Poverty alleviation is a central aim of economic and social policy, and yet there is no consensus about what poverty means or how it is best measured. Often, the households below an income poverty line are counted as poor, but there may be no firm basis for concentrating on that particular income level. There may also be wide variations among the households below any income poverty line in terms of their actual living standards. This book explores what poverty means in developed countries, and shows that understanding and measuring it requires widening the focus beyond current income. By using broader measures of resources and information on living patterns and concrete indicators of deprivation, it shows how those who are effectively excluded from participation in society due to lack of resources can be more accurately identified, and the processes producing such exclusion better understood. The core issue of this book is how to define and measure poverty in relatively rich countries in a way which is valid, meaningful in the context, and valuable for policy-making. Extensive analysis of data from a specially designed survey of a large representative sample of Irish households is used to illustrate the arguments.

Contemporary studies on social structure and the world political economy tend to be concerned primarily with present conditions and what these promise--or threaten for the future of the planet. The authors of this volume have taken a less fashionable stance, looking instead to the recent past and the pivotal historical moments that have formed the world we live in. Consisting of fourteen essays contributed by an international group of specialists, Rethinking the Nineteenth Century examines the social formations of that period and integrates them into a modern theoretical framework. The broad issues of class and state formation, imperialism and nationalism, and ascent and decline in the world system are the central focus of the book.

Nearly half of the Third World debt, or about $400 million, is owed by Latin America. How this has come about and what it means for Latin America's future are the subjects of twelve essays by experts on the Latin American debt problem. Despite their widely varied backgrounds and interests, the contributors aim toward a clearer understanding of the meaning of the debt problem and where it may be headed. A background sketch of the problem is provided, as is an account of attempts to cope with the protracted crisis. Detailed discussions follow of the largest debtors, including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The situations of the small Central American and Caribbean states are also treated. Finally, the volume explores the question of whether sovereign lending is really good business for banks or a good solution for these countries.

This study focuses on a sample of occupational groups representative of the Mittelstand in the city of Hamburg - white-collar workers, artisans, retailers, civil servants and house owners - and examines the strains imposed by the infaltionary conditions on each group, seriously questioning the commonly-held interpretation of the Infaltion's effects and chronology.

This volume fills a gap in the literature by analyzing basic issues in development economics as they affect a particular type of Third World nation - small island economies. Using practical examples from the Caribbean Basin and the South Pacific, the authors examine in depth structural and employment issues, demographic and socioeconomic issues, and environmental and natural resource issues. Their aim throughout is to identify and assess the particular and unique development problems faced by small island economies so that effective policies can be derived that will more accurately reflect socioeconomic realities in these areas.

Following an introductory overview, the authors discuss the role of staple exports in the economic well being of small island economies as well as issues relating to manufacturing and service sector activities and the structural and employment impacts of tourism. In Part Two, they turn to an exploration of demographic and socioeconomic issues including the effects of urbanization on the development process, the implications of migration from and between small island nations, the brain drain problem, and the relationship between criminal activity and development. Part Three shifts the focus from people-oriented issues to concerns related to agriculture and resource utilization. Separate chapters address agriculture in the developmental mix, the use of fisheries, forest resources, minerals, and conservation issues. The final section looks at the international considerations raised by the study and outlines the policy implications of the authors' findings. Students of development economics, international trade, and finance will find this an invaluable contribution to the greater understanding of the specific development problems faced by small island economies.

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) will have far-reaching consequences for participating nations. This book contains a unique and editorially neutral collection of key arguments favouring and opposing membership. The economic and policy implications are evaluated by distinguished economists, whilst the impact upon national sovereignty and the world of work is debated by prominent MPs and representatives of business and trade union organisations. The text provides an unbiased, comprehensive and 'readable' resource for specialist students and a general readership.

The author discusses the experience of Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in a broad analytical and empirical framework. He displays a deep knowledge of post-Communist transition and provides an interesting analysis of various sectors of the transitional economy. - Professor Leszek Balcerowicz, President of the National Bank of Poland. Vladimer Papava has written an insightful account of the policy mistakes and successes of the economic transition in Georgia. This highly readable work flags mistakes pushed by outsiders, such as overly complicated regulatory legislation, and the failures of Georgia's own politicians, most notably, allowing a permissive climate for corruption - Dr. Keith Crane, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation. Drawing on the Georgian experience, Professor Papava explores the transformation of Communist societies into market economies. Particular attention is paid to the problems presented by hopelessly uncompetitive industries (necroeconomy), the difficulty in establishing an effective tax system, and the successes and mistakes of the International Monetary Fund. - Professor Louis Ederington, University of Oklahoma. transition in Georgia by a scientist and practitioner with a front-row view of the events. The book also provides a useful overview of economic thought on transition to market. It will prove equally interesting for economists and laypeople. - Dr. Ben Slay, Director, Bratislava Regional Centre, UNDP.

The book focuses on how microfinance institutions can be the alternative way to supply funds to combat different phases of global economic recessions. Also, it emphasizes upon their capabilities in reducing poverty and inequality as the countries of the world today aim to attain the goal of sustainable development. The book further deals with the challenges that the micro financial institutions may face while sustain in the competitive and vast changing global business environment. Finally, the book analyses the effectiveness of micro financial services for the emergence of micro, small and medium enterprises with new technology and innovations which, in turn, can be instrumental in ensuring new relocation of global supply chains.

This volume brings together business, government and academic representatives from the United States, Pacific and Asian nations to address issues of regional economic cooperation in the Pacific Basin. The contributors focus particularly on cooperation in five areas: development, commodities, technology, human resources, and issues and directions. Their papers explore both the broad questions of cooperation in regional economic development and more practical concerns such as appropriate technology, political constraints, and foreign aid. Invaluable supplemental reading for courses in economic development and comparative economics, "Pacific Cooperation and Development" provides important new insights into the dynamics of economic development in an increasingly critical global market.

In the decades after World War II, inflation undermined the aspiration for full employment in Australia. This book tells the story of how the Australian state was shaped by the confrontation with monetary instability: a pre-history of neoliberalism.

This edited volume, with contributions by area experts, offers discussions on a range of evolving topics in economics and social development. At center are important issues central to sustainable development, economic growth, technological change, the economics of climate change, commodity markets, long wave theory, non-linear dynamic models, and boom-bust cycles. This is an excellent reference for academic and professional economists interested in emerging areas of empirical macroeconomics and finance. For policy makers and curious readers alike, it is also an outstanding introduction to the economic thinking of those who seek a holistic and all-compassing approach in economic theory and policy. Looking into new data and methodology, this book offers fresh approaches in a post-crisis environment. Set in a profound understanding of the diverse currents within the many traditions of economic thought, this book pushes the established frontiers of economic thinking. It is dedicated to a leading scholar in the areas covered in this book, Willi Semmler.

This second edition explores how money 'works' in the modern economy and synthesises the key principles of Modern Money Theory, exploring macro accounting, currency regimes and exchange rates in both the USA and developing nations.

Standard equilibrium economic models focus on interdependencies. In Out of Equilibrium, Amendola and Gaffard develop a theory also dealing with interdependencies, but based on disequilibria, which take the form of feedback mechanisms over time. The way in which these disequilibria interact sequentially determines the evolution path of an economy. As a result, different processes may be associated with any kind of original shock. Whereas in equilibrium models these processes are determined by the 'fundamentals' of the economy, here the outcome is heavily influenced by the processes themselves, the sequential decisions taken, and policies followed. The model proposed in this book is a heuristic tool that makes it possible to explore these `disequilibria'. By using it, economic phenomena and policy recommendations appear entirely different, and in most cases the interpretations made are diametrically opposite to those advocated by the dominant equilibrium theory, thus giving a new perspective on the recent past of the Western economies.

This study quantifies the relationships between the economies of the Unites States and Japan on an industrially disaggregated basis. It links two large-scale econometric models of the U.S. and Japan in the framework of the world model system (Project LINK). These models are useful not only for forecasts and aggregate policy studies, but also for detailed investigation of industrial changes and trade policy on sectoral output employment, trade balance, and inflation in both countries. The interactions with other parts of the world are also taken into account. Applications to policy changes and exchange rate variations illustrate the potential of the model system and provide a powerful insight into the operation of two closely integrated economies. A pioneering effort to link quantitatively the relationships between the economies of the United States and Japan, this volume will be of interest to economists and policymakers here and abroad.

Measurement of intangible benefits is a major problem for governments, commercial organizations, academics, and professionals involved in such disciplines as accountancy and economics. But it doesn't have to be difficult.

"Measuring Intangible Value" brings clarity and understanding to this complex issue. Utilizing more than seven years of research into the concept of intangible value measurement, David I.W. Taylor attempts to bring two theories of intangible measurement together through the application of a redefined concept of value. These two theories include Michael Porter's value chain research and Thomas Saaty's structured decision-making method, analytical hierarchic process, and analytical network process.

This study also develops the use of Porter's value chain theory to develop a process by which value can be categorized and then measured, and also considers identification of intangible benefits through categorization. These categories are then formulated as to the least amount of groupings necessary to assist in the options appraisal of project outcomes through the quantification of structured decision-making.

"Measuring Intangible Value" brilliantly forges a relationship between academic theories to create a practical business model perfect for those in any type of organization

Two important new developments have occurred that have significant impact on the evolution of econometrics, namely, the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the information revolution in nearly all economies of the world.

The information revolution has had significant effect on data flows, making them much more timely, accessible, and descriptive of more parts of the economy. At the same time, it has changed the industrial structure of many economies, giving rise to increasing importance of the tertiary sectors (e.g. services). The new generation of hardware and software enables econometricians to handle larger and more complex problems, especially those that are data intensive and computer intrusive.

These major events require reconsideration and redrafting of some of the materials of the original edition.

The present volume retains the original structure of "Lectures on Microeconomic Theory" and takes up principles of constructing dynamic macroeconometric models and their use in economic analyses and forecasting, while introducing many updates, revisions and extensions. The description of the econometric methodology has been limited to specific applications of time series analysis, and the title has been changed to "Principles of Macroeconometric Modeling."

The first four chapters discuss the principles of specifying equations of structural macromodels, covering both developed marked economies, transition economies and world-wide models. The remaining chapters cover some major issues in the use of macromodels. The point of departure is model simulation, especially of the prevailing non-linear models, which is followed by model validation. The analysis of model dynamics covers economic fluctuations and the relevant implications of non-stationarity. The use of macromodels in policy analysis is presented next; it includes multiplier analysis and scenario simulations. The monograph ends up with forecasting being a special case of simulation analysis.

This is an especially impressive study, one really without equal in terms of its coverage and sophistication. . . . While the analysis is predominately neoclassical, it is sensibly and sensitively done, and there is much to be learned from these pages on the immense difficulties involved in designing and implementing appropriate small-state economic policy. The tug of economic reality facing small economies in an open-world economy make the push coming from internal interests a real balancing act, as Worrell appreciates. There are other points one might have liked Worrell to have touched upon, but this work is really in a class by itself; there is no other general economic study of the region that is even remotely comparable. "Choice"

Dr. Worrell has been Director of Economic Research at the Central Bank of Barbados for over ten years. During this time he has observed firsthand the economic fluctuations in the Caribbean, advised the Barbados Government on policy, and written about the issues. "Small Island EconomieS" offers the author's reflections on the English-speaking Caribbean's economic performance during the last fifteen years. This insightful volume will be of use to specialists of developing and comparative economies and third world scholars, as well as those concerned with present-day international relationships.

Herbert Hoover, as Secretary of Commerce, and Benjamin Strong, as Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, played a critical role in the formulation of American monetary policy during the 1920s. Yet little attention has been given to the relationship between them--at first cooperative, then increasingly one of conflict and factionalism--or to the impact of that relationship on policy formulation. This book sheds new light on their roles in policy making and relates those roles to larger conflicts over where policy should be made, how the Federal Reserve System should be structured, and the balance that should be struck between international, national, and regional considerations.

Focusing on the Hoover-Strong relationship from a political rather than a purely economic perspective, the book's scope includes both domestic and international aspects of Federal Reserve policy formulation. New sources have enabled the author to provide both fresh details and a broader interpretation. Elaborating on the belief that the Depression resulted from policies developed during the autumn of 1927, the author contends that the foundation for those policies was laid with America's decision to underwrite the Dawes plan, the decision to underwrite England's return to the gold standard, and the involvement in European monetary stabilization--all issues over which Hoover and Strong disagreed.

The second of two works resulting from the author's extensive study of energy and the world economy, this book examines the international macroeconomic aspects of energy adjustment. Specifically, the author analyzes the ways in which economies adjust to external shocks, particularly the oil price shock and other energy market changes of the 1970s and early 1980s. He seeks to put the recessions experienced by industrial countries during the last decade in historical and analytical perspective, arguing that with the increasing openness of the world economy, the effects of the domestic policies of the industrial economies are increasingly relevant to the economic prospects of developing countries. He argues further that the apparent problems of the global economy during the post-1973 era--stagnant growth, inflation, the international debt crisis, and rising protectionism--are in part the result of a deterioration in the economic performance of industrial countries.

The author begins by examining the effects of energy supply disturbances on the world economy. Subsequent chapters explore such issues as challenges to economic stabilization policy; the impact of external shocks on the economies of less developed countries, especially with regard to inflation and balance of payments problems; the relationship between world payment imbalances and recycling problems; and the link between energy markets and the international debt crisis. Finally, the author provides a theoretical framework for the international adjustment to energy shocks, focusing on flexible exchange-rate policy responses to exogenous shocks in the 1970s and the contribution of exchange rate misalignment to the international debt crisis of the 1980s.

In the aftermath of the stock market crash, Irving Fisher pointed to the electrification of the U.S. industry as one of the underlying causes of the stock market boom. Earlier, in 1927, Brookings Institution economists had lamented the scant attention energy had received from economists. Today, some 60 years later, power remains the forgotten factor input. In this book, the author incorporates energy into the corpus of economic analysis. Unlike previous attempts, which were mostly theoretical, this work generates testable predictions. The result is a model of production based on the two universal factor inputs--broadly defined energy and broadly defined organization.

Once the model of production is developed, the book then tests an empirical model with data from U.S., German, and Japanese manufacturing. The results are used to reexamine the role of energy in productivity slowdown. When the empirically and theoretically correct model of production is used, the Solow residual disappears: growth in manufacturing value added is fully accounted for by growth in energy, capital, and labor.

Growth, Employment, Inequality, and the Environment deals with the fundamental economic problems of our time: employment, inequality, the environment, and quality of life. These exciting new volumes are the first of their kind in which these problems are analyzed using a unified theory framework.

Assuming little or no background knowledge and using original examples and exercises (with answers supplied), Understanding Phonetics provides you with an accessible introduction to the basics of phonetics and a comprehensive analysis of traditional phonetic theory - the articulation and physical characteristics of speech sounds. Examples from a wide range of languages are presented throughout using symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet. To help you develop your skills in this alphabet, Understanding Phonetics includes ear-training exercises that are freely available online, along with audio files of authentic listening material, for you to download from www.routledge.com/cw/ashby. Understanding Phonetics outlines the production of consonants, vowels, phonation types, pitch and intonation, and aspects of connected speech. Reading through chapter by chapter, you will see your knowledge develop as you engage in the step-by-step phonetic study of a selected word. Understanding Phonetics is designed to be used not only as a class textbook but also for self-study. It can be read systematically or used for reference purposes.

This book offers a critical perspective on the issues related to women's empowerment, microfinance, and entrepreneurship in India. Written by distinguishing experts in this field, this book highlights women's empowerment, which is a process of entrusting power to an individual on the control over resources and decisions. However, these two factors are less effective in a society where religion and cultural dominance is high. The book sheds light on the social security measures undertaken by the government aiming to the right to work helped women who are bounded by social restrictions. Over time there is a shift in rural occupational structure towards non-farm activities, which is largely distress driven self-employment. Access to credit is a great source to provide self-employment that develops self-esteem among women and uplift their position. The book highlights the discrimination against women entrepreneurs in access to credit led to gender biased entrepreneurial society. Association with self-help groups (SHGs) has made women more socially empowered. SHG members help them to change their life in a positive manner through micro-entrepreneurial activities. The book has emphasized on the role of microfinance, which has served the poor to become financially self-reliant. It is observed that for second generation borrowers, the impact of microfinance seems to fizzle out, where MFIs who are gaining efficiency are diverting their objective of servicing poor, signalling a sign of mission drift.

This book is a quarterly forecast and analysis report on the Chinese economy. It is published twice a year and presents ongoing results from the "China Quarterly Macroeconomic Model (CQMM)," a research project at the Center for Macroeconomic Research (CMR) at Xiamen University. Based on the CQMM model, the research team forecast major macroeconomic indicators for the next 8 quarters, including the rate of GDP growth, the CPI, fixed-asset investment, resident consumption and foreign trade. At the same time it focuses on simulation of current macroeconomic policies in China. In addition to helping readers understand China's economic trend and policy guide, this book has three main goals: to help readers understand China's economic performance; to forecast the main macroeconomic indicators for the next 8 quarters; and to simulate the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies.

Confident in the knowledge that the U.S.was the dominant world economic power, state leaders paid little attention to economic development after World War II. Then, with increasing competition from Asia, Germany, and South America, the recession of the 1980s, and the Reagan cutbacks in assistance to states, they began to place more emphasis on state economic development, finding that earlier policies did little to help their states develop economically. Today, the pursuit of state economic development is so intense it pushes other issues to the back burner. Examining the impact of interest groups on state economic development policies, this book helps to account for some of the forces that have molded development policy during this crucial time.

With the reemergence of economic development as a policy issue, state policy makers have developed over 300 distinct policies. What causes state officials to adopt or modify specific policies is open to debate. Investigating a series of variables believed to influence variations in state economic policies, the author finds that contemporary theories do not adequately explain the relationship between the lobbying efforts of interest groups and differences in economic development policies.