Exchange rate volatility and bilateral exports of Malaysia to Singapore,China, Japan,the USA and Korea

This study examines the impact of exchange rate volatility on bilateral exports of Malaysia to Singapore, China, Japan, the USA and Korea. Exchange rate volatility is estimated by an autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity model. The Johansen cointegration method and the dynamic ordinary least squares estimator are used in the estimations. There is some evidence of exchange rate volatility to have significant impact on real total exports in the long run, but more evidence of exchange rate volatility is found to have significant impact on sub-categories of real total exports in the short run. The impact of exchange rate volatility differs across bilateral exports. The impact of exchange rate volatility on exports can be negative or positive. Generally, exchange rate volatility is not harmful to bilateral exports of Malaysia.     

Price Effects of Across-State Regulation of U.S. Electric Utilities

Investor-owned utilities (IOUs)serving multiple states are subject to multiple publicservice (utility) commission (PSC) regulation. Focusing on relative rates of an IOU across PSCsisolates regulatory effects. This analysis examines38 such multistate IOUs from 1995. For theresidential-commercial customer comparison, electedPSC commissioners, Republican-appointed commissioners,PSC jurisdiction over municipally-owned utilities (anindirect IOU competitor), and IOU home-state statusare associated with a higher relative rate, whereasmore PSC employees per capita and population densityare associated with a lower relative rate. Thecommercial-industrial comparison results are largelyreversed, but are similarly robust.     

Optimal Two Sector Growth Models with Three Factors

The paper is devoted to construction of optimal trajectories in the model, which balances growth trends of investments in capital and labor efficiency. The model is constructed within the framework of classical approaches of the growth theory. It is based on three production factors: capital, educated labor and useful work. GDP level is described by a production function of the Cobb–Douglas type. The utility function of the growth process is given by an integral consumption index discounted on the infinite horizon. The optimal control problem is posed to balance investments in capital and labor efficiency. The problem is solved on the basis of dynamic programming principles. A novelty of the solution consists in constructing nonlinear stabilizers constructed on the feedback principle, which leads the system from any current position to a steady state. Growth and decline trends of the simulated trajectories are studied for all components included in the model.     

Einzelbesprechungen

Ohne ZusammenfassungAus dem Italienischen übersetzt von M. St. Braun, WienAus dem Italienischen übersetzt von E. Allina, WienAus dem Russischen übersetzt von A. GerschenkronÜbersetzt von Paul Brüll, Wien.     

Prison Labor: The Local Effects of Ohio Prison Industries

Prison labor has both positive and negative effects. Keeping prisoners active, training and socializing them to be productive citizens after prison, and helping to pay for their incarceration are some of the positives. Potential crowding out of free labor and industry is the major potential negative. This paper addresses the quantitative financial and employment consequences on local free labor and industry of prison industries in Ohio using an input–output model for Ohio. Based on the analysis, prison industries employment in Ohio has negligible to positive employment consequences for the Ohio economy and partially offsets the incarceration cost of the inmates who participate – providing between 5 and 10 percent of the incarceration cost in net cash flow and induced tax revenues.Presented at the 59th International Atlantic Economic Conference, London, March 9–13, 2005.     

Direct Investment Liberalization,Commodity Trade and Income Distribution: What Can the WTO do?

This paper analyzes a model of two-way movement of physical capital, and examines the effects of direct investment liberalization on resource allocation, income distribution and commodity trade. If either country or both countries liberalizes investment under exogenously given commodity prices, some factor owners in a country will gain but some others will lose. If capital movement affects commodity prices, all factor owners in a country may be better off after multilateral investment liberalization. In these cases, it will be much easier for the home country to sign an agreement liberalizing investment flows.