A Community of Practice for Chinese NGOs

Journal of Chinese Political Science - A community of practice represents an important resource for the sharing of sector-specific knowledge. Embracing a mature community of practice allows Chinese...     

Effectiveness of selective credit controls: An empirical test applied to India

This article examines the efficiency of the selective credit policies pursued by the Indian authorities aimed at curtailing inventory accumulation in the sugar industry. Based on the relationship between investment demand and credit availability, a methodology is developed to test the degree of substitutability of different types of credit in the inventory decision of the firm. The tests conducted indicate that the credit policies adopted by Indian authorities have been of limited effectiveness owing to the substitutability of the different sources of finance. The results also indicate that while a correctly designed selective credit policy can affect inventory accumulation, the same policy may have an adverse impact on overall investment of the firm.     

Driving Dangerously: Law,Culture and Driving Habits in Iran

Iran has the highest rate of road traffic accidents (RTAs) worldwide. Iranian studies of the growing levels of RTAs are often conducted by medical doctors, who view them in light of the increase in the production and ownership of cars and the changed lifestyle of many Iranians, and discuss them in terms of pathology, morbidity and epidemiology. This article argues that although the high levels of RTAs in Iran are new and reflective of the changing character of Iranian society, the habit of reckless driving is not. Using open and semi-structured interviews, it explores how Iranians describe their driving habits and experience RTAs. Placing the results of the interviews in the historical context of Iranian society, the article goes on to examine driving as a form of behaviour with legal and cultural dimensions indicative of how Iranians interact with each other and with the normative structures of the legal system, the state and society to create a form of social order. Being mediated through the use of automobiles, driving habits also throw light on how Iranians relate themselves to an aspect of modern technology. Thus, this study will treat Iranians' driving habits as an empirical manifestation of one aspect of their legal culture, which is mediated through the technology of the automobile.     

Net campaign contributions, agricultural interests, and?votes on liberalizing trade with China

We consider the potential influence of contributions from interest groups to political rivals in the voting behavior of US legislators on international trade policy issues. Our application addresses the determinants of the Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China decision, and focuses particular attention on the agriculture/agribusiness lobby. A simultaneous voting-net contributions model suggests that these contributions were very effective relative to organized labor and other corporate groups, despite their relatively small dollar value. Possible explanations arising from differences in targeting strategies are explored.     

The choice of inflation targeting regimes for inclusive growth: Lessons from southern countries

This study tries to shed light on whether the inflation targeting framework behaves as a growth enhancing strategy in some selected southern countries. The study also investigates the best choice of inflation targeting regimes. Using panel data regression model for a growth regression, we found that this monetary policy framework has a relatively significant positive effect on economic growth. This means that even in terms of economic growth, using inflation as a nominal anchor is a better framework to conduct monetary policy than using exchange rate or money aggregate. The results also revealed that among different types of inflation targeting frameworks, full‐fledged can be the best choice for the selected southern countries.     

What additional authority does the civil court need to uphold the objectives of temporary injunction? – A case study of Bangladesh

The civil court in Bangladesh, following some formal procedures, usually protects the subject matter of any suit by issuing an order of temporary injunction. But such orders are sometimes disobeyed and in toto preservation of suit property becomes unfeasible. Even the remedial measure for such disobedience seems insufficient to punish or restrain the violators. This study suggests that if the civil court had sufficient legal authority to direct local police to restrain the opposite party from violating its orders, the ultimate objectives of temporary injunction could be upheld properly. The higher courts in India have also found the legality of this concept.     

The Relationship between Meteorological Conditions and Homicide,Suicide, Rage,and Psychiatric Hospitalization

This study focuses on the relationship between the incidence of homicide, rage, suicide, and psychiatric hospitalization as violent behaviors with temperature, humidity, and air pressure as specific meteorological variables in the city of Mashhad, in the northeast of Iran. The data were obtained from Iran Meteorological Organization, official registry of Legal Medicine Organization and the local psychiatric hospital, March 2009 to Feb 2010 daily and were analyzed with SPSS‐14 using Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and post hoc analysis tests. The rates of rage and psychiatric admission had a significant relationship with the daily mean air temperature, minimum relative humidity, maximum relative humidity, minimum daily pressure, and maximum daily air pressure (p < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between homicide and suicide rates with any meteorological variables (p > 0.05). We concluded that, the possibility of nonfatal violence and psychiatric hospitalization would increase in hot and arid weather with low air pressure.