The Effects of Public Ownership and Regulatory Independence on Regulatory Outcomes

We examine the effects of public ownership and regulatory agency independence on regulatory outcomes in EU telecommunications. Specifically, we study regulated interconnect rates paid by entrants to incumbents. We find that public ownership of the incumbent positively affects these interconnect rates, and suggest that governments influence regulatory outcomes in favor of incumbents in which they are substantially invested. However, we also find that the presence of institutional features enhancing regulatory independence from the government mitigates this effect. In order to study regulatory independence, we introduce a new cross-country time-series database—the European Union Regulatory Institutions (EURI) Database. This database describes the development of institutions bearing on regulatory independence and quality in telecommunications in the 15 founding EU member states from 1997 to 2003 *We thank Laurent Pipitone for superb research assistance. Geoff Edwards thanks the Sasakawa Foundation and the Institute of Management, Innovation and Organization at the Haas School of Business for generous financial assistance, and London Business School for non-financial support. Leonard Waverman thanks the Global Communications Consortium for support     

A Markov–switching vector equilibrium correction model of the UK labour market

There is a wide literature on the dynamic adjustment of employment and its relationship with the business cycle. In this paper we present a statistical model that offers a congruent representation of part of the UK labour market since the mid 1960s. We use a cointegrated vector autoregressive Markov-switching model in which some parameters change according to the phase of the business cycle. Output, employment, labour supply and real earnings are found to have a common cyclical component. The long run dynamics are characterized by one cointegrating vector relating unemployment to trend-adjusted real wages and output. Despite there having been many changes affecting this sector of the UK economy, the Markov-switching vector-equilibrium-correction model with three regimes (representing recession, normal growth, and high growth) provides a good characterization of the sample data, and performs well relative to alternative linear and non-linear models. The results of an impulse-response analysis highlight the dangers of using VARs when the constancy of the estimated coefficients has not been established, and demonstrate the advantages of generating regime dependent responses. First Version Received: December 2000/Final Version Received: August 2001     

湖南八大公山国家级自然保护区国家重点保护和珍稀濒危植物区系分析

从属和种的水平上分析了八大公山国家级自然保护区国家重点保护和珍稀濒危植物的区系成分特点。结果表明,该保护区共有国家重点保护和珍稀濒危植物31科44属53种。其中有国务院1999年8月4日批准公布的I级重点保护植物4科4属6种,II级重点保护植物18科23属29种;有《中国珍稀濒危保护植物名录》(1987)和《中国植物红皮书》所列的濒危植物2科2属2种,稀有植物14科15属16种,渐危植物15科19属20种。其区系具有由亚热带植物区系向温带植物区系过渡,但热带性质比较明显的特点,而且中国特有成份是该区系中非常重要的组成部分。     

注册会计师法律责任体系的政策研究——基于《萨班斯-奥克斯利法案》的视角

安然公司破产案及其后的一系列公司财务欺诈案件,引起了美国社会各界对上市公司会计丑闻的关注。各方的压力迫使美国国会通过了《萨班斯-奥克斯利法案》。本文从分析目前我国注册会计师法律责任界定中面临的问题入手,通过考察《萨班斯-奥克斯利法案》,提出完善我国注册会计师法律责任体系的建议。     

On the cost-benefit of the regionalisation of the National Health Service

In this paper we analyse in formal terms the desirability of the regionalisation of a National Health Service. The policy consists of a devolution process, i.e. the increase in the health services provision to be decided by a region and financed by an increase in its revenues. The change is a marginal one, as it regards the part of supply of the health services exceeding a minimum standard, which for purposes of equity is maintained uniform in the national territory. As the central government is responsible for this component of the provision of health care (a federal “mandate”), the level of the said component is chosen by this authority and financed by federal taxation. Moreover, the government also applies an equalisation scheme based on the difference between a standard level of tax revenues and the revenues which the region is deemed able to raise for this purpose. Within the theoretical context of welfare improving reforms with distortionary taxation, we derive two conditions which focus on the regional, as well as the social, convenience of regionalisation. Received: May 5, 1999 / Accepted: January 21, 2000     

Employer Penalties for Failure to Provide Individual Employee Notification Under the Family and Medical Leave Act: “Clarifications” Following Ragsdale v. Wolverine Worldwide, Inc.

This article examines the Supreme Court's ruling in Ragsdale v. Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (2002) and considers its implications for employer and employee rights and responsibilities relative to implementing the FMLA policies. We provide an overview of the pre-decision regulatory environment including the general leave provisions of the FMLA and DOL's regulations requiring employer notification of leave designated as FMLA leave. We also identify those provisions that the decision did not alter and provide a broader consideration of the issues and implication of this decision for employers and employees.     

Export Composition and Manufacturing Employment in the US during the Economic Downturn of 1991-92

This paper examines the effect that export composition had upon manufacturing employment in the US during the 1991 recession. Although it takes, on average, approximately $66 000 in exports to create one job, the exact gains in terms of total employment depend upon the labour-intensity of the products being exported. Foreign sales by the chemical and textile industries result in a far greater increase in employment than exports by the petroleum refining or steel industries. This analysis estimates the employment effects of manufacturing exports over the 1989-95 period, utilizing an input-output model to capture both direct and indirect effects. The results demonstrate that export composition has, at times, both strengthened and reduced demand for labour. Consequently, if job-creation is a national goal, it may be in the interests of the US to promote exports from sectors that are labour-using.     

中国城市农民工社会资本现状分析及解决途径

我国城市农民工处于城市边缘地带，社会资本占有贫乏。造成这种状况既有制度原因、城市居民的价值观念原因，亦有农民工自身的原因。我们应改变制度，改变城市居民价值观念，提高农民工综合素质，加快发展经济和加快城市化建设以增加城市农民工的补偿资本。     

农民工已成为城市建设的重要力量——新疆农民工基本状况调查报告

新疆农民工基本现状调查报告指出了农民工对城市生活适应能力强、生活节俭、法律意识日渐增强等优点。报告也指出了农民工在基本合法权益、职业技能培训、社会保障等方面遇到的问题,以期国家和社会对其予以关注。     

社会资本与妇女农民工就业

在妇女农民工从农业到非农业的职业流动过程中,社会资本是影响其流动决策的重要变量之一,对其就业发挥了不可替代的作用.但由于所拥有的社会资本量极其有限等重要因素的影响,妇女农民工基本上都属于"非正规就业",地位低下.改变这种状况的根本办法之一就是采取多种措施有效增加其社会资本的积累.