The Impact of Deregulation during 1990–1997 on Banking in Austria

The operating environment for banking in Austriachanged substantially during 1990–1997. The changes during the periodcan be seen as a gradualadjustment towards adherence to European banking standards, which becamea legal requirement on Austria's entry, in 1995, into the European Union. Inthis paper, we investigate the relative performance of Austrian banksduring this period and thereby test the hypothesis of increasedcompetition. The study reveals that Aktiengesellschaften hadconsistent productivity improvement over the period, Sparkassen,and Volksbanken exhibited a turnaround in productivity in 1997,and Raiffeisenbanken experienced consistent productivity decline.Overall, Austrian banks experienced a decline in average efficiencyand productivity until 1996 with slight improvements in 1997. Thestudy reveals evidence of product diversification rather thanincreased price competition; a decrease in the spread of prices paidfor inputs indicates increased competitiveness over the period, whichcan be attributed to deregulation brought about by EU-membership.     

New Basle Capital Agreement and Risk Management of China＇s Banking Industry

Adjustment of Basle Capital Agreement will influence the risk management and capital arrangement demand of the banks with different scales, operation level and environment. It will have widespread and profound effect on the competition strength of every country＇s banks in the global market. Starting with illustration of the present cond（tion of risk management in China＇s banks, the paper analyzes the major problems existing in the risk management system of China＇s banking industry, then puts forward some clues and suggestions to improve and better the risk management system of China＇s banking industry.     

The Study on Integrated Risk Management of Chinese Commercial Banks

Integrated risk management becomes gradually mainstream in worldwide. With China being a member of WTO, it put forward a higher requirement for risk management of Chinese commercial banks. So, it＇s of theoretical and practical meaning to study the integrated risk management of Chinese commercial banks. Under the guidance of integrated risk management, it pointed out the identification scope, analysis methods and systematic control strategies of risk management in Chinese commercial banks.     

The biological standard of living and body height in colonial and post-colonial Indonesia, 1770–2000

How did the biological standard of living develop in Indonesia during colonial times? Did it increase substantially after decolonization? In our study, we use four sets of anthropometric data to construct time series of average human height since the 1770s. The paper observes a significant decline in heights in the 1870s, followed by only modest recovery during the next three decades, both of which are related to a sequence of disasters. Average heights increased from the 1900s and accelerated after World War II. The World Economic Crisis, the Japanese occupation and the war of independence in the 1930s and 1940s constituted a difficult period. Average height growth thereafter is related to improvements in food supply and the disease environment, particularly hygiene and medical care.     

The Change of Ecological Footprint and Its Effect on Sustainable Development in Beijing of China

Speeding up the environmental protection and construction is one of the major issues in ＂Greener Olympic Games＂ held in Beijing in 2008. Making a thorough study to find out the reliable measures to ecological resumption in Beijing has an important scientific and practical significance. It can provide scientific basis for making a better decision for ＂Greener Olympic Games＂ held in capital Beijing and development in harmony for society and economy, as well as management for ecological environment. By studying of change of ecological footprint from 1990 to 2003 in Beijing, the paper shows that ecological footprint per capita has a strong relativity with population and GDP, and both of the correlation coefficient between them is about 0.92, as well as the fossil energy land has a position in the lead in ecological footprint items. The study also shows that the ecological capacity per capita in Beijing occupied about 1.25% in global ecological capacity per capita. Began 1990, the ecological deficit in Beijing was about 0.72 hm2, which is at strong unsustainable development at present. Finally, the paper suggests social and economic structure should be adjusted as soon as possible, resources should be strengthen sustainable used and population increasing should be controlled strictly, as well as arable land also should be under control used for built-up areas. Simultaneity, the utilizing ratio of energy sources should be increased, and the consumption of energy sources and ecological deficit in Beijing should be reduced in order to speed up the society and economy development in harmony and sustainment.     

Banking,currency, stock market and debt crises in Spain, 1850–1995

What type of crisis is generated when debt increases? We extend the literature by framework by introducing currency and stock market crises in the analysis. We apply our proposal to the case of Spain, since this is a country that has experienced a very important amount of financial crises from the nineteenth century onwards. We find the same results as the previous literature for the determinants of banking and debt crises but substituting external and public debt with perpetual debt and where perpetual debt has a less important role than crises in the private sector. Moreover, we find evidence in favour of the hypothesis that currency crises depend strongly and positively on financial centre crises and negatively and mildly on perpetual debt. We justify the negative relalionship due to an inflation tax. We also find evidence in favour of the hypothesis that stock market crises depend only positively and strongly on financial centre crises.     

The Analysis and Assessment of the Creation Investment Risk in the High and New Technology, Enterprise

The creation risk investmentof the high and new technology enterprise isthe way to finance：and invest for the business period. After we putting the capital into the high and new. technology project.that is in the devetopment stage, the enterprise can, acquire high, increase, by the. support and assistance ＇of, the. capital and management. After the enterprise grew up, it can achieve high benefits by selling stock, attorning the enterprise, and dealing property rights, etc. Finally it secedes form the enterprise invested. The purpose of total analysis in the respective stage for the business investment cause including cause prosperities, object, risk, is to comprehensively understand the effect on the anticipation ratio of the benefit, investment distribution, the stock property proportion which is offered by the activity content, and the emphasis of the assessment in the respective stages of the creation risk investment cause.     

The difficult construction of a European Deposit Insurance Scheme: a step too far in Banking Union?

The German Government refused to accept the development of a European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) for Banking Union member states. Publicly, the German Government was preoccupied with the creation of a moral hazard that common funds would create for banks in those participating countries that had weak banking systems. This paper argues that to understand German moral hazard concerns it is necessary to look beyond the ideational – notably concerns stemming from German Ordo-liberalism – and focus on the existing national institutional arrangements that the German Government sought to protect. German moral hazard concerns stemmed from the fear that well-funded German deposit guarantee schemes (DGS) – especially those of small savings and cooperative banks – could be tapped to compensate for underfunded (and largely ex post funded) DGS in other member states. We thus demonstrate that the difficulties facing the construction of an EDIS owe to the weakness of the previously agreed harmonization of national DGS. This failure to harmonize schemes beyond a low minimal standard can be explained through an analysis focused on national systems. Different existing national DGS stem from the different configuration of national banking systems, the longstanding relationships among national banks and well-entrenched regulatory frameworks.     

The economic and trade effects of the UK–Korea free trade agreement on the United Kingdom,Korea, Japan,China, and the European Union

We explored a comparative static computable general equilibrium model with six regions and 12 sectors to estimate the impacts of the recent UK–Korea free trade agreement (FTA) along with the European Union (EU)–Korea FTA. The empirical results provide quantitative evidence of the impact on national GDP, national exports and imports by sector, and the changes in exports or imports among the United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, China, and the EU. The UK–Korea FTA, along with the EU–Korea FTA, increases GDP and welfare for the United Kingdom and Korea; moreover, there is a large increase in automobiles, transport equipment, and machinery exports between Korea and the United Kingdom. The GDP and welfare level of non-member countries such as Japan and China will slightly decline. Exports from the United Kingdom and Korea to non-member countries are also expected to decrease in most manufacturing sectors. The UK–Korea FTA will lead to increases in imports between the United Kingdom and Korea due to mutual trade creation effects and trade diversion effects. However, non-member countries such as Japan's exports are expected to experience a large decline in automobiles to the United Kingdom and in most manufacturing products to Korea due to the negative impact of the UK–Korea FTA.     

The effect of subsistence on collapse and institutional adaptation in population–resource societies

We extend the Brander–Taylor model of population and resource development in an isolated society by adding a resource subsistence requirement to people's preferences. This improves plausibility; amplifies population overshoot and collapse, and can destabilize the steady state; and allows for complete cessation of non-harvesting activities, in line with archaeological evidence for many societies. We then use bifurcation techniques to give a global analysis of four types of institutional adaptation: an ad valorem resource tax, and quotas on total resource harvest, total harvest effort and per capita effort. In all cases, we find that a higher subsistence requirement makes it harder, or often impossible, for adaptation to avoid overshoot and collapse.     

Concentration and Multinationality in European Manufacturing: What’s the Effect on Productivity?

Using the time comparable matrix data from Sleuwaegen and Veugelers (2001), this paper investigates the impact of concentration and intra-EU distribution of multinational production on productivity growth in European manufacturing. In line with previous research, our estimation results indicate that market structure is indeed an important determinant. Productivity growth is significantly reduced through increasing concentration, while it is increased in industries with growing competitive pressure, e.g. from import penetration. The increasing intra-EU dispersion of multinational production likewise fosters productivity growth: Multinational firms promote technological change and transfer their firm-specific assets across countries.JEL codes: L11, F23     

The impact of the death penalty and executions on state-level murder rates: 1980–2011

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of capital punishment on state-level murder rates. Using a large current data-set and a two-stage fixed effects model, results of the present study suggest that states with death penalties and at least one execution in a given year had 28% lower murder rates than other states. These results hold regardless of the functional form used.     

Towards a Common European Security and Defence Policy? The Debate on NATO,the European Army and Transatlantic Security

The movement towards a Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP) in the contemporary European Union (EU), and the possible creation of a European army, capture the leitmotiv of contemporary European political integration. The movement towards a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in western Europe raises key questions about the very nature of European foreign and defence policy, transatlantic relations and, most significantly, the core meaning and destination of European union. Defence therefore takes on a salience not just in its own field, but in the entire European integration process. The culmination of interstate security co-operation would be the formation of an integrated security community in which identities and policy-making capacities have been consolidated or unified at the European level. Defence policy forms the spine of broader European security policy and a security strategy can only exist with a strong military spine. This is especially prescient following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 on New York and Washington, DC. Washington expects Europe to follow its lead in international politics and terrorism policy. Since 1998, the Europeans have developed new plans to gain greater political and military independence from Washington and NATO. To what extent, therefore, does the EU want to go beyond being a mere 'civilian power' towards being a 'military power' following the recent terrorist attacks? What are the consequences of such a transformation for western Europe, the United States (US) and transatlantic relations? To what extent will the US remain involved in European security and in what form? The present analysis begins with an analysis of key issues in European defence and security after 11 September 2001. The article then goes on to consider options for transatlantic relations and European security. The article then considers the positions of the major western European powers towards the so-called CESDP. The article goes on to consider CESDP in the new global order, including US hopes and concerns for CESDP. Finally, the conclusion focuses on the prospects for European defence and security into the twenty-first century.     

The Rise and Fall of Foreign Direct Investment in Laos, 1988‐2000

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has played an important role in the development of Laos since the country embarked on an economic transition and business liberalisation programme in the late 1980s. However, in recent years Laos has witnessed a marked contraction in its cumulative FDI inflows. This article provides a profile of FDI activity in Laos over the past decade and identifies the various factors behind the rise, and subsequent decline, in foreign investment inflows during the 1990s. The article concludes by suggesting some of the ways in which Lao policy makers might seek to revive the country's flagging FDI sector.     

The impact of exogenous shocks on exits from the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany, 1953–2015

In Germany, exits from the Catholic and Protestant churches have fluctuated considerably over the last 60 years. Much of the observable variation in these exits can be explained by exogenous shocks such as unpopular encyclicals by the Pope, German reunification, sexual abuse cases and financial scandals.     

The Map of Europe: Continuity and Change in Administrative Boundaries (1850–2000)

This article presents a series of digital maps that track the evolution of intermediate level administrative boundaries in Western and Central Europe between 1850 and 2000. Our research led us to consider why neighbouring states often base the organisation of their respective administrative units on quite different principles. Although each European state has its own history and dynamic, it is also possible to distinguish a series of general characteristics and common traits. We have identified two basic groups of patterns, which we have called the rationalistic and conservative models. The former is characterised by a radical reform of the previous system of territorial organisation and administration. This generally took place after the French Revolution of 1789 and followed the example of the administrative reforms implemented in France under Napoleon. The latter has largely respected and conserved traditional boundaries and institutions and has only modified them when they become unviable and effectively obsolete. This offers considerable flexibility in the face of changing circumstances, as particularly observed in the sub-group of that we have referred to as ‘functionalist states’.     

The Influence of Vested Interests on Healthcare Legislation in the USA, 2009–2010

Collective lobbying organizations and some big companies acted as cautious partners in the design of the Affordable Care Act of the Obama Administration. In addition to being consulted by government executives, these entities intensively lobbied legislators. The qualitative and statistical analysis I conduct here shows a positive impact of healthcare lobbying. Collective lobbying organizations have a significant impact on lawmaking and complementary lobbying enhances their impact. However, not all (disjointed) lobbying is successful. Perspective-based distortion might explain why organizations lobby on issues against all odds of ever being effective.     

The effects of macroeconomic stability on foreign trade. An analysis for Spain, 1986–2000

Two main factors underlie the rebirth of interest in the study of the influence of the real exchange rate on trade, the reduction of its volatility and the current trend towards price stability. The objective of this study is to analyse the effects of the process of nominal convergence, required of the European member states for the fulfilment of monetary integration, on foreign trade flows. The case of Spain, which is especially interesting in this context, is studied for the period 1986 to 2000. The results of estimating the aggregate functions of the export and import of goods shows how macroeconomic stability has altered the behaviour of trade with respect to the two basic determinants – income and prices – how it has caused a significant structural change in the real exchange rate and, finally, how it has laid the explanatory bases for transactions in the twenty-first century with the single currency – the euro.     

Obesity of politicians and corruption in Ukraine in 2000–2020– Reply

We collected 469 frontal face images of Ukrainian cabinet ministers who were in office in 2000–2020. For each image, the minister's body mass index was estimated using a computer vision algorithm. The time series of median estimated body mass index of cabinet ministers co-moves over time with two existing measures of corruption – World Bank worldwide governance indicator Control of Corruption, and the discrepancy between the quantity of luxury wristwatches exported from Switzerland to Ukraine (reported by Swiss statistics) and the corresponding quantity imported by Ukraine from Switzerland (reported by Ukrainian statistics).