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The Role Of Private Sector Investment In International Microfinance And The Implications Of Domestic Regulatory Environments, William A. Langer

William A Langer

The Role of Private Sector Investment in International Microfinance and the Implications of Domestic Regulatory Environments

By William Langer

Microfinance – the practice of providing small, working capital loans and other financial services to poor individuals unable to obtain access to commercial sources of credit – has been able to transform the lives of over 100 million microentrepreneurs and their families in various regions throughout the world. Despite this impressive achievement, microfinance currently reaches only 10% of the estimated demand for microfinance services, comprised of approximately 1 to 1.5 billion self-employed poor persons worldwide. Practitioners agree that in order to …

21st Century Trade Agreements: Implications For Development Sovereignty, Rachel D. Thrasher, Kevin P. Gallagher

Rachel D Thrasher

This paper examines the extent to which the emerging world trading regime leaves nations the “policy space” to deploy effective policy for long-run diversification and development and the extent to which there is a convergence of such policy space under global and regional trade regimes. We examine the economic theory of trade and long-run growth and underscore the fact that traditional theories lose luster in the presence of the need for long-run dynamic comparative advantages and when market failures are rife. We then exhibit a “toolbox” of policies that have been deployed by developed and developing countries past and present …

The Limits Of Backlash: Assessing The Political Response To Kelo, Ilya Somin

Ilya Somin

The Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which upheld the power of government to condemn private property for purposes of economic development, generated a massive political backlash from across the political spectrum. Over forty states, as well as the federal government, have enacted post-Kelo reform legislation to curb eminent domain. This Article is the first comprehensive analysis of the legislative response to Kelo. It challenges the validity of claims that the political backlash to Kelo will provide the same sort of protection for property owners as would a judicial ban on economic development takings. Most …

Toward An Alternative Normative Framework For Copyright: From Private Property To Human Rights, Mary Wong

Mary Wong

As a species of intellectual property, copyrightable works are assumed to be a form of private property, for which exclusive rights are conferred and which may be assigned, licensed and transferred as property. This article questions this fundamental assumption, in terms of both its consequences on rights of access and use by non-owners, and its limitations on the ability of copyright law to accommodate broader socio-cultural norms and values embodying wider notions of creativity and development. It argues that, for copyright law to more fully reflect these norms and values, a more flexible framework is required. Although attempts have been …

Poverty, Trade, And Political Theory, Fernando R. Teson

Fernando R Teson

Economists generally agree that free trade leads to economic growth. This proposition is supported both by theoretical models and empirical data. Further, while the empirical evidence is more limited on this question, the general consensus among economists holds that trade restrictions are likely to hurt the poor. Even if the latter consensus turns out to be wrong, if free trade leads to superior growth, governments would have more resources to redistribute to the poor. It is surprising then that philosophers do not advocate liberalizing trade as a way to improve the welfare of the poor as a class. While many …

Chapter 16: Applied Anthropology Of Law, Postscript - Update Apr09-Jan10, Wolfgang Fikentscher

Wolfgang Fikentscher

Inclusive online updates jan10. Chapter 16 focuses on applied anthropology and contains a renewed appeal, directed to the younger generation, to become engaged in culture-pertinent legal work. Currently much debated issues are ethnocentrism, modes of thought, identity, inalienable rights, problems related to the US, Europe, and Islam, as well as multicultural, ecumenical, foreign aid, and comparative issues. Applied anthropology is the use of anthropology in a prescriptive sense. Anthropologists are sometimes asked to prepare economic or political steps to be taken by international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foreign aid groups, military planners, environmental expert teams, trade unions, etc. …