The Political Consequences of National Crisis Management: Micro-Level Evidence from German Voters during the 2008/09 Global Economic Crisis

How does national crisis management affect the electoral fortunes of coalition governments? Drawing on micro-level data from just before the 2009 federal elections in Germany, this article investigates how voters' evaluation of specific policies against the global financial crisis affected approval of and voting intentions for the then-governing grand coalition. We find that voters in favour of the two most prominent anti-crisis policies, the car-scrap bonus and the public guarantee for banks, were more likely to approve of and to vote for the two incumbent parties. These evaluations of specific policies influenced individuals' vote choice in addition to their assessments of the economic situation more generally and in addition to party identification. This suggests that even in the greatest economic turmoil with blurred political responsibilities, government parties can win or lose voters through the implementation of specific economic policies.     

国际金融危机冲击下中东欧国家经济走势分析

2000-2007年,中东欧国家的经济总体上呈平稳快速发展的趋势,2007年国际金融危机爆发后,中东欧转轨国家经济形势迅速恶化.国际金融危机对中东欧国家经济的冲击和影响与这些国家转型后形成的制度基础和经济发展模式有关.本文就国际金融危机对这些国家经济的冲击,从多个侧面分析相关原因,并对未来发展趋势进行了预测.     

German Voters in Times of Crisis: The Impact of Perceptions and Economic Context on Electoral Behaviour

This paper analyses the connection between economic context, voters’ individual assessment of the economy, and party identification, taking the German national elections of 2009 as an example. Based on the results of multinomial and multilevel regression models, the article shows that partisanship moderates how the economy affects the vote. In cases of increasing unemployment in the constituency, voters are less likely to vote for the Social Democrats instead of the CDU and the opposition. This effect is particularly strong amongst voters who report that they identify with the Social Democrats. Regarding the effect of voters’ assessment of the national economy, the results are different. In this case, a better evaluation of the regional economy increases the probability to vote for right-wing parties – notably amongst voters without partisanship. These findings suggest that the moderating effect of partisanship on the economy’s impact on voting behaviour should not be overestimated. What is more, this analysis implies that research on economic voting should always account for both contextual factors and voters’ personal assessment of the economy, as these measures reveal different dimensions of economic voting.     

Panel on the Economic and Political Consequences of Chernobyl'

This article summarizes a discussion by a panel of leading experts on Soviet energy analyzing the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl' nuclear plant in the Ukraine on April 26, 1986.

The near-term economic costs associated with clean-up, relocation, and compensating for losses to electricity supplies are significant but manageable. The longer-term effects will focus on likely modifications in Soviet strategies for the nuclear industry, which may shift emphasis back towards conventional fuels and conservation.

The political consequences were managed fairly well by the leadership. Consistent with Secretary Gorbachev's policy of glasnost' (openness) more information has been available on this event than was the case in previous analogous situations. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: 027, 124, 723.     

Challenging The Mandate Of Heaven: Popular Protest in Modern China

Arguing that popular protest has played an unusual role in bestowing political legitimacy in China, this article traces continuities in state responses to protest movements from imperial days to the present. The author compares the government's recent handling of three different types of protest: economically motivated actions by hard-pressed workers and farmers, nationalistically inspired demonstrations by patriotic students, and (at greater length) religiously rooted resistance by zealous believers. The central authorities' tolerance toward localized strikes and tax riots, and their overt encouragement of protests against the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, contrasts sharply with the harsh and unrelenting campaign of repression that has been directed against Falun Gong adherents. Explanations for these variant state responses are sought in historically grounded assessments of the political implications of different types of popular protest.     

国际金融危机对越南经济政策的影响

经济全球化使越南经济成为世界经济中一颗耀眼的新星,同时也使越南经济与世界经济的联系越来越紧密.本文首先分析了2007年底以来由美国引起的国际金融危机对越南经济的影响,接下来介绍了面对国际金融危机造成的经济下滑,越南政府提出的一系列的经济刺激计划,最后展望了越南的经济前景.     

后金融危机时代俄罗斯经济转型评估

俄罗斯20年的经济转型使该国经济实现了明显的增长.但在金融危机中暴露出的问题,也显示俄罗斯经济存在着内在的结构性问题.这些内在结构性问题将长期影响俄罗斯的经济可持续增长与财政预算的安全,后金融危机时代俄罗斯经济最大的挑战就是结构改革.     

韩国的选举制度与政治体制

本文旨在分析韩国的选举制度如何加大了社会的不平等现象。1997年金融危机之后,韩国社会迅速走上两极化道路。本文分三个层次进行论述。一是简要介绍韩国的选举制度。这将作为支撑本文核心见解的框架。二是考察韩国选举制度导致的＂民心歪曲＂现象。三是探讨政治制度的党派特征。即使同为民主主义,但选择比例代表制还是多数制将决定其政策方向。最后,在结论部分中强调,若要使韩国的选举制度取得更加均衡的政治结果,就一定要取消现行多数制,采用比例代表制度。比例代表制将有助于实现得票和议席之间的均衡,并进一步创造平等的民主主义。     

世界经济发展进程中的东亚金融危机

东亚金融危机是在一个不断变化中的世界经济环境中发生的,其中有３ 个因素有助于我们对这次危机的成因的理解,它们是：经济的全球化,知识经济的兴起,市场体制的普及。从而,如何解决这一危机也应从上述３ 个方面寻找答案     

自由放任与经济安全——东南亚金融危机和美国次贷危机的比较

金融自由化是经济全球化的趋势,但自由放任和全凭市场调节的金融自由化必然引发金融动荡乃至发生金融危机.本文从西方自由主义理论的指导要义出发,考察了过早进行金融自由化的东南亚国家和金融监管缺失的美国爆发金融危机的原因,并分析了两次金融危机对当事国和全球经济安全的影响.     

金融危机下中东欧转型模式再评估

新兴市场国家经济与政治体制转型是转型问题研究的焦点,而中东欧国家的转型模式也作为一个范例持续得到来自理论和实证研究上的关注.本研究以金融危机发生、演化为背景,旨在检测金融危机背景下中东欧国家的整体经济表现与金融市场表现,并通过分析对国际学术界公认的"转型优等生"中东欧国家的转型模式进行再评估和反思.     

试析越南近期的经济状况——以金融动荡为研究重点

2007年下半年至今,越南金融出现了较为动荡的局面.其表现为:通货膨胀居高不下、越盾贬值、股票和房地产暴跌等.其中,通货膨胀是导致其他一系列负面经济情况产生的根源.造成这次金融动荡的原因,除了受国际经济环境的影响外,还与越南政府的宏观经济调控不力、外贸逆差急增、投资效果差有着极大的关系.面临居高不下的通货膨胀,越南政府出台了一系列对应措施,这些措施已逐步取得成效.越南经济发展的潜力无疑是很大的,但是越南经济能否稳步、顺利地发展,很大程度上取决于政府的宏观调控能力及国际经济环境的影响.     

The Economic Consequences of Soviet Disintegration

A noted British economist and specialist in the affairs of the former USSR discusses the economic consequences of the disintegration that followed the coup d'etat in August 1991. The assessment begins with a look at inter-republican economic flows in an attempt to indicate the benefits, if any, derived by the individual republics from membership in a unified state. It follows with a brief overview of the “invisible” components of the balance of payments, deals with the gains and losses traced to the so-called common economic space, and sketches implications for the rest of the world. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: P20, F3, O1.     

Radical Change at the Ballot Box: Causes and Consequences of Electoral Behavior in Venezuela's 2000 Elections

This study aims to explain the victory of Hugo Chávez and his party in the 2000 Venezuelan elections, to analyze the factors that made this victory possible, and to examine the consequences for future developments in the Venezuelan political system. The decay of traditional party loyalties without the emergence of new parties deeply rooted in society (dealignment without realignment); underdevelopment; and an institutional setting dominated by a president elected by a plurality electoral system have opened the door to personality-centered politics and weak parties, which are the main features of the current political situation. Compared to the 1993 and 1998 elections, the 2000 elections once again confirm an increase in personality politics and the decay of parties as instruments for articulating interests, representation, and governance. As a consequence, this article argues, instability is likely to remain a feature of Venezuela's party system for some time.     

"美国金融危机及其影响"研讨会纪要

[编者按]:美国次贷危机波及世界金融业,并对我国产生了一定影响.此次危机发生的原因、波及范围及其发展前景,以及它是否会对我国产生进一步影响,已成为人们关注的重要问题.2008年11月11日,中国社会科学院美国研究所经济研究室与<美国研究>编辑部联合举办了"美国金融危机及其影响"研讨会.