The political economy of industrialisation

This paper analyses how incentives under different sets of political institutions map into policies that promote industrialisation. I set out an endogenous growth model with non-overlapping generations, where agents are heterogeneous with respect to wealth, skills and political power. The skills of the political elite play a crucial role for industrialisation to occur. It is shown that a flat wealth distribution and a skilled political elite enhance development the most in elitist regimes, while democracies perform as well as elitist regimes in terms of industrialisation. The theoretical results regarding elitist regimes are in line with evidence on the Industrial Revolution.     

迎接现代科技革命潮流 加快推进新型工业化

现代科技革命发展的潮流是新科技革命和新产业革命以及由此带来的新工业革命,顺应这一潮流必须加快推进新型工业化;对新型工业化必须从“适度”和“新”两个层面来加深认识,必须大力发展循环经济。     

对日本零售市场国际化竞争经验的借鉴

2000年废除《大店法》以后,日本零售市场的国际化竞争加剧。但是从2005年以后的情况看,外资零售商在日本没有大的作为。完备的商业立法和行业管理制度、先进的物流配送系统、独特的商业文化,以及零售业的适时变革,使得日本零售业安全度过了市场国际化初期的强大冲击。     

The forthcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution: Its impact on society and firms

The impact of the industrial and digital (information) revolutions has, undoubtedly, been substantial on practically all aspects of our society, life, firms and employment. Will the forthcoming AI revolution produce similar, far-reaching effects? By examining analogous inventions of the industrial, digital and AI revolutions, this article claims that the latter is on target and that it would bring extensive changes that will also affect all aspects of our society and life. In addition, its impact on firms and employment will be considerable, resulting in richly interconnected organizations with decision making based on the analysis and exploitation of “big” data and intensified, global competition among firms. People will be capable of buying goods and obtaining services from anywhere in the world using the Internet, and exploiting the unlimited, additional benefits that will open through the widespread usage of AI inventions. The paper concludes that significant competitive advantages will continue to accrue to those utilizing the Internet widely and willing to take entrepreneurial risks in order to turn innovative products/services into worldwide commercial success stories. The greatest challenge facing societies and firms would be utilizing the benefits of availing AI technologies, providing vast opportunities for both new products/services and immense productivity improvements while avoiding the dangers and disadvantages in terms of increased unemployment and greater wealth inequalities.     

自由主义民主的解蔽与超越--基于艾伦·梅克森斯·伍德对麦克弗森的批判

伍德认为麦克弗森的自由主义民主理论没有方法论或理论可能性，没有正确揭示自由主义民主同资本主义之间的关系。资本主义并不能借助于自由主义民主获得永恒的生命力，自由主义民主也不能同资本主义一起走向胜利。自由主义民主是一种权利体系，兼具公共权威性和维持占有性关系的双重职能。自由主义民主和社会主义的融合只能依赖没有任何社会内容的空洞的形式主义。自由主义民主导致资本主义国家的自我封闭，制造了不可消除的内在矛盾，最终只能以革命的形式来超越自身的评价系统。国家的消亡只能在无阶级社会中实现，国家权力与公共权力之间具有明显的张力。伍德指出麦克弗森不主张暴力革命，而主张走改良主义道路，希望利用和平手段过渡到社会主义社会，因而麦克弗森不是马克思主义者，更多的是自由主义民主者。     

江苏经济高质量发展本质、态势与对策

以科技革命和产业变革为主要特征的新工业革命方兴未艾,与朱格拉周期形成叠加,与经济高质量发展形成难得的历史交汇。当前江苏站到了新工业革命与经济高质量发展融合的全新起点,开启了经济增长新周期,致力于改善经济运行质量,提高经济效益。研究表明,新工业革命与经济高质量发展呈现相互依存、相互融合、协调发展的总趋势。文章通过对江苏经济高质量发展态势分析,把握新时代江苏的新方位、新坐标,推动新旧动能转换,实现江苏经济增长由"L型"向"V型"转变,彰显经济高质量发展的"江苏作为",为其他区域经济发展提供现实观照。     

An Epistemological Reflection on Social and Solidarity Economy

Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) is emerging as life affirming solutions to the global crises through the multiple ways people locally reinvent economic life on the margins of the capitalist system based on values of solidarity, reciprocity and sustainability. Although the SSE builds on a strong foundation of real practices and institutions of economic transformation as the way forward for us, this paper argues that this world of practice is in need of its theory to frame discourses and engage with the bigger picture with confidence as an alternative to the dominant economic paradigm. The author argues that the orthodox economics, with its ontological construct of the homo economicus, Cartesian dichotomy and logical positivist epistemology severely constrains our abilities to understand and appreciate economic alternatives based on ‘other’ rationalities. Hence, there is a need for an epistemological revolution to construct a coherent theoretical framework from the wreckages of the neoclassical economics for the SSE. This paper seeks to outline the basic structure and the key elements of the ontological and the epistemological framework for this ‘science-in-the-making’ as a step to stimulate further debate for a paradigm revolution.     

Spatial takeoff in the first industrial revolution

Using the framework of Desmet and Rossi-Hansberg (forthcoming), we present a model of spatial takeoff that is calibrated using spatially-disaggregated occupational data for England in c. 1710. The model predicts changes in the spatial distribution of agricultural and manufacturing employment which match data for c. 1817 and 1861. The model also matches a number of aggregate changes that characterise the first industrial revolution. Using counterfactual geographical distributions, we show that the initial concentration of productivity can matter for whether and when an industrial takeoff occurs. Subsidies to innovation in either sector can bring forward the date of takeoff while subsidies to the use of land by manufacturing firms can significantly delay a takeoff because it decreases spatial concentration of activity.     

The visible hand: the role of government in China’s long-awaited industrial revolution

China is undergoing its long-awaited industrial revolution. There is no shortage of commentary and opinion on this dramatic period, but few have attempted to provide a coherent, in-depth, political-economic framework that explains the fundamental mechanisms behind China’s rapid industrialization. This article reviews the Embryonic Economic Development theory put forth by Wen (2016a). This article reviews the Embryonic Economic Development theory put forth by Wen . It illuminates the critical sequence of developmental stages since the reforms enacted by Deng Xiaoping in 1978: namely, small-scale commercialized agricultural production, proto-industrialization in the countryside, a formal industrial revolution based on mass production of labor-intensive light consumer goods, a sustainable ‘industrial trinity’ boom in energy/motive power/infrastructure, and a second industrial revolution involving the mass production of heavy industrial goods. This developmental sequence follows essentially the same pattern as Great Britain’s Industrial Revolution, despite sharp differences in political and institutional conditions. One of the key conclusions exemplified by China’s economic rise is that the extent of industrialization is limited by the extent of the market. One of the key strategies behind the creation and nurturing of a continually growing market in China is based on this premise: The free market is a public good that is very costly for nations to create and support. Market creation requires a powerful ‘mercantilist’ state and the correct sequence of developmental stages; China has been successfully accomplishing its industrialization through these stages, backed by measured, targeted reforms and direct participation from its central and local governments.     

国有企业转型过程中宏观与微观权力关系的渐进式变革

随着企业转型,企业的宏观权力关系从完全附属于政府主管部门、"五龙治水"、国资委统一行使所有者职能、到海外投资者对国有股东形成制衡.在微观权力关系上,企业的经营者由政府官员性质、行政性"内部人控制"问题的产生,到海外投资者选派的独立董事代表的进入,加强了对"内部人控制"问题的约束.总的来看,这种政府主导型的改革对企业转型和宏观权力关系产生了显著影响,但微观权力格局的转换仍然相当艰难.