进方向。     

Notes on Contributors

In recent political-economic theories of ‘nature’, Mill and Marx/Engels form important reference points. Ecological economists see Mill's ‘stationary state’ as seminal, while Marxists have ‘brought capitalism back in’ to debates on growth and climate change, sparking a Marxological renaissance that has overturned our understanding of Marx/Engels' opus. This article explores aspects of Mill's and Marx/Engels' work and contemporary reception. It identifies a resemblance between their historical dialectics. Marx's communism is driven by logics of ‘agency’ and ‘structure’ (including the ‘tendency of profit rates to fall’). In Mill's dialectic a ‘thesis’, material progress, calls forth its ‘antithesis’, diminishing returns. The inevitable ‘Aufhebung’ is a stationary state of wealth and population; Mill mentions countervailing tendencies but fails to consider their capacity to postpone utopia's arrival. Today, Mill's schema lives on in ecological economics, shorn of determinism but with its market advocacy intact. It appears to contrast with the ‘productive forces expansion’ espoused by Marx/Engels. They stand accused of ‘Promethean arrogance’, ignoring ‘natural limits’ and ‘gambling on abundance’. But I find these criticisms to be ill-judged, and propose an alternative reading, arguing that their work contains a critique of the ‘growth paradigm’, and that their ‘cornucopian’ ends do not sanction ‘Promethean’ means.     

Regional analysis and sustainable development： Application of a synthetic sustainability indicator to Galicia and the European Union

In general, investigations carried out to date regarding/measuring systems/systems of measurement of sustainable development present two peculiarities： Either they are of a limited practical nature or they do not allow for comparisons between different areas or economies. Global synthetic indicators are an exception to the above; however they have been scarcely developed. This article designs an index of said characteristics, which is subsequently applied to all the countries within the European Union and to the region of Galicia.