This painstakingly-researched book examines liberal predictions of the last generation to see what those predictions show about this important element of American political thought. The predictions do not fare well, for reasons that reveal crucial aspects of the thinking behind them. Writers forecast everything from the end of capitalism to twenty more Vietnams; some of the same people who now predict global warming were, in the 1970s, predicting global cooling; and many people expected the fall of the Shah would bring in an era of democracy in Iran. Academic researchers will find the book a unique examination of political theory; conservative readers will find it full of humorous debating points; and even liberals will be led to wonder what went wrong.

An investigation of American technical missions in foreign lands.

The introduction of new technology and technological services worldwide has ushered in a new wave of peer-to-peer and access-driven companies that are disrupting the most established business categories. The emergence of these new business models has upset the flow in contemporary society and transformed people's behavior towards sharing-based economies. Companies and entrepreneurs can see this significant change in people's behavior as both an opportunity and a threat. Sharing Economy and the Impact of Collaborative Consumption provides emerging research on the impact that the sharing services are having on society as well as the importance of the sharing economy development in the coming years, dealing with relevant issues such as regulations, the technological aspects involved in these platforms, the impact in the tourism sector, and consumer behavior in relation to these services. Multidisciplinary in nature, this publication establishes links between economics, finance, marketing, consumer behavior, and IT, and covers topics that include e-commerce, consumer behavior, and peer economy. It is ideally designed for researchers, students, business professionals, and entrepreneurs seeking current research on the impact that this industry has on various economic, marketing, and societal aspects of different countries.

This book provides an overview of perspectives and approaches to the cultural meaning of sport volunteering in different countries. The main objective is to reflect on the diversity of meanings with regard to volunteering in different cultures and societies. Additionally, this book will shed light on volunteering practices and the impact of volunteering from both an economic and a sociological perspective. The book begins with an introductory section that gives an overview of the rationale of the text and the diversity of sport volunteers in general. From there, the book's 25 chapters each discuss a specific country case study provided by researchers from the respective country. These studies provide a comprehensive overview of volunteering in each country, such as motivations of volunteers, satisfaction of volunteers, their perceived cost and benefits, and many other areas related to the overall study. By having twenty-five different countries represented and a native of each country authoring the respective chapters, this book serves as a comprehensive and diverse review of sports volunteering around the world and can be incorporated into courses in economics - particularly those dealing with sports economics - and can also be used as a reference for volunteer organizations and sports economists worldwide.

This is the fifth edition of this handbook, which presents statistical data concerning the foreign economic relations of the European member countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA): Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR. It also includes information on Yugoslavia. The handbook provides facts and figures on international trade flows, and on turnover in selected trade commodities between the supranational trading groups such as OECD, EEC, EFTA, and CMEA, and between CMEA members. It also provides information on international indebtedness.

The reference commences with comprehensive indicators of CMEA countries' foreign trade; then presents data from official publications of the CMEA countries and Yugoslavia. (Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic, Romania, and the USSR do not report their trade by commodity group; this information can be obtained to some extent from the other sorces listed in parts II and III.) Part III is based on Western statistical sources. It details East-West trade, trade of the industrialized West, and trade of eight individual industrialized countries with the individual COMECON countries, all broken fown by SITC commodity groups. Part III is based solely on UN statistics. The final part of the handbook is devoted to currency, balance of payments, and indebtedness. Some of the official exchange rate quotations and balance of payments data is from national publications of Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia; the remainder of the information consists of estimates by Western scholars and institutions. Much of the information presented here is not readily available, as many of the sources are published only in the languages of the COMECON countries. Combined with the data published by Western sources, this results in a well-rounded and up-to-date picture of current affairs. The register of soures lists 50 titles, including statistical yearbooks and periodicals from CMEA and Western countries and international organizations. A detailed list of tables and an alphabetical index will facilitate easy access to information. This guide will be an important reference for individuals in corporations and academia who are involved with international trade, particularly in the area of Eastern Europe.

An emerging area of study in today's society is the increasing number of crowdfunding platforms across the world. Crowdfunding plays an integral role in global economic development as they are continuing to multiply throughout various professional disciplines. Empirical research is needed that covers the recent growth of crowdfunding projects and assists researchers and experts in providing knowledge on the economic impact of this trend. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Crowdfunding Platforms is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the emerging programs of crowdfunding in the global digital economy and its numerous applications in professional industries. While highlighting topics such as digital entrepreneurship, business intelligence, and e-commerce, this publication explores the latest findings as well as the risks and limitations of crowdfunding. This book is ideally designed for researchers, managers, practitioners, economists, academicians, instructors, sociologists, developers, consultants, policymakers, and students seeking developing research on crowdfunding platforms and the latest trends in various disciplines.

Monetary incentives, as a driving force for human behavior, are the main theme of this book. The primary goals underlying the application of monetary incentive systems in companies are motivating employees to strive for superior productivity in line with the interests of employers, and hiring adequately skilled employees. The first goal refers to incentive effects, the latter to sorting effects. This book introduces important theories and concepts concerning behavior under influence of monetary incentives; it reviews existing economic frameworks and identifies specific contingency variables. Based on an integrative framework of elements influencing incentive and sorting effects, a laboratory experiment is presented including detailed methodological discussion on experimentation and data analysis as well as an extensive presentation of findings and discussion of implications.

1 Einleitung.- 1.1 Problemstellung.- 1.2 Vorgehensweise.- 2 Handelspolitische Konzepte und Umweltpolitik.- 2.1 Freihandel und Handelsliberalisierung.- 2.1.1 Smith, Ricardo und die Natur.- 2.1.2 Marktversagen und naturliche Ressourcen.- 2.1.3 OEkonomische Loesungen bei Marktversagen mit negativen Umweltauswirkungen.- 2.1.4 Die oekologische Kritik am neoliberalen Ansatz des Umweltschutzes.- 2.1.5 Konstanter Rohstoffverbrauch.- 2.2 Entwicklung der Umweltoekonomie nach oekologischer Kritik.- 2.2.1 Neue Impulse durch die OEkologische Umweltoekonomie.- 2.2.2 Der Mainstream der Umweltoekonomie.- 2.3 Zusammenfassung.- 3 Handel, Umweltschutz und zwischenstaatliche Beziehungen.- 3.1 Handelspolitische Effekte auf die Umweltpolitik.- 3.1.1 Produkteffekte.- 3.1.2 Skaleneffekte.- 3.1.3 Struktureffekte.- 3.2 Auswirkungen der Umweltpolitik auf internationalen Handel.- 3.2.1 Umweltpolitische Instrumente.- 3.2.2 Politisch relevante Effekte umweltpolitischer Instrumente.- 3.3 Empirische Beobachtungen.- 3.3.1 Negative Auswirkungen.- 3.3.2 Positive Effekte.- 3.3.3 Umweltpolitische Handlungsmoeglichkeiten.- 3.4 Bewertung.- 3.4.1 Effekte des internationalen Handels auf internationale Umweltpolitik.- 3.4.2 Internationale Umweltschutzabkommen.- 3.5 Konflikte zwischen Entwicklungs- und Industrielandern.- 3.5.1 Positionen des Sudens im Querschnittsbereich von Handels- und Umweltpolitik.- 3.5.2 "Gruner Protektionismus" und "OEkoimperialismus".- 3.6 Fazit.- 4 Umweltschutz im GATT/WTO-System.- 4.1 Die Entwicklung des Welthandelssystems und die Integration von Umweltschutz.- 4.1.1 Vom GATT zur WTO.- 4.1.2 Grundprinzipien.- 4.1.3 Ausnahmen und institutionelle Probleme.- 4.1.4 Multilaterale Handelsrunden.- 4.1.5 Wichtige Weichenstellungen.- 4.1.6 Die WTO.- 4.2 Die WTO und Umweltschutz.- 4.2.1 Institutionelle Entwicklungen.- 4.2.1 Die Konferenz von Seattle und moegliche Folgen.- 4.2.2 Grunde fur das "Scheitern" und Blick in die Zukunft.- 4.3 Streitschlichtungsverfahren aufgrund umweltpolitischer Handelsmassnahmen.- 4.3.1 Entwicklung im GATT.- 4.3.2 Streitschlichtung in der WTO.- 4.3.3 Streitschlichtung bei umweltpolitischen Handelsmassnahmen.- 4.4 Eine vorlaufige Analyse der Schlichtungsverfahren.- 4.4.1 Internationale Umweltschutzabkommen.- 4.4.2 Produktions- und Prozessmethoden.- 4.4.3 ArtikelXX-Praambel.- 4.4.4 Artikel XX (b).- 4.4.5 Artikel XX (g).- 4.5 Das Komitee fur Handel und Umwelt.- 4.5.1 Institutionelle Entwicklung.- 4.5.2 Das CTE in der WTO.- 4.5.3 Das CTE-Arbeitsprogramm.- 4.5.4 Aktueller Diskussionsstand.- 4.5.5 OEffentliche Kritik.- 4.6 Implikationen.- 4.6.1 Die Suche nach dem Ausgleich.- 4.6.2 Implikationen der Streitfalle.- 4.6.3 Politoekonomische Zusammenhange.- 4.6.4 Grenzen der Abwagung.- 5 Die EU, Umweltschutz und Handelspolitik.- 5.1 Umweltpolitik im Binnenmarkt.- 5.1.1 Die Entwicklung der Umweltpolitik in der EU.- 5.1.2 Die Rechtsgrundlagen europaischer Umweltpolitik.- 5.1.3 Umweltpolitik und politische Integration.- 5.1.4 Kritik und Unzulanglichkeiten europaischer Umweltpolitik.- 5.1.5 Der Europaische Gerichtshof und umweltpolitische Handelsmassnahmen.- 5.2 Die internationale Dimension europaischer Umweltpolitik.- 5.2.1 Die Entwicklung internationaler Umweltpolitik der Gemeinschaft.- 5.2.2 Die EU als Akteur.- 5.2.3 Das 5. Umweltaktionsprogramm - "Hin zu Nachhaltigkeit".- 5.3 Die internationale Handelspolitik der Gemeinschaft.- 5.3.1 Die Position der Gemeinschaft im Welthandel.- 5.3.2 Die Rechtsgrundlagen.- 5.3.3 Handelspolitische Instrumente.- 5.3.4 Allgemeine Aspekte der gemeinschaftlichen Handelspolitik.- 5.4 Die Gemeinschaft und die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Umweltschutz und Handel.- 5.4.1 Die programmatische Diskussion uber Handel und Umwelt in der Gemeinschaft.- 5.4.2 Umweltpolitische Handelsmassnahmen der Gemeinschaft.- 5.4.3 Schlussfolgerungen.- 6 Schlussbetrachtung.- 6.1 Handelspolitische und umweltpolitische Konzepte.- 6.2 Die Wechselwirkungen in den zwischenstaatlichen Beziehungen.- 6.3 Die WTO und di

This book examines the modules/elements required before implementing knowledge management solutions in typical manufacturing and service industry. The objective is to develop a framework, design and model suitable for all requirements and a strategy to properly implement. Related case studies from organizations are included, with the results provided to use as a solution to problems experienced when implementing knowledge management in the industry. Implementing a knowledge management system can be complex and dynamic, no matter how well planned and developed. Inevitably a degree of organizational inertia is focused on the current state rather than the new. Within an enterprise, personal and group involvement and interests process status and technology landscape can deflect the commitment needed to successfully implement such a system. Cumulative evidence from past research in knowledge management suggests that effective implementation of KM solution in any organization requires a robust designs and models for various critical elements of process, people and technology. Using the techniques provided in this book, readers should be able to design knowledge management strategies, to align objectives of the KM initiatives with their business goals.

The development of physical productive forces is not cyclical, but we have a macroeconomic system that follows boom-and-bust cycles. If the development of physical productive power behaves in a boom-and-bust cyclical pattern, we have to tolerate the boom-and-bust cycle of macroeconomic output and the system as a whole. But if the progress of the physical productive power or the potential of the increment of physical productive power is progressive, it is not necessary to tolerate the cyclical behavior of the macroeconomic system. This does not mean that the business cycles of microeconomic system (which correspond to the performance of individual enterprises) should not be tolerated; instead, such cyclical behavior is necessary to ensure business efficiency that is based on consumer preferences. Businesses should be allowed to fail and new businesses should be allowed to emerge based on efficiency and consumer preferences. But macroeconomic system failures are not due to consumer preferences-but to the general illiquidity of consumers arising from a cyclical bad debt crisis as explained by the System Gap Theory. The illiquidity of consumers is not a physical phenomenon but a monetary phenomenon; and money that is not "real" is an abstract quantity, which we can control. That is why I strongly argue that we could have prevented the collapse of macroeconomic systems in the US and Europe in late 2007-and the continuing crisis can be resolved rather quickly if we change the monetary equation. To do it what was-and is-needed is a new macroeconomic policy tool and wisdom beyond the Federal Reserve.

The theories and case studies examined in this volume constitute a thorough study of foreign intervention in civil conflicts for the purpose of rendering humanitarian aid. The classical paradigm of the ethics of intervention forbids the violation of territorial sovereignty. Public international law and the UN charter also mandate nonintervention within the territorial boundaries of a state. Nevertheless, in recent years, as a result of brutal civil conflicts and their violent and inhumane consequences--as in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Cambodia--international aid interventions have become an accepted practice. Still, international humanitarian aid involves unsettled, controversial issues--dilemmas concerning donors, recipients, and international organizations. These issues, as well as the concepts of sovereignty, human rights, coercive interventions, and peacekeeping, are critically evaluated in this volume, which will be of interest to scholars and policymakers in international relations, human rights, and military affairs.

From America's first celebrated economist comes this 1912 textbook with a succinct yet highly informative introduction to economics as it was understood and practiced in the early 20th century. Fisher provides in-depth discussions of basic topics including: . wealth, property, and income . credit and debt . currency, prices, and monetary systems . supply and demand, capital and labor . poverty . and more. American economist IRVING FISHER (1867-1947) was professor of political economy at Yale University. Among his many books are The Rate of Interest (1907), Why Is the Dollar Shrinking? A Study in the High Cost of Living (1914), and Booms and Depressions (1932).

"Shark Tank...I watch it, I judge them. I also find that many times when other panelists talk about themselves and how they were successful, they are really talking about nothing more than hubris and luck. I rely on neither as they are unpredictable. This book is everything you should know about becoming a successful entrepreneur but no one took the time to tell you. "Come on my Journey. Learn the 3-3's- the 4 B's and the 4 P's-and let's feed those sharks to lions!!" says serial entrepreneur Elliot Harris, having participated in over $10 billion of underwritings over the past 2 decades. After a 22-year career on Wall Street, Elliot founded Ocelot18. Elliot has collaborated with owners and executives of growing businesses along with their advisors to develop sound business and strategic plans focused on maximizing and streamlining companies' potential. His practice focuses on providing growing businesses with tools, resources and strategies to maximize their potential.

This book provides an overview of the concept of economic psychology from behavioral and mathematical perspectives and related theoretical and empirical findings. Economic psychology is defined briefly as a general term for descriptive theories to explain the psychological processes of microeconomic behaviors and macroeconomic phenomena. However, the psychological methodology and knowledge of economic psychology have also been applied widely in such fields as economics, business administration, and engineering, and they are expected to become increasingly useful in the future-a trend suggested in several eminent scholars' studies. The book explains the numerous behavioral and mathematical models of economic psychology related to micro- and macroeconomic phenomena that have been proposed in the past, and introduces new models that are useful to explain human economic behaviors. It concludes with speculations about the future of modern economic psychology, referring to its connection with fields related to neuroscience, such as neuroeconomics, which have been developed in recent years. Readers require no advanced expertise; nonetheless, an introductory understanding of psychology, business administration, and economics, and a high- school-graduate level of mathematics are useful. To aid readers, each chapter includes a bibliography, which can be referred for more details related to economic psychology.

In January 1976, Raymond Barre, the first President of The Geneva Association, and Orio Giarini, its first Secretary General, founded The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance with the main goal of supporting and encouraging research in the economics of risk and insurance. At that time, research in the field of insurance was still embryonic and insurance was regarded as peripheral social activity. When sustained economic growth gained traction, the function of insurance gradually emerged as a key contributor to economic development. By integrating uncertainty into economic theory and benefiting from the progress of both financial economics and decision theory, research developed further in the field of insurance economics and risk management, and is now prolific. The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance undeniably contributed to this evolution and its impact on research in insurance has largely exceeded what its two founding members could have expected. This volume is a special collection of papers celebrating 40 Years of The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance. The collection looks back at the storied history of The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance and features papers from some of the esteemed authors who have contributed to the journal in its lifetime. This collection of papers highlights just a few of the many themes addressed in the papers published by the journal since it was created. Nevertheless, the selection exemplifies the richness and variety of topics the field of insurance covers.

With the rapid growth of global industrialization, there has been substantial consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas along with growing carbon dioxide emissions. Unprecedented environmental and ecological crisis clouded the world. Fortunately, the Climate Conference in Copenhagen signaled hope amid the sluggish global economic recovery. Countries worldwide have been braced for developing their scientific and industrial strategies in the era of post financial crisis with a green and low-carbon philosophy. In 2008, the UN unveiled a plan for green politics and green economy, which is well-received and carried out by countries worldwide. China s 30-year rapid economic development has attracted worldwide attention. However, how to develop in a sustainable manner when faced with acute contradictions between economic growth, resources and environment has posed great challenges to China. Therefore, it is of great significance for us to speed up the study of green development and find a rational growth model. This study is completed by Prof. Li Xiaoxi and the dedication of other leading thinkers in economics, management, environment and resources together with the help of China Economic Monitoring and Analysis Center (CEMA)."

Pereira and Mattei bring contributors together in this exciting volume to further understanding about the recent Brazilian Economic Development Model and discuss the related social conditions. The authors analyze both the political economy and social public policies to highlight new opportunities to create a sustainable development model.

What has been the impact of the rise of new social risks and of the recent economic crisis on social cohesion of contemporary cities in Europe? Based on original research carried out in twenty cities in ten different countries, this book provides a new, extensive, empirically-based analysis of social and economic transformations driving the emergence of new social risks in European cities in the last two decades. What are the main factors and mechanisms contributing to the rise of social vulnerability in urban contexts? What are the material conditions and coping strategies adopted by vulnerable groups to deal with these risks? And, finally, what is the role played by local welfare systems in times of welfare retrenchment at the national level? The focus of the book is on urban contexts: it is in cities that most of the new social risks are concentrated and welfare policies face the most dramatic tensions in times of austerity.

This book presents a life-oriented approach, which is an interdisciplinary methodology proposed for cross-sectoral urban policy decisions such as transport, health, and energy policies. Improving people's quality of life (QOL) is one of the common goals of various urban policies on the one hand, while QOL is closely linked with a variety of life choices on the other. The life-oriented approach argues that life choices in different domains (e.g., residence, neighborhood, health, education, work, family life, leisure and recreation, finance, and travel behavior) are not independent of one another, and ignorance of and inability to understand interdependent life choices may result in a failure of consensus building for policy decisions. The book provides evidence about behavioral interdependencies among life domains based on both extensive literature reviews and case studies covering a broad set of life choices. This work further illustrates interbehavioral analysis frameworks with respect to various life domains, along with a rich set of future research directions. This book deals with life choices in a relatively general way. Thus, it can serve not only as a reference for research, but also as a textbook for teaching and learning in varied behavior-related disciplines.