This book addresses the different forms of austerity, contestation and resistance, in order to understand how they relate to one another and the impact they have on the democratic quality of public debates, the trust in public institutions and the legitimacy of law. Contestation of austerity includes not only traditional activism strategies such as human rights litigation and direct democracy instruments, but also new forms of collective action and collaborative resistance. Most importantly, many of the new anti-austerity initiatives also aim to renovate existing modes of democratic decision-making on the European, national, regional and local levels. The book focuses on different types of contesting austerity measures and the interaction between institutional and civil society actors. It will enhance understanding of how the various actors frame not only their goal but also the underlying social conflict to contest austerity and through which means they try to achieve political and legal changes. With 16 chapters written by contributors from Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal and the UK, the book approaches 3 crucial areas of austerity policies: cuts in payment and pensions, labour law reform, and old and new poverty. In each field, the contributors analyse the processes of decision-making and contestation from 3 perspectives: institutions, democratic theory and societal responses.

Foreign Direct Investment and the Chinese Economy provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of foreign direct investment, with extensive empirical evidence, on the Chinese economy over the last three and a half decades. Chunlai Chen presents a compelling and thorough analysis of the leading theoretical explanations of the impact of FDI through a series of rigorous and in-depth empirical investigations on China's regional economic growth, urban-rural income inequality and urbanization development. These case studies show that despite FDI's contribution to economic growth, reduction of income inequality and the rise in urbanization, there is further evidence of uneven regional distribution of FDI inflow. This has negatively affected economic growth, exacerbated income inequality and impeded urbanization of inland China. The book concludes by demonstrating that these findings have important policy implications, not only for China, but also for other developing countries influenced by the implementation of FDI policies. This work of highly focused theoretical analysis is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of economics as well as policy-makers who are interested in the Chinese economy.

Taking a realist approach, this insightful book looks at the forces shaping the evolution of global infrastructure networks. As the international economy globalises, there is an emergent need for national systems to adapt and integrate to form a global system. The authors expose the move to interconnect state infrastructures as a strategy to support and enhance states' territoriality. Examined through the lens of economic infrastructure (including transport, energy and information) this book addresses the forces of integration and fragmentation in the development of global networks. The significant impact of globalisation on infrastructure adaptation is especially highlighted, as well as the key limitations hindering development. Global Infrastructure Networks will be of great interest to academics and graduate students of geography, political economy and public policy. International policy makers will also find this a compelling read, as it identifies the benefits and limitations of upcoming developments in global infrastructure.

The Economy of Ireland (14th edition) takes a holistic examination of the Irish Economy in light of events including the Celtic Tiger boom, recession, recovery and a global pandemic. The textbook considers the evolution of the Irish economy over time; the policy priorities for a small regional economy in the eurozone; the role of the state in policy making; taxation and regulatory policy; and the challenge of sustainable development. This provides a framework for analysing policy issues at a national level, including the Irish labour market and migration, inequality and poverty, and the care economy. The book then considers issues at a sectoral level, from agriculture and trade to the education and health sectors. Packed with the latest available data, contemporary examples and analysis of topical issues, this is an ideal text for students studying modules on Irish Economics.

In recent years many new international market leaders from the BRICS countries have emerged in diverse manufacturing and service industries. How did these new leaders emerge and become key players in their respective industries? What factors contributed to their success and enabled them to become market leaders? This new study answers these important questions with evidence presented from case studies in the automotive, pharmaceutical and ICT industries of China, India and Brazil. A common framework of analysis is followed throughout the volume allowing readers to compare and contrast the cases examined. This framework brings together factors at the firm, country and sectoral levels to explain the rise to leadership of these firms. The book highlights the importance of vibrant entrepreneurship and demonstrates that being local and having an ability to learn and build capabilities based on local knowledge have been major drivers of market success. Yet it also shows how such firm-level factors have been complemented by the role of both national and sectoral systems of innovation. This book offers an integrated framework for the study of innovation and the rise of market leaders as well as original case studies from important emerging economies. It will appeal to students, scholars, researchers and policy-makers interested in economic development and catch-up, entrepreneurship, innovation management and evolutionary economics. Contributors include: P. Adams, W. Bai, L.R. Cavalcante, X. Chen, R.A. Filgueiras de Sousa, B. Guo, S. Hong, Q. Li, A. Madhavan, F. Malerba, S. Mani, B.C.P. Oliveira de Araujo

The public space of democracies is constructed in a context that is marked by the digital transformation of the economy and society. This construction is carried out primarily through deliberation. Deliberation informs and guides both individual and collective action. To shed light on the concept of deliberation, it is important to consider the rationality of choice; but what type of rationality is this? References to economic reason are at once widespread, crucial and controversial. This book therefore deals with arguments used by individuals based on the notions of preferential choice and rational behavior, and also criticizes them. These arguments are examined in the context of the major themes of public debate that help to construct the contemporary public space: "populism", social insurance, social responsibility and environmental issues. Economic Reason and Political Reason underlines the importance of the pragmatist shift of the 2000s and revisits, through the lens of this new approach, the great utilitarian and Rawlsian normative constructs that dominated normative political economics at the end of the 20th century. Alternative approaches, based on the concept of deliberative democracy, are proposed and discussed.

Offering a thorough assessment of recent developments in the economic literature on happiness and quality of life, this major research handbook astutely considers both methods of estimation and policy application. Luigino Bruni and Pier Luigi Porta's refreshing, and constructively critical, approach emphasizes the subject's integral impact on latter-day capitalism.Expert contributors critically present in-depth research on a wide range of topics including: - the history of the idea of quality of life and the impact of globalization - links between happiness and health - comparisons between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being - the relational and emotional side of human life, including subjective indicators of well-being - genetic and environmental contributions to life satisfaction - the impact of culture, fine arts and new media. Accessible and far-reaching, the Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Happiness and Quality of Life will prove an invaluable resource for students and scholars of welfare and economics as well as practicing psychologists and researchers. Contributors: M. Bianchi, L. Bruni, L. Crivelli, S. Della Bella, A. Delle Fave, E. Diener, E. Granata, M. Guerini, P. Krause, B. Lopez Noval, M. Lucchini, F. Maggino, H.A. Marujo, N. Matteucci, C. Miller, J. Morozink Boylan, L.M. Neto, G. Nuvolati, A. Pelloni, P.L. Porta, M. Rojas, C.D. Ryff, A. Sen, M.J. Sirgy, L. Stanca, L. Tay, R. Veenhoven, S. Vieira Lima

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. How can financial services, such as credit, deposit accounts, financial transfers, and insurance be provided to people in need? This challenging and complex issue has been a topic of interest for the international aid community for decades. Drawing on renowned experts in microfinance and financial inclusion, this Research Agenda sheds much-needed light on this multifaceted challenge and points the way ahead for future research. Providing a critical and multidisciplinary approach to research in microfinance and financial inclusion, the authors provide a state-of-the-art overview of current scholarly knowledge on the provision of financial services to disadvantaged populations worldwide. Reviewing the literature on the subject from the fields of economics, management science and development studies, they discuss the limitations and challenges of current research and chart avenues for future developments. With its fascinating insights, this Research Agenda will be of interest to students of finance and economics, development, and business and management, as well as researchers with a specific interest in microfinance and financial inclusion. Contributors include: J. Bastiaensen, A. Cozarenco, B. D'espallier, K.O. Djan, M. Duvendack, A. Garcia, J. Goedecke, I. Guerin, V. Hartarska, B. Hathaway, N. Hermes, F. Huybrechs, R. Lensink, R. Mersland, J. Morduch, S. Morvant, D. Nadolnyak, T. Ogden, J.-M. Servet, T.W. Sommeno, A. Szafarz, G. Van Hecken, B. Venet, L. Weill, T. Wry, S. Zamore

This unique book examines how sports betting markets function. Charting recent international developments, expert contributors consider how both bookmakers and stakeholders view these changes, their prime areas of concern and the potential methods for addressing them. Providing a rigorous economic analysis throughout, this book examines the informational efficiency of betting markets and the prevalence of corruption and illegal betting in sports. Against this background, chapters explore pertinent questions such as: should gambling markets be privatized? Is the `hot hand' hypothesis real or a myth? Are the `many' smarter than the `few' in estimating betting odds? How are prices set in fixed odds betting markets? Chapters also review important policy concerns such as the health implications posed by the potential link between the accelerating popularity of sports betting and the decline in sports participation. Academics and students studying economics, sports economics and, more specifically, sports betting will find this book an engaging companion. Contemporary and up to date, it will also appeal to stakeholders looking to widen their professional insight. Contributors include: B. Buraimo, X. Che, S. Dobson, A. Feddersen, D. Forrest, J. Garcia, J. Goddard, K. Grote, B. Humphreys, V. Matheson, R. Paul, D. Peel, L. Perez, P. Rodriguez, J. Ruseski, R. Simmons, P. Westmoreland, A. Weinbach, R. Wheeler, J. Yang

Tucked into the files of Iowa State University's Cooperative Extension Service is a small, innocuous looking pamphlet with the title Lenders: Working through the Farmer-Lender Crisis. Cooperative Extension Service intended this publication to improve bankers' empathy and communication skills, especially when facing farmers showing "Suicide Warning Signs." After all, they were working with individuals experiencing extreme economic distress, and each banker needed to learn to "be a good listener." What was important, too, was what was left unsaid. Iowa State published this pamphlet in April of 1986. Just four months earlier, farmer Dale Burr of Lone Tree, Iowa, had killed his wife, and then walked into the Hills Bank and Trust company and shot a banker to death in the lobby before taking shots at neighbors, killing one of them, and then killing himself. The unwritten subtext of this little pamphlet was "beware." If bankers failed to adapt to changing circumstances, the next desperate farmer might be shooting.This was Iowa in the 1980s. The state was at the epicenter of a nationwide agricultural collapse unmatched since the Great Depression. In When a Dream Dies, Pamela Riney-Kehrberg examines the lives of ordinary Iowa farmers during this period, as the Midwest experienced the worst of the crisis. While farms failed and banks foreclosed, rural and small-town Iowans watched and suffered, struggling to find effective ways to cope with the crisis. If families and communities were to endure, they would have to think about themselves, their farms, and their futures in new ways. For many Iowan families, this meant restructuring their lives or moving away from agriculture completely. This book helps to explain how this disaster changed children, families, communities, and the development of the nation's heartland in the late twentieth century. Agricultural crises are not just events that affect farms. When a Dream Dies explores the Farm Crisis of the 1980s from the perspective of the two-thirds of the state's agricultural population seriously affected by a farm debt crisis that rapidly spiraled out of their control. Riney-Kehrberg treats the Farm Crisis as a family event while examining the impact of the crisis on mental health and food insecurity and discussing the long-term implications of the crisis for the shape and function of agriculture.