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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson Nov 2010

Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson

Julie A. Nelson

Economists are often called on to help address pressing problems of the day, yet many economists are uncomfortable about disclosing the values that they bring to this work. This essay explores how an inadequate understanding of the role of methodology, as related to ethics and human emotions of concern, underlies this reluctance and compromises the quality of economic advice. The tension between caring about the problems, on the one hand, and writing within the existing culture of the discipline, on the other, are illustrated with examples from U.S. policymaking, behavioral economics, and the economics of climate change and global poverty. …


Infrastructure For Economic Growth And Development: The Financing Gap, Michael Regan Aug 2010

Infrastructure For Economic Growth And Development: The Financing Gap, Michael Regan

Michael Regan

Extract: Infrastructure is one of the most important tools for accelerating economic development in developing and transition economies. However, the benefits are not always uniform across nations; the results vary significantly between industries, and improved social returns from additional investment have more to do with the procurement method and operational efficiencies than the amount of money that is employed. This article provides a review of the role that infrastructure plays in strengthening economic development and poverty reduction and reducing trade costs to support improved regional cooperation and integration in Commonwealth countries.


Should Poverty And Inequality Measures Be Combined?, Gary S. Fields Mar 2010

Should Poverty And Inequality Measures Be Combined?, Gary S. Fields

Gary S Fields

[Excerpt] As the title of my paper indicates, the purpose of today's presentation is to analyze whether poverty and inequality measures should be blended into a single index. This question was first raised to me by Erik, so it is very fitting that an answer be presented at a conference honoring his distinguished career.


Microcredit For Poverty Alleviation And Fostering Environmentally Sustainable Development: A Review Of African Case Studies, Asayehgn Desta Feb 2010

Microcredit For Poverty Alleviation And Fostering Environmentally Sustainable Development: A Review Of African Case Studies, Asayehgn Desta

Asayehgn Desta

With the hastening of the global poverty crisis and the absence of an adequate social safety net for those marginalized and vulnerable sections of society in the less developed countries, a number of researchers have moved beyond the relentless pursuit of short-term toward long-term anti- poverty, environmentally sustainable paradigms to assist chronically poor sectors of society. Though a remarkably polarizing issue, in the last three decades microcredit programs have been made available to the chronically poor as a viable option to involve them in the formal economic sector. It is assumed that the disadvantaged groups will become productive members of …


Measuring Poverty And Human Capital Development In Sudan, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed Dec 2009

Measuring Poverty And Human Capital Development In Sudan, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Catastrophes in Sudan are of many dimensions. Food security is a chronic and intrinsic problem in Sub Saharan Africa which is a fact recognized by the international society. Political instability, civil wars and finally recent secession of its Southern part is another fact which may be taken as a vivid example for other regions of that previously largest African country to be followed. The present paper introduces an analysis and assessment of measurements for human development indices in Sudan. It is empirically concluded that human welfare is invisible. The parameters are very low. Strategies are needed to provide for basic …