The flypaper effect and political strength

Simple models of local government behavior predict equal effects of private income and unconditional federal grants on local government expenditures. Numerous empirical analyses, however, find that the effect of grants is larger than the income effect. We argue that this flypaper effect may be a result of weak political leaderships in multi–issue and multi–party decision–making environments. In multi–issue institutions, a strong political leadership may reduce inefficiency due to interest group influence and inter–party bargaining in the local council. Utilizing data for Norwegian local governments in the 1930s, we find that political strength reduces the size of the flypaper effect. When the local council consists of only one political party, we cannot reject absence of a flypaper effect, while the flypaper effect is large in fragmented local councils. Received: June 2000 / accepted: February 2001     

我国地方政府显性债务问题实证分析

本文对我国某地区显性债务规模与结构进行分析，结果表明，从规模上看，我国地方政府显性债务具有规模庞大，不断扩张，超出了地方财力规模，逾期债务比重较大等特点；从结构上看，我国地方政府显性债务具有来源复杂等特点。同时，通过对债务规模与某些因素的相关分析表明，我国地方政府显性债务规模与地方经济总量存在相关性。     

Spread spectrum of knowledge network based on information integration environment

The concept and the characteristic of spread spectrum technology of knowledge network based on information integration environment are given at first. And the basic principle of the wireless network of knowledge and information is recommended. Then a project alternatives using the spread spectrum technology and wireless network is given to build a across-the abroad knowledge network system.     

Asymmetric FDI and tax-treaty bargaining: theory and evidence

Tax treaties are often viewed as a mechanism for eliminating tax competition, however, this approach ignores the need for bargaining over the treaty's terms. This paper focuses on how bargaining can affect the withholding taxes set under the treaty. In a simple framework, we develop hypotheses about patterns in treaty tax rates. A key determinant for these patterns is the relative size of bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) activity. In plausible situations, more asymmetric countries will negotiate treaties with higher tax rates. This theory is then tested using 1992 data from US and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) bilateral tax treaties. Overall, the data supports the prediction that greater asymmetric FDI activity increases the negotiated tax rates.     

Capital Mobility, Agglomeration and Corporate Tax Rates: Is the Race to the Bottom for Real?

Based on a data set for 19 OECD countries for the period 1981–2001,we estimate the impact of FDI on corporate tax rates, wherechanges in FDI are a measure for changes in capital mobility.So far the literature has been concerned with the related butrather different question as to the sensitivity of FDI to taxrates. Our article takes an opposite perspective and asks whatthe impact of capital mobility is on corporate tax rates. Indoing so, we explicitly take the role of agglomeration intoaccount. In theory, core countries can afford a higher tax ratecompared to peripheral countries. In our estimation strategy,we instrument capital mobility to deal with reverse causality.The main conclusion is that increased international capitalmobility, measured by FDI flows, implies a lower corporate taxrate. But we also find that agglomeration matters: core countrieshave a higher corporate tax rate than peripheral countries.If there is a race to the bottom, it seems that it is more realfor some countries than others. (JEL code: H25)     

Government as a discriminating monopolist in the financial market: the case of China

We show that the many unusual features of China’s financial markets are consistent with a government choosing regulations to maximize a standard type of social welfare function. Under certain conditions, these regulations are equivalent to imposing explicit taxes on business and interest income, yet should be much easier to enforce. The observed implicit tax rates are broadly in line with those observed in other countries. The theory also forecasts, however, that China will face increasing incentives over time to shift to explicit taxes.     

天津滨海新区区域经济特点、问题与对策

开发滨海新区是天津市经济发展的重大战略决策。经过7年的高速发展滨海新区已经形成了经济区的基本框架,成为天津市经济的龙头。本文综合分析了滨海新区的区域经济特点及其在发展过程中存在的矛盾和问题,在此基础上提出了加强区域经济持续发展能力建设的对策和建议。     

中央政府监管下的地方公债融资制度构想

作者认为,地方公共品需求的扩大和财政收支压力提出了地方政府债务融资的问题,而监督地方政府的民主机制建设落后,我国现阶段赋予地方政府独立举债权尚不现实,目前只能采取渐进式过渡性的办法--建立中央政府监管下的地方公债制度,以中央监管代替民主监督来解决地方政府在公共产品供应上资金不足的问题.据此,本文提出了中央政府监管下的地方公债制度构架及相关配套的改革建议.     

Inter-local relations and trans-scaling through finance in Poland

Inter-local cooperation is difficult to measure. In Poland, however, the data-set concerning financial transfers between local government budgets (one of the most popular quantitative measures of cooperation) has never been described in scientific literature. This paper aims at contributing to fill this gap. On the basis of the budget expenditures of all Polish local governments, we applied two research methods: OLS regression and Heckman two-stage regression. The results show that the decision whether to get into cooperation, and the decision on the extent of involvement are driven by different factors.     

云南长防林体系建设中几个问题的探讨

本文就云南省长防林体系建设中存在的认识问题,指导思想、政策、资金投入及有关技术问题,进行分析。提出相应的对策和意见。