Search

Neoclassical economics has established itself as the discipline of rational choice. Consequently, under methodological individualism and in the context of consumption, an agent's choice is based on the ordering of preferences determined exogenously, disregarding any emotional, biological influences, or factors from socio-economic dynamics. Therefore, this paper aims to present an alternative framework for the decision-making of economic individuals at a theoretical and formal-mathematical level, grounded in the principles of evolutionary economics and complex adaptive systems. It is argued that the process of making choices in consumption is inherent to social dynamics. From an individual-holistic perspective, the mechanism motivating action can be characterized as an evolutionary algorithm that integrates biological, historical, cultural, social class, and market competition influences as endogenous elements in determining choice and consumption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The administration of the domiciliary public utility companies must ensure compliance with their demand, ensuring the available financial resources cover the costs and achieve dividends for owners. This paper proposes a methodology for measure the efficiency of domestic utility companies in Colombia through a stochastic frontier, considering information from 2014 to 2018 from 44 companies, showing an efficiency ranking of firms, the result shows company's resource efficiency rate is 39%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop the idea of the Sraffian Supermultiplier, presenting it as an alternative to traditional neoclassical thought about economic growth and economic policy. Thus, a brief introduction is made about the importance of economic growth for classical economists, followed by the development of Harrod's model and the different solutions that have raised for sorting the problem of instability. Finally, we present the supermultiplier model of Serrano together with international empirical evidence that supports it and some proposals of economic policy are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows that economic theory can be analyzed by means of system dynamics, an intuitive approach that makes it possible to represent graphically the feedback loops between the variables involved in the models. It models Adam Smith's view of growth, according to Robert Heilbroner's highly simplified interpretation, (developed in a more comprehensive and exhaustive way by his teacher, the German sociologist and economist Adolph Lowe) by proposing a computational system for the study of complex models. The paper does not intend to make an original contribution to economic modeling, but to show a tool that allows simulations based on the principles of system dynamics, using specialized software. This tool can be used in teaching to show alternative modeling options to the conventional ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sheds light on an overlooked issue in economics, namely the social responsibility of central banks in a democracy. We consider central banks as institutions of power, and, as such, neither are they nor their policies neutral, in the sense that there are inevitable winners and losers. We explain why and how their power should be regulated and controlled by society. Specifically, we focus on the income distributive nature of monetary policy to demonstrate this assertion. From this, we explain that the time is ripe to build a new framework for central banking aiming at improving central banks' social responsibility consistent with the spirit of a democratic system, and resting on new rules, new types of inner organization and, more broadly, an ethics of responsibility of a new kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the main features of the restructuring of the Spanish banking system after the 2008 crisis. The Bank of Spain -the enforcement arm of the European Central Bank's policy- and successive governments accentuated the oligopolistic nature of Spanish banking, as their measures contributed to limit internal competition (eliminating savings banks) and to socialize the costs of the bank bailout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that this year's "Nobel" prize in economics celebrates one of the weakest aspects of modern macroeconomic thinking: its limited ability to understand the macro-financial instability of modern capitalism. Instead of challenging the stubborn refusal to take seriously thinkers who confront the essential importance of finance and its dangers for the modern world, such as Hyman Minsky or Hyun Song Shin, it flaunts the tendency to ignore them. And it argues that if the Prize Committee had wanted to reward those who seek to understand the dynamics of the modern global financial system and its interconnections with the real economy, it should have given it to the BIS team, which dates back to the time of William White, and to academic economists associated with the BIS such as Hyun Song Shin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes an economic assessment of Jair Bolsonaro's presidency. It analyzes the triangle of incompatibilities: high income inequality-reprimarization of the economy-high economic growth; and if one adds the environment, one could say the impossible squaring of the circle. The result of this impossibility is economic stagnation, persistent high inequality, deterioration of the standard of living, especially of the poorest, and serious damage to the environment through deforestation. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have shaken an already "sick" economy and reveal the structural crisis in Brazil, as well as the turning points in the functioning of the labor market. The present ruptures suggest the political exhaustion of the current presidency and that the country is at a crossroads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a theoretical and historical analysis of inflation in monetary production economies since World War II. It shows that the "Keynesian" interpretations of the Phillips curve trade-off and the monetarist interpretations of "inflationary expectations" and the natural rate of unemployment did not establish the proper causal relationship between credit and unemployment, and between costs and inflation. It was Hyman Minsky, an American economist, who - following Keynes' ideas and the bank endogenous currency approach - showed that it is the increase (or reduction) in credit that explains the reduction (increase) in unemployment. The resurgence of inflation today can be explained by a Kaleckian approach in which the reduction of productivity is the efficient cause of an inflation that can become persistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper criticizes the supply-side economic policy promoted by the UK government under Prime Minister Liz Truss. According to the conventional interpretation, the stagnation and productivity crisis in the UK economy is due to the excessive tax burden on large corporations and the tax burden on the richest 1%. If these tax liabilities were reduced, it would increase the profitability of investment, demand and the rate of growth. This would translate into better incomes and higher levels of employment. This story is based on the Laffer curve and associated with the "trickle down" hypothesis, falsified by empirical evidence. Tax reductions for the richest people worsen the distribution of income, and do not raise income or employment. The cause and effect is from profits to investment and growth; not from spending to profits and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the Laffer curve through a comparative statical analysis and an econometric exercise. Starting from a microeconomic specification, it first analyzes the distortion caused by an indirect tax and the welfare implications of maximizing tax collection. Then, using data on real per capita tax revenue and the tax rate, an estimate of an econometric model to calculate the optimal tax rate in Colombia is made. The results show that Laffer's postulates are proven with an optimal rate of 32% and suggest that the government has a margin of almost 12 percentage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper by David Quammen, author of the recommended book Spillover. Animal infections and the next human pandemic, makes a brief synthesis of the latest research on epizootic diseases, caused by viruses that jump from other animal species to the human species, and is a sort of addendum to the epilogue of the Spanish version, entitled "We were the ones who created the coronavirus epidemic". In this paper Quammen argues that U.S. has fared worse than other countries not because it lacked information or funding but because it failed to learn the lessons of the last outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the effect of labor informality on homicides in Cali through an econometric analysis using instrumental variables. The results show a positive effect of labor informality (not being affiliated to the health system and not paying pension contributions) on homicides: on average, a one percentage point increase in the labor informality rate increases homicides by 4,2%, significant at the 1% level. These results are relevant for the study of the economics of crime in developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the credibility of monetary policy in Colombia and its evolution after the adoption of the inflation targeting system. To do so, a non-linear Phillips curve is estimated based on unemployment for an open economy, which incorporates the direct effect of past inflation rate on price formation and a prospective component. It shows a deeper trade-off between inflation and unemployment and lower inflationary persistence. Consequently, the country could emphasize the greater responsibility of the central bank in economic growth and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship of the perception of corruption and lack of transparency with voting preferences and protests. It examines the case of Colombia using data from the 2015 Latinobarómetro Survey and a multinomial logistic model that assumes a simultaneous choice of participation type (or a combination of types), which allows us to establish whether the preference for protest substitutes or complements the preference for voting. A positive relationship was found between the perception of corruption and lack of transparency with the preference to protest in addition to voting. If citizens perceive greater corruption or doubt government transparency, they are more willing to participate in demonstrations, without reducing their support for electoral participation. This suggests that there is a general acceptance of formal democratic participation despite the shortcomings of the political regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between the French Revolution (1789) and the outbreak of the Springtime of the Peoples (1848), European economic thought debated between the defense of protected markets and the proper opening of capitalist markets. In this paper, we address this process specifically in the framework of the German intellectual scene, from the bibliographic debates of the time, as a historical marker for a more complete understanding of the Hegelian conceptualization of political economy, its scope, limitations, and projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sraffa rescues the classical analysis and puts it in discussion with mainstream theory. The thesis of this paper is that his ontological analysis, specified in the market snapshot, allows us to understand Sraffa's theoretical position and, in turn, is a method to assess his traditional interpretations as well as the new perspectives arising from the reading of his drafts. Its position is not entirely precise, so it is necessary to include conventions, which open the way to institutional analysis. Finally, starting from the contrast with other interpretations, it proposes to defend the coherence between the vision of the world and the ideas developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economics is a policy discipline that deals with the problems of social organization and the general good. It co-evolves with circumstances, and it is historically contingent. The world to which economic policies are ultimately addressed is a complex system. Yet economists seeking to develop appropriate policies are necessarily guided by simplifications and heuristics. The question before the discipline is to decide what sort of simplification is best suited to the task. In the spirit of modern science, this paper argues that appropriate generalizations, simplifications, heuristics, and principles are to be derived from a study of the actual world. While these may deploy mathematical tools and draw on insights from the behavior of mathematical systems, the latter by themselves are inadequate, especially where they start from the dead dogmas of the neoclassical mainstream: ex nihilo nihil fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstream economic theory is replete with assumptions that feed into structural or systemic racism. It supports an economic system that severely disadvantages people at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, which in the U.S. includes a disproportionate number of Hispanics, indigenous people, and descendants of slaves ((would Afro-Americans be more appropriate?)). The paper discusses 15 such assumptions that are generally trivialized, including the crucial role information costs play in decision making. In turn, costly information implies that its acquisition by poor people requires a greater share of their income, making it more difficult for them to make well-informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the impact of the decentralization policy on the education sector of the Department of Huila. It uses panel data on fiscal, administrative and political decentralization, as well as educational coverage and educational quality of all its municipalities in the period 2005-2015. The results show that educational coverage has a positive relationship with administrative decentralization, and that fiscal, administrative and political decentralization contribute to improving the quality of municipal education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macarena Suanes and Oriol Roca studied the main determinants of inequality and economic growth in Latin America between 1980 and 2009 and found that one of the main determinants was foreign direct investment. This paper extends that study to 2015 and shows that such investment is no longer significant. In contrast, increasing human capital significantly reduces inequality and improves economic growth. It is recommended, then, that economic policies are oriented towards raising educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the concept of probability in Keynes' work and proposes a method for formalizing the notion of uncertainty in the General Theory using Bayes' theorem and the principle of maximum entropy. One of the main conclusions is that, despite sharing his rejection of the frequentist approach to statistics, it is unreasonable to think that numerical probabilities cannot be determined, even if some criterion of objectivity is met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the relationship between the health management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic outcomes. It shows economic and mortality indicators as well as other social and cultural variables affecting the results. It takes into account the effect of oil prices upon the exporting countries leeway. It also shows how the disruption in international trade affected global value chains. Countries with better health results during the pandemic showed better results in economic growth in the second quarter of 2020. The best predictor of economic success was the health system strengh measured by number of beds prior to the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the context of the spread of the new coronavirus, the correlation with the instability of world financial markets and the fall in oil prices, and concerns about the future of neorealist capitalism. The first part addresses several questions: was the pandemic caused by nature or by man? Can scientific research help to separate the truth from the conspiracy theses? The second part suggests that the coronavirus has imposed a de facto trickle-down economy on Reagan's trickledown economy, and shows the economic disruptions it has caused in developed and developing countries. It is concluded that a tiny virus is forcing the dominant neoliberal system to review reality by force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an unpublished 1970 work written by the distinguished development economist Lauchlin Currie (1902-93) on Paul Rosenstein Rodan's famous 1944 essay on the "Big Push" which led to the debate on balanced and unbalanced growth in which Albert Hirschman (1915-2012) was an important contributor. Both Currie and Hirschman had been key economic advisers to the Colombian government and here their respective views on development planning are contrasted. In particular, it is shown how Currie's 1970 paper clarifies the theory that serves as the basis for Colombia's 1971-74 National Plan, which he designed and helped execute, and whose institutional innovations have had a lasting impact on Colombia's recent economic history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the determinants of attendance and the frequency of attendance of performing arts events in Medellin, specifically theater, dance, and music. Using data from the Quality of Life Survey of Medellin 2014, we estimate regularized discrete choice models that allow us to efficiently select the relevant variables that explain the cultural consumption decisions, while at the same time, solving the statistical problems that appear when the number of explanatory variables is high. Results show that the level of education and time restrictions are the principal determinants of performing arts attendance in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the size of the State in an international context and analyzes the behavior of public spending in Colombia during the last two decades. It takes a theoretical and empirical review of optimal public spending, and presents international comparisons of the size of the State which support the Wagner Law: the size of the State grows at the same rate or at a higher rate than income. It also describes the evolution of central national government spending based on the traditional economic classification, and reviews the evolution of government spending according to purpose, emphasizing social spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a discussion of the creation of agent-based models from the exclusive perspective of monetary phenomena. These correspond to Schumpeter's monetary analysis in its ideal version. A set of general principles formalizes a population of agents interacting in a decentralized way on the sole basis of monetary phenomena. We make use of these principles, and the subsequent agent-based model is a dynamic, non-deterministic system, whose numerical simulations are able to mimic stylized facts in macroeconomics. Further extensions of the model make possible the expansion its descriptive power, and its use in economic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the heir of political philosophy, the English post-commercialist economy and the French physiocracy, since its origin, political economy has integrated production, circulation and the theory of value into the theories of the modern state and capitalist society. In this paper it is argued that, in political economy, the conceptions of the State and of society are related to the theory of surplus. It criticizes the marginilist notion of society, emphasizes the centrality of the theory of surplus, explained in the conflict between State and society, and identifies the limits of the principle of effective demand of Keynes and Kalecki. The main conclusion is that economic policy recommendations based on inflation, wage deflation and containment of public spending goals seek to increase the surplus in the crisis and recession phases of the economic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent history and the institutional evolution of economies leads to criticisms of some aspects of Modern Monetary Theory about the origin of money, as well as the role of the public deficit, and taxes. This paper proposes a precise definition of the financialization process. based on the mobility of business management. It also discusses its impact on income distribution and its consequences for innovation and economic growth, and raises the need for taxes to redistribute income. A concept of private deficit is also proposed based on the creation of means of payment by the banking system, which leads to defend credit orientation policies. It concludes with several macroeconomic policy proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robert Proctor and Ian Bolin coined the term agnotology to designate the study of ignorance. This paper proposes to overcome the vision of ignorance as a void that can be filled by knowledge and invites us to think about the ways in which it is produced today, in a premeditated and structural way: through negligence, myopia, secrecy or suppression. The author shows that the deliberate creation of ignorance is a strategy to compromise and sow doubts about the observed facts and about scientific knowledge, taking as examples the role of trade secrets, the activity of tobacco companies to deny the causal relationship between the cigarette smoking and cancer and the role of military secret. Finally, some cases in ignorance is an expression of moral values, such as the prohibition, in some universities, of research whose sole purpose is the profit motive and, in some scientific journals, of publishing works financed by certain sources, as well as the rejection of certain technologies for well-founded intellectual and moral reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abraham Flexner, intellectual promoter of the Institute of Advanced Studies of Princeton and who was its director between 1930 and 1939, published this writing days after the start of World War II, when irrational hatred threatened civilization, as democracy threatens today under the ultra rational impulse of immediate utility. In this paper Flexner points out that the intellectual and spiritual life - appropriate of the centers where knowledge is sought and cultivated - is a useless form of activity that provides greater satisfactions than they would otherwise obtain. And it shows that the search for stories satisfactions is an unexpected source of utility. The author argues that in the history of science the great discoverers have not been motivated by the desire to be useful but to satisfy their curiosity. Today, when the search for practical and immediate utility enjoys the widest acceptance, it is still relevant to ask if you can have a full life if you continue to suppress the elements that give it spiritual meaning, and if our conception of what is useful does not It is even narrower than in the Flexner era. Although these questions do not appear on the agenda of those who trace and follow, consciously or unconsciously, current educational and scientific policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After several decades with scarce information about the relationship between corruption and electoral participation, recently some literature has emerged on this subject. There are several hypotheses that try to explain this phenomenon; one of them considers corruption as a mobilizing agent and another one as a paralyzing agent in electoral activities. In this paper, we study the role played by corruption over electoral participation in the municipality of Culiacán, with information obtained through a survey on political culture and electoral behavior. The statistical results suggest that the probability of voting is negatively related to higher levels of perceived corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the effects of crime victimization and the perception of safety on life satisfaction. We estimated an ordered probit model, and results suggest that crime victimization decreased by 1,1% life satisfaction. In addition, an increase in the perception of security for the city and neighborhoods, increase life satisfaction at 7,3% and 1,7% respectively. Further, other groups of variables are included; government satisfaction and the infrastructure of the neighborhood. All of them have a positive relationship with life satisfaction. Finally, results exhibit that the gender does not play an important role in satisfaction, and subjective poverty decreased by 3,8% life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the gap between the expected and real effects of Colombian trade liberalization policy. First, we stress the influence of international integration on Colombia's growth and development, and explains why moving toward more free trade has not contributed to the consolidation of high value-added industries in that country. Ultimately, we apply the theory of political cycles and suggest that political power in Colombia has contributed to get the country trapped into an international dependency on primary commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a historical series of Colombian GDP from 1888 to 2013. For that purpose we have employed an expenditure approach to reconstruct the GDP for the period 1888-1929. We linked it to the official statistics data of the DANE. The result is expressed in 2011 purchasing parity dollars for international comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the convergence hypothesis and the impact of social policy on the economic growth of the six largest countries in Latin America between 1980 and 2010. Results suggest that social public policies have positively influenced growth in these economies. Particularly, there are non-observed variables (fixed effects) that positively affect the economic growth in Venezuela and Chile; however, there are other non-observed variables that may be negatively affecting growth in Brazil and Mexico. Regarding the convergence hypothesis, results reveal that the speed of convergence diminishes as real income rises, implying that these countries might be converging to their stable states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroeconomic modelling has been under intense scrutiny since the Great Financial Crisis, when serious shortcomings were exposed in the methodology used to understand the economy as a whole. Criticism has been levelled at the assumptions employed in the dominant models, particularly that economic agents are homogeneous and optimising and that the economy is equilibrating. This paper seeks to explore an interdisciplinary approach to macroeconomic modelling, with techniques drawn from other (natural and social) sciences. Specifically, it discusses agent-based modelling, which is used across a wide range of disciplines, as an example of such a technique. Agent-based models are complementary to existing approaches and are suited to answering macroeconomic questions where complexity, heterogeneity, networks, and heuristics play an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One remarkable aspect of modern heterodox theory is the detachment between demand-led growth models and endogenous money theories. This paper suggests a possible integration of the Keynesian theory of the multiplier (and the supermultiplier) with Keynes's endogenous money and finance theories. Focussing upon Graziani's version of the Monetary Circuit Theory (TCM), the paper is a contribution towards reconciling the preoccupation of this theory with initial production financing, and the concern of demand-side oriented heterodox growth theories with final financing of autonomous demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic thought evolved over the past two centuries to focus on individual behavior as the basis for all economic activity. Some heterodox economists have pointed to the importance of group behavior and the influence of organizations on economic activity, but the neoclassical paradigm, with the rational isolated individual as its main actor, prevails in mainstream economics. This paper presents a "sociology of economics" to explain why the prevailing paradigm of economics does not allow seeing and studying group behavior. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the paper details the habitus, the system of beliefs and the symbolic violence against those who question them. Also, it highlights the support of commercial and financial interests to the dominant culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a model that assumes politicians' rationality when fixing tax rates applied on revenue and consumption of each taxpayer. The paper also suggests some factors to consider are political mobility of voters and economic expectations, which can explain regressive tax reforms adopted in Latin America since the economic crises of the 80s. Additionally, it contrasts the model with an unbalanced data panel (18 countries from 1980 to 2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trends in housing prices in Bogotá in the period 1995-2013 generated a debate among experts about the existence of a real estate bubble. This paper analyzes the determinants of the supply and demand of the construction sector, the associated markets, and the rate of growth of interest rates and land prices. The results show that there was no bubble in the market in 2012 and that the economic conditions of the 2010 decade caused the increase in housing prices. The increase of these prices throughout the country requires the evaluation of the territorial effects of the national housing policy, the role of local administrations, the use of land management instruments and the effect of these price pressures on quality and habitability of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the discussion on the most appropriate method for measuring productivity. It takes into account the TFP, the productivity of capital, and labor productivity, as well as its interpretations, scope, and relations. Additionally, it analyzes the impacts of this discussion on the evolution of the Colombian minimum wage over the period 2001-2016. Finally, it discusses the relationship between the growth of productivity and the distribution of income between capital and labor, proposing a critique of the neoclassical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the latest years, one of the major concerns with political systems around the world is what some authors have called the "democratic recession". Some recent discussions on these issues focus on the capacity of the state to respond to the demands of its citizens. This paper studies the relationship between state capacity -understood as state performance on areas such as providing security, justice administration, tax collection and guaranteeing rights-, and support for democratic principles and Colombia's regime. The empirical results show that lower levels of assessment of state's capacity are associated to lower levels of support for democratic principles and performance. These results are discussed in the context of the peace agreements between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, as well as the implications posed by this relationship in regards to the challenges and opportunities for post conflict Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the welfare effects of improvements in investment in education and infrastructure with public-private participation, in a fiscal framework of a small and open economy for the Colombian economy. A DSGE model is built where families make decisions on human capital and the government finances megaprojects by placing infrastructure bonds. The results suggest greater effects in the long-term adjustment and improvements in social welfare when public spending is focused on sectors with higher levels of employment and technological and innovation improvements are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the link between Marx's monetary theory and its explanation of value, production and circulation. For this, it presents the basic theoretical elements that allow a critique of the quantitative theory, the Chartalist conception of the genesis of money and the post-Keynesian theory of endogenous money. Then, from a Marxist perspective, it analyzes the controversial relationship between the monetization of public debt and the increase in the general level of prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capital flows have increased significantly in recent years and are a key aspect of the global monetary system. They offer potential benefits to countries, but their size and volatility can also pose policy challenges. The Fund needs to be in a position to provide clear and consistent advice with respect to capital flow and policies related to them. In 2011, the International Monetary and Financial Committee called for “further work on a comprehensive, flexible, and balanced approach for the management of capital flows". This paper proposes an institutional view to underpin this approach, drawing on earlier Fund policy papers, analytical work, and Board discussions on capital flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia has increasingly been specializing in the extraction of mineral and energy resources such as gold, coal, oil and ferronickel. These activities, in the context of state weakness, have engendered conflžicts of different dimensions. This paper proposes an indicator of conflžict related to mineral exploitation that classifies five dimensions of conžflict: social, economic, cultural, political and environmental. The aggregate indicator shows that murders, displacement of Afrodescendent populations, žflooding, pollution, fires, infant mortality, coca crops and sexual offenses are highly and positively correlated with the number of conflžicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing literature on intangible capital shows a relative consensus on the role of ¡rms in terms of investing resources to acquire (purchase or produce) this type of capital because it allows them to obtain a competitive advantage. This paper explores the incentives of In increasing their level of intangible capital using a simple model in which the firms compete a la Cournot. The model shows that the firm can get higher price-cost margins and market share than its rivals even in perfect competition given that the ¡rm is productive enough in the production of intangible capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral economics has applied psychology concepts related to cognitive analysis, which gives little importance to environmental effects. In contrast, the analysis of behavior gives a central role to the environment, and therefore employs concepts such as reinforcement schedules and stimuli control. In this document presents the cognitive-behavioral discussion about choice behavior. In addition, we compare their methods through two experiments dealing with the base-rate fallacy. In the experiments, the characteristics of the stimuli (verbal and non-verbal) are varied and contrasted. The paper concludes that this fallacy occurs on a smaller scale when there are less irrelevant stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]