Illicit drug markets and economic irregularities

Markets for illicit drugs present an interesting case study for economics, combining non-standard characteristics such as addiction and product illegality. One response has been to argue the generality of economic principles by suggesting that they apply even in the extreme case of markets for addictive substances, e.g., by showing that demand for illicit goods is responsive to price [1] [Reframing health behavior change with behavioral economics. Hillsdale, NJ:Lawrence Earlbaum Associates; 2000. p. 89-111.] and even by modeling addiction as rational [2] [J Political Econ 1988;96:675-700]. This paper sketches examples of an alternative reaction, focusing on idiosyncrasies of drug markets that might plausibly create counter-intuitive effects, including supply curves that slope downward because of enforcement swamping and/or a good serving as the only available store of wealth for its producer, demand reduction programs that increase demand, and consumption by “jugglers” possibly increasing rather than decreasing as prices rise. This analysis yields non-obvious policy recommendations; for example, source country control programs should concentrate on growing regions with a healthy banking sector.     

Can innovation shocks determine CO2 emissions (CO2e) in the OECD economies? A new perspective

ABSTRACT

This study has attempted to address prior knowledge gaps in the environmental economics literature by integrating the innovation shocks into the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) equation for twenty-six OECD economies using data from 1990 to 2014. Foreign direct investment (FDI), exports (EXP), renewable energy consumption (REC), and GDP per capita were included as control variables. The results from multiple empirical analyses indicated that positive shocks to innovation improve, but the negative shocks disrupt environmental quality. Data analyses also showed that a positive correlation exists between income per capita of OECD economies. From the negative coefficient of income per capita (squared) and the existence of a negative nexus between FDI and CO2e, both the EKC and the Pollution Halo Hypothesis (PHH) were confirmed in sampled economies, respectively. The paper offers empirical support for the favourable impacts of REC on the quality of the environment and calls for the adoption of innovation shocks as a policy instrument to formulate better environmental policies for a sustainable future.     

老龄化社会和谐与保险行业创新

在建设和谐社会的过程中，必须面对我国人口老龄化的现实，从这层意义上说，建设我国和谐社会，也就是建设一个老龄化的和谐社会。因此，必须加快保险行业制度创新与产品创新步伐，主动适应社会发展要求，以保险业自身的创新及和谐进步来保障老龄化社会和谐建设。     

The political economy of industrialisation

This paper analyses how incentives under different sets of political institutions map into policies that promote industrialisation. I set out an endogenous growth model with non-overlapping generations, where agents are heterogeneous with respect to wealth, skills and political power. The skills of the political elite play a crucial role for industrialisation to occur. It is shown that a flat wealth distribution and a skilled political elite enhance development the most in elitist regimes, while democracies perform as well as elitist regimes in terms of industrialisation. The theoretical results regarding elitist regimes are in line with evidence on the Industrial Revolution.     

西部地区传统产业集群整合途径研究——以成都市家具产业集群为例

产业集群对西部地区缩小区域差距,进行技术创新,提高区域竞争力等方面具有重要意义。本文通过对产业集群理论的基本论述,以成都市家具产业集群为例,寻求西部地区传统产业集群整合途径。     

Technological change, human capital update and growth policies

This paper presents a model of growth driven simultaneously by innovation and human capital accumulation. Two different long-run equilibria are possible, according to whether or not workers skills are completely updated over time as knowledge expands. Skill gaps could arise as a consequence of poor education infrastructures, even in the efficient solution; in such circumstances, we find that whilst education policies are able to encourage growth, R&D policies are not. Otherwise, subsidizing education becomes ineffective for enhancing growth, although it could be necessary to avoid possible skill gaps originated by the R&D growth-enhancing policy.JEL Classification: O41, O33The authors wish to thank the financial support received for the project SEC 2001-2469 (Ministry of Science and Technology, Spain, and FEDER), as well as the comments of the co-editor and the referees.     

Why England? Demographic factors, structural change and physical capital accumulation during the Industrial Revolution

Why did England industrialize first? And why was Europe ahead of the rest of the world? Unified growth theory in the tradition of Galor and Weil (2000, American Economic Review, 89, 806–828) and Galor and Moav (2002, Quartely Journal of Economics, 177(4), 1133–1191) captures the key features of the transition from stagnation to growth over time. Yet we know remarkably little about why industrialization occurred much earlier in some parts of the world than in others. To answer this question, we present a probabilistic two-sector model where the initial escape from Malthusian constraints depends on the demographic regime, capital deepening and the use of more differentiated capital equipment. Weather-induced shocks to agricultural productivity cause changes in prices and quantities, and affect wages. In a standard model with capital externalities, these fluctuations interact with the demographic regime and affect the speed of growth. Our model is calibrated to match the main characteristics of the English economy in 1700 and the observed transition until 1850. We capture one of the key features of the British Industrial Revolution emphasized by economic historians — slow growth of output and productivity. Fertility limitation is responsible for higher per capita incomes, and these in turn increase industrialization probabilities. The paper also explores the availability of nutrition for poorer segments of society. We examine the influence of redistributive institutions such as the Old Poor Law, and find they were not decisive in fostering industrialization. Simulations using parameter values for other countries show that Britain’s early escape was only partly due to chance. France could have moved out of agriculture and into manufacturing faster than Britain, but the probability was less than 25%. Contrary to recent claims in the literature, 18th century China had only a minimal chance to escape from Malthusian constraints.     

谈当代马克思主义发展观的传承与创新

当代中国的发展观是一个与时俱进的理论体系,它是对马克思主义发展观的传承。这个理论体系具体体现为：由“两手抓”到“三个明”的全面发展;从“发展是硬道理”到“发展是党执政兴国的第一要务”;从“以经济建设为中心”到“以人为本”的全面发展,从“鼓励一部分地区先富起来”到“统筹和协调发展”;从加快“现代化”进程到“可持续发展”等。随着社会和时代的发展,这个理论体系将不断地丰富和发展。     

基于PSR模型的区域高技术产业创新要素供给评价

区域高技术产业高质量发展需要创新要素有效供给。基于PSR（压力—状态—响应)模型构建高技术产业创新要素供给评价指标体系，采用全局熵法对我国创新要素有效供给现状进行评价，并度量创新要素供给协调度，从创新要素供给综合指数和子系统协调度两个方面评价创新要素有效供给水平。在此基础上将我国区域创新要素供给分为5个梯度，并运用障碍因素诊断模型，分析影响各梯度省域高技术产业创新要素有效供给实现的主要障碍因素。研究发现，影响有效供给的主要障碍层从2009年的压力层与状态层转变为2018年的响应层与状态层，高技术产业发展水平等成为主要障碍因素。各省域应依据自身要素供给主要障碍层和障碍因子，结合自身创新要素供给所处梯度，采取针对性措施，通过强链、补链、固链相结合，实现区域高技术产业创新要素有效供给。     

基于BSC的服务创新成长绩效评估

服务经济时代的全面来临,促使我们以一种全新的视角来关注和审视现代企业的服务创新.服务创新是企业实现跨越式发展的重要途径,服务创新的根本目的在于实现企业的可持续成长.通过引入BSC(平衡记分卡)测评工具,可建立起一个涵盖财务、客户、内部流程与组织学习等方面的服务创新成长绩效的综合评估框架和模型,该评估模型能够分析滞后型结果指标与领先型驱动指标之间的因果关系,从而为改进服务创新绩效指明控制关键.