Food and finance: the financial transformation of agro-food supply chains

This article draws upon existing literature to document and describe the rise of finance in food provisioning. It queries the role of financialization in the contemporary food crisis and analyzes its impacts upon the distribution of power and wealth within and along the generalized agro-food supply chain. A systematic treatment of key nodes in the supply chain reveals four key insights: (1) the line between finance and food provisioning has become increasingly blurred in recent decades, with financial actors taking a growing interest in food and agriculture and agro-food enterprises becoming increasingly involved in financial activities; (2) financialization has reinforced the position of food retailers as the dominant actors within the agro-food system, though they are largely subject to the dictates of finance capital and face renewed competition from financialized commodity traders; (3) financialization has intensified the exploitation of food workers, increasing their workload while pushing down their real wages and heightening the precarity of their positions, and (4) small-scale farmers have been especially hard hit by financialization, as their livelihoods have become even more uncertain due to increasing volatility in agricultural markets, they have become weaker vis-à-vis other actors in the agro-food supply chain, and they face growing competition for their farmland. The paper concludes by identifying themes for future research and asking readers to reimagine the role of finance in food provisioning.     

The Catalytic Effect of IMF Lending: Evidence from Sectoral FDI Data

Our study contributes to the search for the elusive catalytic effect of International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending on inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Recent scholarship has found that the catalytic effect is conditional on political regime and program stringency. We contribute to this literature by developing and testing a theory which describes how the catalytic effect also varies by economic sector. This is a departure from existing studies, which have tended to focus on aggregate FDI flows after crises. Our findings corroborate previous research, which finds that in general IMF lending has a substantial and negative effect on FDI. However, we find that the negative effect is concentrated in sectors that are highly dependent on external capital and have low sunk costs in the host country. Our findings are robust to several alternative explanations common in IMF literature, namely the importance of IMF program design and the ability of governments to make credible commitments to reform. Substantively, our findings suggest that investors are more likely to use IMF lending as an escape hatch in countries where FDI is dependent on external capital and has low sunk costs.     

Local Government Finance Office Orientation Revisited: Actually,It’s All About Control

In states with heavy oversight of local government finances, alternate levels of control orientation exist based on county government budget formulation and financing practices. However, previous research indicates a possible trend toward policy orientation. Using survey data from North Carolina counties, initial findings indicate high levels of finance officer budget formulation discretion as well as county manager agreement with budget decisions. Additional logit models suggest that while stakeholder influence is still present along with remnants of policy orientation, the state financial oversight mechanism along with the background, knowledge of departmental financial needs, and frequent departmental appropriation dissemination by the finance officer, continue to sustain control orientation.     

The Conservatives' Grassroots 'Revival'

Healthy party grassroots constituency organisations play an important part in modern electoral campaigning, especially in marginal seats, and political parties try to concentrate their efforts on those closely contested constituencies. Recent evidence on party fund-raising at a local level shows that the Conservatives have taken considerable strides in supporting their campaign organisations in marginals, and have done so in a way which enhances their long-term campaigning potential there. The party's grassroots organisations are increasingly well-resourced, especially in the seats the Conservatives need to win back if they are to win the next General Election. However, while fund-raising suggests a healthy grassroots where it is needed, party membership data highlights continued problems for the party.     

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。