The politics of social protection expenditure and financing in southern Africa

Social protection is expanding in southern Africa, but consideration of its fiscal base is usually limited to affordability concerns. Little attention is paid to the different sources of revenue or how the interests of contributors to social protection may affect spending priorities. This article suggests there is a link between revenue source and social protection spending. Aid dependent countries' social protection policy is mostly determined by donors. The governments of countries that rely on natural resources or Southern African Customs Union revenue are relatively free to shape social protection policy. Only in countries that rely on domestic tax-based revenue, where the government must consider the interests of the taxpayer, is there something resembling a social contract for social protection, in which the citizens engage with their government through an exchange-based logic. This article concludes that a broad and diversified tax base is an important mechanism for creating a reciprocal relationship of this kind and thus increasing social spending.     

Consumption,Credit, and Macroeconomic Policies: Theory and Evidence from the United States

Abstract

The paper examines determinants of private consumption in the USA. The empirical model includes disposable income, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, the interest rate, and the real effective exchange rate. Anticipated movements in these determinants are likely to affect planned consumption, while unanticipated changes determine cyclical consumption. Fluctuations in private consumption are mostly cyclical with respect to changes in disposable income and the consumers’ sentiment index. In contrast, an increase in the interest rate decreases both planned and cyclical consumption. Fiscal policy has a direct negative effect on cyclical consumption, which is not dependent on the interest rate. Monetary growth, in contrast, increases liquidity to finance both planned and cyclical private consumption.     

Recapitalization of Thailand's Banks After the 1997 Crisis: Interpretation and Critique from a Neo-institutional Perspective

The recapitalization of Thailand's banks following the 1997 crisis is interpreted and positively criticized from the perspective of neo-institutional theory. Although a recapitalization scheme was introduced as part of monetary policy in 1998, the statistics and critical reaction on the part of private interests suggest that public resources and administrative action would not suffice to fully and expeditiously fulfill this task. To increase the supply of private capital to the banking sector the authorities can most effectively adopt a neo-institutional philosophy, under which policy credibility in situations of financial distress is enhanced by the clarification of property rights and minimization of opportunities for special-interest action. Neo-institutional theory also suggests that it is possible to expedite overall monetary recovery if the government concentrates on its comparative advantage in supplying the public good of financial stability, and leave commercial banks free to realize private comparative advantage in areas such as restructuring, re-engineering, mergers and competition. To link public and private action in the areas noted above, initiatives can be introduced to cooperatively exploit relative efficiency in obtaining and using information to support decision-making.     

Hutton's flawed blueprint for the reform of public sector pensions— a critical analysis of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission

This article critically analyses the two reports of the Independent Public Services Pensions Commission. It argues that the Commission has failed to establish a coherent case for major structural changes in UK public sector pensions.     

Bioenergy and global land-use change

This is the first article that econometrically estimates the global land-use change impact of bioenergy. Applying time-series analytical mechanisms to fuel, biofuel and agricultural commodity prices and production, we estimate the long-run relationship between energy prices, bioenergy production and the global land-use change. Our results suggest that rising energy prices and bioenergy production significantly contribute to the global land-use change both through the direct and indirect land-use change impact. Globally, the total agricultural area yearly increases by 35 578.1 thousand ha due to increasing oil price, and by 12 125.1 thousand ha due to increasing biofuel production, which corresponds to 0.73% and 0.25% of the total worldwide agricultural area, respectively. Soya land-use change and wheat land-use change have the highest elasticities with respect to both oil price and biofuel production. In contrast, nonbiomass crops (grassland and rice) have negative land-use change elasticities. Region-specific results suggest that South America faces the largest yearly total land-use change associated with oil price increase (+10 600.7 thousand ha), whereas Asia (+8918.6 thousand ha), South America (+4024.9 thousand ha) and North America (+1311.5 thousand ha) have the largest yearly total land-use change associated with increase in biofuel production.     

Stress: The legal and organizational implications

Evolving legal trends, as well as court cases in which stress related to employment situations led to liability for the employer, were reviewed and summarized. These results were integrated with those in current empirical stress research in order to identify potential areas of concern for managers. This unified approach was then used to examine some common organizational situations and to suggest practices, policies, and procedures that may be useful in reducing or eliminating the harmful effects of stress on employees. It was concluded that, while employers must be knowledgeable about general stressors likely to affect employee well-being, they must also identify factors unique to their own situations. The responsibility of the manager in analyzing the work situation and responding to the individuals involved is emphasized.     

中日汽车消费政策的比较研究

目前我国汽车消费正由卖方市场向买方市场,以公款购车为主体向以私人购车为主体转变。借鉴发达国家经验,优化汽车消费环境是促进个人汽车消费的关键。本文从汽车税费、汽车金融服务、汽车保险、汽车召回、汽车维修服务、汽车报废等方面对中日汽车消费政策进行了比较分析。     

Hungary's export prospects in the EC market

Political changes in Eastern Europe will help to cement improving economic relations between those countries and the EC, accelerating a trend that flows in part from the continuing economic difficulties in Eastern Europe. Hungary has little alternative but to seek to continue strengthening these ties. Membership in the EC could lead to an expansion of Hungarian exports to the Communities of some 48 percent, with the main gains occurring for meats, iron and steel, fruit and vegetables, textiles, and clothing. Even if membership is unattainable, Hungary stands to gain considerably from an improvement in its standing in the EC pyramid of privileges, and must seek some closer relationship with the EC, encompassing agriculture as well as manufactures, and tariffs and non-tariff barriers.