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Do trade reforms that significantly reduce import barriers lead to faster economic growth? In the twenty-five years since Rodríguez and Rodrik's (2000) critical survey of empirical work on this question, new research has tried to overcome the various methodological problems that have plagued previous attempts to provide a convincing answer. I examine three strands of recent work on this issue: cross-country regressions focusing on within-country growth, synthetic control methods on specific reform episodes, and empirical country studies looking at the channels through which lower trade barriers may increase productivity. A consistent finding is that trade reforms have had a positive impact on economic growth, on average, although the effect is heterogeneous across countries. Overall, these research findings should temper some of the previous agnosticism about the empirical link between trade reform and economic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the central government's rural reconstruction programme targeting rural villages, rural communities in contemporary China continue to face massive social, economic, and environmental challenges. This paper reports on a case study of a farmers' cooperative in Puhan. Continual rural decline, alongside national economic reform and rural community development, provide the context for the case study. Well known to rural community development scholars in China, the Puhan cooperative represents an island of rural revitalization in a sea of rural decline. The paper begins with a discussion of the background to the study, the research design and objectives, and participatory observation method employed. Thereafter, it discusses sustainable community development and provides an analysis of the way in which the community development approach facilitates the attainment of sustainable development goals generally and in Puhan in particular. Focusing on the broader context of rural development in the context of national top-down policy-driven change, it examines the Puhan cooperative's contribution to rural revitalization and the strengths and challenges encountered, given its adoption of bottom-up, grassroots community development. By outlining the lessons learnt from this case study research, the paper aims to enrich knowledge on the community development approach, sustainable community development, and rural revitalization in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast-paced recovery after the sharp contraction seen during the pandemic has seen India reaching the pre-pandemic level. The international comparison shows India as the fastest-growing large economy and is expected to become the third-largest economy by 2030. Despite this, with per capita income at about $2,500, it is a low-middle-income country. From this, having seen the fast pace of growth, the Prime Minister has set an aspirational target of achieving the high-income status by the centenary year of independence, 2047, which requires a more than five-fold increase in per capita income at the current exchange rate. Equally important is the challenge of absorbing the addition to the labour force and absorbing those in the informal sectors in productive better-paying jobs. This article presents the nature of the challenge and the macroeconomic and structural reform needed to achieve them. JEL Codes: O2, O23, O53 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the vast scholarship on Jane Addams, her views on imperialism and self‐determination have not been closely studied. Understanding her views can help to disentangle knotted ideas of anti‐imperialism, pacifism, and pragmatism. Using her understudied post–World War I public statements, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) correspondence, and personal correspondence, this article analyzes her responses to a few major issues of the early twentieth century in which imperialism was viewed as a core issue. It argues that Addams remained deeply committed to her core beliefs of pacifism and democracy, but she switched from a grassroots approach to political, social, and economic reform adopted before the war to an internationally centralized supra‐governmental approach after. It also argues that Addams's perspective and position on Irish independence and the mandate system differed from her colleagues in the WILPF in more profound ways than previously understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, following Cesaratto's lead (Cesaratto, [2005]. Pension Reform and Economic Theory: A Non-Orthodox Analysis. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, especially chapters 6-8), we measure the impact of pensioners' spending on output and employment in the Spanish economy in 2021 by means of the Sraffian supermultiplier, taking pensioners' expenditure as a component of autonomous demand. To do so, we follow another lead, from Dejuán (Dejuan, [2023]. The Supermultiplier. A Cornerstone of the New Macroeconomics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, chapter 10), who suggests using the Leontief inverse of an extended SAM (social accounting matrix) that also includes both induced consumption and expansionary investment as a multisectoral supermultiplier, or multiplier-accelerator. The weight of PAYG pensions to people aged 65 or older in 2021 is 8 per cent of GDP, and their expenditure 'puts in motion' 6,7 per cent of total production and total employment (directly, indirectly, and hyper-indirect or induced). The government recovers 42 cents in taxes for each euro spent on pensions. Pensions in 2050 are sustainable, either raising taxes on profits or if exports grow pari passu with pensions at a rate below historical records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that instead of being a minor policy, Conservative reforms to the structure of English local government in the 1990s were central to John Major's government and to his idea of Conservativism and Englishness. Major believed that restoring the 39 English historic counties as local government areas could revive the Party's electoral fortunes by connecting with traditionalist voters in the 'Tory shires' and could also facilitate privatisation at a local government level. These reforms failed because Major's government failed to understand that voters were far less interested in reviving historic counties as local government areas than they were in efficient, inexpensive services. The collapse of local government reform indicates that neoliberal economic reform and traditional English cultural conservatism could not be reconciled as part of government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clinton administration's drive to enact reform in Ukraine during the 1990s was viewed at the time as being necessary for the nation's revitalization and re-integration into Western Europe. Decades later, these policies have been critiqued for antagonizing the Kremlin, causing it to seek political control over its former satellite. This paper addresses the viability of the Clinton administration's efforts and the reasons for their ultimate failure. It finds that despite its best intentions, the administration's economic strategy faced unanticipated resistance from the Kremlin, as long-standing ties with Kiev undermined US-led efforts for economic and political reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues for attention to the affective investments that motivate working people's life choices in contemporary China by tracing the materiality of the development of aspirations in a rapidly developing context. Turning to the work of Bernard Stiegler, the article contends that for working people, the demand to labour is based not just on the alienation of the means of production (savoir-faire), but also the means of living a good life (savoir-vivre), which is displaced into a future made knowable within the material world in the present. The article shows how the developmental standard-making that produces senses of progress and legitimizes aspiration, thus compelling economic action, is alienated within the materiality of working people's rapidly changing worlds. By referencing these temporal displacements, developmental subjects assess their own presents by comparison, justifying difficult circumstances by making progress tangible. Understanding the mechanics of aspiration and cultures of labour is vital in light of critiques by labour geographers of the equation of labour agency with traditional, formalized labour politics, as there remains much work to be done to understand how and why people become workers in the first place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I investigate the attempts of the European Union to promote and entrench the rule of law standards in the Western Balkans countries. I examine the failures of legal reforms in key policy areas, such as the regulations of judicial independence, the legislative branch of government, vetting and suppression of corruption, that prevent progress in achieving the rule of law standards. I demonstrate how a narrow focus on the judiciary and its performance has harmed the standards. I propose a more specific focus on socio–economic reforms that, at first glance, appear less relevant to the rule of law. These are: higher education reforms, digitalization, decarbonization, and better targeting of anti-corruption measures. More focus on these areas allows a refocusing from a narrow conception of rule of law to other good governance reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's ability to conduct large-scale modern scientific exercises such as decennial population censuses with clockwork precision and unparalleled regularity is widely regarded as a source of collective national pride. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the regular schedule of the census, and it is not clear when the indefinitely postponed 2021 Census will be held. The present study uses this pause to explore the evolution of the Census of India and examine the quality of its data over the past few decades followed by a discussion of potential reforms including rationalisation of schedules to adapt the exercise to meet emerging challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's interest in developing the tourism sector as an alternative opportunity to fuel economy, and its attempt to activate this sector by sending master plans and economic reforms that help activate the role of tourism in achieving sustainable development, we decided to carry out this study, which aims to present the tourist activity, its importance and determinants that have an impact on sustainable development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by conducting a statistical field study based on a questionnaire consisting of 47 items, directed to a sample consisting of 197 individuals out of 587 specialists in tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to analyze the questionnaire, SPSS 15.0 and LISREL 8.7 programs were used to process the data. After confirming the validity of the hypothesis that there are several determinants of tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which have a positive impact on achieving sustainable development. The most important results of the study were that the determinants have a significant impact on tourism activity and have a long-term relationship for tourism investment, and many other determinants. From this we conclude that tourism activity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is linked to the performance of differents sectors, and other areas remain effective as well, due to its economic and social role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding upon the literature on foreign supplier's spillovers, which predominantly adopts an economic lens and focuses on short-term effects on the domestic firm's performance increases, our study employs the behavioral theory of the firm to investigate the long-term effects of these spillovers on the strategic development of domestic firms in the post-absorption stage. We conducted a case study of a Chinese distributor that grew into a diversified conglomerate over twenty years after absorbing spillovers from its dominant foreign supplier. Based on richly grounded data collected from this particular distributor firm, our findings reveal that these spillovers enhanced short-term performance and played a crucial role in guiding the firm's search behaviors for recruiting new suppliers and entering new businesses over the long term. Moreover, we have identified search barriers imposed by the foreign supplier and local government that hindered the domestic firm's search behaviors until economic reform policies were implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article present an interview with professor Ernesto Teuma, include the challenges Cuba faces due to economic, social & environmental factors; impact of power cuts, climate change & the U.S. sanctions on daily life; visibility of class disparities; and the long-term effects of economic reforms.

India embraced open trade policy from 1990s onwards, following the Economic Reforms of 1991, by reducing import tariffs and opening up Indian markets to competition. The expectation from this reform was that the Indian industry would be more competitive. By mid 2000s, India was not only an open economy, however, it was on its way to effect across-the-board reductions/elimination of tariffs and other non-tariff barriers by formalising FTAs and CEPAs several prominent trade partners. Although, trade to GDP ratio has increased from 13% in 1990 to 27% in 2019-20, import dependence of India, especially on China has increased manifold. The paper has delved into the trade policy evolution that led India to open up and increase its presence in the global trade market. However, an industry level Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) analysis reveals that the loss in export competitiveness in six industries at NIC 4-digit level, since 2000-01 to 2017-18, retarded the growth potential in exports that India could have claimed with a phased opening up of trade. These industries were mainly in the textiles and apparel sector and gems and jewellery sector. The industry level factors such as lower productivity growth, higher unit labour costs and presence of low levels of technology are prominent factors that explain the export performance of India that we observe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the purpose of lengthy negotiations when a coalition government forms? Do they make a difference in coalition policy‐making? Negotiations that produce policy agreements between coalition partners have been suggested to strengthen the capacity of coalition governments to make policy reforms. We argue that bargaining time, regardless if it results in a written policy agreement or not, is an investment in future government reform productivity. Longer negotiation periods indicate that the bargaining parties have negotiated deals over conflicting policy issues and have allowed parties to build trust between them and gain support for future policies within the party organization, promoting reform productivity. Further, we expect that longer negotiation periods can mitigate problems of policy conflict within cabinets, thereby resulting in higher reform productivity. We evaluate our theoretical expectations using a data set on economic reform measures introduced in 10 Western European countries (1978–2017), based on a coding of more than 1000 periodical country reports issued by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development. The results show support for our expectations, demonstrating that economic reform productivity is higher in coalition governments that have bargained for a longer time when forming. We also find support for the claim that bargaining time mitigates the negative effect of intra‐cabinet ideological conflict on reform productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article examines the economic growth effect of tax transition reform in developing countries. Tax transition reform is defined here as the process that entails the convergence of developing countries' tax structure toward that of developed countries. The analysis covers a sample of 101 developing countries over the period of 1980 to 2019. The empirical analysis that makes use of the two-step system generalized method of moments has shown that tax transition reform promotes economic growth, including in countries with a high share of non-resource tax revenue in total public revenue. These findings have important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance evaluation of local self-government entities is very difficult, as their primary goal is not to make a profit, but to provide services to their residents that will contribute to an increase in their quality of life. In this context, it is necessary to evaluate their activity from the point of view of several available criteria, for which it is possible to find relevant and recognized sources. The presented research works with five criteria, identified by the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms, and aims to quantify the agreement of the results of the assessment of the financial health of territorial self-government entities in 2020 using the TOPSIS technique with a gradually decreasing number of criteria. For this purpose, a total of 26 combinations of criteria are created, with the number of 5, 4, 3 and 2 used criteria, the importance of which is determined based on their absolute variability using the standard deviation method. The results obtained in this way are interpreted using a wide range of mathematical and statistical methods including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene test, Jaccard index and others. As a result, the multi-criteria evaluation of territorial self-government subjects (in our case, district cities) proved to be highly applicable. However, the result itself is largely determined by the structure and number of entry criteria. Based on the performed analyses, we can see that significant differences result from their reduction. Each such reduction has an impact on the overall results, but it is possible to find combinations that defy this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The 2024 reform of the European Union's economic governance framework represents a crucial response to the complex challenges confronting the organisation and its Member States in the 21st century. In addressing these challenges, the European Union must balance the need for economic growth, reforms, and investments with the imperative of maintaining debt sustainability. The reform emphasises the importance of fostering sound and sustainable public finances while simultaneously promoting structural reforms and investments aimed at achieving long-term economic growth. This article investigates the factors that necessitated the reform, outlines its primary objectives, and discusses the practical assumptions underpinning its implementation. Furthermore, the article evaluates the potential impact of the reform in light of contemporary issues, such as the increasing significance of climate policy and the development of the European Union's defense capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the asymmetric exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to inflation in Nigeria from 2010Q1 to 2024Q2, using both Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) models. The objective is to assess how exchange rate movements, particularly currency depreciation and appreciation, affect inflation asymmetrically. The analysis incorporates headline and food inflation, exploring short-run and long-run impacts while accounting for the introduction of Nigeria's 2023 exchange rate unification policy. Findings reveal a stronger pass-through effect from exchange rate depreciation compared to appreciation, especially for food inflation, with significant inflationary responses occurring within 3 to 4 quarters. The study also highlights the role of interest rates in moderating inflation, though structural challenges in Nigeria limit their effectiveness. Conclusively, the results underline the critical role of exchange rate stability in inflation control and emphasize the need for structural reforms to mitigate inflationary pressures, particularly in a context where currency depreciation has disproportionately large effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the contribution of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) Rules of Origin (RoO) to the growth and survival of manufacturing industries in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used purposive sampling to select the interviewees. Data obtained from interviews and through documentary review was thematically analysed. The study found that several critical challenges are hindering the effective utilisation of RoO. Foremost among these is a pervasive lack of knowledge and understanding of RoO requirements across all sectors of the Zimbabwean economy. This knowledge gap is compounded by cumbersome administrative and accounting requirements necessary to meet origin criteria, creating significant compliance burdens for manufacturers. Additionally, the poor economic performance of Zimbabwe has negatively impacted the ability of industries to leverage the benefits of SADC RoO, further impeding their competitiveness within the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA). The study recommended comprehensive awareness and training programmes to educate stakeholders on RoO, simplification of administrative processes to reduce compliance costs, and broader economic reforms to improve the overall business environment. Furthermore, it advocates for the establishment of support services to assist industries in navigating RoO requirements, and the enhancement of regional cooperation to facilitate smoother trade flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess the extent to which the implementation of Vision 2030 policies enhances the Saudi economy's resilience to oil shocks. Using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model that captures the country's economic diversification policies, we build a resilience index based on impulse responses to shocks. The policies considered have two opposite effects: reforming domestic energy prices, deploying renewables and introducing a value-added tax increase the volatility of macroeconomic aggregates, whereas economic diversification policies stabilize the economy. Overall, with Vision 2030 the economy's resilience to oil price shocks increases by 10 to 60 percent, depending on how labor market rigidities and the recycling of fiscal revenues are accounted for. Oil prices remain the main driver of macroeconomic fluctuations. Our analysis shows that an oil-exporting country should design policy packages that balance structural reforms with economic diversification, in order to shield its economy against oil shocks while generating long-term welfare gains. JEL Classification: D58, E13, E32, E37, E65, H30, H50, Q43 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In The Communist Postscript, Boris Groys identifies convictions in question when concepts assumed to be valid are revealed to contain a certain paradox. Among these in China, the concept of the city stands out. Since the imperial era, the Chinese state has organized subnational territory and governed society and space through the administrative divisions (xingzheng quhua 行政区划), but only in the 1980s, with economic reform, did cities become administrative divisions. Urban theory does not recognize the primary power of reterritorialization in China's urban process. Framed by dialectical reason, this analysis plumbs the history of territorial transmutation and the redefinition of cities in the reform era. It gives attention to the establishment of cities as vast rural-urban territorial-administrative areas, the special economic zone, and the special administrative region. Through changes to the administrative divisions, party-state power to change the map propels urban-industrial development for national transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past 22 years in Turkey can be divided into two sub-periods: during the 2002–10 period, the first AKP era, the party was broadly positioned as a moderate Islamist party with a clear intent to revive the failing economy of the country. The Turkish economy, in terms of mainstream standard criteria used by international organizations like the IMF, improved significantly during this period, in particular until the global financial crisis of 2008, through liberalization and reinforcing the country's EU candidacy bid through a series of economic and democratic reforms. The second period, from 2009–11, and particularly from 2013 onwards, marked the second AKP era, which was defined by serious economic problems and an explicit authoritarian shift. The country's political and institutional environment experienced serious backward steps in terms of both economic reform and democratization during this second decade of the AKP regime. Several significant incidents marked the increasingly authoritarian style of the regime: the Gezi protests of the summer of 2013, the intra-Islamist split between AKP and the Gülen movement in late 2013, the presidential election of 2014, and the failed coup attempt of July 2016 and the harsh authoritarian reaction that followed. Although it was still possible to label Turkey a flawed or illiberal democracy before mid-2015, the developments since the June 2015 elections and particularly after the July 2016 coup attempt (and counter-offensive) have led more observers to opt for sub-categories of authoritarianism instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the popular podcast series Violation as its point of departure this article examines the dramaturgy within the parole system its affective politics and its performative speech acts to consider its role in the perpetuation of mass incarceration in the United States. By training an eye on the affective economy of parole hearings this article explores the retributive turn in the criminal legal process in the wake of neoliberal economic reforms. It focuses on the anxious performance of remorse within parole hearings as a key form of affective currency that could potentially secure release from incarceration. In the process the article examines the significant role that remorse plays in parole hearings in entrenching a dispositional conception of personal responsibility in the criminal legal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the veracity and reliability of existing approaches to conducting disparity studies by methodologically drawing on a 54-city, nine-firm analysis, with over 900 diverse businesses surveyed. Despite efforts to initiate systemic development opportunities for diverse businesses, disparity studies merely alert society to obstinate challenges that hinder access to government contracts for diverse businesses. The intended rationale for a disparity study is to provide a "strong basis on the evidence" to support race-conscious remedial tools in government procurement. They establish evidence of discrimination that affects businesses, however, the nature of their content and structural form limits their potential for economic reform. This inefficiency presents questions on methods used to procure these studies, implies criticism of the industry that produces these studies, and suggests questions on whether localities are remedying discriminatory practices. A large portion of disparity studies do not adequately address the historical context, challenges to inclusive procurement, or contextual understanding of the communities affected. While some studies have policy chapters that address these issues, this material is not standardized. The tendency towards isomorphism reaffirms past practices for these studies while ignoring the present, enervating challenges faced within these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this project I will analyse the factors which determined the extent the Soviet economy was in by the end of the Gorbachev era and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.Many people in former USSR states, have blamed Gorbachev for the break of the Soviet Union and for the sharp economic downturn. To assess exactly how true this statement is, it is important to look at the state of the economy during his time, as well as looking at the USSR at the time of its best, which was the prosperous period of the late 60s and the early 70s. To do this effectively, I will look at, and analyse different areas of the economy such as agriculture, military and the social sector in the different periods of time, which will be the yearly Brezhnev period, the stagnation period and the Gorbachev era. I will also evaluate whether it was purely economic decisions which affected the state of the economy or whether some other things such as the characters of the leaders or political policies also had an effect on the economy. In comparing the difference between the successful economic growth of the early Brezhnev period of 1964-1973 and the decline of the Soviet economy in the late 1980s, as well as looking what has happened to the economy along the way and what contributed to its eventual decline, I can assess exactly how bad the economy was doing in the last years of the USSR and conclude whether, and if it did, then to what extent, the economy turn into a catastrophe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revenue decentralization represents a framework that facilitates enhanced fiscal autonomy for subnational governments, thereby enabling the tailoring of services to meet local needs and potentially fostering economic growth. In Kenya, the ratification of the 2010 constitutional formalized novel revenue frameworks aimed at supporting the operations, management, and sustainability of devolved county governments. However, there remains a paucity of empirical analysis examining the relationship between the revenue decentralization reforms and county‐level economic growth. We begin by identifying the main sources of county revenues within the decentralization frameworks, then investigate the dynamic interrelation with county economic growth. Through panel vector autoregression estimation techniques, our analysis reveals a positive and statistically significant association between own‐source revenue and conditional grants with county‐level economic growth. We discuss the implications of our findings and call for policymakers to reassess the fiscal instruments with the aim of strengthening the roles and responsibilities of counties. Key Takeaways: Revenue decentralization, in conjunction with fiscal instruments that facilitate the collection of own‐source revenue, has the potential to stimulate economic growth at the county level.Conditional grants, while partially significant, demonstrate their capacity to promote economic growth in historically marginalized counties.Our analysis reveals no substantial evidence that the equitable share of revenue significantly contributes to county‐level economic growth.This paper highlights the necessity of ongoing restructuring of decentralization frameworks to enhance the autonomy and sustainability of county governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of economic policy development during the New Order era in Indonesia reflects the political and economic dynamics that shaped the nation's development trajectory. Initially, the New Order government adopted a centralized and authoritarian economic development model, emphasizing industrialization and modernization. While these programs spurred economic growth, they also led to social inequality and political tensions. The late 1990s currency crisis, particularly the 1997 Asian financial crisis, significantly destabilized Indonesia's economy. Economic policies of the New Order era, characterized by dependence on foreign debt and imprudent monetary practices, rendered Indonesia susceptible to global financial market fluctuations. The impact of the crisis was profound, manifesting in a sharp decline in economic growth, a currency crisis, and a banking crisis, which compelled the government to implement urgent economic reforms. These reforms included financial sector restructuring, economic deregulation, and enhanced transparency in public financial management. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the New Order's economic policies and the subsequent impact of the currency crisis on Indonesia's economy.