Gross national happiness as an answer to the Easterlin Paradox?

The Easterlin Paradox refers to the fact that happiness data are typically stationary in spite of considerable increases in income. This amounts to a rejection of the hypothesis that current income is the only argument in the utility function. We find that the happiness responses of around 350,000 people living in the OECD between 1975 and 1997 are positively correlated with the level of income, the welfare state and (weakly) with life expectancy; they are negatively correlated with the average number of hours worked, environmental degradation (measured by SOx emissions), crime, openness to trade, inflation and unemployment; all controlling for country and year dummies. These effects separate across groups in a pattern that appears broadly plausible (e.g., the rich suffer environmental degradation more than the poor). Based on actual changes from 1975 to 1997, small contributions to happiness can be attributed to the increase in income in our sample. Interestingly, the actual changes in several of the ‘omitted variables’ such as life expectancy, hours worked, inflation and unemployment also contribute to happiness over this time period since life expectancy has risen and the others have, on average, fallen. Consequently the unexplained trend in happiness is even bigger than would be predicted if income was the only argument in the utility function. In other words, introducing omitted variables worsens the income-without-happiness paradox.     

Technology transfer through imports

Abstract .  We study international technology transfer through R&D spillovers in sixteen countries' manufacturing industries since the early 1970s. The analysis shows that the productivity impact of international technology transfer often exceeds that of domestic technological change, more so in high-technology industries. Moreover, technology transfer is found to be strongly varying across country-pairs and tends to decline in geographic distance, pointing to goods trade as the transfer channel. We directly evaluate this hypothesis, and results suggest that trade is crucial for technology transfer from Germany, France, and the UK, while for the US, Japan, and Canada non-trade channels are more important.     

The constitutional future of the European Union

The formal distinction between a treaty and a constitution is much less important than the question of who is authorized to interpret and amend it. The judges of the European Court of Justice interpret the Treaty by simple majority, while unanimity of the member-states would be required to reverse these decisions. The European Union needs a Court whose judges are empanelled from, and selected by, the highest courts of the member-states. The Treaty on European Union violates three fundamental constitutional principles: (i) the principle of the separation of powers, (ii) the democratic principle, and (iii) the principle of subsidiarity.     

企业主流与新流创新演进机理研究

激烈的市场竞争使人们意识到,企业既需要维持创新发展优势而抢占主流市场,又需要创造新的企业发展优势而赢取未来主流市场。着眼于这一关键任务,实现主流与新流创新演进成为企业持续发展的重点。因此,基于生物进化理论、企业进化理论和企业DNA理论,提出主流与新流创新演进经过了生成、变异、选择、协同阶段。深入研究主流与新流创新的生成、变异、选择、协同机理,并与企业创新发展实践相结合,为企业未来主流创新提供具体路径指导。     

失地农民参与新型农村合作医疗影响因素探析——基于江阴市临港新城H小区失地农民的调查

基于对发达地区江阴市临港新城H小区的调查,从微观视角关注失地农民群体中个体特征对新型农村合作医疗制度运行的影响,探讨失地农民群体对新型农村合作医疗制度的认知程度与其参与新型农村合作医疗的具体选择行为之间的相关性,深入考察新型农村合作医疗制度实施现状,探寻新型农村合作医疗制度在失地农民群体中实施存在的问题,以期对完善新型农村合作医疗保障制度建设提供参考。     

基于技术视角的产业关联发展研究

随着技术的不断产生与发展,各产业间关联关系不断变化,并呈现一定的阶段性特征。针对技术产生与发展的创新外部效应,从产业关联产生的本质原因、过程和结果对产业关联发展进行解析。分析了技术在创新系统中对产业关联体系发展的引领作用,揭示了产业关联发展过程及其规律,提出了五阶段产业关联发展模型及演进路径。对3D打印技术相关产业进行实证研究发现,在技术创新过程中,同一时间不同产业间关联所处发展阶段与程度有所差别,各产业在关联关系中所处地位与作用有所不同,应针对不同产业关联阶段制定产业创新策略,推动产业关联关系合理进化。     

Global instability in experimental general equilibrium: the Scarf example

Scarf (Int. Econ. Rev. 1 (1960) 157) proposed a model of dynamic adjustment in which the standard tatonnement price adjustment process orbits around, rather than converges to, the competitive equilibrium. Hirota (Int. Econ. Rev. 22 (1981) 461) characterized the price paths. We explore the predictions of Scarf's model in a non-tatonnement experimental double auction. The average transaction prices in each period do follow the path predicted by the Scarf and Hirota models. When the model predicts convergence the data converge; when the model predicts orbits, the data orbit in the direction predicted by the model. Moreover, we observe a weak tendency for prices within a period to follow the path predicted by the model.     

MODELLING A REGIME‐SHIFTING BEVERIDGE CURVE

This paper offers new insights into Beveridge curve analysis by modelling the unemployment–vacancy rate relationship within a Markov regime‐switching environment in which the probabilities of curve‐shifting are determined endogenously by shift factors. Shift factors include structural factors such as labour market participation and net migration, while cyclical variables include GDP growth, the real rate of interest, and labour productivity. This approach enables us to estimate regime‐specific parameters and to assess the role played by these factors in influencing the transition probabilities of switching between regimes. Using New Zealand data, we show that increases in the participation rate have shifted the Beveridge curve inward, while increases in net migration have shifted the curve outward.     

产业转移的新经济地理学解释

不同于传统的产业转移理论,新经济地理学在规模报酬和垄断竞争框架下解释了产业转移现象,认为产业转移的基础不必然是第一自然的差异,在完全相同的均质空间下,由于市场接近效应、生活成本效应和市场拥挤效应所构成的集聚力和扩散力的相互作用,产业转移也会发生,并且表现出突发性、自我强化、预期自我实现和价值链环节分离的特性及关联度弱的产业先转移等规律。此外,新经济地理学还运用一般均衡分析方法考察了产业转移的福利效应,包括瓦尔拉斯效应、生产租金和规模区位效应、累积效应以及转移效应,并对影响产业转移的税收优惠竞争、公共基础设施改善和区域补贴等政策措施的效果进行了剖析。     

中国移动运营市场竞争格局情景分析

中国的移动运营市场一直是中国移动(2000年前为中国电信)和联通两家的双寡头竞争格局.鉴于情景分析法的特点和移动运营市场面临的形势,对移动运营市场后3G时代的竞争格局分析适宜采用情景分析法来预测中国进入3G时代后移动运营市场的几种竞争格局.并可以对每种格局产生的可能性、途径以及各种情景所带来的后果进行详细的比对,这样对我国移动运营市场的健康良性发展可提供一些有益的决策参考.