Enhancing the teaching of introductory economics with a team-based,multi-section competition

The authors describe a unique approach to enhancing student learning at the introductory economics level that utilizes a multi-section, team-based competition. The competition is structured to supplement learning throughout the entire introductory course. Student teams are presented with current economic issues, trends, or events, and use economic tools and theories to comprehensively examine the topics. Students present their analyses in their own sections with one team from each section moving on to compete in an inter-section round. Students are judged on technicality, creativity, and applicability of economic concepts. The competition has the potential to advance students' creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical and analytical thinking skills, while enhancing their ability to apply foundational economic concepts to real-world settings.     

双重古诺竞争下的FDI关联溢出效应

扩展了以往理论研究的基本假设,在古诺竞争框架下分析FDI进入东道国上下游双边市场时的关联溢出效应。结果显示:当FDI仅进入东道国的下游市场时,FDI产生的竞争效应会增加下游市场的总产出,从而增大对上游市场中东道国本土供应商的后向关联程度,且其增大程度与技术差距正相关;在FDI同时进入东道国上下游双边市场的情况下,上游市场的FDI会对东道国本土供应商产生挤出效应,且两者的技术差距越大,挤出效应越明显,同时会对下游市场中的东道国本土生产者产生明显的前向关联,上游市场总产出的增加使得中间产品的均衡价格下降,直接减少了下游本土生产者的边际生产成本,从而增加了其产出和利润,部分抵消了下游市场的FDI的挤出效应。     

Do banking system transparency and competition affect nonperforming loans in the Chinese banking sector?

The increasing importance of transparency practices and the improving status of bank competition in China are rarely explored in nonperforming loans (NPLs) literature. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine banking system transparency and competition along with macroeconomic and bank-specific variables as determinants of NPL. We use the two-step system GMM dynamic panel model for Chinese banks based on annual data from 2000 to 2014. Our results indicate that high transparency in the Chinese banking system decreases poor-quality assets but not in the case of government-owned banks, whereas increase in competition increases NPL. Moreover, we find mixed results in the context of macroeconomics and bank-specific variables. Our study has practical implications in risk management practices and macro prudential policies.     

The quest for publicness: political conflict about the organisation of tramways and telecommunication in Sweden,c. 1900–1920

This article explores political conflicts about the organisation of public services in Sweden c. 1900–1920. The authors argue that political decisions play a vital role in shaping the political economy of public services. The case studies analysed are the political debates about the communalisation of the tramway system in Stockholm, and the nationalisation of Sweden’s last private telephone company. In both cases, the transfer of the service to public organisation was a lengthy process, ending in the late 1910s. This is explained using the concept of publicness. Drawing on three discursive chains, the argument is that the political development was affected by the politicians conception of the political community, the form of organisation and by perceptions of values such as equal access and modernity. In the case of the tramways, public organisation was seen as the best option to defend the public against corruption and self-interest. In the case of the telephones, free market competition was seen as a guarantee for an efficient and cost-effective service. The reason for this difference, is argued, was that the debate on the tramways articulated a clearer notion of publicness, where equal access and public opinion carried larger weight.     

制造传统——关于傣族泼水节及其相关新年话语的研究

有关泼水节即傣历新年的说法在当代学术界已成定论。然而,为什么这一节日庆典的日期不在傣历的一月一日？对此,既有研究并未给出令人满意的解释。在对相关文献进行梳理和作者本人田野研究所得发现的基础上,本文提出了自己的看法,认为泼水节并非傣历新年,而是佛教新年和傣族远古泼水习俗两个来源的结合体。继而,作者指出,被视为傣历新年的泼水节实际上是一种被制造出来的传统。     

中国保险市场结构与政府监管的动态均衡研究

中国保险市场发展30年间,保险市场结构经历了从完全垄断到寡头垄断再向垄断竞争的变迁,政府监管政策也随之不断调整。在这三个阶段中,保险市场结构与政府监管政策在相互匹配上总是一个均衡-非均衡-均衡不断循环的过程,其错配的根源主要有政府监管政策供给存在偏好以及中国保监会定位模糊等。因此,要在新形势下两者实现新的均衡,需在监管目标、主体和内容方面进行适当调整。     

外部融资依赖度、银行业竞争与经济增长——基于中国制造业的分析

依据1998年至2008年的数据,通过对中国银行业的市场竞争程度进行测度和考察银行业竞争程度对不同外部融资依赖程度的制造业部门的影响,得出结论:我国金融发展和银行业市场竞争程度的提高,有利于外部融资依赖度较高类型的制造业部门的发展,在短期内有利于产业发展和经济增长,但在长期内会导致资金和技术密集型制造业部门的资本深化,对产业结构和经济发展造成不利影响。这对调整和完善我国制造业部门的产业结构、调节和管理不同产业部门的资本需求、促进银行业市场结构健康发展具有重要的理论意义和实践意义。     

招商竞争下的地方政府与企业博弈行为

文章集中分析了在招商竞争中地方政府与企业之间、地方政府之间的动态博弈过程。通过建立一个三阶段的完美信息动态博弈模型,指出地方政府之间的招商竞争下,企业拥有了"退出"选择的可能。企业退出成本越低,"退出"选择的可置信威胁越大,其向政府"呼吁"产生的效果越好。对于地方政府来说,与其进行"让利竞争",不如完善地方公共设施与提高公共服务的质量,提供良好的制度与经济环境,锁定辖区内的企业,为地方经济的发展提供强劲的推动力。     

未来十年中国西部大开发新战略

中国西部大开发十年来取得了显著成效,但也存在着诸多问题。未来十年,是中国深入推进西部大开发的关键时期,必须坚持“民富为先、稳定为重”的方针,更加注重维护社会稳定、扩大就业机会和让百姓得到实惠,大力推进实施新增长极培育、“三化”互动和新型开放三大战略,进一步加大国家政策扶持力度,切实提高西部自我发展能力和综合竞争力,使西部尽快走上持续稳定快速健康发展的轨道。     

产权视角下我国新型农民资金互助合作组织的发展对策研究

基于制度经济学的产权视角,分析了内生型和外生型农民资金互助合作组织的合作基金产权特征,并针对新型农民资金互助合作组织发展过程中面临的管理体制行政化、产权关系不清晰、目标定位不明确等产权问题,提出要通过发挥政府的能动作用,明晰各方主体的产权,赋予社员应有的权利以完善新型农民资金互助合作组织的基金产权关系。