The poverty reports,negative income taxation,and the constitution: an analysis and a compromise proposal†

Abstract. After some background discussion of the causes of and solutions to the problem of poverty, and an evaluation of the two recently published reports on this subject, the paper focuses on some political and economic constraints that are likely to be critical to the success of any proposal for a guaranteed annual income. Among these are the constitutional issue of who should control any GAI scheme, the relationship between a GAI and the present tax system, and the appropriateness of uniform guarantee levels across the nation. A compromise GAI scheme is then proposed which attempts to satisfy the relevant constraints, both economic and constitutional. Sommaire. Après une discussion préliminaire des causes de la pauvreté et de ses solutions possibles, ainsi qu'une évaluation des deux récents rapports sur le sujet, l'auteur étudie certaines contraintes politiques et économiques susceptibles de devenir des éléments critiques pour le succès de toute proposition de revenu annuel garanti. Entre autres, sont discutés, le probème constitutionnel du siège de l'autorité sur un plan de revenu annuel garanti, de la relation entre un tel plan et le présent système de taxation et de la désirabilité de niveaux unifonnes garantis à 1'échelle nationale. Enfin, un compromis est offert sous la forme d'un plan qui s'efforce de satisfaire les contraintes pertinentes de nature économique et constitutionnelle.     

International Law Book Facility Officially Launched

There has been growing international consensus on issues related to child labour – evident in various declarations, platforms, conventions, programmes of action etc. Child labour is the economic exploitation of children, or performance of any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Poverty is the principal cause of child labour. Mostly the children work to support their families and also for their own survival. Paradoxically, however, child labour further aggravates the poverty syndrome as it usually deprives the children of education and opportunity to acquire skills for developing earning potentials. Other causes of child labour include family indebtedness, the lack or poor quality of schooling or non‐formal education, breakdown of extended family, uneducated parents, local cultural setting, and consumerism. It goes beyond economic exploitation or hazardous employment to include forced labour, trafficking, sexual exploitation and the use of children for the production and trafficking of illegal drugs. This article will ponder the socio‐legal situation of child labour and the large number of legislative enactments regarding labour in India, as well as their realities on the ground.     

Nationale und globale Ungleichheit

The impact of globalization on the structure of social inequality is controversial discussed in actual debates. The national focused research is challenged by globalists. The article concentrates on the problem of order and shows how this is solved by the national structures of social inequality. In the next step the reasons for and against the national solution are presented. Finally the possibility of transnational constituting structures of social inequality is examined. How probable is the structuration of global inequality if basic elements of order are missing on this level?     

Predicting Children’s Depressive Symptoms from Community and Individual Risk Factors

Community, demographic, familial, and personal risk factors of childhood depressive symptoms were examined from an ecological theoretical approach using hierarchical linear modeling. Individual-level data were collected from an ethnically diverse (73% African-American) community sample of 197 children and their parents; community-level data were obtained from the U.S. Census regarding rates of community poverty and unemployment in participants’ neighborhoods. Results indicated that high rates of community poverty and unemployment, children’s depressive attributional style, and low levels of self-perceived competence predict children’s depressive symptoms, even after accounting for demographic and familial risk factors, such as parental education and negative parenting behaviors. The effect of negative parenting behaviors on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by personal variables like children’s self-perceived competence. Recommendations for future research, intervention and prevention programs are discussed.