Analysis of off-farm work decisions among smallholder farm households in Burkina Faso

This article investigates off-farm work decisions by smallholder farm households. Using data on 1,101 households from Burkina Faso, it demonstrates that in addition to the usual household socio-demographic characteristics, remittances, access to information and beneficiary of specific training affect off-farm work decisions, as well as rainfall factors and idiosyncratic health shocks. Community characteristics such as accessibility and number of inhabitants are also key factors. While suggesting that off-farm work is less likely to be undertaken for accumulation purposes, these results have important policy implications. In particular, policy measures should consider each segment as a separate entity.     

Fluorescence of a Natural Fluorophore as a Key to Improve Fingerprint Contrast Image

The optical and morphological properties of resveratrol were investigated. This nontoxic fluorescent natural material, emitting in the visible blue light, was used as an optical marker, enabling the enhancement of the image contrast coming from relief pictures marked on challenging surfaces. By applying appropriated imaging softwares, this marker was verified to be very useful in the latent fingerprint recognition deposited on different wood surface types, mainly those with high level of roughness, where conventional forensic materials do not allow effective fingerprint image visualization.     

自然资源物权配置初探

对于自然资源,需要在利用与保护之间寻找到合适的平衡点,并以法律的形式将其确定下来。通过自然资源物权配置,把以对资源的用益为目的的各种物权形态,依照法律规定的条件和方式投入市场,最大限度实现国家所有权利益。同时,规范行政主管机关职责,完善行政管理的程序法律规范,将公法上的权力和私法上的权利相分离,使行政机关的宏观管理职能与自身部门利益相脱钩。     

重大危险源分级技术的研究

本文结合《关于开展重大危险源监督管理工作的指导意见》(安监管协调字[2004]56号文),将重大危险源分为化学品重大危险源和非化学品重大危险源;并介绍了国内关于重大危险源分级的各种方法,指出了静态分级和动态分级的优缺点,针对动态分级,提出了分级指标、分级档数和分级界限三要素,并给出了确定的方法,从而为重大危险源的具体分级及深入研究提供了理论依据。     

保险受益人研究

狭义上的保险受益人是指于被保险人死亡时有权请求和受领身故保险金的人,只能是被保险人之外的人,应包括指定受益人和法定受益人。投保人有受益人的指定权,被保险人或其监护人有最终的决定权,受益人指定不明时应合理解释。被保险人的法定继承人是其法定受益人,法定受益人的受益顺序依法定继承人的继承顺序,同一顺序的法定受益人受益份额相同。保险受益人原则上为可变更受益人,其变更应采书面形式,并自通知保险人时生效。     

云南四川藏族地区天然林资源保护区的林业可持续管理

本文根据联合国关于林业可持续管理的指标体系 ,对云南四川藏族地区天然林资源保护区实现林业可持续管理的目标分层进行了论述 ,在此基础上 ,分析了该区林业可持续管理的难点和制度影响 ,并立足该区藏族传统文化特点和社区林地的传统管理方式 ,提出了确立林地权属制度和社区管理体制、按照市场机制进行林业可持续管理的改进方式     

作为一种制度权利的人权

权利是它的所有者通过法律、道德、秩序或其他形式而获得的有利地位。实证性权利既包括制度性的经验事物如国家和契约,也包括观念性的现实事物如自由和习惯。由于无论国家还是契约,自由还是习惯,都有其不能脱离先在的权利来谈论的局限,因此,权利的来源往往被追溯到具有逻辑先在性的东西那里。传统自然法理论把自然权利看作是实证权利的前提,现代人权理论则否认有脱离制度安排的抽象权利。从地位而不是从来源出发来理解人权,是现代人权概念区别于传统自然权利概念的最大特点。     

Risk management for targeting customs controls in developing countries: a risky venture for revenue performance?

Customs authorities in developing countries are often reluctant to forget systematic inspections for fear of risking revenue loss. Such physical inspections however, impede rather than facilitate trade. Control selectivity is therefore a key issue in customs administration reform. This paper shows how a sophisticated risk management method can facilitate trade by automatically and rationally selecting transactions, with the end result of actually enhancing revenue performance. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

自然人书面契约取信方式研究

印章文化在我国源远流长,其中公章自古至今为实用而治,私章则经历了一个从实用到艺术的转变过程。我国古代书面契约的取信方式历经变化,但私章讫未成为公认的取信手段。西方国家在法律史上曾有盖印取信的制度,但当今通行的法定取信手段则是签名。我国现行法上的书面契约取信方式兼采签名和盖章。私章自身的内在局限及签名取信的多维优势,决定了签名取代私章的必然。自然人主体书面契约的取信方式统一于签名,是法律体系内部相协调的需要,并可以获得法律解释理论上的有力支撑。     

Discovering the Dark Side of Power: The Principal’s Moral Hazard in Political-Bureaucratic Relations

Principal agent (PA) is among the most prominent concepts for analyzing the relationship between politics and bureaucracy. Nonethelesss, the inherent bias of PA scholars to attribute moral hazard almost exclusively to the agent, usually referred to as “bureaucratic drift”, requires re-examination. Building on the spare literature in which moral hazard of the principal is considered, this paper provides empirical evidence for a neglected aspect of the PA concept. Three cases of German regulatory agencies responsible for drug control, financial services and rail safety are analyzed in critical situations which were largely perceived as bureaucratic failures. The analysis reveals that a good deal of these failures, ranging from negligence to suppressing crucial information, has to be attributed to the political principal. This is called the dark side of power because the intention is to shift blame or to dodge political responsibility. Turning conventional PA reasoning upside down, the conclusion is that the principal’s moral hazard should be considered more routinely as a potential explanation for political-bureaucratic interactions.