Continuity and catastrophe: business continuity management and the security of financial operations

This paper discusses business continuity management (BCM) and its role in contemporary financial institutions. BCM is a nascent disaster preparedness and recovery strategy that seeks to protect vital business operations from disruptions. The paper traces contemporary BCM back to Cold War continuity of government planning, and shows how BCM came to comprehend security as continuity of processes rather than integrity of goods. BCM is prominent in finance because it promises to mitigate operational risks, and it focuses on risks stemming from interdependencies in financial infrastructures. By engaging with two events that triggered continuity management in banks, Hurricane Sandy in New York City and the ‘Blockupy’ demonstrations in Frankfurt, the paper highlights how BCM is challenged by large-scale disasters as well as acts of public criticism.     

Temporary Loan Limits as a Natural Experiment in Federal Housing Administration Insurance

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 dramatically but temporarily increased the mortgage loan amount eligible for insurance through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). We use the implementation and expiration of these loan limits as a source of exogenous variation in the availability of FHA insurance to measure the impact on the overall mortgage market and conventional lending. We find that the introduction of higher loan limits increased the number of loan originations, but that the expiration of those loan limits roughly 6 years later did not significantly decrease affected loan originations. The substitution between loan products and small net impact on the overall mortgage market when the ESA loan limits expired may be explained by the return of a stronger conventional lending industry than existed during the housing crisis.     

国外知名金融专业硕士项目的特色研究

调研了全球排名前50名代表性高校中金融专业硕士项目，分析了其培养模式的特色，通过比较找出了我国高校金融专硕培养的差距和问题，进而对我国金融专业硕士培养模式提出了操作层面的建议。     

论财政立宪主义语境下的税收权控制

在我国社会转型的过程中,市场经济的实行和法治国家的建设均呼唤财政立宪主义理念的落实,其中对国家税收权的制约是核心。为此,不仅需要从宪法的意义上对＂税收＂的内涵进行解读,展现其中蕴涵的宪政主义精神;而且需要从征税权的行使、税收收入的使用、纳税人的权利保护、征税权的合理划分等制度上进行建设和完善,方能在通过财政立宪推进中国宪政进程方面见到实效。     

深化农村金融改革的思考

新农村建设需要农村金融的鼎力支持,但现实的农村金融存在诸多问题,与新形势发展很不适应。深化农村金融改革要做好几方面工作:加大对农村资金的投放;加快正规金融机构改革的步伐;规范民间金融组织;发展多种金融产品;大力发展小额信贷;开展农村金融市场的有效竞争;加快制定和完善农村金融法规。     

Effectiveness of private finance initiatives (PFI): study of private financing for the provision of capital assets for schools

The study reported in this paper explores how effective Public Private Partnerships (PPP) have been as critical providers of capital assets within the state education sector in the UK. Specifically, the research investigates the impact on educational provision of the UK government's contentious £43 billion Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The inquiry focuses on 27 English Local Education Authorities (LEAs) currently or recently involved in PFI. The investigation examines the effect of PFI's on LEA decision‐making processes and discusses these authorities assessment of the UK government's current PFI strategy. An evaluation of PFI as a source of sustainable finance is reported as well as recommendations made for LEAs currently considering adoption of PFI. Through such analysis, this study seeks to de‐layer and ascertain the influence of complex external environmental influences and stakeholders that need to be taken into account in order to make PPPs work. The paper concludes by presenting the critical considerations for enhancing the working relationship between private and public sector partners. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

构建公共财政应急机制应对公共风险

公共风险是现代社会的一种常态。公共风险如果不能及时有效化解，就有可能演变为社会公共危机，公共财政往往是公共风险的最后一道防线。构建公共财政应急机制是公共财政框架中不可缺少的重要组成部分，而应急预算制度应当是公共财政应急机制的核心。     

陕西典当业面临的挑战与机遇

典当业在新时期越来越明显地具备了“第二银行”的功能。已不再是单纯地为解决生计问题提供消费性融资,而已成为广泛地发展经济、支持生产、活跃流通、方便群众的生产性、经营性融资的新渠道。透视变化,分析陕西典当业的现状,为促进陕西典当业的发展和进步,提出相应对策。     

借鉴国外经验完善我国西部大开发的财税政策

西方发达国家在开发落后地区,实现区域经济协调发展的过程中,不但重视运用市场这只“看不见的手”进行调节,而且特别注意采取特殊的有利于缩小地区差距的区域发展财税政策,依靠市场和政府干预的办法加速对边远落后地区的开发,消除区域发展差异。作为借鉴,我国财税政策要适当调整,从而更好地贯彻西部大开发战略。     

关于扩大人大财政监督职责的几个问题

在我国,审议财政预算及其执行情况,是各级人民代表大会及其常务委员会监督政府机关的工作,规范政府行为的重要途径。由于历史和现实诸多因素的制约,目前我国人大财政预算监督质量还不高。对此我们认为:一、应该对人大的财政监督职能及其实施有更加明确、规范的规定。二、针对我国目前预算实施所出现的问题,考虑(1)建立重大项目的特别全程审查制度。(2)加强人大对部门预算的审查。三、明确“第二财政”的财政性,把他的使用纳入人大的审查和监督的范围。