Fiscal Decentralization and Poverty Alleviation in a Transitional Economy: The Case of Viet Nam

Intergovernmental fiscal arrangements may play an important role in ameliorating poverty in many countries. Successful poverty alleviation generally requires both ‘capacity improving’ and ‘safety net’ policies, and both types of policies may, to some extent, be implemented through, or affected by, intergovernmental transfers. From this perspective, we analyse the efficacy of intergovernmental fiscal arrangements in poverty alleviation in a transitional economy, Viet Nam. We argue that both general and specific transfers are needed for this purpose: the former to enable all provinces to provide a given basket of public services at a given tax-price by offsetting their revenue and cost disabilities and the latter to ensure that minimum levels of those public services provided by lower levels of government are targeted to the poor throughout the country.     

May’s theorem in an infinite setting

We generalize May’s theorem to an infinite setting, preserving the elementary character of the original theorem. We define voting scenarios and generalized voting scenarios, and prove appropriate versions of May’s theorem. The case of generalized voting scenarios specialized to a countably infinite set of voters and the collections of all coalitions that have asymptotic density, shows that majority rule is the only aggregation rule that satisfies neutrality, irrelevance of null coalitions, anonymity, and positive responsiveness.     

基于单片机的艺术彩灯系统设计

本文设计了一种新型的艺术彩灯控制系统,该系统使用单片机作为控制核心,采用了PWM脉宽调制技术。在系统硬件电路中增加了过零检测,利用三极管电路控制彩灯颜色的变化和组合。改进了传统艺术彩灯制作工艺要求严格,色彩变化单一的缺点。通过实验,该系统运行稳定,易于扩展。     

PRICE HETEROGENEITY AND "REAL" INEQUALITY: A CASE STUDY OF PRICES AND POVERTY IN RURAL SOUTH INDIA

This paper, based upon a case-study of three Indian villages, studies whether households within the same market pay different prices for identical goods. It is found that not only are unit prices for food heterogeneous, but that the poor pay more for the same goods than the rich. This is because liquidity constraints force poorer households to purchase goods in small quantities and consequently subject them to quantity premiums. Household specific index numbers are used to adjust nominal incomes to real values and it is found that Gini coefficients of real incomes are between 12 percent to 23 percent greater than the Gim for nominal incomes. An econometric analysis of the determinants of prices shows that incomes are negatively correlated with prices, as is family size, but that the amount of land owned shows a positive relationship.     

Agricultural Supply Response: A Survey

This paper surveys the literature on agricultural supply response to prices in developing countries. Empirical estimates of elasticities depend both on the methodology adopted and on country-specific factors relating to technology, economic structure and macro constraints. The paper seeks to establish some general conclusions on supply responsiveness within these limitations. Supply response to output prices at the aggregate and at the crop levels is considered first. Crop-specific acreage elasticities range between zero and 0.8 in the short run while long-run elasticities tend to be higher — between 0.3 and 1.2. Yield elasticities are smaller and less stable than acreage elasticities. Clearly, inter-crop pricing can be relied upon to effect shifts in the commodity composition of agricultural output. Evidence also suggests that supply elasticities vary systematically with such factors as price and yield risks, multiple-cropping, the importance of the crop, farm incomes, farm size, tenancy and literacy. The most controversial and important aspect of supply response is the effect on aggregate agricultural output of agriculture's terms of trade. Conventional time-series estimates range from 0.1 to 0.3. A major cross-country study reports an aggregate elasticity as high as 1.66. It is argued that cross-country estimates are apt to exaggerate aggregate responsiveness while time-series studies underestimate it somewhat. For LDCs, a tentative range of 0.4 to 0.5 seems plausible. Hence, the distributive effects of the terms of trade are likely to be more significant than the allocative effects. Asian evidence shows that only a third of the inter-country differences in fertilizer use can be attributed to fertilizer price policies. Provided new technologies and infrastructure are in place, fertilizer subsidies can help in technology diffusion and in overcoming credit constraints. The choice between price supports and input subsidies will depend on a variety of country- or situation-specific factors. Nevertheless, a significant general factor favoring price supports is that they can more easily be coupled with price stabilization goals than input subsidies. Though sparse, the available evidence on the response of marketed surplus suggests that price policy is not a reliable instrument for regulating inter-sectoral trade.     

Sedimentation of reservoirs in India

The sedimentation of Indian reservoirs has become a serious problem due to the synergistic action of population growth, intensity of agricultural operations, poor soil conservation and deforestation. This article examines the reasons for and responses to, sedimentation in three Indian reservoirs — Nizamsagar, Tungabhadra and Sriramsagar. The land management practices adopted in each case are analysed with reference to current and future needs. The article highlights particularly the need to monitor methodically the land use changes in the catchments of reservoirs.     

东亚华人家族企业制度的协同演化分析

本文从知识、网络、治理之间联结的角度,提出企业制度分析的协同演化方法,并将这种方法应用于华人家族企业制度的比较分析中,以揭示东亚华人家族企业制度与西方现代企业制度之间的系统性差异和不同的演化模式。     

An empirical analysis of national and local advertising effect on price elasticity

This paper investigates the interaction effect of advertising and price on the market share of a consumer nondurable product. We postulate a model in which local advertising is thought to primarily affect the consumers' purchase by making the demand more price sensitive, and national advertising to affect the consumers' preference, thus making the demand less price sensitive. Moreover, we hypothesize that local advertising interaction will have more immediate effect, while national advertising interaction will have longer term interaction effects. We apply these ideas empirically, and find support for our hypotheses. Thus, the interaction effect of advertising and price can be characterized by both increased and decreased price sensitivity, depending on the type of advertising. Moreover, these effects may be present simultaneously for the same product.     

Modeling Methods for Discrete Choice Analysis

This paper introduces new forms, sampling and estimation approaches fordiscrete choice models. The new models include behavioral specifications oflatent class choice models, multinomial probit, hybrid logit, andnon-parametric methods. Recent contributions also include new specializedchoice based sample designs that permit greater efficiency in datacollection. Finally, the paper describes recent developments in the use ofsimulation methods for model estimation. These developments are designed toallow the applications of discrete choice models to a wider variety ofdiscrete choice problems.     

社区基金会的全球视野与中国价值

社区基金会发源于1914年的美国,在全球发展已有一百年的历程。社区基金会以满足本地需求为使命,以通过富有创造力的公益活动和卓越的领导能力推动社区建设为核心任务,正逐渐被世界上越来越多的社区与民众接受,成为公益组织的重要形式之一。本文以全球视野分析了社区基金会的定义、功能和运作经验,探讨培育发展中国特色社区基金会的价值和意义。