The Scope and Limits of a Public–Private Hybrid: Dispute Settlement under NAFTA Chapter 19

Globalisation is often depicted as having led to an increase in private authority at the expense of that of the state. It is important to correctly specify the scope that private authority has achieved and the capacity of states to push back and limit that authority. This article grounds these theoretical issues in a discussion of the hybrid, public–private dispute settlement mechanism set up in the original Canada–US Free Trade Agreement (CUSTFA), and later extended into Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It finds that privatising the enforcement process did make a difference. Trade experts on panels saw things differently to judges and in ways that were more sympathetic to exporters. This favoured Canadian and Mexican interests. However, the arrangement lacked deep roots. It was a late-stage compromise in trade negotiations. This rendered it vulnerable to a US counterattack once panels began to rule in favour of Canadian and Mexican challenges to US trade determinations. The transfer of quasi-judicial authority to a public–private hybrid proved contingent, partly on the hegemonic state's ongoing level of comfort with the arrangement, as well as on a lack of business consensus within the United States.     

COVID-19 fatalities and internal conflict: Does government economic support matter?

This study examines the association between COVID-19 mortality rates and internal conflict and investigates the possible moderating role of government economic support during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Our main hypothesis suggests that countries with lower levels of government economic support are more likely to experience a positive correlation between higher COVID-19 mortality rates and the emergence of internal conflict. Using cross-country data from over 100 countries and controlling for various factors that may influence internal conflict, our analysis provides some support for this hypothesis. The results suggest a possible moderating role for government economic support, with the evidence indicating a weakening or elimination of the association between COVID-19 mortality rates and internal conflict when government economic support is adequate. However, the moderating effect of government economic support is not always significant, and caution is needed when interpreting the results. Our analysis also highlights the potential risks associated with low levels of government economic support during the pandemic. Specifically, we find that in countries where the government's macro-financial package in response to the pandemic is less than approximately 25% of GDP, there is a possible risk of growth in civil disorder resulting from increased COVID-19 deaths per million.     

Product mix,transactions and cost behaviour: a study of South African bank branches

This paper utilizes microeconomic theory and a panel data set to assess the impact of product mix and transactions on cost behaviour of bank branches in South Africa over the short and long‐term. Estimates of properties of concavity and monotonocity indicate that the cost functions of typical bank branches in South Africa are neither consistent with short‐term nor long‐term cost‐minimizing behaviour. This corroborates earlier findings which indicate that South African banks have low production efficiency and high market power. In addition the cost functions and two production‐output type indices indicate that overall, the intermediation‐output type mix (foreign exchange and custodial services) has a more significant effect on cost behaviour than the production‐output type mix (cheque and deposit accounts). The variety of production‐output type services provided by a branch appears to have limited effect on costs. However the financial value of production‐output type transactions has an impact on costs while the financial value of intermediation type products does not. Branches that provide intermediation‐output type products tend to have higher variable costs – the key determinant of costs is the number of transactions.     

缅甸与韩国政治关系与经贸合作论析

1975年5月16日,缅甸与韩国正式建立外交关系,但长期以来,两国政治关系相对疏远,双边经贸合作发展尤为缓慢。2011年3月,缅甸民选政府吴登盛总统执政,缅甸与韩国政治关系逐渐得以恢复,两国高层互访日渐频繁,政治互信加深,双边经贸合作实现快速、全面发展。基于两国政治关系与经济互补优势,未来双边经贸合作具有广阔的发展前景。     

时代呼唤良法之治

十八大报告强调要坚持依法治国,加快建设社会主义法治国家。本文回顾了过去十年中国法治建设的历程,认为有形的法治建设已取得明显进步,中国特色社会主义法律体系已经形成,基本保证了社会发展各方面“有法可依”,但无形的法治机制推进方面还存在很大差距,继而提出当前中国社会需要良法之治,既要有良法,又要有忠于法律、熟悉法律的执法队伍,还要有严明的违法惩戒机制。     

皖南山区养老状况和养老机制研究——以黄山市黟县四镇为例

通过对安徽黄山黟县四镇进行实地调查,分析总结出皖南山区养老的基本情况,提出了优化皖南山区农村养老机制的设想。     

"十三·五"时期贵州省保持适度投资规模的研究

西部大开发以来,贵州投资规模逐年扩大,属于典型的投资拉动型经济.贵州省要实现与全国同步小康目标,在"十三五"时期仍需保持适度投资规模和增长速度,同时要提高投资质量和效率.