The Politics of Inequality as Organised Spectacle: Why the Swiss Do Not Want to Tax the Rich

In 2015, Swiss voters had the opportunity to impose a tax on the super rich in a popular vote and thereby fund a redistributive policy. However, a large majority voted against its seemingly obvious self-interest and rejected the tax. We propose an explanation for this puzzling outcome, bridging the usually separate behavioralist and institutionalist perspectives on the politics of inequality. We start from the observation that political economy tends to neglect processes of preference formation. Theorising preferences as socially constructed, we show that interest groups played a major role in shaping the outcome of the vote. Business frames were multiplied through allied parties and the media and had a major impact on individual voting behaviour. In addition, we demonstrate that interest groups representing business interests derive the content of their communication from business’s structurally privileged position in the capitalist economy. Specifically, creating uncertainty about possible perverse effects of government policies on jobs and growth is a powerful tool to undermine popular support. Frames based on this structural power ultimately explain why the Swiss refrained from ‘soaking the rich.’     

(In)equality and the South African Constitution

ABSTRACT

Does the South African Constitution constrain or empower government, courts and citizens in addressing systemic social and economic inequalities? This article argues that the Constitution is explicitly ‘transformative’, but is an enabling document, providing ‘scaffolding’ for political and legal activities. It is government, strong institutions and civil society that are ultimately responsible for securing its equality aspirations. Here the Constitution admits of different understandings of equality and different economic and social policy choices. This article identifies these contested meanings of equality and suggests that a liberal egalitarian/social democratic version is dominant in policy choices and the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court. It illustrates this with reference to the Court’s jurisprudence on equality, and suggests that more radical and transformative interpretations remain possible. However, it concludes that we cannot escape politics, the need for good policy choices and effective implementation and enforcement.     

基于更新理论的产品保修策略模型

产品价格的确定不仅取决于生产成本 ,还应包涵服务成本。非价格竞争下 ,产品保修是售后服务的主要内容。本文运用更新报酬理论 ,建立了产品保修策略模型。模型表明 :在消费转型时代 ,只有引入产品的差异性、降低生产成本、提高产品质量、延长产品寿命、制订合适的保修策略 ,才能保障合理的厂商利润 ,有效刺激需求。     

为什么国有企业越来越垄断?

近年来,我国的国有企业在产业政策的保护下表现出越来越垄断的趋势。本文运用共同代理模型解释了这种政策倾向的形成原因。代表各个产业部门的利益集团围绕政府的政策展开博弈,政策的形成是政府对各个产业利益集团进行平衡的结果。但是,政府对国有部门的重视程度超过非国有部门。随着国有企业逐渐从许多产业退出,余下的国有部门越来越缺乏其他利益集团的制约,政府因而就倾向于保护这些国有部门的垄断利益。     

对中国形成世界制造中心进程的冷思考

改革开放以来，我国迅速成为制造业大国，但还远远不是制造业的世界中心。只有认清我国制造业存在的预期利润低、结构不合理、产业链的低端定位、边际效应递减、研究与开发费用不足以及教育结构对制造业的瓶颈效应等问题，并对症下药，才能将我国的制造业真正做大做强。     

上市公司利润操纵的经济动机

政府的每一次政策出台都为企业带来了新的生机与动力,但同时也诱导着一些企业进行着利润操 纵,我们应该看到,中国股票市场走过的10年道路中,规范与反规范的争斗从来没有停止过,正是由于 这样,促使我国证券市场不断发展。     

改进利润计量管理的战略性思考

现行会计利润计量只关注短期忽视长期,不能适应战略管理的现实需要,必须以企业价值增长理论为指导,拓展会计计量利润的空间及目标。利润战略管理的基本内容包括构筑利润导向型经营策略体系、培育企业利润心理和建立有效保护企业利润的战略控制体系。文章认为,销售利润率、预期利润增长率、资产效率、战略控制指数、市值收益比率这5个指标的复合计量,可以作为会计对战略转移利润进行核算的一种尝试。最后,作者借鉴国际权威咨询公司的成果对各类企业如何立足自身客观条件逐步实现价值增长提出了具体的策略思路。     

国有企业“债转股”政策:功能缺陷与制度依赖——项基于国有企业“债转股”政策跟踪调查的研究

伴随着我国经济体制改革向纵深发展,国有企业负债比率过高的问题更加突出显示出来。为了解决这个问题,我国实施了“债转股”政策。本文讨论四个命题:(1)国有企业是负债比率过高还是收益率过低;(2)“债转股”政策究竟是使国有企业“财务解困”还是“体制解困”;(3)“债转股”政策究竟是转移金融风险还是化解金融风险;(4)资产管理公司为国有企业和国有商业银行解困,将来谁为资产管理公司解困。本文认为“债转股”政策设计存在功能缺陷与制度依赖。国有企业“债转股”政策的成功依赖于国有企业(商业银行)现代企业制度的建立与完善。     

上市公司利润泡沫的剖析

利润是企业经营成果的集中体现,也是衡量企业经营管理业绩的主要指标之一。随着财务报告信息在市场经济中地位的不断提升,部分上市公司为了寻求对自己有利的财务成果,不惜一切手法操纵利润,甚至采用欺诈手段不合法地调整企业的利润,形成了泡沫利润,损害了投资者的利益,影响了我国证券市场的正常发展。本文针对目前上市公司财务报表的利润浮夸现象,就企业泡沫利润的形成原因、手段进行分析,并对如何识别泡沫利润的手段提出了初浅的看法,最后提出了相应的防范措施。     

浅析"第三利润源"

从物流成本的结构、成本管理的意义以及物流产业的性质等方面剖析“第三利润源”,并对物流如何创造价值、增强国民经济实力进行了分析。