The Future of the British Post Office

Recent proposals of the U.K. government to privatize the British Post Office are considered in relation to broader European trends and in terms of economic efficiency. The proposals appear to open the possibility of moving away from a geographically uniform tariff that conflicts with proposals from the EU Commission for the EU, as well as reducing the postal monopoly. Uniform postal charges may or may not improve economic welfare, as there are clear-cut conditions under which their welfare effect can be positive or negative. A practical mechanism is suggested to allow the postal monopoly to be challenged by alternative suppliers without encouraging cream skimming.     

Measuring changes in women's empowerment and its relationship to intimate partner violence

This article uses survey data to examine changes over time in the relationship between women’s empowerment and intimate partner violence (IPV) in six Bangladeshi villages. Prior analyses using a limited set of empowerment indicators available in both 2002 and 2014 suggested a persistent positive association between empowerment and IPV. The article’s analysis, using an updated set of measures derived from extensive qualitative studies, suggests that empowerment may be shifting from a risk factor for IPV to a protective factor. The article discusses the methodological limitations posed by the shifting manifestations of empowerment and its social meanings within and across settings.     

The Design and Execution of Performance Management Systems at State Level: A Comparative Analysis of Italy and Malaysia

This comparative study analyses the experience of Italy and Malaysia in the design and execution of performance management systems at the state level. The article investigates how performance management systems have changed over the past decades, the motivations behind their metamorphoses, their common elements across the two countries, and what accounts for the respective progress. It also investigates the role that the institutional framework plays in making performance management systems robust. The study presents policy recommendations on how governments can create more robust performance management systems for enhanced accountability and transparency in an age of resource constraint.