Modelling the inflation process in transition economies: Empirical comparison of Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic

This paper starts from the observation that inflation in transition economies appears to be persistently high and volatile and attempts to provide some empirical characterisation of the inflation process in three such transition economies: Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic. We first consider the role of monetary growth as a major causal factor for inflation in these economies, and argue that the evidence provides rather weak support for the causal relationship. We then propose a transition economy cost-plus model and estimate this using the equilibrium-correction modelling (ECM) strategy augmented by introduction of a number of transitory factors and changes in the internal structure of the real economy which we believe may have had a significant impact on inflation in these economies. We show that this approach enables us to account for long-run inflation in these economies from the early 1980s to the present despite the turbulence of the latter part of the sample period. Our results support wage and exchange rate based inflation policies.     

Trade Union Derecognition in Britain, 1988–1994

Since the initial studies of derecognition, many articles have focused on the issue, by and large pointing to a slow increase in derecognition. However, a small number have indicated it is actually much larger. This paper shows that derecognition is even greater than these suggest and that its nature has changed. The paper looks at the contexts of this rise but argues that derecognition should not yet be seen as a major problem facing the unions.     

从热工理论基础教学刍议课程改革

热工理论基础是经典、传统、系列化、内容广泛的课程,但对不同专业所需侧重点是不一样的。要 根据不同专业的实际需要,对课程内容和形式进行优化,符合职业技术教育的特点。     

Modeling Conditional Yield Densities

Given the increasing interest in agricultural risk, many have sought improved methods to characterize conditional crop-yield densities. While most have postulated the Beta as a flexible alternative to the Normal, others have chosen nonparametric methods. Unfortunately, yield data tends not to be sufficiently abundant to invalidate many reasonable parametric models. This is problematic because conclusions from economic analyses, which require estimated conditional yield densities, tend not to be invariant to the modeling assumption. We propose a semiparametric estimator that, because of its theoretical properties and our simulation results, enables one to empirically proceed with a higher degree of confidence.     

Stochastic Technology, Risk Preferences, and Adoption of Site-Specific Technologies

A model of farmer decision making is developed to determine the extent to which uncertainties about soil fertility and weather affect the value of site-specific technologies (SSTs) using jointly estimated risk and technology parameters. Uncertainty can lead risk-averse farmers to apply more fertilizers and generate more pollution than in the certainty case. Ignoring uncertainty and risk aversion would overestimate the economic and environmental benefits of SSTs and underestimate the subsidy required to induce adoption. Accounting for uncertainties and risk preferences might explain the low observed adoption rates of SSTs. Improving the accuracy of SSTs would increase the incentives for adoption.     

迎接私营经济发展的新阶段——学习十六大报告体会之一

<正> 党的十六大在经济理论和经济发展方针方面的最大贡献有两个:一是建设全面小康社会,二是进一步发展非公有制经济,二者互为条件,相互促进,共同服从于我们党发展经济的根本目的——“提高全国人民的生活水平和质量”。用这样两个经济理论和方针来指导实践,必将带来社会主义市场经济体制的完善。     

对《形状和位置公差》新标准的理解和应用

通过对《形状和位置公差》新、旧国际的对比，综述了新、旧标准间的不同之处、便于迅速了解和应用新标准。     

Price rigidities and institutional variations in markets with posted prices

Summary Standard laboratory posted-offer markets respond slowly and incompletely to demand shocks. In these one-sided markets, where sellers control the setting of prices, very little information is transmitted via the process of exchange. For this reason, traders have trouble distinguishing randomness in their own experience from changes in market fundamentals. This paper reports the results of twelve laboratory markets conducted to assess whether some common variants to standard posted-offer rules can correct the adjustment deficiences. Although discounting, multiple postings and excess demand information all improve performance, we find that response remains poor, and efficiencies low.Support for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (SBR 9319842 and SBR 9320044), and the University of Virginia Bankard Fund. Data are archived at FTP address: fido.econlab.arizona.edu. We wish to thank Charles Plott and Shyam Sunder for useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. The usual disclaimer applies.     

大力发展我国企业债券市场

目前国际上企业融资结构的发展潮流是重债券融资轻股权融资，但相比我国股票市场和国债市场的飞速发展，企业债券市场始终保持低迷状态，要推进国有企业产权制度改革，为非国有企业提供充足的资金来源，发展企业债券市场为其提供了一个理想的解决方案。     

"无过错责任"不是"猛虎下山"——对《最高人民法院关于审理触电人身损害赔偿案件若干问题的解释》的理解

“无过错责任”又称“无过失责任”、“客观责任”、“危险责任”、“严格责任”或“特殊侵权民事责任”，是指没有过错造成他人损害的，依法应当由与造成损害原因有关的人承担民事责任的确认责任准则。执行这一原则，主要不是根据责任人的过错，而是基于损害的客观存在，根据行为人的活动及所管理的人或物的危险性质与所造成损害后果的因果关系，它是一种不完全具备一般侵权民事责任的成立要件，也不一定直接由实施违法行为人承担主要责任的法律责任承担方式。