DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACTS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS TRADING: ALTERNATIVE ALLOCATION AND RECYCLING STRATEGIES IN CALIFORNIA

Cap and trade remains attractive to many state governments because it provides a much‐needed source of additional revenue when greenhouse gas emission allowances are auctioned to the highest bidder. We analyze the income distribution impacts of the California Global Warming Solutions Act under alternative policy designs. These include the free allocation of emission allowances versus recycling of auction revenues through proportional income tax relief and a per capita dividend. The analysis is undertaken under conditions where significant economic gains, rather than losses, are projected for the policy, and in the context of the new electricity pricing regulatory environment in which passing along the opportunity costs of using free allowances may not be approved. We adapt and enhance the Regional Economic Models, Inc. Policy Insight Plus Model and apply it for the first time to estimate the income distribution impacts of cap and trade. The analysis illustrates the importance of considering macroeconomic impacts and identifies important efficiency‐equity tradeoffs. The method and results are generalizable to the dozens of states and regions still formulating or revising climate action plans in the United States and to many regions and nations around the world. (JEL D31, R11, Q54)     

基于功能拓展的生鲜农产品供应商“互联网+”转型策略

“互联网+”环境对在供应链中发挥着生鲜农产品集散与中转重要功能的供应商带来了挑战和压力,供应商亟待进行“互联网+”转型。针对这一问题,文章首先分析了生鲜农产品供应商在“互联网+”环境下的转型驱动因素以及转型战略和思路。进一步,结合“互联网+”跨界融合思维,以集散和中转功能拓展为基础,分别提出了适合产地供应商、销地供应商和集散型供应商的“互联网+”转型策略。最后针对供应商在“互联网+”转型中可能存在的问题提出了对策和建议。     

复合系统视角下的乡村景观类型研究

乡村景观是人—自然—社会的多因素复合系统,以此为依据,从生态、生产、生活三个层面可以将乡村景观分为乡村生态景观、乡村生产景观、乡村生活景观3大类15小类,每一种类型的景观都具有各自的特征。通过景观类型的研究,可以继承乡村景观的传统纹理和历史传统要素,唤醒人们对传统生产方式的记忆和乡村景观轮廓和景观元素的重塑,在新的生产生活中再现片段,并在新的生产活动中对其延伸和升华,对社会主义新农村建设具有十分积极的意义。     

INSOLVENCY AND RISK-TAKING IN THE THRIFT INDUSTRY: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

This paper puts the current problems facing the thrift industry, Federal Home Loan Bank Board, and Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation into historical perspective. It discusses the development of federal deposit insurance and regulation of depository institutions. The paper discusses causes of the recent financial difficulties faced by thrift institutions and the policy responses to those problems. It then examines the effect of the recent 511 thrift failures on the risk-taking behavior of institutions and the Bank Board's policy responses to risk-taking. Finally, the paper suggests possible responses to the large and growing number of insolvent institutions that have an economic incentive to pursue extremely risky portfolio opportunities.     

Consumption Commitments and Employment Contracts

We examine an economy in which the cost of consuming some goods can be reduced by making commitments that reduce flexibility. We show that such consumption commitments can induce consumers with risk-neutral underlying utility functions to be risk averse over small variations in income, but sometimes to seek risk over large variations. As a result, optimal employment contracts will smooth wages conditional on being employed, but may incorporate a possibility of unemployment.     

WTO与中国农地政策调整

本文首先从WTO对中国农地利用的影响入手,对当前的中国农地政策进行了深入地剖析并指出了其不协调部分,同时给出了今后农地政策的调整方向.     

SOARING MINDS: THE FLIGHT OF ISRAEL'S ECONOMISTS

The brain drain issue used to revolve primarily around migration from developing to developed countries. In recent years, there is an accumulation of evidence that this is an issue that should interest developed countries as well. Recently published numbers by the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development indicate a nonnegligible flow of European academics to American universities. This article provides the first case study conducted on the most massive out-migration of academics on record. At a time when Europe and other developed countries have begun to express concern about the phenomenon, the rate of academic emigration from Israel to the United States is already four to six times the European emigration rate. The particular focus here is on the area of economics, in which the exodus of younger academics from Israel coupled with a heightened retirement rate among the older academics has brought Israel's top economics departments—among the best in the world, until now—to the brink. Countries wanting to create conditions for fostering and nurturing the necessary productivity advances underlying economic growth must become aware of how far and how quickly an academic implosion can occur, if left unchecked. The findings brought forth here should help increase the level of this awareness. ( JEL A11, F22, H52, H83, I23, J31, J61, O15)     

STATE PATTERNS IN FAMILY INCOME INEQUALITY

It is well known that U.S. income inequality began to increase in the 1970s and increased sharply in the 1980s. Yet, what is less well known is that this upward trend was not uniform across states. Some states experienced almost no increase in family income inequality, while other states experienced dramatic increases. We use the variation in state trends to examine factors that may underlie shifts in U.S. income inequality. Among numerous factors, we include variables that allow us to examine the role that state and local economic development policy may play. Also, in examining state income inequality differences that could not be explained by economic factors, we explore the possibility that cultural and social norm factors affect state income inequality.     

基于AHP-整数规划法的油料配送中心选址模型

油料配送中心选址对油料的保障效率有着重要的影响。影响油料配送中心选址的因素众多,文中首先选用层次分析法(AHP)法对这些影响因素进行处理,得到各个候选地址的权值。然后针对AHP方法无法解决条件约束问题,将AHP与整数规划方法相结合,提出了一种基于AHP-整数规划的油料配送中心选址模型。最后通过实例说明该模型能够有效解决油料配送中心选址问题。