Competition and switching in public service markets: Can they reduce inequalities?

Regulatory reforms to public infrastructure services across European Union (EU) countries were aimed at increasing consumer welfare by introducing competition and choice into service markets. However, empirical evaluations have questioned whether these reforms have benefitted all consumers, suggesting that vulnerable groups of service users (especially those with lower levels of formal education), might be locked into poorly performing services. We assess the relationship between the level of competition in electricity and fixed telephony markets in EU countries and evaluate the affordability of these services for different socio‐educational layers. Our findings show that – although in countries where there is a relatively high frequency of switching, inequalities between socio‐educational groups are smaller and eventually disappear – competition as such does not play a part. These results suggest that demand‐side regulation that successfully enables consumer switching has the potential to equalize social welfare, thereby reflecting a possible convergence of regulatory instruments and the central aims of the welfare state in this context.     

The political and economic causes of satisfaction with democracy in Spain – a twofold panel study

This study tests the links between political and economic performance and satisfaction with democracy (SWD) in Spain. Contrary to the dominant theoretical paradigm that explains the aggregate evolution of and the individual-level differences in SWD mainly by means of economic factors, the article presents evidence that evaluations of the political process are equally relevant to account for both changes in individuals’ SWD over time and the evolution of SWD at the national level. Unlike most existing literature, this study supports its argument by combining analyses of a micro-level panel dataset (CIUPANEL) and of a pooled aggregate-level panel dataset based on the Spanish samples in the Eurobarometer and the Latinobarómetro between 1986 and 2014.     

新质生产力促进共同富裕的机理探析与实践路径

共同富裕是中国式现代化的重要特征和重要内容,是衡量中国式现代化成功与否的重要标准。 在全球科技革命和产业变革持续深化的时代背景下,新质生产力成为中国式现代化建设的内在要求和重要着力点。如何把握这场“生产力革命”带来的历史机遇,扎实推进共同富裕,是中国式现代化进程中的一个重大课题。 为回应这一时代之问,本研究采用理论分析与实践发展相结合的方法,深入剖析了新质生产力促进共同富裕的作用机理,从五个方面提出了具体的实践建议:加快建设普惠共享的信息基础设施、以新质生产力赋能实体经 济发展、大力发展平台经济、创新发展数字文化产业和深化改革构建新型生产关系。     

数字经济时代算法歧视问题研究

数字经济时代,人工智能与算法技术被广泛运用于就业领域,同时也带来了一定的算法歧视问题。 本研究通过对以往文献的梳理,对算法就业歧视和就业公平面临的现实问题进行了总结。虽然算法能够节约企 业招聘成本、缩短企业招聘时间,但是也可能导致在招聘与人员管理的过程中产生歧视性行为,从而侵害劳动 者权益。研究参照算法歧视的域外治理经验,提出从技术、法律、社会三个层面实施相关措施,对算法歧视进 行治理,引导算法技术在就业领域健康发展,从而维护就业公平、促进高质量充分就业。     

由一起命案看新一代外来人员犯罪

从20世纪80年代中期开始,对外来人员的管理逐步成为社会关注的焦点。外来人员犯罪逐年上升,已经被许多地方列为威胁社会治安的高危人群。随着近年来新一代外来人员犯罪的出现,其犯罪心理、犯罪动机以及犯罪行为都有强化的趋势,造成后果的恶性强度也有所增加。为此,文章在分析此类犯罪的同时,揭示其犯罪根源,提出应尽早采取有效应对措施,防患于未然。     

关于社会主义的世界历史前景的几个重大问题

社会主义代替资本主义是历史发展的必然趋势.战后资本主义的新变化没有改变这一趋势,只是加速了这一趋势;苏联的解体、东欧的剧变不可能否定这一趋势,它只是表明了一种社会主义模式的失败和社会主义必然胜利的曲折性;信息社会的来临也决不意味着资本主义的永世长存,相反,它为社会主义战胜资本主义准备了更为坚实的技术基础,不仅如此,信息社会走向更高级的智能社会的发展趋势,印证着共产主义必然实现的真理性.