Migration decisions under ambiguity: Migration distance effects revisited

There is ample evidence that distance has a strong negative effect on migration. Despite its significance in migration decisions, scholars rarely explore the migration distance effect deeper than the first level of interpretation derived from the simple neoclassical theory of migration. This study revisits the migration distance effect in the spirit of Knightian distinction between risk and uncertainty. To this end, this study attempts to construct estimates of the risk premium migrants are willing to pay to avoid the risk associated with migration distance. The results show that the magnitude of the distance effect is not rationalized by risk aversion in the Arrow–Pratt sense (Arrow, 1965, The theory of risk aversion, Yrjo Jahnssonin Saatio, Helsinki, Finland, 90; Pratt, 1964, Econometrica, 32, 122). In particular, the risk premium demanded by distant rural residents is unjustifiably higher compared with that of those living closer to urban areas in their migration decisions. The results suggest that the migration distance effect is analogous to the equity home bias puzzle and the Ellsberg paradox in that the assumption of subjective expected utility can lead to seemingly irrational human behaviors. Some of the findings in this study shed light on the role of subjective aspects such as perception, confidence, and pessimism in migration decisions, which have been neglected in the literature.     

Passive Investment Strategies and Efficient Markets

This paper presents the case for and the evidence in favour of passive investment strategies and examines the major criticisms of the technique. I conclude that the evidence strongly supports passive investment management in all markets—small–capitalisation stocks as well as large–capitalisation equities, US markets as well as international markets, and bonds as well as stocks. Recent attacks on the efficient market hypothesis do not weaken the case for indexing.     

论法律不完备性与政府介入期货市场

在期货市场上，法律不完备性问题表现得较为突出，法律对于侵害行为的阻吓作用非常有限、期货市场法律的不完备性，主要取决于期货市场的特点和性质。政府采取相关的监管方式管理期货市场非常必要，监管的介入需要满足标准化和损害（外部性）足够高的条件。政府管理期货市场立法和法院执法的作用不可或缺，但更主要的是采用监管的方式。     

Operations of a Pension Fund after the Asian Crisis: The Thai Experience*

During and after the Asian crisis, institutional investors and pension funds in Asian financial markets have been confronted with a number of difficulties effecting their performance and the way they carry out their role within the national pension system. We analyze these problems by comparing the actual investment policy of an institutional investor with an optimal investment strategy derived from the insights of modern portfolio theory. We also analyze whether the organizational set‐up of a pension fund allows it to adequately perform its role within the pension system. As an example, we examine the operations of the Thai Government Pension Fund (GPF). We find that allowing international investments and reducing restrictions on equity investments while lowering the implicit requirements for investments in government debt would allow the GPF to further diversify its investment risk and to increase its risk‐adjusted return. We also show that some changes in the governance structure of the GPF would lower the occurrence of conflicts of interest for the management and increase the efficiency of the GPF operations.     

中国城市化有关问题初探

城市化问题是当代社会经济发展的重大问题，是涉及到自然资源的合理开发利用，农村人口转化、剩余劳动力的走向以及城市工业、第三产业发展的关键问题。     

城镇化水平与农民收入的相关性研究

城镇化水平与农民人均收入存在着密切关系，即城镇化水平越高，农民人均收入越高；城镇化水平越低，农民人均收入越低。因此，要增加农民人均收入，就必须提高城镇化水平，特别是提高中西部省份的城镇化水平。文章主要运用统计学中的回归分析方法来阐述这一观点。     

美国的城市化进程与现代城市规划联系的解读

回顾了美国城市化的独特发展历程和美国现代城市规划历史,并就二者之间的相互关系进行了探讨,以期对处于转型期的中国城市化发展有所启示和借鉴.     

城市化进程中的产业政策选择

当前我国已进入城市化加速阶段,促进城市化水平的提高应成为制定产业政策的重要出发点.从各产业的比较劳动生产率、国际竞争力和就业吸纳能力等方面入手进行分析,筛选出了若干发展潜力大、就业吸纳能力强的行业;并指出这些行业在我国未来的城市化进程中将起到至关重要的作用,应制定相应的政策加以重点扶持.     

我国城市化危及土地资源持续利用的立法原因探析

随着我国城市化进程的不断加快 ,土地资源供给的有限性与人们对土地资源需求的无限性之间的矛盾日益突显。而在此背景下重新修订公布的《土地管理法》在涉及建设用地需求的无限扩展与农业用地数量的持续下降这两个突出问题上 ,并没有明确政府的职能定位 ,也反映出了相关制度的模糊性。本文就此进行了探讨。     

城市郊区化模式比较与我国的选择——以英美澳日等国为例

英美澳日四个发达国家分布在文化背景不同的四个大陆,其城市化进程的模式不完全相同,尤其是后城市化阶段表现出的特点更加鲜明.对比分析发现,四个国家的城市化进程中在政府政策、城乡关系、不同规模的城市所起的作用等诸多方面存在着差别,英澳日等国的政府在投资、规划以及法律建设等方面的介入发挥着重要作用,而美国则是市场机制起主导作用的城市化模式.发达国家取得的这些经验对于我国的城市发展有非常重要的借鉴意义.