Suchergebnisse

Increasing demands by government for "evidence-led" policy raise the risk that research evidence will mislead government rather than leading to an unbiased conclusion. The need for unbiased research conclusions has never been greater, yet few consumers of research understand the statistical biases with which science most always struggle. This article introduces the volume's discussion of those issues with an explanation of the major threats of bias in social science research & a map of the differing scientific opinions on how to deal with those threats. The thesis of the volume is that many of these threats could be reduced by making social science more experimental. The fact that even experimental evidence contains threats of bias does not alter that claim but merely suggests another: that educated consumers of social science may be the best defense against misleading evidence of all kinds. [Copyright 2003 Sage Publications, Inc.]

This indispensable volume brings together the key contributions to the academic literature on the subject of the political economy of trade policy. Topics covered include unilateral and multilateral trade policies, international trade agreements and administered protection. In their comprehensive introduction, the editors present an insightful discussion of the political economy approach, the development of multilateral trade agreements, the trade and internal motives that guide unilateral trade policy and the features that characterise unilateralism. This volume is essential for professors, researchers and policymakers concerned with international trade policy

Political and economic changes in the former socialist countries in the early 90s of the 20th century have not only opened up possibilities for the future democratic development of these countries, but also an opportunity for solving economic, political, social and environmental situation in the context of building a new, market economic system. The unfavourable environmental situation in Serbia is caused by many factors, among which frequent changes in the economic system in the past and inadequate economic and system solutions occupy a significant place. A critical approach to the impact of economic system solutions to the political and institutional arrangements for environmental protection in the SFRY, FRY, Serbia and Montenegro and RS is therefore a suitable starting point for understanding the importance and the need to take a more active approach to solving environmental problems in Serbia. It is also a goal of this work. In addition, solving the problems in the field of environmental protection is crucial for achieving sustainable development and improving the competitiveness of the Serbian economy. Key Words: economic system, reforms, environmental policy, Republic of Serbia

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the normative side of an R&D growth model in which market structure and growth are jointly determined in the equilibrium of a one‐sector economy under monopolistic competition. We find that a distortion in the allocation of R&D, namely the presence of technological spillovers between firms, generates two market failures: insufficient growth and excessive entry of firms. We show that this result is driven by the interplay between market structure and growth. A simple tax/subsidy scheme to support the efficient solution is proposed.

With the increasingly evident and widespread impact of economic activity on the environment, there is a growing concern in all parts of the world for environmental considerations to be more fully reflected in economic decision-making. The Polluter-Pays, User-Pays and Precautionary principles are increasingly being used as guidelines for environmental policy, and yet their developmental implications have barely been explored. Fair Principles for Sustainable Development is one of the first books to study the developmental implications of these basic tenets of environmental policy. Having assessed the merits, drawbacks and technical feasibility for developing countries of applying the Polluter-Pays and User-Pays principles, the contributors then examine the Precautionary principle from the same perspective. This is followed by discussion of Subsidiarity, which offers guidance on the application of these principles and aims to ensure that local interests are articulated and incorporated in the decision-making process. Finally an overview by the editor draws the material together to support the application of these principles, particularly in international trade and global environmental agreements, to serve the sustainable development in the Third World. As an important early contribution to the debate on the application of Polluter-Pays, User-Pays and Precautionary principles in development policy, as well as one of the first books to discuss the application of the subsidiarity principle to environmental policy, Fair Principles for Sustainable Development will be welcomed by researchers, students and policymakers attempting to come to terms with a new, important, but little understood, area

After the emergence of H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 Hong Kong implemented a sophisticated system to regulate live poultry markets. While this system is well implemented and thorough, it also has limitations. The rise of H7N9 avian influenza (which is typically acquired through contact with poultry, including in live markets) makes this an appropriate time to revisit the ethical and practical issues related to this trade. Based on data from field observations of live markets in Hong Kong, and interviews with experts in the field, this paper recommends that the government of Hong Kong create a committee to examine the pros and cons of ending live poultry markets in this Special Administrative Region.

This monograph has analyzed why so few political solutions to the problems of fertilizer supply and to the "electricity-groundwater conundrum" have emerged after more than a decade of reform efforts. With regard to fertilizer supply, the study concentrated on why the GoI has not been able to reduce or better target the fertilizer subsidy despite several attempts. The study shows that the ability to raise farmgate prices is constrained by coalition politics and by political representatives of owners of medium-sized and large farms. The government has also been unable to target the subsidies more narrowly at small and marginal farmers because of opposition from owners of medium-sized and large farms and logistical problems perceived to be associated with the change. The study also shows that reform of the policy framework for production and distribution of fertilizers has failed because of the presence of a strong coalition consisting of the fertilizer industry, the MoCF, and the MoA, which has successfully argued that policy reform would reduce India's self-sufficiency in fertilizer production and therefore its food security. The advocates for change in policy are fewer and less articulate and consistent in their message. Finally, the reform of fertilizer subsidies has been stymied by the inadequate supply of natural gas in India. ; PR ; IFPRI1 ; EPTD

International audience ; Agricultural reform across the European Union has focussed debate on how multifunctional agriculture accommodates wider rural social objectives. We derive a range of policy attributes and undertake two surveys using multicriteria analysis and economic valuation to explore public preferences for rural policy. The results suggest a willingness to pay for both environmental and social benefits, notably locally grown food, water quality, wildlife habitats and maintaining rural communities. The public has assigned greatest weight to the policy option, locally grown food, that can be most closely linked to them in a direct-use sense and that is also routinely transacted for. Preferences were invariant across three regions and between rural and urban populations. The multicriteria survey yielded a different preference ordering and we suggest that this arises from the differing elicitation methods and is a potential drawback of the multicriteria approach employed.