Suchergebnisse

Launching and sustaining a process of 'structural reform' is an outside chance, but the best chance for producing a socialist resolution to SA's travails. The present conjuncture which is both transformed and menacing, will put the ANC's new leadership and strategy to a critical test. (SJK)

"The objective of this book is to put forward a comprehensive, detailed, yet critical assessment of the state of the art in this burgeoning literature. The book will cover most recent work related to economic impacts of structural reforms on growth (recovery), unemployment, investment, imbalances and inequality in the background of the 2007 financial crisis in Europe. This volume has a collection of chapters that show the progress made in this field: new theoretical framework, new data and new empirical methodologies. These are also discussed and illustrated by several case studies of countries that introduced significant reforms"--

After over 30 years of a market model for the provision of educational services in Chile, the expansion of private providers financed through state vouchers, a decrease in public school enrollments, and a highly segregated educational system with unequal learning opportunities sparked in 2006 a social movement demanding changes to the model. In this article we discuss three structural reforms implemented between the years of 2008 and 2016 aiming to increase educational quality, reverse declining enrollments in public schools, the inequitable distribution of learning opportunities, and school segregation. The Preferential School Subsidy Law, passed in 2008, acknowledges that students who are growing up under conditions of social exclusion require extra support, thus in addition to the regular voucher a subsidy is provided to vulnerable students. The Law for School Inclusion, approved in May 2015, involves four main components: expansion of state subsidies, elimination of parental co-payment, elimination of for-profit voucher schools, and elimination of school practices to select students. The National System for ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� initial teacher preparation programs. After presenting the antecedents and key provisions of each law, we analyze their potential impacts and the risk factors that may attenuate them. Three main areas of risks are addressed: externalities, institutional capacities at various levels of the system, and changes in the economic and political support needed for long-term sustainability. Keywords:�����privatization of education,�����structural educational reforms,�����school inequity,��������������������������������������������������,�����career path,����� school choice,�����school finance,�����educational reforms in Chile

The future of structural reforms in Latin America is under discussion. The purpose of this document is to synthesize the facts and opinions that underlie this debate. The first section shows that although the reform process has not ground to a halt, it has been incomplete and uneven, both across countries and different areas of reform. The greatest progress has been made in reforming the trade and financial sectors. In terms of tax reform and privatization, the record has been mixed across countries. The most modest progress has been made in the area of labor code reform. The second section analyzes the status of public opinion of the reform process. Disillusionment with the reforms has been growing, particularly among the middle class. This disapproval, rather than reflecting concerns about the state of the economy or the degree of progress of the reforms, stems from the corruption that has tainted the privatization process in some countries. The third section reviews the effects of the reforms. Their impact on growth seems to have been positive, albeit temporary, but the effects on employment and income distribution have varied in different areas of reform and according to the particular context in each country. Specifically, the effectiveness of reforms has depended heavily on the quality of public institutions. The fourth section summarizes the main proposals to expand or reorient the reform agenda in the region. One set of proposals suggests broadening the Washington Consensus with more active policies aimed at addressing the need for greater economic stability, social integration and equitable income distribution. Another set of proposals, guided by a more encompassing view of the goals of development, emphasizes the interaction among civil society, the private sector, and the government. Finally, a more radical vision proposes a new national and international institutional architecture that would limit the role of markets and mitigate the effects of globalization. ; El futuro de las reformas estructurales en América Latina está en discusión. El objeto de este documento es resumir los hechos y las opiniones subyacentes de este debate. La primera parte muestra que si bien el proceso de reforma no se ha detenido del todo, sí ha sido incompleto y desigual, tanto entre países como entre las diversas áreas de reforma. Los mayores avances se han registrado en la reforma de los sectores del comercio internacional y las finanzas. En términos de reforma tributaria y privatización, los resultados de un país a otro son encontrados. Los avances más pequeños se han registrado en el área de la reforma del código laboral. En la segunda parte se analiza la situación de la opinión pública sobre el proceso de reforma. La desilusión con las reformas ha venido en aumento, especialmente entre la clase media. Más que reflejar inquietudes sobre el estado de la economía o el grado de avance de las reformas, esta crítica tiene que ver con la corrupción que ha empañado el proceso de privatización en algunos países. En la tercera sección se pasa revista a los efectos de las reformas. Sus repercusiones en el crecimiento parecen haber sido positivas, aunque pasajeras, pero sus efectos en el empleo y la distribución del ingreso han variado en diversas áreas de la reforma y según el contexto específico de cada país. En particular, la eficacia de las reformas ha dependido en gran medida de la calidad de las instituciones públicas. En la cuarta parte se presenta una síntesis de las principales propuestas para ampliar o reorientar el programa de reformas en la región. Un conjunto de propuestas sugiere ampliar el Consenso de Washington con políticas más activas, destinadas a acometer la necesidad de mayor estabilidad económica, integración social y una distribución equitativa del ingreso. Otro conjunto de propuestas, guiado por un punto de vista más amplio de los objetivos del desarrollo, hace hincapié en la interacción entre la sociedad civil, el sector privado y el gobierno. Por último, una visión más radical propone una nueva estructura nacional e internacional de las instituciones, a fin de limitar el papel de los mercados y atenuar los efectos de la globalización.

This article is a case study that shows the difficulty and complexity of
structural adjustment by examining in great detail the reform of a single
programme, the promotion of industrial investment in the less developed regions
of Argentina. The article describes how the programme grew after 1956 when
industrial promotion was first implemented so the reader can fully understand its
intricate complexity. The reform process is described in detail, from the time that
officials first became aware that the program was costing several percent of GDP
to the present. Changing the system was an elaborate process of thrust and parry
and counterthrust by government reformers and entrenched supporters of the old
regime. The Congress, the Supreme Court, provincial officials and various
international institutions were all able to exert considerable influence over the
pace and nature of reform. The reform effort also illustrates the role of a free press
and public opinion. A cadre of economists working within the government and
in private research institutes carried out an effective campaign to inform the
public about the programme's excesses. The end result is a precarious and far
from simple or transparent, though decidedly less expensive, set of compromises
that pleases no one.

Brief analysis of what the Peking leadership intends by its decision to renew its long-talked-about political reforms as well as their objectives and nature. One major motive is the over-reaction of the conservaties within the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) in the campaign against bourgeois liberalization, which has convinced Teng Hsia-ping that the current political structure is incompatible with the reformist leadership and policies. It is pointed out that the reform of the political structure cannot possibly lead to political pluralization. (DÜI-Sen)