Political Measures for Strategic Environmental Policy with External Effects

This paper investigates an environmental policy designed to reduce the emission of pollutants under uncertainty, with the agent problem as an optimal stopping problem. We first analyze the two cases in which there are one agent and two competing agents by following Ohyama and Tsujimura (2005). When we consider a model of strategic agents, we need to analyze the external economic effect that is peculiar to an agent’s environmental policy implementation. Then, to improve and resolve these external effects, we examine three alternative political measures, comprising an environmental subsidy, an environmental tax and an emission trading system. The results of the analysis indicate that the environmental subsidy and environmental tax promote environmental policy. However, they do not create an incentive to be the leader. On the other hand, an emissions trading system not only promotes environmental policy but also creates an incentive for leadership.This paper was previously circulated under the title “Political Measures for Strategic Environmental Policy with Induced Effects”. The authors would like to thank Masaaki Kijima for helpful comments. The authors would also like to thank Alistair Munro and two anonymous referees providing detailed comments and suggestions. This research was partially supported by Daiwa Securities Group Inc. The second-named author was partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (2), 16310118.     

Urban Influence on Costs of Production in the Corn Belt

This article determines the relative technical efficiency of rural- and urban-influenced crop/livestock enterprises in the Corn Belt. Farmers in urban-influenced locations are less technically efficient than farmers in rural locations. During 1998–2000, stochastic production frontier procedures indicate that a 10% increase in urban influence leads to a close to 4% decrease in technical efficiency. The most successful urban-influenced farms have controlled costs as effectively as rural farms. They have tended to de-emphasize that nondairy livestock activities—particularly beef and hogs—do not rely extensively on off-farm income, and have relatively large, less residential/lifestyle operations compared to less successful urban-influenced farmers. However, our statistical analysis clearly bears out the refrain in popular literature that urban proximity raises the cost for, and decreases the viability of, traditional farms.     

Analysing Materials and Energy Flows in an Industrial District using an Enterprise Input–Output Model

Recent approaches to sustainable development leave much room for policies at a local level. In fact, it is becoming evident that targets such as increasing resource productivity, preserving natural cycles, or extending the present level of welfare, are best pursued within the confines of a local area. In particular, environmental changes are best brought about by considering local systems of firms as cornerstones of cooperative strategies and using data on materials and energy use in physical terms. In this paper, an enterprise input–output model is developed for an industrial district, i.e. a local group of firms specialized in the production of a single final output. The model allows for a detailed quantitative analysis of materials and energy flows and the consequent generation of waste and pollution. As a planning tool, the model may be used to evaluate alternative scenarios, such as the possibility of re- using waste taking account of sustainability requirements. An empirical case study applies the model to an industrial district in Southern Italy producing leather sofas.     

财政补贴改革刍论

财政补贴是国家宏观调控的杠杆之一,但是,目前补贴不规范,财政补贴数额大、项目繁杂,补贴效果‘异化’,加大了社会不公。为了强化财政补贴杠杆功能,提高财政补贴效益,必须按照建立公共财政的要求,本着满足公共需要原则、弹性补贴制度原则和补贴方式间接化原则,改变“一刀切”和补贴刚性的局面,确保采暖费收支合理化,取消肉食、副食品、粮食等价格补贴,改革国有企业的亏损补贴制度。     

经济增长、要素投入与发展战略选择——对我国经济增长的长期机制的实证分析

中国经济增长的长期机制问题一直以来都是理论界研究的热点问题。文章通过对1953—2004年与经济增长相关因素的统计数据的回归分析,并结合其他学者的研究成果,认为支撑我国经济增长的长期动力主要来自于要素投入,而要素投入的效果却与经济发展战略制定的一些非经济因素有关。     

矫枉何须过正--评美国《2000年持续性倾销与补贴补偿法》

2000年底，美国国会通过了《持续性倾销与补贴补偿法》(CDSOA)，依据该法，海关征收的反倾销、反补贴税将以补偿的形式分配给受影响的国内生产者。CDSOA借维护公平贸易之名，行保护主义之实，不但缺乏经济上的合理性，也违背了美国依WT0协定承担的国际义务，从而引起了各国的声讨。     

Input- and Output-Oriented Technical Efficiency of Ukrainian Collective Farms, 1989–1992: Bayesian Analysis of a Stochastic Production Frontier Model

We propose estimation of a stochastic production frontier model within a Bayesian framework to obtain the posterior distribution of single-input-oriented technical efficiency at the firm level. All computations are carried out using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The approach is illustrated by applying it to production data obtained from a survey of Ukrainian collective farms. We show that looking at the changes in single-input-oriented technical efficiency in addition to the changes in output-oriented technical efficiency improves the understanding of the dynamics of technical efficiency over the first years of transition in the former Soviet Union.     

课堂环境中加大口语语言输入的效果研究

如何有效地提高学生口语能力是大学英语教学中重要课题。本实验以非英语专业学生为研究对象,在有限的课堂教学时间内通过加大口语语言素材的输入,提高学生的口语交际能力,以寻求一种有效的教学模式。     

美国农业补贴政策的演变趋势分析

从1933年第一部系统的农业法开始实行以来,美国先后出台了数十个有关农业补贴的法律,对农业进行了长期高强度的补贴,形成了有特色的补贴体系.     

政府补贴是我国发展农业保险的重要保障——来自我国农业保险试点模式的调研报告

新一轮农业保险试点形成了“安信模式”、“安华模式”、“互助制模式”、“共保体”模式和“安盟模式”等5种模式。从这5种模式运行看,政府补贴是发展农业保险的重要保障,经济发达地区政府补贴多,运行就比较好;经济欠发达地区,政府补贴少,运行就比较困难。建议政府明确采取补贴促进农业保险发展的态度,并加大政府补贴的力度。