Suchergebnisse

Abstract. Various European measures to alleviate hardships following structural changes. including those resulting from changes in international trade. particularly imports. are summarized. It is noted that sectional political pressures tend to generate industry‐specific schemes, especially in the textile, clothing and footwear fields. In some cases, the individual schemes facilitate change. But, in many others, they simply frustrate and hinder inevitable adjustment. Instances of both types are cited. The characteristics of an 'ideal' scheme are itemized along with some of the difficulties in maintaining them. Finally, suggestions are made to de‐politicize the tariff‐maknig process in the interest of freer trade.

Abstract. Provisions made by the governments of the United States, Canada and Australia to compensate individuals injured on account of increased import competition are examined. The rationale for specifically favoring trade displaced workers, even though employees elsewhere, on account of technological and other changes, also experience disruption, is explained. There after, the salient features of the three countries'adjustment assistance schemes are Outlined and their relative effectiveness evaluated. By and large, none of the three countries has provided sufficient compensation or amelioration to attenuate resistance by either firms or workers to freer trade.

At the beginning of the 1970s, new concepts of development theory began increasingly to be articulated in English by writers inspired by the work of radical Latin American scholars. These concepts which have come to be known as dependency theories, have not only gained, in a short space of time, widespread acceptance by left wing intellectuals but have also permeated the thinking of LDC spokemen who were instrumental in embodying within the 1974 U.N. Declaration of a new international economic order, the view that dependence was the central feature of the current international economic system. As of late, the issue has intruded into conventional economic journals and is "amongst the central questions being discussed" at the Sussex Institute of Development Studies, but nonetheless, it still remains true that a large proportion of mainstream economists are either entirely ignorant or only dimly aware of it. This ignorance is partly the result of the scant exposure of dependency theories in orthodox literature and partly due to the fact that the 'theory' has many versions, which in and among themselves are either contradictory or lack testable hypotheses. This paper attempts to provide a critical account of such theories from the perspective of a conventional economist; The views are not necessarily discussed in the order in which they chronologically appeared nor is every contribution included, the object being to present the main ingredients of the theory rather than a detailed literature review.

In a recent article in this Journal, J. F. Rweyemamu argues that existing trade relations between the developed and less developed countries are a major cause of the latter's poverty. In fact, he asserts that 'the U.N. General Assembly emphasis on trade under the existing international division of labour is not only misplaced but may be regarded as a calculated strategy by the capitalist countries to mislead the developing countries'. Since trade is supposed to impoverish the developing world, Rweyemamu recommends measures leading to less reliance on the external sector and, more specifically, a programme of heavy industrialisation, in which 'it can hardly be over-emphasised that import substitution and export promotion are not relevant as basic selection techniques'. I feel not only that Rweyemamu's policy proposals are detrimental to the interests of the developing world, but that the statistical findings and theoretical discussion from which they are derived contain both errors and omissions.

The book offers a concise account of modern Japanese economic history and the essence of postwar macroeconomic issues and policy. The nature of the Japanese corporation, labour relations and technological innovations are discussed, with three chapters devoted to Japan's international economic relations and trade surplus, service sector (including distribution, health and education) and with Japan's quality of life (relating to matters such as pollution and urbanisation).