Das Zweck-Mittel-Denken in der Nationalökonomie

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Trade and allocation of resources in a distorted economy

This paper has tried to analyse the effects of a reduction of customs duties on the Norwegian economy. Traditional international trade theory usually studies production and allocation effects of trade in a two commodities, two factors of production world where everything behaves in accordance with the rules of perfect competition. This paper has, by contrast, tried to study international trade problems within a multisector model assuming distortions in the factor market in the sense that capital has been considered immobile between sectors and wages fixed.Given the distortions assumed in this paper, and also assuming full employment, employment and production effects in the different sectors, due to customs duties reductions, have been estimated. Price changes in sectors sheltered from foreign competition have also been studied. These sectors have been assumed to employ those becoming unemployed in the import- competing industries, due to a customs duties reduction.     

Relief instead of development aid

Formerly an active supporter of the western industrialized countries’, and particularly Sweden’s, policy of development aid, Gunnar Myrdal has in recent years become increasingly critical of the present form of aid. In the following paper the Swedish Nobel Prize winner presents his case for a new line of aid policy.     

Students’ attitudes toward technology: exploring the relationship among affective,cognitive and behavioral components of the attitude construct

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - When studying attitudes toward technology education, the affective attitudinal component has primarily been the focus. This study focuses...     

Note respecting the application of »The reduced number of deaths»

Abstract

This note is merely intended to supplement the remarks on the reduced number of deaths made by Olav Aabakken III his paper in this number of the journal ¹ Olav Aabakken: Appraisement of Under-average Lives in Norway, p. 126. .     

On the optimum spacing of sample quantiles from a normal distribution. Part I

Abstract

Assume that a large number of observations are made on a normal random variable with the density function where σ σ 0, When the sample is very large the ordinary estimates of µ and a involve considerable computational work. In order to simplify the estimation of µ and/or σ it is sometimes convenient to select a small number of sample quantiles and to use estimates which are linear functions of these sample quantiles, Such a procedure is particularly convenient when the observations occur naturally in order of magnitude, which happens in life testing, for instance, Let      

Organic or conventional? Optimal dairy farming technology under the EU milk quota system and organic subsidies

This paper assesses the competitiveness of organic and conventional dairy farms under different milk market and organic farming policy scenarios. We use a DEA-based model to estimate for each policy scenario the sample farms’ profit potential in both technologies. The model enables identification of a farm’s optimal technology based on its input–output observations. The empirical analysis is based on the annual accounts of 1300 Bavarian dairy farms. Results indicate that approximately 69% (78%) of the organic (conventional) farms have chosen their optimal farming system. The remaining organic (conventional) farmers could increase their profit on average by roughly 6% (10%) by switching to the other technology. Abolishment of the EU milk quota results in a considerable decline in the number of sample farms for which organic farming is the optimal technology, suggesting that, ceteris paribus, organic dairy farms may lose competitive advantage with the deregulation of the EU’s milk market regime in 2015. Organic maintenance payments more than double the number of farms with a higher earning potential in organic farming, but their effectiveness could decline when the milk quota is abolished.     

What is Antidumping Policy Really About?

Dumping is whatever you can get the government to act against under the antidumping law. J. Michael Finger (1993, p.viii). Antidumping policy has become one of the most important instruments for protection in the international trade system, but at the same time it is the subject of an intense, though rather chaotic, debate. This paper provides an overview of the antidumping literature and the current issues. First it describes the origins of antidumping policy and provides some basic statistics on its current use drawn from several empirical studies. Next the paper discusses the economic foundations of antidumping law by examining the traditional and modern theories of dumping, as well as the industrial organization literature on price discrimination and predatory pricing. It is demonstrated that those economic foundations are weak. The paper also considers the fairness rationales for antidumping policy. Finally, it addresses the criticisms of antidumping laws, in particular in the context of the current antidumping versus competition policy debate, and discusses a variety of proposals for reform that have been made. The paper shows that the 1997 'cease fire' agreement between Canada and Chile is a promising approach toward reform of antidumping policy.