Search results for ""Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd""

This important book plays a vital role in bridging the gap between labour economics, law and economics and the legal profession. Beginning with a general overview of the relationship between labour law and economic theory, it then goes on to examine specific areas within the field of law and economics including: the new law and economic theories on contract formation, with a case study from the Dutch system penalty default rules as applied to Israeli labour law dismissal regulation in the UK and US from a comparative perspective overtime hours in the US and severance pay in Germany the European Works Council an historical and economic analysis of the German co-determined corporation.

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The pursuit of economic growth is at the top of every nation's policy agenda at the end of the 20th century. This authoritative and comprehensive book goes beyond the narrowly-based convergence model of economic growth by considering global, national and regional patterns of growth from a comparative perspective. Issues examined include: the evolution of the firm and the role of R&D long-term implications of the loss of national sovereignty international 'openness' social and political institutions patterns of regional harmonization in the United States, particularly income and earnings trends across states and the reasons for convergence persistent regional disparities in Europe including the roles of sectoral transformation, regional spillovers, human capital formation and the allocation of structural funds the experience of convergence in individual countries including Italy, the UK, Spain and Germany

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This volume offers an impressive collection of scholarly papers which investigate the historical foundations of globalization before 1945. The book explores the effects of the nineteenth century technologies of the railway, the telegraph and the steamship which promoted the globalization process by boosting trade across frontiers and triggering migration of labour and flows of capital to the temperate areas of agriculture. The colonial empires, in particular the British Empire, facilitated the process, as the integration of capital markets and monetary systems and methods of business organization followed trade and labour. The volume also covers the time between the wars, when impediments to trade, migration and currency movements increased and led to a period of deglobalization and divergence.

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This two volume set presents a wide-ranging selection of important articles, which explore the effects of the globalization of the world economy on developing and newly industrialized countries. It investigates policies of liberalizing trade in developing countries and the effects of the inflow of capital and investment; it explores how the trend towards developing regional trading areas in for example, Europe, the Americas and the Pacific area, affects and is affected by globalization. Further topics include the role of multinational firms, the effects of the economic decisions taken by worldwide organizations or by the institutions of the major economic players, and the impact of global policy issues such as environment and trade on emerging economies.

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This impressive book brings together four essays, which along with an insightful introduction from Charles Rowley, provide a robust defence of the concept of classical liberalism in modern 'civil' society. In the first essay, Douglas Rasmussen and Douglas Uyl discuss the basic approaches and principles of liberalism in the post-modern age and show how a moral philosophy can serve to support a political philosophy. They supply a clear, fundamental defence of liberalism in an era which has become sceptical of its doctrines. This is followed by Peter Ordeshook's authoritative analysis of the foundations of democracy, in relation to the demise of communist ideology, particularly in the former Soviet Union. Paul Rubin then examines, from a libertarian perspective, the differing methods and degrees of success of adapting contract law in Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in the wake of political change. Finally, Mwangi S. Kimenyi provides an original study of highly centralized, unitary systems of government and the breakdown of civil society in Sub-Saharan Africa. He argues persuasively that institutional reform involving decentralization and federalism can better accommodate ethnic diversity in the area. With contributions from some of the most eminent scholars in the field, Classical Liberalism and Civil Society provides a rigorous justification of classical liberal polity.

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The Emergence and Evolution of Markets examines the development of markets based on empirical examples from Western economies and from the post-socialist economies of Eastern Europe. It provides an historical dimension to the present problems of transition.The Emergence and Evolution of Markets clearly demonstrates that liberalization, privatization and changes to formal institutions are not in themselves sufficient to create a successful market economy. In the first part, there is an analysis of general aspects of economic theory with regard to market evolution and an historical assessment of the development of markets. The authors then examine the experiences of some specific markets, including the telecommunications and stock markets to draw general conclusions. In part three they focus on the emerging market systems in post-socialist countries, particularly Kyrgyzstan and Bulgaria. In addition, the discussion offers an empirical analysis of the evolution of capital, currency and agricultural markets, emphasizing the importance of transaction costs and institutions in the development of these markets. This major book will prove invaluable to academics and policymakers interested in the areas of transition economics, political economy, and policy analysis.

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The transfer study, a technique used in cost-benefit analysis, is an increasingly important tool used by government agencies to assess environmental regulatory policy. This innovative book develops protocols for using the transfer method to approach environmental problems and introduces several significant conceptual and methodological advances that refine the transfer process.The transfer approach to quantitative policy analysis adapts information and data from existing studies and so provides an economical way to assess potential benefits and costs for projects. The book presents a detailed framework for examining the transfer of information, outlines the basic steps of the method, and discusses solutions to frequently encountered problems. It then illustrates the method with an extensive case study of environmental externalities from electricity generation. This case study provides the opportunity to discuss salient aspects of the transfer method in more detail, including conceptual principles, the quality of original studies, empirical difficulties and estimation techniques. It also demonstrates the use of state-of-the-art techniques such as meta analysis to synthesise and transfer information from multiple studies and assesses the reliability of the transfer estimates with repeated computer simulations, a technique known as Monte Carlo analysis.Environmental Policy Analysis with Limited Information will appeal to environmental policy analysts and managers as well as environmental economists.

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This ground-breaking book focuses on neo-Austrian capital theory and its application to the modelling of long-run economy-environment interactions.The book begins by presenting an overview of the modelling approach and offers an historical survey of capital theory and its development. The authors then provide a detailed introduction to the neo-Austrian modelling technique and extend it to include time horizons and growth models. The model is then applied to environmental issues such as green national accounts, resource rents and climate change to show how the neo-Austrian approach gives fresh and illuminating insights. An empirical application to the iron and steel industry is also presented.Capital and Time in Ecological Economics will be of interest to ecological and environmental economists, economic capital theorists and all those following developments in the neo-Austrian approach to economics.

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A unique and comprehensive source of information, the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics is the only international publication providing economists, planners, policy makers and business people with worldwide statistics on current performance and trends in the manufacturing sector.This is the third issue of the annual publication which succeeds the UNIDO's Handbook of Industrial Statistics and, at the same time, replaces the United Nation's Industrial Statistics Yearbook, volume I (General Industrial Statistics). Covering more than 120 countries/areas, the 1997 edition of the Yearbook contains data which is internationally comparable and detailed in industrial classification. Information has been collected directly from national statistical sources and supplemented with estimates by UNIDO.The Yearbook is designed to facilitate international comparisons relating to manufacturing activity and industrial performance. It provides data which can be used to analyse patterns of growth, structural change and industrial performance in individual industries. Data on employment trends, wages and other key indicators are also presented. Finally, the detailed information presented here enables the user to study different aspects of individual manufacturing industries.

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What is the appropriate design for environmental regulation? Gert Tinggaard Svendsen sheds new light on the appropriate mix of economic instruments to implement environmental regulation in the context of the world-wide attempts to abate CO2 emissions.Gert Tinggaard Svendsen offers a detailed and comprehensive study of two alternative methods for controlling CO2 emissions - tradable permits and taxation - using examples of varying success from the United States and Europe. He applies a blend of environmental economic theory and public choice theory to analyse these methods and reveals that they both have merits. He proposes a design incorporating the best features of the two approaches because it is both cost-effective and politically and administratively feasible. In the case of C02 regulation, a CO2 permit market based on the US experience with free historical emissions should be applied in relation to industry, electric utilities and environmental organisations. The author proposes that a CO2 tax should be applied to non-organized interests, such as households and the transport sector, based on the EU experience. In particular, these policy recommendations are applied to potential CO2 permit markets in Europe and the United States.The interdisciplinary approach and the resulting policy recommendations make this book relevant to policymakers and academics across the social sciences. It will be particularly pertinent to those interested in environmental economics and public choice economics.

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1999 is the 100th year anniversary of the publication of Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class. This volume commemorates and celebrates Veblen's seminal contribution to the analysis of consumerist capitalism and assesses the book's relevance to the twenty-first century.Veblen's Leisure Class was a pioneering effort to come to terms with industrial capitalism's consumer culture, and it became the foundation for much of contemporary institutional economics. This book examines Veblen's contribution to the analysis of the new global economy, the growth of the women's movement, inequality, consumption and gambling at the turn of the century. It concludes by analysing the effects of the globalization of capitalism.This book will be of great interest to scholars of the history of economic thought and particularly those interested in how we can relate Veblen's classic work to society today and in the future.

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This book presents new original research on the main impediments to exports facing transition economies. It specifically addresses questions such as: are the impediments to exports mainly external and demand related, or are they associated more with the conditions of supply? How are governments promoting exports now that their influence over enterprise activity has been reduced? What strategies have enterprises developed to overcome existing barriers to exports? And what role does foreign investment play in the development of competitive export potential?The authors focus on the export performance of eight small transition economies with special emphasis on the behavior of exporting enterprises. Results of the analysis reveal that in the mid-1990s the companies inherited conditions and their strategies, as well as the domestic economic situation, are more important in determining export performance than characteristics of demand abroad. The authors conclude that exports have played a key role in the transition economies' recent recovery from recession and that further dismantling of remaining impediments will be critical as these economies become more integrated with the Western world.Trade Growth in Transition Economies will be essential for policymakers, governments and private sector business as well as for academics who analyze trade developments in Central and Eastern Europe and propose relevant policies to tackle impediments to exports.

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This major book presents an objective and penetrating economic analysis of stabilization and reform in Eastern Europe, combined with a compassionate plea for individual rights and solidarity.Janos Kornai - one of the most famous Hungarian economists of his generation - focuses on two main issues: first, the problems of stabilization and adjustment, which are painful but necessary conditions of sustainable growth and second, the reform of the 'premature welfare state' of Eastern European countries, which is disproportionately large in relation to the resources available and which was hitherto managed in a highly centralized, bureaucratic and paternalistic way.Struggle and Hope goes beyond most other books on the transition process by placing considerable emphasis on the understanding of the ethical implications and the historical roots of each problem, and also the political conditions and consequences of change. Although economic efficiency is extremely important, it is not the exclusive criterion; ethical principles of individual sovereignty and solidarity must also receive particular attention.Professor Kornai's insightful analysis will become required reading for all those concerned with the process of post-socialist transition.

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Giovanni Dosi is recognized as one of the world's leading scholars in industrial economics and corporate change. This volume contains a selection of his most important work and provides an excellent overview of the contribution he has made to the economics of innovation and technical change.Key topics include: technological paradigms and innovation diffusion economic behaviour and learning organizational structures and behaviour in a changing environment< corporate finance and innovation industrial dynamics evolutionary theories in economics institutions, technical change and economic growth. The book will be welcomed by scholars and students of innovation, industrial organization, business and institutional and evolutionary economics.

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This is the third and final volume written in honour of Bernard Corry and Maurice Peston by an internationally renowned group of experts, and focuses on the application of economics to policy advice.The contributors to this volume consider practical policy issues including labour market policy and the problem of unemployment, methodology and econometric analysis, taxation policy, industrial regulation, practical applications of transaction cost theory in the European Union, policy issues such as foreign direct investment and pension reform affecting transition economies and training policies in developing countries.

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This second volume of essays in honour of Bernard Corry and Maurice Peston focuses on labour economics, the history of economic thought and the development of the economics profession, specifically addressing teaching and policy advice issues. The authors discuss areas Bernard Corry and Maurice Peston have been particularly influential in. They address issues including labour markets, Malthus's methodology, the relationship between Alfred Marshall and Adam Smith, the eighteenth century origins of modern economics, monetary policy and education.

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Murray N. Rothbard was the leading voice of the Austrian School of Economics during its post-war American revival. His research in economic theory, history, method and policy, was the major impetus for today's burgeoning interest in the Austrian School and the broader realm of free-market thought.The Logic of ActionTwo is a careful selection of Rothbard's most important scholarly articles. Some have appeared in mainstream journals, others have been long out of circulation, and still others are published here for the first time. It was Rothbard's major ambition to shore up the scientific status of the Austrian School and, at the same time, demonstrate the theory's radical, free-market implications for government policy.The book confirms Rothbard as an intellectual giant, and presents his many contributions to the Austrian School, a systematic alternative to mainstream thought that reaches radical, free-market policy conclusions.

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Promises, Promises examines from a libertarian perspective, the differing methods and levels of success of adapting contract law in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and especially Russia in the wake of political change. The author analyses the roles of government power and policy, opportunism and private regulatory mechanisms within the pattern of change.

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Lessons for Citizens of a New Democracy provides an authoritative analysis of the foundations of democracy, with relation to the demise of communist ideology. This significant contribution by a leading expert details the tentative process towards democracy in the successor states of the former Soviet Union and attempts to prioritise the issues of central importance in structuring a new democratic state.

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The Makers of Modern Economics Volume III follows on from the two previous volumes in presenting the intellectual development of some of this century's most influential economists. The first volume in this series was acclaimed by Professor David Audretsch as 'a unique insight into the thoughts and lives of prominent economists'.In this third volume their careers, education, achievements and views on future research are presented by economists who have made important contributions. The book brings together new original essays by Franklin M. Fisher, Christopher Freeman, Peter Groenewegen, Kelvin J. Lancaster, Martin Shubik and Gordon Tullock. The Makers of Modern Economics Volume III provides the academic, student and researcher with a fascinating insight into the life and work of some of todays most inspiring economists.

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On the Foundations of Monopolistic Competition and Economic Geography presents important work by B. Curtis Eaton and Richard G. Lipsey on product differentiation, including studies of spatial differentiation and the industrial structures that give rise to this phenomenon.The book opens with an introductory overview essay and explains why the authors reject the neoclassical, competitive vision of the economy. The essays included cover issues such as: the theory of multinational plant location, product differentiation, monopoly, models of value theory, capital with special reference to entry and exit barriers and entry equilibrium, the existence of pure profit and the theory of market pre-emption.This volume will be welcomed by academics and researchers interested in the microeconomic issues of competition, monopoly, firm behaviour and markets.

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Herbert A. Simon has been a leading contributor to cognitive psychology, computer science, public administration, philosophy and statistics, and is the winner of the 1978 Nobel Memorial Prize in economics. As this collection demonstrates, his impact on economics has been felt in areas as diverse as the theory of the firm and economic organization, consumer behaviour, law and economics, and environmental economics. Central to his work is the notion of bounded rationality - the mismatch between human decision-making capacities and the scale of the decision problems that people face, which results in satisficing rather than optimizing behaviour - and his belief that economic research should start from the study of actual behaviour rather than being based on convenient but unrealistic assumptions. Peter Earl's choice of articles shows both the kind of economics that emerges when Simon's philosophy is followed comprehensively, and what happens when neo-classical economists partially adopt his ideas.

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Much environmental deterioration - the greenhouse effect, deleption of the ozone layer and acid rain - has an intrinsic international dimension. The lack of a supra-national authority requires that countries agree on the decision to co-operate for pollution control. Hence, negotiations on international environmental issues need to be approached through appropriate policy strategies. This book presents new and important papers which examine international environmental negotiations and agreements seeking to protect the global environment. Policy analysis is performed within a game-theoretic strategic framework. Issues discussed include: existence, size and environmental impacts of self-enforcing agreements, the role of an arbitrator in environmental negotiations, the problems of interactions between environmental and trade and industrial polices, the influence of uncertainty on negotiations and agreements, the role of myopia of negotiators and of asymmetric interests between developed and less developed countries. This book not only presents current debates but also provides stimuli for further research.International Environmental Negotiations will be of special interest to students, academics and professional environmentalists as well as policymakers.

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During the 1980s, economic theory has been revolutionised by game theory. The game theory approach is now very widely used throughout the profession and has become a major tool for the construction of new economic models. It is the basic tool in the construction of a modern theory of industrial organisation and it has led to important developments in finance, labour economics and international trade. This major new collection - prepared by a leading international authority - is oriented towards researchers, professors and graduate students who are interested in the interface between game theory and economic theory. They include the seminal and most important recent papers on the development and application of game theory in economics.

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Fiscal reforms have been an integral and essential component of the structural adjustment programmes implemented in the least developed countries (LDCs) since the 1980s. The need for fiscal reform in the LDCs was motivated by the accumulation of unsustainable fiscal deficits, constraints on the availability of external finance, the adverse impact of distortionary tax systems on economic efficiency and deficiencies in public administration. Fiscal reform in the LDCs encompassed deficit reduction, the restructuring of the tax system, and the reform of public administration and public expenditures.The empirical research in this volume provides an analysis of the experience of the fiscal reforms carried out since the early 1980s in four different LDCs - Bangladesh, The Gambia, Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania. The case studies examine the nature and budgetary impact of the fiscal reforms in these countries, assess the extent to which reforms have achieved their objectives and discuss the major obstacles to the success of fiscal reform. The empirical studies are supplemented by a chapter outlining the contribution which economic theory can make to the design of optimal tax and expenditure systems in developing countries and to the implementation of fiscal reforms. An overview chapter, which also serves as an introduction to the volume, discusses the reasons why LDCs have embarked on fiscal reforms, summarizes the salient findings of the country case studies and assesses the lessons which can be learnt from these empirical studies.

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This important new book is an extensive, yet concise overview which critically surveys the application of economic valuation techniques to environmental problems in less developed countries. The authors argue that economic valuation has just as important a role to play in the developing as in the developed world in valuing environmental resources and change. Additionally, the information which such techniques provide is invaluable when helping to devise sound environmental policies. The book demonstrates that economic valuation is of extreme importance in raising the profile of the environmental aspects of development initiatives and policies, and that the application of economic valuation is both widespread and successful in developing countries.This book will be essential reading for professional environmental economists, particularly those working in the developing world, project appraisal analysts, policymakers in development organizations and graduate students of development and environmental economics.

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Successful Transformations? contrasts the recent experience of economic development in Eastern Germany and the Czech Republic. It provides a comparative up-to-date account critically assessing the transition from central planning to a free market economy. The book highlights the very different paths that these two economies have taken. Eastern Germany has been absorbed almost entirely into the political and economic framework of West Germany. In contrast the Czech Republic - which is widely acclaimed to have made the speediest transition - has from the outset adopted an independent line. The book illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of these two different paths and addresses the key question as to whether the relative success of these two economies can point to a special policy regime which might aid economic transition in other former communist countries.

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A unique and comprehensive source of information, the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics is the only international publication providing economists, planners, policymakers and business people with worldwide statistics on current performance and trends in the manufacturing sector.Covering more than 120 countries/areas, the 1996 edition of the Yearbook contains data which are internationally comparable and much more detailed in industrial classification than those supplied in previous publications. This is the second issue of the annual publication which succeeds the UNIDO's Handbook of Industrial Statistics and, at the same time, replaces the United Nation's Industrial Statistics Yearbook, volume I (General Industrial Statistics). Information has been collected directly from national statistical sources and supplemented with estimates by UNIDO.The Yearbook is designed to facilitate international comparisons relating to manufacturing activity and industrial performance. It provides data which can be used to analyse patterns of growth, structural change and industrial performance in individual industries. Data on employment trends, wages and other key indicators are also presented. Finally, the detailed information presented here enables the user to study different aspects of industry which was not possible using the aggregate data previously available.

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During the past two decades, the macroeconomic policy debate has been dominated, both in developed and developing countries, by supply-side considerations. Distinguished contributors to this important new book conclusively argue that this has led towards depression at a world level, and particularly in transitional and developing economies.Restoring Demand in the World Economy examines the necessity to rehabilitate the role of effective demand, in both the analysis of past economic events and in shaping current economic policy. At the theoretical level, the contributors argue conclusively that the level of effective demand and the aggregate distribution of income play a dominant role in the macroeconomic framework of all economic systems. This economic theory is then applied to specific situations including: austerity and monetary union in Europe the demand implosion in Eastern Europe and the former USSR the problem of financial fragility in developing countries the demand links between East Asia, Japan and the United States inflation paranoia, deflationary gaps and imbalances in the major industrial countries the failure of post-war schemes for the stabilization of global demand. This important contribution presents a strong case for rehabilitating the role of demand in economic policy and decision making. This book will be of use to economic theorists, policymakers and academics with an interest in international economics.

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This volume contains a collection of the most important articles on independent central banks and economic performance. The collection is comprehensive and divided into four parts: theoretical foundation of central banks independence, central bank independence, empirical evidence on central bank independence and determinants of central bank independence. The editor has prepared a new introduction discussing the main developments in this field. The volume will be a basic reference source for professors, lecturers, researchers, central bankers and other policymakers interested in studying the fundamental articles on central bank autonomy.

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Industrial innovation is essential for national and corporate competitiveness. Understanding the nature, determinants and consequences of innovation is a key task of managers, public policymakers and all students of industry and business. This major new reference book brings together specially commissioned contributions by many leading world experts on a wide range of issues concerning innovation. The first section provides an introduction to the significance and process of industrial innovation, and to the contexts or 'systems' within which it occurs. A series of sectoral and industrial studies is followed by assessments of the key issues affecting innovation. Another section examines one of the main constraints on successful innovation: the strategic management of technology in both products and processes. As well as the benefits of innovation, the problems and challenges of the processes, management and outcomes of innovation are raised throughout the book. Select bibliographies chosen by international experts are included to ensure that this comprehensive reference tool is an indispensable guide for students, scholars, innovators and policymakers.

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This authoritative and in-depth collection presents seminal papers from leading academics in the field of organisation and bureaucracy. It encompasses sections on organisational boundaries, neo-Schumpeterian theories, hierarchy and international organisation, organisational culture and behaviour, power politics and authority, as well as organisational institutions and practices. Professor Jackson has chosen works which have shaped the views of how the economics of organisation and bureaucracy are viewed today and has included papers from conflicting ends of the spectrum to illustrate the fluid and evolving nature of the subject. This indispensable volume, with an original introduction by the editor, will be of immense value to students, scholars and practitioners interested in this topical and relevant field.

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This is the sixth volume in a ten-volume set designed for publication in 1997. It reprints in book form a selection of the most important and influential articles on probability, econometrics and economic games which cumulatively have had a major impact on the development of modern economics. There are 242 articles, dating from 1936 to 1996. Many of them were originally published in relatively inaccessible journals and may not, therefore, be available in the archives of many university libraries. The volumes are available separately and also as a complete ten-volume set. The contributors include D. Ellsberg, R.M. Hogart, J.B. Kadane, B.O. Koopmans, E.L. Lehman, D.F. Nicholls, H. Rubin, T.J. Sarjent, L.H. Summers and C.R. Wymer. This particular volume deals with the econometric exploration and diagnosis.

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Towards Sustainable Project Development is an important new book which addresses the sustainability of development projects from an environmental as well as from a human resources perspective. It extends beyond the traditional concentration on economic issues, and is highly focused on practical experience, research, and operational analysis.In this book an outstanding group of international contributors explores sustainable project development in three main ways. It begins by considering environmental sustainability for development projects both methodologically and in practical policy terms, with emphasis on incorporating environmental policies more effectively into development programmes. The discussion develops to examine the success of projects in relation to approaches to human resource development and how the planning process is transformed into a manageable reality. Special emphasis is placed on managerial effectiveness as a key requirement for sustainable project initiatives. Finally the authors explore, with the aid of country case studies, the extent to which donors and recipients have developed their approaches to project and programme development and consider the opportunity for long term sustainability of development projects.This outstanding book will be invaluable to undergraduate and postgraduate students of development studies, to project and programme planners and managers, officials of international organizations and government departments.

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Fiscal Policy and Interest Rates in the European Union is a comprehensive study concerned with the potential effects of fiscal policy on financial markets in the European Union. It takes into account the gradual liberalization of capital movements throughout Western Europe and the institutional framework of the European monetary system. Klaas Knot takes a fresh approach to the impact of budget deficits on interest rates, especially in relation to international financial integration, and concludes that the increases in European budget deficits since the early 1970s have raised interest rates in the long term throughout the Union. In conclusion he argues that balanced budget deficits are necessary to maintain low interest rates.This important new book will be of interest to students, academics and policymakers concerned with monetary and public economics.

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Labour Relations in Transition provides a unique insight into the realities of Russian industrial enterprises in the transition period as it affects workers on the shop floor.Based on a unique collaborative programme of ethnographic and case study research, this volume includes original work by Western and Russian scholars focusing on the restructuring of wages, employment and industrial relations, and how workers have responded to these changes. As well as presenting pioneering analysis of trade unions and industrial conflict, Labour Relations in Transition addresses changing status hierarchies within the workforce, the position of women in production, the process of bankruptcy, and insider and outsider control.This is the third volume in the series Management and Industry in Russia and will be welcomed by sociologists and Russian specialists for addressing contemporary Labour-Management relations within the context of the changing significance of work and work relations in the lives of Russian workers.

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Economic Policy for the Environment and Natural Resources presents some of the most important recent work on the theory and application of environmental policy at both the national and international level. At the national level it focuses on instruments for pollution control. At the international level it discusses measures to promote international cooperation for the protection of the environment.This book covers a wide range of major issues including the legal aspects of environmental protection, environmental policy under oligopolistic conditions, voluntary agreements as a policy instrument, participation in international coalitions and environmental policy in dynamic trade models. In discussing the applications of environmental policy, it includes issues such as the profitability of emission saving techniques, water management and acid rain models.This book will be essential reading for both policymakers and professional economists who are concerned with environmental policy.

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Knut Wicksell is increasingly recognized as one of the great economists and as a major influence on modern economics. Wicksell brilliantly summarized and developed neoclassical economic theory, making major contributions to marginal productivity theory, to public finance and to monetary theory. Torsten Gardlund’s acclaimed biography, although long out of print, remains the classic interpretation of Wicksell’s life. As Lars Jonung explains in his preface, ‘Gardlund’s book has kept its sparkle over the forty years which have elapsed since it was first published. . . Its clarity and vitality have made it a classic in its own right.’ Mark Blaug, the eminent economic methodologist and historian of economic thought, has described it as ‘my favourite biography of a great economist.’This edition of The Life of Knut Wicksell will be welcomed as an excellent introduction to the life of a major economist whose theories and ideas have shown themselves to be of lasting value.

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Asian nations increasingly have to balance energy needs with environmental impacts and economic growth. These critical issues for the development of Asian nations and the quality of life of their citizens are extensively addressed in this major new volume which focuses on research and policy perspectives.A distinguished group of researchers from Asia, Europe and North America, focuses on Asian initiatives on global and regional environmental problems, the impact of energy and environment on development and international trade in Asia, the problems associated with siting major energy facilities, the Asian green movement and public reaction to environmental degradation, and the role of communities in achieving a balance between energy, environment and economics.Researchers and policymakers, public policy and management researchers and environmentalists will welcome this important book which addresses the key issue of balancing the conflicting objectives of energy planning, environmental management and economic development.

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Energy is of major importance for the competitive performance of firms and of nations and for the long-term growth of the world economy. This major two volume collection reprints the most significant theoretical and empirical research on energy economics that has been conducted during the last 70 years.The first volume includes a discussion of why energy matters together with demand side issues, conservation and modelling. The second volume looks at supply side issues; markets - players and prices; markets versus governments; and issues which concern developing countries.This authoritative collection will be an essential reference source for students, economists, policymakers and practitioners concerned with the global economic and environmental impact of energy.

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Economics is full of puzzles and paradoxes that often frustrate and challenge everyone, including economists. This engaging book includes fifty puzzles and focuses on three types of paradox. First, everyday observations that appear to belie common sense (such as, why do some supermarket items sell for more per ounce in larger sizes?). Secondly, those paradoxes which have perplexed economists in the past but have since been fairly resolved (such as, the diamond-water paradox). Finally, empirical or conceptual anomalies that remain unresolved and present a challenge to today's economists (such as the voting paradox).Fifty puzzles and paradoxes are analysed in a clear framework. Examples include: the fairness of market wages, the alleged gold absurdity, Giffin goods and the Irish potato famine, the paradox of thrift, the supposed perversity of Wall Street, the leisure paradox, why the best Washington apples are shipped out of state (the Alchian-Allen theorem), the question of whether teachers are underpaid, whether studying economics makes people immoral and whether war is good for the economy.This original and unusual book will have a wide appeal, ranging from the lay person with an interest in everyday economic puzzles, to the student and teacher wishing to develop their understanding of some of the paradoxes that have existed and continue to exist in economics. It will serve as an ideal source for teachers who want to challenge their students with unusual economic problems.

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The majority of societies are facing a conflict between the increasing levels of road traffic congestion, especially during peak hours and in urban areas, and a decline in the social acceptability of road expansion. This has led governments as well as non-governmental organizations to consider other methods of reducing road traffic. This book examines the efficiency and feasibility of the regulation of road traffic congestion in theory and practice, and within the context of social and political feasibility.As long ago as the 1920s it was recognized that road pricing offered an efficient means of handling congested road traffic flows. Since then the severity of traffic congestion has increased so dramatically that it has turned the matter from an academic interest into one of the most serious problems affecting urbanized areas and transport arteries today. Increasing transport levels have other important external costs such as environmental effects, noise annoyance and accidents. As a result the need to find effective means of relieving congestion has become an important issue both at the national and local level. This book examines Pigouvian taxes, the most popular policy prescription among economists, as well as considering a variety of other policies which may be more politically and socially acceptable. The contributors discuss alternatives to Pigouvian taxes, as well as congestion and urban development, congestion pricing and road infrastructure investment, and road pricing and urban sustainability. This important and timely book will become an essential reference source for policymakers at the national and local level as well as academics and postgraduate students interested in transport economics and environmental economics.

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In recent decades, privatisation has been a key policy instrument in the move to more market-based economic systems in all parts of the developing world. Privatisation, however, has not necessarily been accompanied by an increase in market competition. In recent years, many public utilities have been privatised as monopolies and in addition regulatory systems have been developed to restrict their market power and protect the interests of consumers. These authoritative volumes bring together a collection of important papers that have shed new theoretical and empirical insights into privatisation and regulation and have provided new policy perspectives in relation to developing countries. Privatisation in Developing Countries will appeal to policymakers and researchers at the forefront of economic policy debates in developing countries.

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This book makes an important contribution at the forefront of business cycle theory. The contributors evaluate historical evidence, present new empirical results and suggest that the explanation of business cycle phenomena may, in part, depend on the way in which historical data is interpreted.This innovative book places great emphasis on the complementarity between empirical and theoretical business cycle research. The authors present studies of business cycles concentrating on the Great Depression of the 1930s, early and late nineteenth century American economic history, the United Kingdom before 1914, interwar Germany and Japan, and Canada and the United States during the Gold Standard era. A number of contributions address the Phillips curve and labour markets, and provide illustrations of the use of both macro and micro data. An important finding is the contribution to business cycle research made by hitherto untouched sources of historical labour market microdata. The book demonstrates the importance of the reconstruction of well researched data to our conception and understanding of business cycle phenomena. This book will be useful reading for academics and students of macroeconomics and economic history, with an interest in understanding business cycles.

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The World Economy in Transition brings together thoughts, arguments and analyses by some of the world's leading economists on domestic and international monetary issues of foremost current concern.This major book features contributions from outstanding scholars including three Nobel laureates in economics - Paul Samuelson, Robert Solow and James Tobin. The topics discussed include international and monetary aspects of unemployment, economic policy dilemmas in the United States, the economic downturn in Japan, European monetary union, the former communist countries, and a fresh look at the international monetary system. This volume is based on a lightly edited tape recording of their lively and active debate over a two day period. The editor's introduction has been written to provide useful background for all readers.Although of particular interest to specialists in international monetary economics, The World Economy in Transition is intended for a wide readership including non-specialists, undergraduates and graduate students who will find it an accessible and thought-provoking contribution to their understanding of real-world problems in economics.

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This important book presents a comprehensive and systematic investigation of the effectiveness of environmental policy within the European Union at the dawn of the twenty-first century.The development of environmental policy, including the policymaking process, is analysed from an historical perspective. The authors then examine implementation and enforcement and present a critical appraisal of the impact of environmental policy throughout Europe. Key issues discussed include: trade and the environment environmental protection and the maintenance of industrial competitiveness agriculture and the environment energy and environmental policy transport and the environment tourism and the environment The authors provide insight into the problems of reconciling differing national interests, and present a number of proposals for environmental policy in the future. They conclude that what is required for effective environmental policy is not more radical measures but the opportunity for the measures already in place to be effectively implemented.This book will be of interest to a wide audience including students interested in environmental issues and the European Union, as well as postgraduates and academics working in the fields of environmental management and environmental studies. It will also be of use to environmental policymakers, consultants, advisers and non-government organizations.

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The end of the Cold War revolutionized East-West relations, yet we still live in an ungoverned world of states which recognize no authority above themselves and whose conduct is minimally constrained by considerations of law and morality.Security Issues in the Post-Cold War World focuses on the changing international security agenda and the serious political instabilities - many rooted in ethnic nationalisms and long-standing border disputes - which have resurfaced with the end of the Cold War. After essays re-examining perennial security problems - including collective security, nuclear proliferation and environmental security - a series of regional studies focuses on the particular problems facing Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.Drawing on a wide body of analysis and research on the international system, the contributors to this volume conclude that, despite the ending of the Cold War, 'security', whether defined narrowly or widely, is a scarce commodity.

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According to Joseph Schumpeter, ‘economic sociology’ is an area of interest to both economists and sociologists. Economic sociology is generally considered to have been invented towards the end of the nineteeth century when it quickly became both popular and successful. Its goal -- then as now -- is to analyse economic institutions from a sociological perspective. During 1930-1980 interest waned; but during the last 10 to 15 years there has been something of a renaissance in this field, especially associated with what is called New Economic Sociology. This volume contains many of the classic articles in economic sociology, both from the early period (especially Max Weber and Joseph Schumpeter) and from the current generation (such as Mark Granovetter and Viviana Zelizer).

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