The Economics of Non-Convex Ecosystems: Introduction

The word “convexity” is ubiquitous in economics, but absent fromeconomics. In this paper we explain why, and show what differenceit makes to economic analysis if ecosystem non-convexities aretaken seriously. A simple proof is provided of the connectionbetween “self-similarity” and “power laws”. We also provide anintroduction to each of the papers in the Symposium and draw outthe way in which they form a linked set of contributions.     

《联邦党人文集》的遗产：以审议性民主为中心的分析

以贝赛特为代表的精英主义的审议性民主论者与以科恩为代表的公共审议论者,代表了当代西方学界研究审议性民主的两条主要路径:前者寻求解释与再解释现存的法律和政治安排,强调其隐含的或被压制的审议性的一面;而后者则志在廓清和论证作为一种道德理想的审议性民主的合理性。而本文的主要目的就是揭示这种研究路径分歧的可能原因,在此基础上,进一步探讨《联邦党人文集》对于审议性民主理论的贡献与挑战。     

系族企业的特征:一个初步描述

我国近年来出现了各种类型的系族企业,这是与其它发展中国家很相似的情形.但是,在系族结构形成之后,实际控制人是否不同程度地进行圈钱,实施对中小股东的资本掠夺呢？这是亟待研究的问题.本文以目前能够确认的37个系族、114家上市公司为研究组,与一个按照行业等标准选择的对照组进行对比研究,结果发现:系族企业在股权结构、盈利结构和股利行为等方面都与对照组存在着明显的差别.这在一定程度上可以作为系内企业转移资产和转移利润的疑点,为今后的研究提供了必要的依据和切入点.     

The Social Economics of Work Time: Introduction

How do social economists conceptualize and analyze time, particularly time spent in paid employment? In this symposium regarding this quite “timely”" issue, it is evident that social economics views work time as something more than its presentation in neoclassical economics. For neoclassical economists, time is a scarce resource that, when commodified as labor, serves as a factor of production and means to the end of consumption for optimizing firms, individuals, and families. It is also more than the radical political economics understanding of time as the yardstick measuring the value created by labor. Instead, time spent on the job is all at once a source of income, personal identity, and relative status within society, the workplace and household, and a constraint on individuals' ability to pursue self-directed activities and social reproduction. Work time is determined within a complex web of evolving culture and social relations, as well as traditionally conceived market, technological, and macroeconomic forces and institutions such as collective bargaining and government policy.