从经济学再到政治经济学:理解包容性增长

胡锦涛主席在亚太经合组织的两次会议上倡导包容性增长,其理论与现实意义深远。经济增长自经济学诞生以来就一直是经济研究的核心问题,经济学史上从政治经济学到经济学,再到最近新政治经济学的兴起实际上反映了人们对经济发展中的繁荣与公正、市场与政府的认知的深入过程。强调机会平等的包容性增长正是当下中国的政治经济学。从经济学发展过程审视政治与经济离合的演变有助于我们深入理解和研究包容性增长。     

From simplistic to complex systems in economics

The applicability of complex systems theory in economics isevaluated and compared with standard approaches to economictheorising based upon constrained optimisation. A complex systemis defined in the economic context and differentiated from complexsystems in physio-chemical and biological settings. It is explainedwhy it is necessary to approach economic analysis from a network,rather than a production and utility function perspective, whenwe are dealing with complex systems. It is argued that muchof heterodox thought, particularly in neo-Schumpeterian andneo-Austrian evolutionary economics, can be placed within acomplex systems perspective upon the economy. The challengeis to replace prevailing ‘simplistic’ theories,based in constrained optimisation, with ‘simple’theories, derived from network representations in which valueis created through the establishment of new connections betweenelements.     

Situational logic in social science inquiry: From economics to criminology

Karl R. Popper proposed that the method of explanation in economics, or situational logic, should become the general model for analyses across the social sciences. This article makes good Popper's proposal by extending situational logic to a social problem outside the traditional scope of economics: crime. Specifically, the discussion reviews models developed by economist Gary S. Becker and criminologist Ronald V. Clarke. Becker's ‘economic approach’ to crime incorporates essential features of situational logic. Clarke's ‘situational crime prevention’ offers an even better demonstration; it explicitly incorporates the ideas of piecemeal social engineering and unintended social repercussions. Popper took situational logic from Menger and the Austrians, making this emerging area of criminology an extension of Austrian economics.

From paradoxes to social rules,or: How economics repeats itself

There is an analogy of how the paradox of aggregation (Arrow impossibility theorem) and the paradoxa of individual behavior (people decide inconsistently) have been approached in mainstream research. In both cases it is disregarded that paradoxa are part of social reality. A constitutional approach focussing on rules and institutions promises to yield more fruitful insights.     

Interdependence in multinational production networks

Abstract Most multinational firms today operate multilateral production networks. Most existing empirical analyses, however, have focused on firms’ choice between producing at home and investing overseas. This paper uses detailed French multinational subsidiary data to examine the effect of existing production networks on multinationals’ entry decisions. The paper finds strong horizontal and vertical interdependence across multinationals’ foreign production locations, but little interdependence between home and foreign production when third‐country effects are taken into account. This result constitutes a sharp contrast to the conventional emphasis and highlights the importance of investigating foreign direct investment in the context of multinational production networks.     

The new institutional economics and its relevance to social economics

There has been a quiet revolution in economic theory, led by the New Institutionalists. Pioneered by Douglass C. North, this group argues that institutions are the main determinants of economic performance, yet neoclassical economics has no role for institutions. Contrary to many misconceptions, this theory of institutions can be integrated with neoclassical economics, leaving mainstream economic theory in tact, but broader and more relevant. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, the main arguments of the New Institutionalists are summarized. Second, the bridge between institutions and social economics is explored. The article concludes by arguing that the New Institutional approach is fruitful, and that the theory will gradually be integrated with neoclassical economics, until the two merge into a single body of theory.     

The economics of production systems: Segmentation and skill-biased change

In this paper, the concept of production systems is introduced. I assume a standard thick-market externality together with the idea that higher quality goods also require higher skills from workers. Firms face a trade-off between low-quality goods with low skill-requirements for which the potentially abundant labour force generates strong thick-market externalities and higher quality goods with higher skill-requirements. In equilibrium, the economy is partitioned into production systems, i.e., clusters of firms producing the same quality. The distribution of skills determines the boundaries of the production systems, which in turn determine the wages. In this framework an increase in the supply of skilled workers can induce first higher wages for all workers and then higher wages for the skilled but lower wages for the unskilled. This is consistent with the late 20th century evolution of the US labour market.     

Introduction to field experiments in economics with applications to the economics of charity

This special issue highlights an empirical approach that has increasingly grown in prominence in the last decade—field experiments. While field experiments can be used quite generally in economics—to test theories’ predictions, to measure key parameters, and to provide insights into the generalizability of empirical results—this special issue focuses on using field experiments to explore questions within the economics of charity. The issue contains six distinct field experimental studies that investigate various aspects associated with the economics of charitable giving. The issue also includes a fitting tribute to one of the earliest experimenters to depart from traditional lab methods, Peter Bohm, who curiously has not received deep credit or broad acclaim. Hopefully this issue will begin to rectify this oversight.      

Canadian contributions to family economics

Canadian scholars have made substantial contributions to the relatively new field of family economics. These include new models of how men and women match in marriage markets, and of how decisions are made in multi‐person households. Several were early contributors to the literature on married women's labour supply and labour supply in a family context, and helped to develop empirical methods in this area. A particular focus has been on the impacts of policy‐relevant parameters, such childcare costs, on family labour supply and child well‐being. New work on child development, the impact of early life conditions, and the processes of intergenerational transmission also highlight the importance of family context in determining economic well‐being.     

Intersubjective economics, theory of production, and the transformation problem

The intersubjectivist theory of value (surveyed in Levy [1990, 1994a] and Fullbrook [1994c, Section 4]) is founded on Simone de Beauvoir's conception of reciprocal desire and emphasizes the role of conventions and intersubjectivity in market relations. It treats money and markets as social institutions and argues that a money economy is fundamentally different from a real one. The tool of intersubjective economics is to offer a system for analyzing standard economic phenomena from a vantage point outside the equilibrium paradigm. But paradoxically, while the intersubjectivists developed intersubjective analysis of the firm [Eymard-Duvernay, 1989; Levy, 1994b, 1995c; Biencourt et al., 1994], the original intersubjectivist theory of value to which they refer is conceived in an exchange economy. This paper's aim, then, is to explore and discuss points for reducing the lack of a theory of production in intersubjective and measurement economics. The author benefited from the useful thoughts of Richard Arena [1990] as well as from useful discussions and strong encouragements from Edward Fullbrook and Charles M. A. Clark. Finally, the author benefited from the useful discussions of conference participants, especially Manuel Garcia.     

Towards applied geographical economics: modelling relative wage rates,incomes and prices for the regions of Great Britain

One of the key issues surrounding geographical economics is whether the theory can be made operational, so that proper investigations can be made of the basic theoretical assumptions and practical use can be made of the model's predictions at a detailed spatial level. In this paper the model formalized by Fujita et al. (1999 Fujita, M, Krugman, PR and Venables, A. 1999. The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) is developed in the context of 36 regions of Great Britain, enabling direct comparisons with observed wage rate data that are used to calibrate the model. Iceberg transport costs are in the form of an exponential function and a power function. For the range of parameters considered, the power function gives a better fit between model and data, suggesting scale economies in transportation. The paper shows that, in spite of the assumptions that have to be made, quite realistic distributions of relative wages, income and prices are attainable. However, caution is required in the interpretation of these simulations, which in no way provide proof of New Economic Geography theory, which clearly has limitations. Nonetheless it is hoped that the work reported in this paper does help to advance the progress of geographical economics theory towards empirical verification.     

Fair prices exist always in production networks

Given a network model of an economic system (e.g., a sector of a regional industrial economy, or an economic-technological system), inclusive the mutual commodity supplies of the nodes in the network and the costs for processing and transportation, it is shown that unique fair prices for the output commodities of the networks exist, provided that each node contributes to these output commodities.