Kidneys for transplant--"opting out" law in Singapore

This paper is about the legislative attempt in Singapore to obtain more cadaver kidneys for transplants. It is a brief account of the major features of the bill which has become law since this note was written. The bill and the law are identical in this case.     

Unconventional monetary policy spillovers: Evidence from India

Many of the studies on the unconventional monetary policy spillover effects concentrated primarily on the policy announcements of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Using a time series approach, with dummies in the event study framework, this study estimates the monetary policy spillover effects of the unconventional monetary policy announcements of the central banks of four major economic regions: the United States, the United Kingdom, European Central bank, and Japan on the asset prices in India. In addition to that, this study estimates the asymmetry in the responses to positive and negative surprise announcements. The study reveals that unconventional monetary surprises do not have any significant impact on the asset prices in India in a narrow time window.     

Improvisation and Mediation: Balancing Acts

Improvisation can be an important element of mediation practice, and there are several ways in which mediation practice correlates to improvisational performance. In this article, two mediation experts and two skilled jazz musicians explore the improvisational aspects of mediation. Two central themes emerge: (1) mediators often use improvisational techniques, and (2) by being improvisational, mediators can create environments that would encourage the parties themselves to be improvisational. We argue that practitioners can enhance their effectiveness as mediators by mastering improvisational skills.     

Understanding Drivers of Crime in East Baltimore: Resident Perceptions of Why Crime Persists

Urban neighborhoods are frequently associated with high rates of crime, unemployment, poor educational systems, poor housing conditions, and health related problems. Theories of social disorganization, social isolation, and broken windows all explain how and why social problems develop and persist within urban settings. Drawing on these theories, this study examines how residents perceive local community problems in an East Baltimore neighborhood. Eight focus groups were conducted with participants who live and/or work in the area to identify common neighborhood issues. Problems commonly identified were: the presence of physical disorder, issues related to crime and law enforcement, lack of employment opportunities, and limited youth activities. Embedded under many of these themes was the recognition that the neighborhood lacks collective efficacy to fix community problems and maintain social control. Implications for improving neighborhood disadvantage will be discussed.     

An Analysis of Acquisition Value Property Tax Assessment for Homesteaded Property

This article explores the implications of acquisition value assessment for homesteaded property established in 1983 in Muscogee County, Georgia. The resulting freeze in assessed values has created sizeable assessment inequality that varies systematically with the value of the parcel. The difference between market value and acquisition value assessments is substantially larger for households with longer tenure and is associated with households with higher income, who are older, and who are white. The freeze has a small effect on the size of the property tax base and does not appear to reduce the probability of a home's being sold.     

Normative perspectives on financial inclusion: Facts beyond statistics

The paper is an attempt to understand and differentiate the significance of financial inclusion in the context of India wherein a large population is deprived of financial services, which are very much essential for an overall economic and inclusive growth. The paper discusses the problem of financial exclusion and the socioeconomic impact of financial inclusion on the underprivileged. We go a step further through a normative discussion of India's journey so far in this respect and highlight the impediments to financial inclusion. The paper also suggests a few critical dimensions that are to be taken care of so as to accelerate deep-rooted penetration of financial services.