Decentralization and Economic Growth: Specification,Measurement, and Direction of Causal Relationship

The concept of decentralization has attracted the attention of scholars and policy makers alike for number of decades. Yet, there still remains a significant amount of confusion over its measurement and its contribution to an economy. Current literature on decentralization is characterized by the multitude of conflicting definitions and measurement instruments. Current literature on the relationship of decentralization and economic growth is also mixed. This article builds on the existing literature and develops a decentralization index that includes its most frequently mentioned dimensions. We find that our newly developed index captures decentralization concept better than other tools and that there is no significant relationship between decentralization and economic growth.     

Global poverty and inequality: are the revised estimates open to an alternative interpretation?

The level of, and trends in, global inequality and global poverty are indicative assessments of who has benefited from economic growth. The revision of price data has led to a reassessment of those estimates. Through an extensive overview of the implications, we argue that the data can be read in different ways. Official estimates show global extreme poverty and global inequality are considerably lower than previously thought. We argue that these changes are much less significant than they at first appear, and we present a more nuanced alternative interpretation by exploring changes across the entire global distribution.     

资源性国有资产之管理模式探讨

该文基于中国资源性国有资产管理的现状,提出在资源性国有资产管理模式选择上,应建立一个权威的统一的资源性国有资产管理机构,以克服政府的局限,解决代际公平的问题。同时,对资源性国有资产的管理应将直接手段与间接手段相结合,建立纵横交错、分工明确的资源性国有资产监督体制,健全资源管理方面的法律法规和评估市场,对资源性资产实行实物化管理,建立资源性国有资产开发、保护的基金制度等。     

教师成长与发展的和谐环境研究

通过对乐山市三所高校的教师成长环境进行调查研究,结果发现：在自身环境上,教师充分肯定自己的教学能力并有迫切的学习需求;教师的人际关系基本和谐;部分教师学习时间相对匮乏。在外部环境上,组织制度建设有待干完善。主要表现为：奖惩制度科学程度不够,不能充分发挥其重要作用;教学评价的科学性不强,需要加以完善;教师课程教学存在不稳定现象;后勤保障体系服务有待于提高;教师培训体系依然不够完善。因而,促进教师成长,教师环境建设需要加以改善,尤其是外部环境。     

Persistent Harassment: Targets and Perpetrators Among Young Adults

In Portugal, stalking has recently been recognized as a crime. This study used an online survey to ask 3,367 college students about their experiences of persistent harassment and targets’ and perpetrators’ perceptions of fear and conduct legitimacy. Targets (34.5%) typically mentioned that they had experienced a frightening experience but considered it to have been wrong but not very serious. Perpetrators (8.9%) mostly perceived that their targets had not experienced fear and judged their own conduct to have been normal. Ordinal logistic regressions indicated that intimate partner stalking, targets’ fear, and threatening and violent behaviors predicted less conduct legitimization for both targets and perpetrators.     

Weak states and uneven pluralism: lessons from Mali and Kyrgyzstan

We argue that certain important democratic practices and elements of pluralism are lasting features of political systems in many poor countries. Because of state weakness, such arrangements work to the benefit of both elites and citizens. The broader citizenry and civil society enjoy significant political freedoms and greater access to foreign aid. Elites tolerate these limited civil liberties and regular elections because they produce few costly consequences due to state incapacity. We evaluate this theory of ‘uneven pluralism’ in poor countries using evidence from a paired comparison of Mali and Kyrgyzstan. These two countries have experienced significant political turbulence, but on balance have shown a persistent and robust commitment to a free press, transparent elections, and respect for freedom of association. Our theory suggests that uneven pluralism is likely to continue in countries like Mali and Kyrgyzstan, even as significant limits on judicial independence, persistent corruption, and lack of government transparency make democratic consolidation unlikely.     

Investigating Ministry Names for Comparative Policy Analysis: Lessons from Energy Governance

This commentary contends that ministry names offer a valuable construct for furthering the state of comparative policy analysis. Using energy governance as an example, this study shows that ministries’ names are stable in some countries but subject to changes in others. Furthermore, there is variation in the ministries’ names over time. Creating or maintaining a ministry that explicitly mentions “energy” is interpreted as signaling enhanced political attention to this issue, whereas removing the referral to “energy” signals the opposite. The names of ministries responsible for energy matters also affect energy policy outputs. Drawing on 43 OECD and BRICS countries, the empirical analysis shows that countries which have ministries in place that mention “energy” together with “economy” in their names are swifter in adopting renewable energy targets. Ministries that mention “economy” along with “climate” and/or “environment” also have an inclination to be faster in adopting such targets, but the coefficients fail to reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Given this finding, it appears worth pursuing this line of research further.     

Projecting the Arena of Inclusion: The Case of South Korea in Pursuing a Phased Inclusive Growth Process

South Korea created a mechanism that fuels inclusive growth, a process that coevolves economic growth and social well‐being. This study attempts to elaborate on the context and preconditions for development that would manifest salience policy implications for moving up the industrial value chain and attain inclusive growth. We contend against the view of simplified growth cum equity that is used to elucidate the success of Korea's socioeconomic development (economic miracles). Our findings informed us that there were intense measures taken throughout different phases of Korea's industrial development. In addition, we observed in many occasions intense negotiations between the state, firms, and civil society for social welfare and a better working environment. This led to a pursuit for inclusive growth in the post catching‐up phase that blended together many inclusive agendas, realizing growth that coevolved industrial upgrading and social welfare. This article seeks to explain how Korea populated its arena of inclusion in the process of pursuing rapid industrialization. The overview of different phases of development provides normative principles that are useful as a guide for other economies which aspire to attain similar development.     

国际货币体系改革与全球金融安全机制构建:关联与问题JP〗*

国际货币体系是全球金融安全机制构建的制度基础,从国际货币体系改革分析其与全球金融安全机制构建之间的关联性具有重要的政策含义。国际货币体系改革与全球金融安全网构建具有内在的逻辑关联。国际货币体系风险处置和危机应对功能使得全球金融稳定和安全具有了基础保障;国际货币体系对于流动性管理的重视和全球流动性管理机制建设有利于保持全球流动性的稳定;国际汇率协调有利于国际收支失衡改善和汇率基本稳定;国际货币体系改革还争取通过机制安排来弱化货币中心国的政策外溢效应;国际货币体系的治理结构改革是全球金融安全体系的基础保障之一。但是,国际货币体系改革与全球金融安全机制构建面临着诸如国际货币体系安全的内生矛盾、全球金融安全体系短板、全球与区域金融安全网络的迭代以及改革泛政治化等问题。基于国际货币体系与全球金融安全的内在关联,应在促进布雷顿森林机构的改革、构建全球金融安全网、建立流动性管理机制、推进超主权货币建设、深化区域货币合作五个方面,推进全球金融安全体系的建设,保障全球金融稳定。     

补肾安胎冲剂对复发性自然流产小鼠蜕膜血管内皮生长因子及其受体调控作用研究

目的 观察补肾安胎冲剂对复发性自然流产（recurrent spontaneous abortion,RSA）小鼠胚胎丢失率和蜕膜组织血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）及其受体的影响。方法 采用Clark经典RSA小鼠模型,将RSA小鼠随机分为模型组、补肾安胎冲剂低剂量（11.7 g/kg）组、补肾安胎冲剂高剂量（23.4 g/kg）组,黄体酮胶囊（156 mg/kg）组,另取正常妊娠小鼠作为正常组,每组8只。末次给药后,处死小鼠,计算胚胎丢失率;光镜下观察蜕膜组织血管形态学改变;采用免疫组化法检测蜕膜组织VEGF、血管内皮生长因子受体2（vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2,VEGFR-2）、可溶性血管内皮生长因子受体-1（soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1,sVEGFR-1）的表达;采用RT-PCR法检测小鼠蜕膜组织中VEGF、VEGFR-2及sVEGFR-1 mRNA的表达。结果 补肾安胎冲剂能改善蜕膜组织血管形态学变化,升高蜕膜组织中VEGF和VEGFR-2蛋白含量,降低sVEGFR-1蛋白含量;能显著降低RSA小鼠胚胎丢失率（P<0.05）,升高蜕膜组织中VEGF和VEGFR-2 mRNA表达水平,降低sVEGFR-1 mRNA表达水平（P<0.05）,呈现明显的量效关系。结论 补肾安胎冲剂对RSA小鼠具有一定的保护作用,其机制可能与调控VEGF及其受体,改善蜕膜组织血管重铸有关。