Economics behind the law: why number of divorce cases grows when families become wealthier?

In this paper we study the effects of increasing family wealth on the number of divorce cases in a society. We assume that, when one party of a married couple seeks for divorce, the physical family wealth is equally divided between the homemaker and the breadwinner according to the Law. Through some simple mathematical analysis we discover that the number of divorce cases will increase when the amounts of family wealth increase. Our theoretical result is well-justified by the observation from the Chinese society after the Reforms.     

Curbing Corruption in India: An Impossible Dream?

This article analyses the serious problem of corruption in India by examining its causes and the various anti-corruption measures employed by the government from the formation in 1941 of the first anti-corruption agency, the Delhi Special Police Establishment, which was expanded to form the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April 1963. India's ineffective anti-corruption strategy can be attributed to the lack of political will of its leaders and its unfavourable policy context, which has hindered the enforcement of the anti-corruption laws. The lack of political will in fighting corruption is manifested in the lowest per capita expenditure and least favourable staff-population ratio of the CBI when compared to those of its counterparts in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand. To enhance the CBI's effectiveness, it should be removed from the jurisdiction of the police and be established as an independent agency dedicated solely to curbing corruption. The Constitution of India should also be amended to empower the CBI to investigate corruption cases at the state level without obtaining the consent of the chief minister of the state. In view of the lack of political will, this article concludes that curbing corruption in India remains an impossible dream in the foreseeable future.     

Gender and the burden of disease in ten Asian countries: An exploratory analysis

This article explores critically the assumption that the burden of disease remains heavier for women than for men. The impact of gender on health is better understood when the burden of disease is analysed in terms of its two dimensions, the domestic and the public. This dual approach reveals that, concerning the public burden of disease, morbidity and mortality trends are becoming similar for men and women while, with the domestic burden of disease, gender shows that differences seem to persist in men and women’s roles within the family, particularly involving illness prevention and management at home. This argument is explored in this paper through two types of evidence: to investigate the domestic burden of disease, reference is made to findings from studies on gender roles in the family; and the public burden of disease is explored using the World Health Organization’s latest figures on mortality and morbidity. The domestic and public dimensions of the burden of disease are discussed in the context of ten Asian countries at different stages of socio-economic development (Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia).