Economics Commons^™

Land Values As A Source Of Local Government Finance, Tom Dunne

Books/Book Chapters

Funding local government has been a permanent feature of debates about public policy in Ireland and Many feel that the balance of power between local and central government is weighted too much in

This paper suggests that the concept of economic rent, on which the justification for property taxes rests and its relevance to the property market in a modern, economically successful and urbanised Ireland, needs to be vented, discussed and debated.

The proposition is that if a greater understanding was created about the economic characteristics of landed property both value capture and local property taxes would achieve greater public …

Fear Assessment: Cost-Benefit Analysis And The Pricing Of Fear And Anxiety, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

Risk assessment is now a common feature of regulatory practice, but fear assessment is not. In particular, environmental, health and safety agencies such as EPA, FDA, OSHA, NHTSA, and CPSC, commonly count death, illness and injury as costs for purposes of cost-benefit analysis, but almost never incorporate fear, anxiety or other welfare-reducing mental states into the analysis. This is puzzling, since fear and anxiety are welfare setbacks, and since the very hazards regulated by these agencies - air or water pollutants, toxic waste dumps, food additives and contaminants, workplace toxins and safety threats, automobiles, dangerous consumer products, radiation, and so …

All Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution Ninth Progress Report, Tom Dunne

Reports

Ireland, like many other countries with high rates of economic growth, is urbanising rapidly. There has been considerable emphasis on planning for this through the National Development Plan, the National Spatial Strategy, development guidelines and other measures. Through these the state intends that a proper planning process will lead growth rather than leaving it to market forces to drive development in what are regarded as undesirable directions. The latter it is feared will lead to unsuitable social, economic or physical outcomes. Unintended results have flowed from the implementation, or flawed implementation of many of these policies and have given rise …

Sozialpolitik Anders Denken. Das Verursacherprinzip – Von Der Umweltpolitischen Zur Sozialpolitischen Anwendung, Isidor Wallimann, Esteban Piñeiro

Books

The “polluter pays” principle in environmental law assumes that the actor would reduce or avoid adverse effects of his actions if he had to bear the consequences of those actions (internalization of effects). Such internalization can generally be done in two ways: either by avoiding or eliminating the harmful effects or by wearing the financial consequences of the injury. It is therefore on the one hand to have an incentive effect, on the other to a compensatory effect.

Pineiro and Wallimann apply these societal cost principles from the environmental world to the social realm, where social problems can be seen …

Evaluation Of The Hud Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (Echo) Program, C Theodore Koebel, Julia Beamish, Karen A. Danielsen, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

ECHO housing was introduced in the United States in the 1980s based on a program started in Australia in 1975. An ECHO unit is a small house in which an elderly person resides and which is placed near the home of a host (either relatives or close friends of the elderly person). The purpose of this arrangement is to make it convenient and efficient for the occupants of the host family dwelling to provide assistance to the elderly person residing in the smaller ECHO house.

Although ECHO housing provides a means for keeping an elderly resident close to family and …

An Analysis Of The Level Of Union Membership In The United States Since The Implementation Of Nafta, David D. Westcot

Dissertations

Union membership in the United States has been in a state of decline over the last two decades and international trade has been cited as one of the reasons. As such, U.S. labor unions perceived the 1994 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as an assault on organized labor. This perspective is based on the belief U.S. capital and jobs would move jobs south in an effort to take advantage of Mexico's low-wage differentials. With this in mind, the objective of this research was to determine if the percentage of union membership in any of the 22 …

Retirement And High Level Human Capital, Irving Gershenberg

Gerontology Institute Publications

Given that demographic trends in economically advanced industrial countries such as our own continue to shift toward increasingly older, formally retired populations, we need to find ways to keep more of this older retired population productive. Economists and others differ in their estimation regarding the ability and/or willingness on part of the retired to retain, let alone utilize the know-how, the human capital accumulated prior to retirement. This is as true for those who have spent their work life engaged in producing and communicating new ideas and synthesizing and diffusing what is known, those who have accumulated what I term …

The Need For A Competition Policy In Malaysia, Coreen Michele Bathman

Student Works (2000-2009)

The paper will address if there is a need for a competition policy in Malaysia. We will start by explaining the basic objectives of a competition policy and why it is important. We will describe the various actions and policies used to curb unfair competition as well as discuss different policy frameworks taken by countries like USA, EU, Korea and Japan. We will also very briefly look at the economic issues that arise from the interaction between competition policies and international trade policies. Once we understand the fundamental concepts above, we will then discuss if there is a similar need …

Kesan Afta Ke Atas Industri Kereta Nasional (Malaysia), Kanageswary Ramasamy

Student Works (2000-2009)

Proton ditubuhkan pada tahun 1985 manakala Perodua ditubuhkan pada tahun 1994. Kini, Perodua dan Proton telah menjadi sebuah indutri kereta nasional yang amat popular di kalangan rakyat Malaysia. Selain itu, mereka juga telah membantu dalam perkembangan industri kereta Malaysia. Justeru itu, kajian dijalankan terhadap kesan AFTA ke atas industri kereta nasional serta keupayaanya dalam menangani cabaran AFT A. Kajian juga menghuraikan bagaimana dasar-dasar dan polisi-polisi kerajaan telah membantu dalam perkembangan industri kereta nasional Malaysia. Akhir sekali, kajian juga dijalankan untuk melihat kemampuan industri kereta nasional dalam menguasai pasaran domestik dan antarabangsa serta strategi-strategi yang dilaksanakan untuk menjamin kedudukannya dalam pasaran …

Trends. Environmental Issues: Struggles To Think Globally, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the difficulties of thinking globally in the context of environmentalism and environmental policy, even for proponents of environmental stewardship.

The Development Of Boston's Seaport District: Employment Opportunities And Community Strategies, O. Steven Quimby

Gastón Institute Publications

The development of Boston's Seaport District will create thousands of full-time employment opportunities over the next decade. To ensure equitable access to these opportunities for Boston's communities of color, it is imperative that organizations offering employment-training programs begin to take these opportunities into account now in their training efforts. The Center for Community Economic Development (CCED) at the University of Massachusetts Boston has prepared this report, The Development of Boston's Seaport District: Employment Opportunities and Community Strategies, as a step in becoming informed about these opportunities.

This study examines employment opportunities to be created in three industries projected to be …

Have 401(K)S Raised Household Savings? Evidence From The Health And Retirement Study, Gary V. Engelhart

Center for Policy Research

The most popular tax subsidy to household saving in the United States is the 401(k)-type pension arrangement, which subsidizes saving through income-tax deferral on wages and salary dedicated to retirement saving and through investment accrual at the pre-tax interest rate. Although enabled by legislation in 1978, 401(k) plans effectively were not adopted until the Internal Revenue Service issued clarifying rules in 1981. Since then, they have grown remarkably and become the primary vehicle for retirement saving. In 1996, 33 percent of all private pension assets, 33 percent of all pension plans, and 45 percent of all active pension participants were …

Pre-Retirement Lump-Sum Pension Distributions And Retirement Income Security: Evidence From The Health And Retirement Study, Gary V. Engelhart

Center for Policy Research

This paper uses data from the 1992 and 1998 Waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the extent of retirement wealth erosion from pre-retirement lump-sum distributions. There is little evidence that spent distributions have resulted in significant pension leakage. If spent distributions had been rolled over into a tax-qualified plan instead, they would have represented in present value between 5 and 11 percent of pension and Social Security wealth for the median household that spent a distribution. However, one-quarter of the households that spent distributions—which is 2.25 percent of all households age 51 to 61—could have increased …

Trends. Cognitive Dissonance And Conflation Of Patriotism And Political Advocacy: On The Secrecy Of The Intelligence Budget, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the views of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) regarding the budgeting practices of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The Role Of Microsimulation In Longitudinal Data Analysis, Douglas A. Wolf

Center for Policy Research

The term “microsimulation” has been linked to a range of tools and techniques that are finding growing use in empirical social science applications. This paper considers one such area, namely the potential for microsimulation to serve the needs of the data analyst, in contrast to the more common use of microsimulation by the model user. Furthermore, the focus is on longitudinal rather than cross-sectional data analysis. The paper identifies several types of longitudinal data modeling approaches in which microsimulation is particularly relevant, suggesting algorithms with which to conduct such microsimulations. Microsimulation can be used to extend the range of inferences …

Dispelling The Myths About The Global Economy, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

Murray Weidenbaum attempts to clarify many of the myths involving globalization, such as job loss, do sanctions work, is the U.S. the only country that does not use protectionism, and whether American companies doing business overseas pollute their environments due to less strict regulations.

The Pros And Cons Of Globalization, Murray L. Weidenbaum, Robert Batterson

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

This briefing book presents both sides of the globalization debate so that readers can draw their own conclusions. Although many of the factors are complex, this summary of the issues surrounding the conflict over globalization is meant to help people better understand the claims of both sides.

Chapter 10: Upper-Middle-Class Politics And Policy Outcomes: Does Class Identity Matter?, Herman L. Boschken

Faculty Publications, School of Management

This chapter in Clark and lipset's book on class in American politics resulted from a multi-day workshop at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in the summer of 1999. The piece reverses the normal causality of class politics. It does not analyze citizens in elections, but government officials creating policies. It asks why policies differ across localities (specifically public transit decisions in 42 U.S. metropolitan areas). It probes how some government officials work with an "upper-middle-class" citizenry in mind, while others do so less. The chapter then tests for differences across localities and finds quite distinct patterns. The chapter …

Job Stability And Wage Progression Patterns Among Early Tanf Leavers, Steven G. Anderson, Anthony P. Halter, George Julnes, Richard Schuldt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on first-year employment experiences of a randomly selected sample of 213 Illinois TANF leavers. Aggregate employment levels were 70 percent at exit, and leavers typically generated earnings from a single full-time job. However, employment often was unstable, so that only about one-fourth of leavers had the same job both at exit and when interviewed 10-11 months later. Employment instability resulted from the marginal or temporary nature of many jobs, as well as employment barriers such as health problems and lack of day care. Average wage levels easily exceeded the minimum wage and grew during the first year …

A Trade Policy For The United States, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

The Trade Deficit Review Commission was established to study the nature, causes, and consequences of the U.S. trade deficits. This report discusses recommendations on how the nation can become more competitive in the global marketplace.

Promoting The Case For Free Trade, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

The final report of the Trade Deficit Review Commission focused on the numerous disagreements between the Republican and Democratic members. In this report, Murray Weidenbaum wants to highlight the strong free trade message supported by the Republican members.

Key Challenges Facing President-Elect Bush, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

This paper focuses on the serious issues facing our nation during a difficult and perhaps dangerous period. Politically, Bush must work to restore the public's confidence in the presidency and develop a good working relationship with Congress. Bush will also have to deal with a slowing economy in which inflation is still rising. Domestically, fiscal policy and regulation will prove difficult issues to resolve. Finally, president-elect Bush must set a strong foreign policy agenda, as there are problem areas almost everywhere one looks around the globe.

Chasing The Elderly: Can State And Local Governments Attract Recent Retirees?, William Duncombe, Mark Robbins, Douglas A. Wolf

Center for Policy Research

Recruiting recent retirees to relocate from elsewhere has become an important economic development strategy in an increasing number of states. State governments have planned or enacted a variety of tax and fee incentives to lure retirees. The objective of this paper is to determine whether states can, in fact, influence the retirement destination of elder households using fiscal tools. To estimate the determinants of retiree location decisions we have developed an extensive data set on county attributes, and a methodology for estimating an individual-level discrete-choice model for a very large number of potential locations. Using 1990 county-to-county migration data, we …

A Tax System For An E-Commerce Economy, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

Many state governments and federal policymakers view a new, special tax on electronic commerce to be a fresh and attractive revenue source. But whether implemented at the state or national level, this new tax would be highly undesirable, because it simply expands the shortcomings of the current revenue structure. Because of the flexibility of e-commerce, the attempt to collect such a tax would result in enforcement policies that would further complicate an already complex tax system. The way out of this conundrum is to see the shortcoming in current efforts to tax internet transactions as part of a broader need …

Association Between Body Size And Mortality In Later Life, Christine L. Himes

Center for Policy Research

The rising prevalence of obesity in the United States has focused attention on the health consequences of excess weight. Obesity is linked to many of the major causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, some types of cancer, strokes, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. However, the effects of body size on mortality and health among the elderly are much less clear. This paper extends our current understanding of the relationship between body size and mortality by using two nationally representative, longitudinal datasets of individuals at older ages. These analyses indicate that obesity may not contribute greatly to increased mortality …

Progress In Federal Regulatory Policy, 1980-2000, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

As the regulatory reform movement slows, a new strategy, focusing on the shortcomings of the basic regulatory statutes, is needed. Congress should establish an independent Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis to credibly assess the costs and benefits of proposed congressional regulation legislation.

United States, China, Taiwan: A Precarious Triangle, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

The economic, political, military, and environmental implications of a growing China are addressed.

Welcome Address, J. O. Sanusi

Bullion

Welcome Address presented by the formal Central Bank Governor, Mr. J. O. Sanusi. The seminar was the sixth of its kind and collaborated with inter agencies with a view to examines the Federal Government Budget for the year 2000.

Regulatory Reform: Progress And Unfinished Business, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

From 1980 to 2000, attitudes toward government regulation have shifted significantly. Terms like "command and control" have been replaced by "the magic of the marketplace." Yet as this statement before the Joint Economic Committee in March 2000 demonstrates, as the regulatory reform movement slows, a new strategy, focusing on the shortcomings of the basic regulatory statutes, is needed. Congress should establish an independent Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis to credibly assess the costs and benefits of proposed Congressional regulation legislation.

Patterns Of Time Use Of People Age 55 To 64 Years Old: Some Cross-National Comparisons, Anne H. Gauthier, Timothy M. Smeeding

Center for Policy Research

Objectives. This paper examines the patterns of time use of adults age 55 to 64 years old in six countries: Austria, Canada, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and the United States. It examines the discontinuity in daily activities by employment status and gender. Methods. The paper uses nationally representative samples from time use surveys carried out in each country. We compute aggregate patterns of time use by employment status and gender for seven categories of activities: personal activities, paid work, unpaid work, housework, social leisure, active leisure, and passive leisure. We also compute dissimilarity indices to measure the degree of discontinuity in …