The Austrian current account deficit: Driven by twin deficits or by intertemporal expenditure allocation?

The evidence presented in the paper rejects the twin deficit hypothesis for the Austrian current account balance during the last two decades. The results are based on an estimate of a vector error correction model including quarterly data for the current account balance and potentially relevant variables driving its dynamics. We compute the variance decomposition of the current account's forecast error and its generalized impulse responses to shocks in the innovations of the system. The results in favor of intertemporal expenditure reallocation cannot be reproduced within a second analysis including the current account and a measure of net output, however. The estimated implicit current account balance, interpreted as the discounted expected change in future net output, does not follow the actual behaviour of the current account. First version received: June 1999/Final version received: March 2001     

循环经济认知误区的实证分析

随着传统经济增长模式危机的出现，世界各国纷纷提出并开始建立循环经济。循环经济作为一种崭新的社会经济发展模式，人们对其认识还存在种种误区，其中认为循环经济是一种最终实现“全新的封闭式的零排放的资源利用方式”、“可解决一切环境问题”的观点最为典型。那么，是否真的存在完美的全社会物质循环呢？实现这种循环的代价是什么？本文以物质循环为基本假设条件，应用扩张环境分析用投入产出模型对社会实现全循环的可能性进行了理论探讨．并以日本为例应用该模型对日本物质循环现状和在现有条件下实现全循环的可能性及其成本进行了实证分析，论证了在现有条件下实现全社会完美的物质循环的难点。     

Is Private R & D Spending Sensitive to Its Price? Empirical Evidence on Panel Data for Italy

In this paper empirical evidence is presented on theelasticity of private R & D spending on its price. Acensored panel-data regression model with random effectsis applied to a balanced panel of 726 Italian firms overthe 1992–1997 period. Implied estimates point out thatItalian firms' response to policy measures (including taxcredits), aimed at reducing the user cost of R & D capital,is likely to be substantial (1.50–1.77). Furthermore, wealso find that the elasticity of R & D spending is higherin recession (2.01) than in expansion (0.87).     

中英电信"双寡头垄断"模式比较研究

中国电信南北分拆以后,将在固定电话和移动电话两个业务领域形成新一轮"双寡头垄断"竞争格局.英国是率先实行"双寡头垄断"作为过度,最终走向电信全面开放竞争的典范.中国电信业在1994～1999年第一阶段改革中,曾试图仿效"英国模式",构建中国电信和中国联通的"双寡头垄断",最终以失败告终.在中国即将形成新一轮"双寡头垄断"竞争格局之时,我们有必要通过对英国电信改革的理论背景、具体实施过程、取得的成就的回顾,探求英国"双寡头垄断"成功的奥秘,并为中国新一轮电信重组所借鉴,提升中国的电信业国际竞争力,更好地应对WTO的挑战.     

旅游集散中心对旅游潜在需求的激活机制研究——基于创新的视角

在简要介绍旅游集散中心及旅游潜在需求基础上,基于创新的视角,系统分析了旅游集散中心对旅游潜在需求的激活机制,指出旅游集散中心对潜在需求的影响与激活的机制是通过多种机制,借助于创新性旅游服务以及文化、理念、时尚等作用于潜在旅游消费需求的不同层面,从而激活旅游潜在需求。     

影响农村三种非农就业途径的主要因素研究--对天津市农村社会的实证分析

文章探讨了影响农村劳动力非农就业倾向的主要因素。研究结果表明,区位条件对农村劳动力非农就业倾向的影响,主要表现为近城地区以大量企业及相对发达的各种要素市场为第一优势,吸纳了更多劳动力进入本地企业就业。教育总体上是影响农村劳动力非农就业倾向的最重要因素。但其在近城地区的影响却位居第二。在远城地区教育对增大农村非农就业倾向的作用更为显著,而且受教育程度越高这种倾向就越显著。各种文化水平的影响都普遍促进了劳动者到外地企业就业,但对进入本地企业就业和家庭非农经营的促进却并不普遍,其中初中教育对农民在本地企业就业的作用更显著些;高中教育提高农民从事非农家庭经营的倾向最为明显。耕地数量抑制农户劳动力外出务工,但对其在本地企业就业和家庭非农经营的影响也不显著。乡镇企业的发展增大了农民进入本地企业的就业倾向,劳动者供养的非劳动人口数量对农民非农就业的正向影响不显著,农户拥有的非农业和农业生产性资产对农村非农就业的影响不大。因此,加快推进农村城镇化;加强边远农村地区的中等教育,特别是职业技能教育;大力发展乡企和私企;完善农村社会保障体系;构建农村劳动供求信息系统等,是促进农村劳动力加速向非农产业转移的重要途径。     

物流发展IGJAHP评价模型及空间格局分析--以安徽省为例

采用模糊区间层次分析法(IGJAHP),构筑物流产业发展综合评价模型,对安徽省物流发展的总体水平进行测算,并将其进程划分为恢复建设、缓慢发展、快速发展以及现代物流发展等四个阶段;在综合分析的基础上,把安徽省物流划分为皖江物流发展轴,合肥、蚌埠、阜阳物流大三角,东部外围和中西部等四大空间格局;而后,对安徽省17个地市历年物流发展水平进行评估,并计算物流发展地域差异系数,结果显示安徽省物流发展在空间上呈现地域差异扩大的趋势,在时间上经历了分散阶段和集中化阶段两个过程;然后,对安徽省物流生成量进行科学测算,分析显示其空间分布比较均匀。最后,从综合物流网络、物流信息通道、物流企业再造以及物流法规等方面提出发展对策。     

Societal preferences for fertility treatment in Australia: a stated preference discrete choice experiment

Objective: To investigate preferences for fertility treatment from the Australian general population with the aims of calculating the willingness to pay in tax contribution for attributes (characteristics) that make up treatment and for an “ideal” fertility treatment program. We also assessed whether willingness-to-pay varies by the relationship status or sexual orientation of the patient.

Methods: A stated preference discrete choice experiment was administered to a panel of 801 individuals representative of the Australian general population. Seven attributes of fertility treatment under three broad categories were included: outcome, process, and cost. Attributes were identified through published literature, focus group discussions, expert knowledge, and a pilot study. A Bayesian fractional experimental design was used, and data analysis was performed using a generalized multinomial logit model. Further analyses included interaction terms and latent class modeling.

Results: Six of the seven attributes influenced the choice of a treatment program. Under process attributes, individuals preferred: continuity of care of clinic staff, where patients are seen by the same doctor but different nurses at each visit; “alternative” treatments being offered to all patients; and onsite clinic counseling and peer-support groups. Personalization and tailoring of the treatment journey were not important. Among outcome attributes, the improved success rate of having a baby per cycle and significant side-effects were considered important. Cost of treatment also influenced the choice of treatment program. Individual preferences for fertility treatment were not associated with patients’ relationship status or sexual orientation. Latent class modeling revealed sub-groups with distinct fertility treatment preferences.

Conclusion: This study provides important insights into the attributes that influence the preferences of fertility treatment in Australia. It also estimates socially-inclusive willingness-to-pay values in tax contributions for an “ideal” package of treatment. The results can inform economic evaluations of fertility treatment programs.     

The Bank of England quarterly model of the UK economy

The Bank of England first acquired a macroeconomic model of the UK economy in early 1973, and used it for forecasting in June and July of that year. The initial model was obtained from the London Business School (LBS), but the last 14 years or so have, on the part of both the Bank and the LBS, led to developments which now make the models no closer to each other than to other large scale models of the UK. This article describes the structure and central properties of the current version of the Bank model, which has some 663 variables, 134 of which are modelled by behavioural equations, 153 by technical equations, 212 identities and 164 exogenous variables. In order to provide a transitional step between the kind of models with which most macroeconomists are familiar and the full scale version of the Bank model, one part of the article presents a very simple stylized version of the full model. This is a stepping stone to the full model which is described and analysed on a sectoral basis in Part 3, with a complete listing of equations in Part 4. Some of the simulation properties, and hence full model dynamic responses, are considered in Part 5.     

小麦期货市场价格波动与到期效应的实证研究

通过对小麦期货市场期货品种收益率的分布与波动性进行实证分析,论证其时间序列存在ARCH效应;运用ARMA-GARCH模型对小麦期货品种进行了拟合分析和统计检验,结果表明小麦期货品种的波动性具有很高的持续性。通过添加到期时间的哑变量,可以证明大多数小麦期货合约存在到期效应。