The Contribution of Economists to Understanding Racial Health Disparities in the US

Much research on the issue of health disparities in the United States has been produced by health services researchers across disciplines, particularly medical care providers, public health workers and sociologists. Many economists have also studied health disparities. This special issue of Atlantic Economic Journal highlights in particular the role of economic scholarship in this important national debate. This article, introducing the special issue, categorizes the contribution of many economists to the literature on health disparity. The literature reviewed ultimately includes 107 articles published between 1998 and 2008. Articles by any of the 932 economists that were members of the American Society of Health Economists in 2006 publishing about racial/ethnic health disparities as found in Medline, articles related to racial/ethnic health disparities published in Health Economics or the Journal of Health Economics or through searches in EconLit were reviewed for inclusion.     

Infant Mortality Decline and Its Socioeconomic Correlates in New Zealand, 1873–1940

The popular view of New Zealand during the first half of the twentieth century is one of a healthy country with exceptionally low infant mortality rates. This article reviews the non-Māori ‘health transition’ and its determinants from a socioeconomic perspective and draws comparisons with Australia. Regional health inequalities are analysed through the lens of infant mortality. Socioeconomic correlates with infant mortality are investigated empirically. Panel regression estimates suggest that during the 1874–1919 period, improvements in real wages corresponded with falling infant deaths and thus better health outcomes, while increased housing density created unfavourable conditions for infant survival chances.     

The Impact of Medical Education Reform on the Racial Health Status Gap, 1920–1930: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis

The racial impact of a quantity–quality tradeoff in physician supply (implemented through medical education reform) made during an era of racial segregation is assessed. The reform produced differential impacts across race and region. The health status of northern blacks improved the most; that of southern blacks the least. Accordingly, the health status gap between northern whites and blacks diminished, but the gap between southern blacks and every other demographic group increased. The path of northern blacks suggests that access to and high quality of health care are both necessary to close the racial gap in health status that persists today.     

行政垄断行业对全国收入分配差距贡献度的直接测度

为了测算行政垄断行业对全国收入分配差距的贡献度,文章将全部97个行业按照经济属性分为4个行业组,采用经去胀处理后的年均劳动报酬数据,首先将极值法和离差法结合起来进行直接测算,然后运用泰尔指数法进行测度并予以对比验证。结果表明,中国各行业之间存在着较大的收入差距,并且有逐年扩大的迹象,泰尔指数表明这主要是由行业组内的差距不断扩大所致,行业组间的贡献度较小;行政垄断行业组对总差距的贡献度在17.79%~18.92%之间,明显偏高。     

Trends in the Male-Female Wage Gap: The 1980s Compared with the 1970s

Despite a more rapid increase in female work behavior in the 1970s than in the 1980s, the male-female wage gap in the 1970s narrowed one-eighth as quickly as in the 1980s. This paper uses 1972 through 1988 Panel Study of Income Dynamics data to explain why women's wages rose less quickly in the 1970s. It illustrates how new female labor market entrants in the 1970s brought down mean female wages, thereby driving down female wage growth. This decline played itself out in the 1980s as the relative growth in female labor market entrants diminished and as the proportion of women's potential work years actually worked increased.     

努力扭转经济增速下滑趋势

2008年以来，主要由于受全球金融危机的影响，国内经济增速逐月下降，这种趋势若不能尽快扭转，将会对2009年经济走势产生严重影响。党中央、国务院及时做出了扩大内需、促进增长的重大决策，我们要充分认识国内外经济形势的严峻性，充分认识我国经济增长的潜力和有利条件，增强信心、抓紧行动，尽快把中央提出的方针、政策和重大举措落到实处，     

Assessment of Demographic and Socioeconomic Losses due to Premature Mortality in the Populations of Russia and Vologda Oblast

The article has estimated the demographic and socioeconomic losses due to premature mortality from the primary classes of causes of death in the population of Russia and Vologda oblast. The eliminated reserves of mortality and years of potential life lost have been calculated to analyze the demographic damage. The per capita GDP and GRP data is involved in assessing the economic damage due to premature mortality in the population. It has been established that the most demographic and socioeconomic damage is endured due to the circulatory system diseases, external causes of death, and neoplasms. The patterns of losses from premature mortality displayed significant gender- and age-specific distinctions.     

Working hours in the European periphery: The length of the working day in Spain, 1885-1920

This paper studies the decline of the working day in Spain from 1885 to 1920. The decline was more continuous than previously thought. Differences in hours reinforce wage differentials, showing labor markets were not well integrated. Cross-sectional and time-series analysis suggests that hour reductions reflect a labor supply rather than a labor demand effect. Given the comparatively slow growth of real wages in Spain from 1870 to 1920, the Spanish case shows that international convergence in hours of work must have been stronger than convergence in wages.     

The role of sentiment in the US economy: 1920 to 1934

This paper investigates the role of sentiment in the US economy from 1920 to 1934 using digitised articles from The Wall Street Journal. We derive a monthly sentiment index and use a 10-variable vector error correction model to identify sentiment shocks that are orthogonal to fundamentals. We show the timing and strength of these shocks and their resultant effects on the economy using historical decompositions. Intermittent impacts of up to 15 per cent on industrial production, 10 per cent on the S&P 500 and bank loans, and 37 basis points for the credit risk spread suggest a large role for sentiment.     

The role of the engineer in Danish modernisation, 1850–1920

Abstract

The article attempts to assess the role of engineers in the modernisation of Denmark in the period 1850 to 1920. Using both quantitative and qualitative evidence, it argues that though it is hardly possible in absolute terms to measure the influence of the engineers, it is possible to reach some indicative conclusions.

By looking at the position before 1850 and the periods 1850–1890 and 1890–1920 and using statistics on the employment of the engineers graduating from Polyteknisk Lareanstalt in Copenhagen, it is clear that these professional engineers affected society in a number of ways. The influence of engineers on the growing Danish industry has hitherto been presumed to be only minor. but this view needs some correction. As early as the 1870s and 1880s professional engineers played an important part in the largest Danish industrial firms, and prior to that held important positions in the new, technologically-pioneering, Danish industries. Danish engineers also influenced the State s telegraph service, the railways, gas- and water works, and town planning.

That, too, a considerable number of the early graduates from Polyteknisk: Lcereanstalt worked as teachers had no small importance, as, until some time after the mid nineteenth century, the teaching of the natural sciences in Denmark was sporadic and of uneven quality.     

Woolgrowers, brokers and the debate over the sale of the Australian wool clip, 1920-1925

Prior to the First World War, the selling of the Australian wool clip rested firmly in the hands of the large woolbroking firms. An agreement between the British and Australian governments during the war saw many of the wool-selling functions of broking firms taken over by the Central Wool Committee. At the conclusion of hostilities, brokers moved to regain their role in the market. However, market conditions had changed. On an international level, traditional trading relationships had broken down, leaving commodity markets unstable and prices unpredictable. On a local level, woolgrowers had benefited from the wartime orderly marketing scheme and the high price guaranteed by the British government for their wool clip. As a result, they had begun to demand a greater role in the selling arrangements of their clip. This paper investigates the debates over the sale of the wool clip in the 1920s and how woolbrokers and growers eventually arrived at an understanding as to the manner in which the market should operate.     

The Dutch Disease and the Development of the Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria: 1970-85

Abstract: This paper sets out to examine the relevance of the Dutch disease model to the circumstances of Nigeria, and by extension, other African countries, with particular emphasis on the manufacturing sector. The results of the study indicate that, while the model has contributed to our understanding of some of the processes of change, it has left important gaps in our understanding of the dynamics of the Nigerian manufacturing sector. The reasons for this are attributed partly to the inability of the model to take sufficient cognisance of state intervention and market failure, partly to some of its inappropriate assumptions, and partly to the structure of the model. Résumé: Le présent rapport a pour but d'examiner le rapport entre le modèle de la thyllose parasitaire de Porme et les conditions du Nigeria et par extension, d'autres pays africains, en mettant un accent particulier sur le secteur manufacturier. Les résultats de l'etude montrent que si le modèle a contribuéà nous faire comprendre certains des processus de changement, il a laissé des vides importants dans notre compréhension de la dynamique du secteur manufacturier du Nigeria. Les raisons de cette situation sont imputables en partie à Pincapacite du modèle de prendre suffisamment connaissance de l'intervention de l'état et de la défaillance du marché, en partie à certaines de ses hypothèses inappropriées et en partie à la structure du modèle.