A tale of two Italies: ‘access-orders’ and the Italian regional divide

ABSTRACT

This paper uses the ‘access orders’ paradigm developed by North, Wallis, and Weingast [(2009). Violence and social order: A conceptual framework for interpreting recorded human history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] to analyse the case of the Italian North–South economic divide. In line with their framework, we collect and discuss several social and political indicators over the long-run, at the regional level. Firstly we looked at data on the pre-conditions for the establishment of an open-access order, such as murders per capita (a proxy for control over violence), voting turnout and referendums participation (proxies for political legitimacy), and the impersonality of exchange. We then showed evidence of different access orders in the North and in the South, using the information on human capital formation, women participation in the labour market, and referendum results. On the basis of this evidence, we argue that, despite being part of the same State and subject to the same formal institutions, the North of the country progressively developed into an open-access order, while the South remained a form of limited access order.

Institutional differences are linked to specific aspects of the economic performance of the two areas, thus the ‘access order’ paradigm appears to be an effective conceptual scheme to explain the North–South economic divide.     

Business Ethics in Canada: Distinctiveness and Directions

This article examines the pressures and players that have shaped business ethics in Canadian corporations, and reports on the status of Canadian corporate social performance in 1995. Business in Canada has not been subject, up to 1996, to a powerful national institutional framework such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Consequently, business ethics in Canada have developed primarily in response to broader socio-political and socio-economic factors than in the US, and will probably continue to do so. Interestingly, the issues, policies and practices developed in Canada may provide insights for US corporations as they respond to broadened pressures. Business ethics in Canada, on the other hand, will benefit increasingly from the US experience as pressures grow for national regulation and statutes governing corruption.     

Influence of International Openness on Corporate Environmental Performance in China

This paper examines how international openness influences China's corporate environmental performance. A unique firm‐level dataset is constructed by combining two databases: the Annual Industrial Survey and the China GreenWatch Program Rating System. The empirical results obtained from a series of ordered probit models indicate that openness has a positive relation to corporate environmental performance in China. However, the two main market‐opening strategies in China, exporting and attracting foreign investment, have different effects on environmental performance. The results reveal that foreign investment plays a substantial and positive role that can support the environmental spillovers in China. However, the effect of exporting is insignificant. The environmental pressure from foreign customers to improve Chinese firms' environmental performance presents a challenge. Our study indicates that China could make environmental quality improvements through increased international openness, as is likely the case for other developing countries.     

系统动力学视角下城市群绿色低碳路径研究

碳达峰和碳中和的提出对城市群发展提出新的要求,城市群高速发展与环境问题间的矛盾日益加剧,绿色低碳发展路径亟待研究.以京津冀城市群为研究对象,在梳理城市群发展影响因素的基础上,分析城市群循环系统构成中要素间的关联关系,并通过量化模型,搭建基于系统动力学的城市群绿色低碳发展系统;重点从经济、能源、环境和城市聚合4个角度构建仿真系统,建立要素间量化函数,设定基本场景,以2010—2019年数据为基础,对系统进行仿真运行.算例结果表明,构建的仿真系统通过了检验,拟合程度较好;通过设计不同场景,验证相关参数变化时对系统运行的影响程度,发现综合场景对未来系统运行效益最佳,兼顾了经济发展与碳减排问题,能够促进城市向群绿色低碳发展.     

黑龙江省创意产业知识产权保护研究

创意产业是一种智力劳动成果,知识产权正是对这种智力成果进行确认和保护的武器。本文结合黑龙江省创意产业发展的现状,通过分析和解决创意产业发展中知识产权保护存在的问题,达到促进创意产业发展、优化产业结构、改变经济增长方式、提升全省创新能力和综合竞争能力的目的。     

上海人力资本贬值的计量及其社会性成因的实证研究

本文利用Johnson收入方程以及上海企业科技人员的调研数据,对上海人力资本贬值率进行计量,将其对比国外学者的研究结果,发现上海的人力资本贬值状况比较严重。对上海人力资本贬值的社会性成因进行讨论,本文认为两大失衡体制——人力资本与物质资本的投资失衡以及人力资本存量与效益的失衡,是导致上海人力资本贬值的主要社会性因素。利用1992-2008年上海的统计数据对上海人力资本贬值的社会性成因进行实证检验,本文得出研究结论,并给出相应政策建议以及研究不足。     

The European Monetary Policy Responses During the Pandemic Crisis

This paper uses an event-based analysis to describe how the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) policy responses to the pandemic crisis have affected the European financial and economic system. The result of our exercise, which is based on the examination of the main measures taken by the ECB during 2020, is that these responses have positively affected the European economic system by improving banks’ lending activity and by indirectly creating room for expansionary fiscal policies in the euro area’s high-debt countries that do not have fiscal capacity.

     

疫情冲击下全球股市的风险溢出效应研究

本文通过构建全球股市风险溢出网络,测度疫情期间全球股市风险溢出强度,研究各国股市风险的传递方向及溢出机制;通过与2008年金融危机的横向比较以及全样本纵向分析,探究不同阶段全球股市风险溢出效应的差异.研究发现:(1)疫情期间全球股市风险总溢出强度先上升后下降,其强度明显高于2008年金融危机与全样本均值.(2)不同时期全球股市风险溢出中心存在差异,中国是全球股市的主要风险接受国.金融危机时期,美国是全球股市单一的风险溢出中心;疫情期间,疫情严重的欧洲国家成为全球股市的风险溢出中心.     

拓宽专业口径,优化课程体系,培养新世纪合格人才

在实施科教兴国战略的过程中 ,作为知识创新、传播与应用和培养创新精神和创新人才摇篮的高等学校 ,面对新世纪对人才的需求 ,拓宽专业口径 ,改革人才培养模式 ,探索宽口径专业下培养适应社会需求的高质量人才 ,全面推进素质教育 ,增强学生未来工作的适应性是摆在高等学校面前的重要课题