Defence date: 26 March 2007 ; Examining board: Prof. Giancarlo Corsetti, EUI, Supervisor ; Prof. Morten Ravn, EUI ; Dr. Jeffrey Campbell, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ; Prof. Roel Beetsma, University of Amsterdam ; There is little doubt that fiscal policy plays an important role in business cycle fluctuations; however, the ability of fiscal policy measure to work as a countercyclical stimulus has recently been questioned (see Taylor, 2000), in light of the efficiency and transparency of monetary policy interventions. Far from postulating a definitive answer to the debate, the objective of this dissertation is to contribute to a better understanding of the transmission mechanism of fiscal policy shocks, through their interaction with the consumption behaviour of private agents. The fundamental contribution of this thesis is the introduction of different forms of households' heterogeneity in the analysis of the effects of government expenditure shocks and tax cuts.
Chow King Mun. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. ; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-144). ; Abstracts in English and Chinese. ; Abstract (in English and Chinese) --- p.iv-v ; Acknowledgements --- p.vi ; Notes --- p.vii ; List of Figures --- p.viii ; List of Diagrams and Tables --- p.viii ; Figures ; Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 ; Chapter 1.1 --- The Aim of the Study ; Chapter 1.2 --- The Road to Chinese Modernity ; Chapter 1.3 --- Modernity and Consumption ; Chapter 1.4 --- Theories of Consumption ; Chapter 1.5 --- Consumption in China ; Chapter 1.6 --- "A Brief Overview of the Tian Village, Zhongshan" ; Chapter 1.7 --- Methodology ; Chapter 1.8 --- Summary of the Chapters Making up the Thesis ; Chapter 1.9 --- Significance of Study ; Chapter 2. --- Tian Village and its Environment --- p.27 ; Chapter 2.1 --- The Xiaolan Town ; Chapter 2.2 --- The Tian Village ; Chapter 2.2.1 --- Background ; Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Dramatic Transformation of the Village ; Chapter 2.2.3 --- The Economic Activities ; Chapter 2.2.4 --- Education Level ; Chapter 2.2.5 --- Migrant Labourers ; Chapter 2.3 --- Summary ; Chapter 3. --- Aspiring to be Modern --- p.52 ; Chapter 3.1 --- What is Modernity? ; Chapter 3.2 --- The Aspirations of Older and Younger Villagers ; Chapter 3.2.1 --- The young generation ; Chapter 3.2.2 --- The old generation ; Chapter 3.3.3 --- The hardships of the older villagers ; Chapter 3.3 --- The Government Initiatives ; Chapter 3.4 --- The Hong Kong Influences ; Chapter 3.5 --- The Discourses of Modernity ; Chapter 3.6 --- Summary ; Chapter 4. --- Striving for a Better Life --- p.78 ; Chapter 4.1 --- Strategies to earn money ; Chapter 4.2 --- Case Study 1: Big Brother ; Chapter 4.3 --- Case Study 2: Ah Ming's mother ; Chapter 4.4 --- Case Study 3: AhYan ; Chapter 4.5 --- Case Study 4: Mr He ; Chapter 4.6 --- Summary ; Chapter 5. --- Consumption and Modernity --- p.92 ; Chapter 5.1 --- Interpreting modernity: Consumption as a strategy ; Chapter 5.1.1 --- Housing ...
Purpose: Examine dependencies between the size and the structure of directional household expenditure on consumption and the amount of VAT tax revenue for the state budget in Poland, in connection with the explanation of fluctuations of households' VAT contributions per capita. Design/methodology/approach: The study used the following methods: literature review, methods applied in descriptive statistics, linear models of multiple regression, factor analysis using the method of main components, and a single-factor variance analysis (ANOVA). Detailed analyses were conducted based on own calculations using analytical software SPSS (Predictive Solutions), Statistica and MS Excel calculation sheet. Findings: Our results show: 1) household consumption, understood as incurring expenses to purchase goods and services which takes place in the economy of a state, is the principal creator of state budget revenue based on VAT; 2) the level of VAT revenue from household consumption depends on the financial resources at the households' disposal, the way they spend them and the structure of such expenditure; 3) households are very diverse internally, while the size and structure of their purchases varies in time and is determined by many factors; 4) a diversified rate of VAT on particular goods and services purchased by households has a major impact on the level of state budget revenue from VAT returns; 5) financial transfers to households, which express a variety of social policy instruments applied by the state, including the pro-family policy, result in the increase of the state revenue from VAT; the effectiveness of such transfers – both for the realisation of state policy, as well as the increase of its tax revenue – can be stimulated by the appropriate matrix of VAT rates; 6) the limited availability or the lack of particular statistical data regarding the VAT burden on household expenditure, and the structure of state budget revenue based on VAT in the cross-section of tax rates, decreases analytical potential and the possibilities of drawing conclusions. Practical Implications: The conclusions drawn from the conducted analyses and research can be useful for the state when selecting the tools which not only will allow for the increase of its budgetary revenues, but also the effective realization of the aims of its social policy. Originality/value: Extending the research on VAT with the analysis of the tax potential of households' purchasing decisions with the inclusion of the VAT matrix as well as the fiscal and non-fiscal objectives of state policy. The proposed methodological path allows for its popularisation with the use of panel data. ; peer-reviewed
pt. I. Of the actual organization of industry as a means of providing for the real wants of society: Book I. Introductory. Book II. On competition. Book III. On the growth and limits of capital. Book IV. On the conditions of the growth and limits of production.--pt. II. On the fundamental laws of industry in relation to its actual organization: Book I. On the condition of the direct labourer in the actual organization of industry. Book II. On various remedial agencies designed for the improvement of the condition of the direct labourer. Book III. On the permanent and temporary conditions of industry in its existing organization. Book IV. Principles of a time policy. Book V. On the social advantages of a time policy. Book VI. Effects of a time policy on the growth of population. ; Mode of access: Internet.
This dissertation uses search theory to study a variety of macroeconomic issues with microfoundation, which features theoretical study with three relatively independent essays. The first essay is about work hour, unemployment and wage dispersion under labor market search friction. The second essay explores the decentralized equilibrium with labor market heterogeneity and workers' education choice. The third essay investigates China's educated unemployment problem with a search theoretic view. In Chapter 2, we embed a competitive search model with wages determined by ex post bidding into a mainstream macroeconomic models in which households choose consumption and leisure. In addition, each firm requires only one worker to operate the technology, but we incorporate the choice of capital and the demand for labor hours by firms. We derive explicitly a steady state wage dispersion, consumption dispersion, and work hour dispersion. However, saving from households remain degenerate and matches the unique capital acquired by firms before the matching process to find workers. Chapter 3 studies the role of education in a wage posting model with double-sided heterogeneity. The model features large market with large number of participants. I formulate the decentralized equilibrium framework and show that the weak PAM pattern maintains with workers' choice of education. I design a possible PAM equilibrium with workers' linear job application strategy before presenting the equilibrium outcomes. Some qualitative aspects are also under discussion. Chapter 4 investigates the labor market reform and educated unemployment issue in China. By construction of a two period model with market duality and labor mobility control, I show that as the government easing control on labor mobility, more workers from inferior market will choose education as their optimal strategy to search in high return market and educated unemployment in high return market will increase before decrease. The study also suggests that easing mobility control by ...
2010 Summer. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Consumption is part of everyone's lives. Throughout history the act of consumption was used exclusively for material needs satisfaction and, for some, as a mechanism to display wealth. However, in contemporary society, an increasing number of people are using consumption choices to support issues and causes. This growing trend is often referred to as ethical consumption. This study explores who participations in ethical consumption and why they choose to do so. I recommend a new methodological approach for the study of ethical consumption that focuses on ethical behaviors and the motivations for that behavior. I demonstrate that ethical consumption is prevalent in Colorado using a state-wide mail survey and focus groups. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of survey data and focus group discussions show that liberal political affiliation, higher levels of education and holding postmateralist values are significantly related to higher levels of participation in ethical consumption. The findings also highlight the different motivations of individuals for engaging in ethical consumption. I find two major categories of values-based consumers: ethical consumers who use their purchasing decisions to support broad issues and more directed political consumers who strive to create social change with their consumption choices. Finally, I discover that some ethical consumers create a collective identity with other ethical consumers. The results highlight how many individuals use non-economically rational consumption choices to engage with social issues.
Biofuel production has grown considerably between 2004 and 2009. Global ethanol production more than doubled from 30 to 76 billion litres (1,609 PJ1) while global biodiesel grew eight-fold from 2 to 17 billion litres (550 PJ2) (REN21 Secretariat 2010, 13). In 2008, biofuels provided 2,109 PJ of fuel consumption, while global oil and natural gas consumption for the transport sector amounted to 93,282 PJ (International Energy Agency 2010). Mandatory blending of biofuels has been enacted in at least 41 states/provinces and 24 countries at the national level in 2009, and the EU Directive 2009/28/EC mandates the member states to ensure that at least 10% of the final consumption of energy in transport shall come from renewable sources (European Parliament 2009). Although specific framework conditions and objectives of these programmes differ from country to country, the following overall driving forces can be identified since they represent global challenges (International Transport Forum of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2008a, 4). [. aus der Einleitung]
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
International audience ; A model which formalizes the interplay between green consumer culture and sustainable technology is used to revisit the trade-off between economic growth and environmental preservation. The theory includes (i) green preferences formed through cultural transmission which involves rational socialization actions, (ii) innovation endogenously directed to sustainable or unsustainable sectors depending on culture through market size effects. The model captures an important feature of sustainable innovation processes which is the existence of path dependency. The approach allows to examine implications for both market-based instruments (i.e., environmental taxes) and non-monetary interventions (i.e., environmental education). The two types of policies are either complements or substitutes depending on the substitutability between clean and dirty goods. Finally, an important disregarded issue is examined: the political sustainability of environmental taxes.
Developed countries have well-designed and developed economies in macroeconomic terms. However, not all countries benefit from the fruits of such an economy. Therefore, some countries are still faced with an economy that requires macroeconomic restructuring and development. People in these countries face high unemployment, evolving fiscal and monetary policies. The state is forced to borrow either internally or externally, where the latter is usually preferred. This paper aims to show the effects of government debt on private consumption with a particular focus on transition countries. Thereby explaining the factors that influence private consumption and the types of debt that governments take into account. The countries in regions, which are facing this problem, will be analysed in more detail. Kosovo is one such country, which will be analysed in detail, particularly the relationship between national debt and private consumption. This study is carried out using the statistical software STATA, whereby private consumption is a dependent variable, whilst national debt, gross fixed capital formation, foreign direct investment, consumer price index, export of goods and services and GDP growth are our independent variables. This paper is a compilation of information from multiple sources to describe the reality that transition countries are faced with when borrowing. ; peer-reviewed
Tables. ; Cover title. ; "From the Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, Vol. X, Session 1898-99." ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Electronic reproduction. ; Mode of access: Internet. ; 44
