The distributional impact of unification and the 1992–93 recession on West German households

The 1992–93 recession in the western states of Germany has been attributed, in substantial measure, to the macroeconomic consequences of policies to finance unification. Studies of the costs of unification have not attempted to measure the burden of the recession. We estimate a dynamic, panel model of household incomes using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) and use it to forecast what these incomes would have been in 1992–94 without a recession. Using a ratio of actual to forecast incomes, we compare the relative burden of the recession across households. Our findings suggest that western households below the median income bore the brunt of the combined impact of unification and the recession of 1992–93.
JEL classification: P3, D3, E3.     

坚持“四个统一”着力抓好基层思想政治教育

思想政治教育在继承和发扬优良传统的基础上,必须坚持＂四个统一＂,切实在内容、形式、方法、手段、机制等方面进行创新和改造,不断增强基层思想政治教育的时代感,加强针对性、实效性、主动性。     

How credible is the North Korean threat?

We perform event analysis on particular episodes of tension in the Korean peninsula between 2000 and 2008, and investigate the effect of the events on South Korean financial markets (stock markets, bond yield spreads and the exchange rate) given that South Korea would be the first affected by a military aggression from North Korea. Surprisingly, in nearly all cases, these events, which have often been dramatized in the world media, have no significant impact on either of these variables or only a very small one. We also find no significant impact of events on listed firms that would a priori be likely to suffer from increased tension between the two Koreas. Since financial markets often contain better predictions than expert opinions or surveys, these results strongly suggest that the North Korean threat is non‐credible.     

Germany in crisis: the unification challenge,macroeconomic policy shocks and traditions,and EMU

Conventional wisdom blames Germany's ongoing economic and fiscal crisis on the unification shock of the early 1990s and structural problems in labour markets. Challenging this view, this paper offers a fresh assessment that focuses on macroeconomic demand management. It is shown that Germany's fiscal crisis cannot be attributed to unification per se; it arose as a consequence of ill‐guided macroeconomic policies pursued in response to that event. Many structural problems that popped up along the way were mere symptoms of persistent macroeconomic mismanagement and protracted domestic demand stagnation. Arguably, systematically ill‐guided macroeconomic policies of this type are potent enough to wreck any real world economy, no matter how flexible it may be. Because Germany provided the blueprint for Europe's stability‐oriented macroeconomic policy regime, it comes as no surprise that a peculiar repeat of certain symptoms that started to arise in Germany a decade ago may now be observed across the euro area—protracted domestic demand weakness and inflation stickiness because of ‘tax‐push inflation’ in particular.     

产业集群发展战略是沈阳经济区一体化的关键

产业集群对区域经济一体化具有重要作用,能够促进交易成本的降低,促进规模经济的形成,并提高区域之间的贸易效应和竞争效应。但是目前沈阳经济区的产业集群还存在着政策法规不健全、产业链不完善、产业结构趋同及技术水平低等问题,需要政府加强法规建设,突出沈阳优势,完善产业链,调整产业结构,并推进技术创新。     

The global economy--myths and realities

Hirst and Thompson's Globalization in Question is the key textquestioning claims of economic globalisation. This review ofits revised second edition examines its main claims: that contemporarylevels of international integration fall short of the Gold Standardperiod; genuinely global companies remain exceptional; capitalmobility is not shifting economic activity to developing countrieswholesale; international economic activity is primarily regionalrather than global; and that international economic activityis sanctioned by nation states and remains subject to theirpolitical power. This review argues that, while their evidenceprovides a useful corrective to extreme globalisation views,focusing on this view understates changes in the internationaleconomy.     

Epistemology and the tasks of feminist economics

This paper examines the implications of current epistemological debates for the work of feminist economists. Feminist economists must acknowledge (in accordance with recent developments in the study of science) that (a) inquirers can never be certain whether claims about the world are true; (b) scientific inquiry is permeated with “internal” and “external” values; and (c) beliefs are affected by inquirers' social locations. But feminists should not, it argues, embrace the “relativist” stance of some postmodern thinkers, or reject the ideal of “truth,” or argue that beliefs are strictly determined by inquirers' identities and interests. It seeks to outline an epistemological “middle ground” for feminist economics, between the extremes of exaggerated claims of certainty and a disempowering relativism.     

南南合作?南北合作?--发展中国家在国际区域经济一体化中的选择

国际区域经济一体化是当今世界经济发展的新潮流,也是发展中国家面临的国际发展环境。参与国际区域经济一体化已经成为促进发展中国家经济发展的重要途径。发展中国家应选择哪些国家作为经济联盟伙伴,西方发展经济学界的激进主义反对南北合作而主张南南合作,近年来世界银行的经济学家的研究结果却表明,对于发展中国家来说,南北合作优于南南合作。多元化地选择联盟国家是发展中国家在国际区域经济一体化中的基本战略。     

辽宁对朝贸易的特点、问题及合作

辽宁与朝鲜都处在东北亚的中心地带,在图们江地区经济合作进展缓慢及东北亚尚未形成实质意义上的地域经济互动关系的大背景下,开发辽宁与朝鲜的经济合作潜力,对巩固中朝两国睦邻友好关系,推动东北亚区域经济一体化的步伐,有着现实的社会意义。     

The economic burden of kidney disorders in Korea

Aims: To estimate the economic burden of kidney disorders in Korea.

Materials and methods: The economic burden of kidney disorders was estimated using a prevalence-based approach. Related kidney diseases in patients with kidney disorders (RPWKD) were defined using codes from the tenth International Classification of Disease (E70–E90, F30–F48, F60–F69, F90–F99, K65–K67, N00–N08, N17–N19, and N30–N39). All diseases in patients with kidney disorders (APWKD) were defined as kidney disorders that involved all disease codes. Economic costs were divided into direct costs (medical costs and non-medical costs) and indirect costs (productivity loss because of morbidity and premature mortality).

Results: The prevalence of kidney disorders increased from 0.08% (2008) to 0.11% (2011). The total economic burden of RPWKD also substantially increased from $898.9 million (2008) to $1.43 billion (2011). This ～59.4% increase in the economic burden was equal to 0.12% of the Korean gross domestic product. The economic burden of APWKD also increased during the study period: $1.06 billion (2008), $1.23 billion (2009), $1.44 billion (2010), and $1.46 billion (2011).

Conclusions: The present study provides the first data regarding the economic burden of kidney disorders in Korea. The findings support the need for early intervention services and prevention programs to prevent, identify, and manage kidney disorders.     

区域经济一体化的理性选择--建立自由贸易区及其相关理论问题

经济全球化和区域经济一体化是当今世界经济发展的两个并存的重要趋势.区域经济一体化是指地域相邻近的两个以上国家,在国际分工不断深化和经济联系愈紧密的基础上,通过政府间谈判并以签署协定形式,相互采取比区域外国家更为开放、更为自由的贸易投资政策,并在体制框架和调节机制上结合成为经济合作组织或国家经济集团.其组织形态有南南型、北北型及北南型区域经济一体化.亚洲与其他地区相比,区域经济一体化的实际进展不大,真正称得上区域经济一体化的组织只有东南亚国家联盟.     

高等教育:韩国经济原动力

韩国作为我国的邻邦,近些年经济发展势头迅猛。韩国经济的跳跃式发展,其中一个与众不同的原因是由于起主要推动作用的教育的驱动。剖析了韩国经济发展的特征及其原动力,建立了内生经济增长模型,并以韩国经济发展与高等教育发展的20年的数据为依据,通过实证分析证明了高等教育是推动韩国经济增长的原因,最终总结出韩国的高等教育对我国高等教育未来发展的启示。     

辽宁省与朝鲜半岛经贸合作发展研究

进入90年代,中国辽宁省与朝鲜半岛的经贸合作得到了迅猛的发展.而且仍具上升趋势.本文论述了辽宁与朝鲜半岛2个国家经贸往来的现状特点,分析了其间经贸合作得以发展的域际条件及发展趋势.在此基础上,提出了对策与建议.     

京津冀区域经济一体化的发展前景与战略构想

在中国三大经济圈中,京津冀都市圈所处的环渤海城市群发展速度相对落后于长三角城市群和珠三角城市群。之所以出现“南快北慢”的状况,与这一区域内经济联系较弱有着直接的关系。无论从适应国家经济重心战略调整的需要来看,还是从区域生态环境、经济发展、社会稳定等考虑,加强京津冀区域经济发展势在必行。     

Health economics of medical devices: opportunities and challenges

Expenditure on medical devices is substantial and is expected to grow in the future. This Editorial draws attention to health economic issues surrounding medical devices. To this effect, opportunities and challenges involved in the economic analysis of the market structure of medical device sectors and in the economic evaluation of medical devices are identified.

Markets for medical devices tend to be fragmented and suffer from a lack of transparency and competition. In response to this, there is extensive government intervention in many developed countries with a view to keeping down prices, restricting public reimbursement and promoting an efficient use of medical devices. Studies are called for that evaluate and compare country approaches towards regulating medical device markets with a view to informing medical-device policies.

Whereas economic evaluation of medicines is well established, and is used to inform pricing and reimbursement decisions in many developed countries, this is less the case for medical devices. There is a need for economic evaluations of medical devices with a view to demonstrating their cost effectiveness. In addition, countries need to implement frameworks for the assessment of new and emerging medical devices with a view to taking pricing and reimbursement decisions.