It is generally agreed that food, clothing and shelter are the three basic material needs of all people. A simple test for the successfulness of any economic system may therefore be the extent to which it succeeds in providing the population with these commodities. One would conjecture that in the countries that are generally considered as highly developed there would be no problems at all with their availability. And although this conjecture is to a large extent, confirmed by the evidence, it is nevertheless surprising that in western economies with the high per capita incomes housing is still an important object for public concern. Food and clothing are abundantly available in these countries, but the provision of housing is often an object of serious policy concern. To mention one striking example : in the Netherlands there still exist official figures that mention housing shortages of ten thousends of dwellings. This state of affairs is not mentioned here to motivate an exaggerated view on housing problems in Western countries. The situation in the Netherlands and comparable countries is indeed much better than that in underdeveloped countries and a comparison with developing countries would presumably show figures which are comparable to those for food or clothing. The point I want to make is that even in highly developed market economies where the availability of food and clothing is quite satisfactory, the availability of dwellings often is not.

The sense one gets from this most interesting book is that the change Nasser wrought in the Egyptian economy was more out of expediency than out of ideological commitment. According to Hosseinzadeh, those who argue that Nasser's development path was noncapitalist or socialist are wrong; he presents their arguments and refutes them. Indeed Egypt's path, he argues, was closer to state capitalism than to any other path. . . . Highly recommended for faculty, advanced undergraduates, and graduate students. "Choice"

This clear, comprehensive book examines the theoretical, ideological, and political aspects of the official Soviet approach to Third World economic development. Of particular interest is the analysis of the so-called theory of non-capitalist (NCD) path to socialism, which is studied both theoretically and empirically. The author traces the history of thought leading to successive versions of this theory and provides a persuasive critique of it. This history begins with Marx and Lenin, continues with Trotsky and the resolutions of the Comintern Congresses of the 1920s, and leads through the Stalin era to the influence of Soviet experiences with national and social movements in the Third World. The book ends with recent reassessments of the Soviet approach to Third World developments under Gorbachev and his co-thinkers. This definitive work is of value to all those interested in Soviet studies, Third World--especially Middle East--studies, and the study of Soviet-Third World relations in general.

The author challenges Soviet Third World experts by examining the substance of their theories and the relevance of their policies from a Marxist point of view. The claims of these experts are tested against the actual developments of Nasser's Egypt, the most frequently cited case of non-capitalist development. The study of the case of Egypt focuses on the extensive nationalizations that were implemented under the Free Officers' rule, the philosophy of those nationalizations, the character of state capitalist regimes and their tendency toward expanding the public sector, the differences between socialism and state capitalism, and the like.

First published in 1991, during a significant stagnation in the Israeli economy, this title discusses the causes of the economic downturn, and assesses the country's prospects. Throughout, Aharoni measures the economic problems Israel has endured against the social and economic successes it has been able to achieve. He highlights the incongruities of the aspirations of Israel's founders and supporters and the reality, as well as the interplay of economic and political forces that have shaped this. With a detailed introduction to the ideology and development of the state of Israel, and a history of the Israeli economy and its institutional structure, this title will be of significant value to any student studying the economic history of Israel and the Middle East.

Econometric Business Cycle Research deals with econometric business cycle research (EBCR), a term introduced by the Nobel-laureate Jan Tinbergen for his econometric method of testing (economic) business cycle theories. EBCR combines economic theory and measurement in the study of business cycles, i.e., ups and downs in overall economic activity. We assess four methods of EBCR: business cycle indicators, simultaneous equations models, vector autoregressive systems and real business indicators. After a sketch of the history of the methods, we investigate whether the methods meet the goals of EBCR: the three traditional ones, description, forecasting and policy evaluation, and the one Tinbergen introduced, the implementation-testing of business cycles. The first three EBCR methods are illustrated for the Netherlands, a typical example of a small, open economy. The main conclusion of the book is that simultaneous equation models are the best vehicle for EBCR, if all its goals are to be attained simultaneously. This conclusion is based on a fairly detailed assessment of the methods and is not over-turned in the empirical illustrations. The main conclusion does not imply the end of other EBCR methods. Not all goals have to be met with a single vehicle, other methods might serve the purpose equally well - or even better. For example, if one is interested in business cycle forecasts, one might prefer a business cycle indicator or vector autoregressive system. A second conclusion is that many ideas/concepts that play an important role in current discussions about econometric methodology in general and EBCR in particular, were put forward in the 1930s and 1940s. A third conclusion is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to compare the outcomes of RBC models to outcomes of the other three methods, because RBC modellers are not interested in modelling business cycles on an observation-per-observation basis. A more general conclusion in this respect is that methods should adopt the same concept of business cycles to make them comparable.

Many social scientists have explored the economic success of Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, each of which has experienced dramatic economic growth over a relatively short period of time. M. Shahid Alam presents a controversial thesis by emphasizing the interventionist character of the export-oriented approach to the success of these three countries. Concern with the rapid development of comparative advantage in the industries they have promoted has, he believes, distinguished these three economies. This concern has led to both market and non-market interventions with the trade regime, capital markets, market structures, etc. The book explores how Taiwan and Korea changed from import substitution to the export-oriented approach with significant success. The point is made that export-oriented economies make more demands on the government, so that success in different countries cannot be assured.

The book begins with an examination of export-oriented economies and the reasons for their success. Three separate chapters follow detailing the structure, choice and implementation of economic policies in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Finally, the book assesses export-oriented strategies and their application to other countries. Students and scholars of economics, business, and political science, will find this thought provoking book a source of stimulating ideas. In addition, the book has the potential for being used as a text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on East Asian economics and comparative economic development.

This text provides an integrated treatment of financial and operating strategies to exchange rate variability. The book analyzes theory and evidence on strategies for firms in handling exchange rate variability. The choice of price setting currency, when and how to adjust prices, the limitations of hedging and segmentation of national markets are some of the issues analyzed. The book investigates the impact of EMU. The non-technical presentation also makes it well suited to MBA students, practitioners or researchers who want an accessible synthesis of research in this area of economic theory and practice.

Managers are often under great pressure to improve the performance of their organizations. To improve performance, one needs to constantly evaluate operations or processes related to producing products, providing services, and marketing and selling products. Performance evaluation and benchmarking are a widely used method to identify and adopt best practices as a means to improve performance and increase productivity, and are particularly valuable when no objective or engineered standard is available to define efficient and effective performance. For this reason, benchmarking is often used in managing service operations, because service standards (benchmarks) are more difficult to define than manufacturing standards. Benchmarks can be established but they are somewhat limited as they work with single measurements one at a time. It is difficult to evaluate an organization's performance when there are multiple inputs and outputs to the system. The difficulties are further enhanced when the relationships between the inputs and the outputs are complex and involve unknown tradeoffs. It is critical to show benchmarks where multiple measurements exist. The current book introduces the methodology of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and its uses in performance evaluation and benchmarking under the context of multiple performance measures.

It is often said that everyone understands precisely what is meant by the notion of probability-except those who have spent their lives studying the matter. Upon close scrutiny, the intuitively obvious idea of probability becomes quite elusive. Is it a subjective or objective concept? Are random variables simply improperly measured deterministic variables, or inherently random? What is meant by the phrase "other things held constant" that often appears in descriptions of probability? These questions involve fundamental philosophical and scientific issues, and promise to elude definitive answers for some time. The same type of difficulty arises when attempting to produce a volume on microeconomic theory. The obvious first question-what is microeconomic theory?--

When Harold Fried, et al. published The Measurement of Productive Efficiency: Techniques and Applications with OUP in 1993, the book received a great deal of professional interest for its accessible treatment of the rapidly growing field of efficiency and productivity analysis. The first several chapters, providing the background, motivation, and theoretical foundations for this topic, were the most widely recognized. In this tight, direct update, these same editors have compiled over ten years of the most recent research in this changing field, and expanded on those seminal chapters. The book will guide readers from the basic models to the latest, cutting-edge extensions, and will be reinforced by references to classic and current theoretical and applied research. It is intended for professors and graduate students in a variety of fields, ranging from economics to agricultural economics, business administration, management science, and public administration. It should also appeal to public servants and policy makers engaged in business performance analysis or regulation.

This book analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the banking system reforms with particular reference to centrally planned economies. The book reviews the socialist banking reforms and analyses their financial problems. Employing a critical exposition of banking theories, it assesses current financial disorders and takes issue with some established theories.

This is the new edition of the highly acclaimed Latin America in the 1930s , a text which has proved invaluable for teachers, researchers and students alike. The second edition has been revised and updated, including a new preface and updated statistical material, to form the second volume in An Economic History of Twentieth-Century Latin America . This book confronts the puzzle of Latin America's rapid recovery from the collapse in world markets and capital flows in the late 1920s. It shows how far the safety valves which made recovery possible in the 1930s were not available fifty years later. It documents the impact of crisis on the changing role of the state and on institutional development. The Central American case studies have been updated with significantly improved data.

Huang examines a recurring pattern of rapid economic growth in East Asia from 1951 to the present and explores how far a single East Asian Growth model can be said to exist. Assessing the various theories put forward to explain the phenomenon and supported by the most comprehensive data, the book finds that methods of institutional enhancement were at the core of the growth. This institutional enhancement affected state structure and functions, economic policy, corporate arrangements, social structure and relations, individual behaviour, and domestic and international interaction. Each of these elements was a critical aspect of the growth system that defined and propelled the rapid growth.

Uncertainty could be associated with wisdom, enterprise, and discovery. In ordinary speech, however, it has mostly negative connotations. There is "fear of the unknown" and "ignorance is bliss;" there are maxims to the effect that "what you don't know doesn't hurt you" (or: "bother you") in several languages. This volume suggests that we need be bothered by the excessive confidence with which scientists, particularly social scientists, present some of their conclusions and overstate their range of application. Otherwise many of the questions that should be raised about all the major uncertainties attending a particular issue routinely may continue to be thwarted or suppressed. Down playing uncertainty does not lead to more responsible or surer action, it sidetracks research agendas, and leaves the decision makers exposed to nasty surprise. This volume demonstrates that recognizing the many forms of uncertainty that enter into the development of any particular subject matter is a precondition for more responsible choice and deeper knowledge. Our purpose is to contribute to a broader appreciation of uncertainty than regularly accorded in any of the numerous disciplines represented here. The seventeenth-century French philosopher Descartes, quoted in this volume, wrote that "whoever is searching after truth must, once in his life, doubt all things; insofar as this is possible. " White areas left on maps of the world in past centuries were a much more productive challenge than marking the end of the known world with the pillars of Hercules.

Aggregation of individual opinions into a social decision is a problem widely observed in everyday life. For centuries people tried to invent the best' aggregation rule. In 1951 young American scientist and future Nobel Prize winner Kenneth Arrow formulated the problem in an axiomatic way, i.e., he specified a set of axioms which every reasonable aggregation rule has to satisfy, and obtained that these axioms are inconsistent. This result, often called Arrow's Paradox or General Impossibility Theorem, had become a cornerstone of social choice theory. The main condition used by Arrow was his famous Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives. This very condition pre-defines the local' treatment of the alternatives (or pairs of alternatives, or sets of alternatives, etc.) in aggregation procedures. Remaining within the framework of the axiomatic approach and based on the consideration of local rules, Arrovian Aggregation Models investigates three formulations of the aggregation problem according to the form in which the individual opinions about the alternatives are defined, as well as to the form of desired social decision. In other words, we study three aggregation models. What is common between them is that in all models some analogue of the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives condition is used, which is why we call these models Arrovian aggregation models. Chapter 1 presents a general description of the problem of axiomatic synthesis of local rules, and introduces problem formulations for various versions of formalization of individual opinions and collective decision. Chapter 2 formalizes precisely the notion of rationality' of individual opinions and social decision. Chapter 3 dealswith the aggregation model for the case of individual opinions and social decisions formalized as binary relations. Chapter 4 deals with Functional Aggregation Rules which transform into a social choice function individual opinions defined as choice functions. Chapter 5 considers another model &endash; Social Choice Correspondences when the individual opinions are formalized as binary relations, and the collective decision is looked for as a choice function. Several new classes of rules are introduced and analyzed.

This book explores Public Procurement novelties and challenges in an interdisciplinary way. The process whereby the public sector awards contracts to companies for the supply of works, goods or services is a powerful instrument to ensure the achievement of new public goals as well as an efficient use of public funds. This book brings together the papers that have been presented during the "First Symposium on Public Procurement", a conference held in Rome last summer and to be repeated again yearly. As Public Procurement touches on many fields (law, economics, political science, engineering) the editors have used an interdisciplinary approach to discuss four main topics of interest which represent the four different parts in which this book is divided: Competitive dialogue and contractual design fostering innovation and need analysis, Separation of selection and award criteria, including exclusion of reputation indicators like references to experience, performance and CV's from award criteria, Retendering a contract for breach of procurement rules or changes to contract (contract execution), Set-asides for small and medium firms, as in the USA system with the Small Business Act that reserves shares of tenders to SMEs only.

During the early communist period of the 1950s, temple fairs in China were both suppressed and secularized. Temples were closed down by the secular regime and their activities classified as feudal superstition and this process only intensified during the Cultural Revolution when even the surviving secular fairs, devoted exclusively to trade with no religious content of any kind, were suppressed. However, once China embarked on its path of free market reform and openness, secular commodity exchange fairs were again authorized, and sometimes encouraged in the name of political economy as a means of stimulating rural commodity circulation and commerce.

This book reveals how once these secular "temple-less temple fairs" were in place, they came to serve not only as venues for the proliferation of a great variety of popular cultural performance genres, but also as sites where a revival or recycling of popular religious symbols, already underway in many parts of China, found familiar and fertile ground in which to spread. Taking this shift in the Chinese state s attitudes and policy towards temple fairs as its starting point, The Market and Temple Fairs of Rural China shows how state-led economic reforms in the early 1980s created a revival in secular commodity exchange fairs, which were granted both the geographic and metaphoric space to function. In turn, this book presents a comprehensive analysis of the temple fair phenomenon, examining its economic, popular cultural, popular religious and political dimensions and demonstrates the multifaceted significance of the fairs which have played a crucial role in expanding the boundaries of contemporary acceptable popular discourse and expression.

Based upon extensive fieldwork, this unique book will be of great interest to students and scholars of Chinese religion, Chinese culture, Chinese history and anthropology.

Railroads, our first large corporations, are rapidly adapting to the deregulated climate of the 1990s. As we approach the 21st century, this book tells the story of the changing role of railroads in our economy and how the law has changed to meet the new competitive environment. Topics include abandonment and extension, railway labor law, rail passenger service, short line spinoffs, special problems of railroad employment and parallel deregulatory activity in Canada.

The authors deal with the changing railroad environment by describing the rail network of today, which has shrunk in route-miles but is in better shape than at any time since World War II. The changing role of rail employment is discussed, as well as government operation of Amtrak and commuter rail services. What regulation remains with the Interstate Commerce Commission and Federal Railroad Administration is described in detail. Finally, the authors go north of the border to show how Canada is facing rail deregulation and how Canadian railroads are playing a major part in the U.S. transportation scene. The authors close with a look at railroading as we approach the 21st century. Dooley and Thoms have written a comprehensive book for lawyers and rail enthusiasts alike.

In a bold attempt to formulate a tentative, unified conceptual framework for the study of global development, the author tries to integrate numerous contributions from a variety of fields, including economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, moral philosophy, sociobiology, neurobiology, and others. He regrets the present compartmentalization of study of this topic, which leads to a lack of perspective in dealing with crucial planetary problems. . . . Truly an ambitious and courageous effort and a worthy project. Recommended for academic and public library collections dealing with development. "Choice"

This book breaks important new ground in the international debate over development by presenting the first systematic attempt to map a unified theory of global development. Drawing from the fields of economics, sociology, political science, philosophy, and ethics, the author presents a unique cross-disciplinary perspective on international development that features a number of new concepts and approaches to development studies. Building upon a synthesis of three independent developments of the 1970s, Weigel contends that it is possible to construct a universal development norm and a universal moral principle which retain their credibility in both cross-cultural and transhistorical contexts. He argues further that when these principles are linked to a well-differentiated theory of basic human needs they provide a powerful normative framework for the integration of economic and political rights which can guide policymakers well into the 21st century.

Certain to spark new debate among academicians and policymakers, Weigel's work makes a number of significant contributions, including: a comprehensive synthesis between moral philosophy and development studies; the most elaborate philosophical defense of the I.L.O's 'Basic Needs Approach' to date; an analysis of the nuclear arms race which utilizes the concept of stable strategies and presents a new theory of nuclear deterrence; a macroeconomic framework for basic needs program; an analysis of global parameters for development assistance; country studies which demonstrate the feasibility of Basic Needs programs for low-income countries; the application of the theory to a wide variety of topic areas such as paternalism, population control policies, the problem of political legitimation, and economic policies. Throughout, the author focuses on the concept of basic needs, arguing that the satisfaction of basic human needs must be the touchstone of all future development policies.

Significant recent changes in the structure and composition of households make the study of the economic relationships within the household of particular interest for academics and policy-makers. In this context, Household Economic Behaviors, through its focus on theoretical and empirical chapters on a range of economic behaviors within the household, provides a new and timely viewpoint. Following the Introduction and one or two surveys which give a general background, the volume includes theoretical and empirical perspectives on allocation of available time within the household, monetary and non-monetary transfers between household members, and intra-household bargaining.

The economic systems of advanced capitalistic societies have been undergoing profound transformations brought about by the transition towards the so-called knowledge-based economy. Building upon Schumpeterian and Kuznetsian legacies, this new book argues that a focus on both the structural change approach and the economics of knowledge provides a fertile ground to better understand recent evolutions of economic environment, in which the change in the composition of the industrial structure has been characterized by the increasing importance of knowledge in economic activities.

With this aim the book elaborates an integrated framework to analyzing the relationships between the different facets that characterize the process of structural change, and the dynamics of knowledge creation within industries and regions. Quatraro argues that a new dimension is to be added to concept of structural change, which refers to the internal structure of knowledge base, and propose both theoretical foundations and methodological tools for its analysis.

Attempting to reveal the real causes of the 1929 stock market crash, Bierman refutes the popular belief that wild speculation had excessively driven up stock market prices and resulted in the crash. Although he acknowledges some prices of stocks such as utilities and banks were overprices, reasonable explanations exist for the level and increase of all other securities stock prices. Indeed, if stocks were overpriced in 1929, then they more even more overpriced in the current era of staggering growth in stock prices and investment in securities. The causes of the 1929 crash, Bierman argues, lie in an unfavorable decision by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities coupled with the popular practice known as debt leverage in the 1920s corporate and investment arena.

This book extends Bierman's argument in an earlier book, "The Great Myths of 1929 and the Lessons to Be Learned" (Greenwood, 1991), in which he discussed and refuted seven myths about 1929 but could not explain the crash. He now believes he has a reasonable explanation. He also examines the actions of Charles E. Mitchell and Sam Insull and their subsequent unjust criminal prosecution after the crash of the 1929 stock market.

Research in Health Economics has developed into a separate discipline during the last 25 years. All this intense research activity has come about through the teaching of courses on health economics, mostly at graduate level. However, the Industrial Organization aspects of the health care market do not occupy a central place in those courses. We propose a textbook of health economics whose distinguishing feature is the analysis of the health care market from an Industrial Organization perspective. This textbook will provide teachers and students with a reference to study the market structure aspects of the health care sector.

The book is structured in three parts. The first part will present the basic principles of economics. It will bring all readers to the required level of knowledge to follow subsequent parts. Part II will review the main concepts of health economics. The third part will contain the core of the book. It will present the industrial organization analysis of the health care market, based on our own research.