Voter Participation in the 1998 Bundestag Elections: A Theoretical Modification and Empirical Application of Downs’ Theory of Voter Participation

This article seeks to contribute to the illumination of the so-called 'paradox of voting' using the German Bundestag elections of 1998 as an empirical case. Downs' model of voter participation will be extended to include elements of the theory of subjective expected utility (SEU). This will allow a theoretical and empirical exploration of the crucial mechanisms of individual voters' decisions to participate, or abstain from voting, in the German general election of 1998. It will be argued that the infinitely low probability of an individual citizen's vote to decide the election outcome will not necessarily reduce the probability of electoral participation. The empirical analysis is largely based on data from the ALLBUS 1998. It confirms the predictions derived from SEU theory. The voters' expected benefits and their subjective expectation to be able to influence government policy by voting are the crucial mechanisms to explain participation. By contrast, the explanatory contribution of perceived information and opportunity costs is low.

Cuerpo, arte, experiencia e investigación. "Problemas de corporalidad"

En este artículo comentaremos las principales discusiones surgidas en la Mesa N° 15 "Problemas de corporalidad" desarrollada en el IX Congreso Argentino y IV Latinoamericano de Educación Física y Ciencias, en la UNLP. En este grupo de trabajo se recibieron ponencias que versaron sobre la cuestión de la corporalidad en la práctica artística, incluyendo fundamentalmente reflexiones relativas a la danza, el teatro, la performance, la música, la danza-terapia y la educación corporal. Se puso énfasis en la generación de debates, discusiones y reflexiones que tocaran a todos los expositores o a grupos de ellos, posibilitando delimitar puntos de encuentro y divergencias entre sus enfoques. Las discusiones surgidas estuvieron atravesados por el hecho de que casi todos los trabajos compartían una característica: el ser producto de la reflexión sobre la propia práctica. Esto puso en el centro del debate las reflexiones sobre las relaciones entre experiencia e investigación, y los diálogos que se generan entre el hacer investigación desde y sobre la práctica

Cuerpo, arte, experiencia e investigación. "Problemas de corporalidad"

En este artículo comentaremos las principales discusiones surgidas en la Mesa N° 15 "Problemas de corporalidad" desarrollada en el IX Congreso Argentino y IV Latinoamericano de Educación Física y Ciencias, en la UNLP. En este grupo de trabajo se recibieron ponencias que versaron sobre la cuestión de la corporalidad en la práctica artística, incluyendo fundamentalmente reflexiones relativas a la danza, el teatro, la performance, la música, la danza-terapia y la educación corporal. Se puso énfasis en la generación de debates, discusiones y reflexiones que tocaran a todos los expositores o a grupos de ellos, posibilitando delimitar puntos de encuentro y divergencias entre sus enfoques. Las discusiones surgidas estuvieron atravesados por el hecho de que casi todos los trabajos compartían una característica: el ser producto de la reflexión sobre la propia práctica. Esto puso en el centro del debate las reflexiones sobre las relaciones entre experiencia e investigación, y los diálogos que se generan entre el hacer investigación desde y sobre la práctica

Cuerpo, arte, experiencia e investigación. "Problemas de corporalidad"

En este artículo comentaremos las principales discusiones surgidas en la Mesa N° 15 "Problemas de corporalidad" desarrollada en el IX Congreso Argentino y IV Latinoamericano de Educación Física y Ciencias, en la UNLP. En este grupo de trabajo se recibieron ponencias que versaron sobre la cuestión de la corporalidad en la práctica artística, incluyendo fundamentalmente reflexiones relativas a la danza, el teatro, la performance, la música, la danza-terapia y la educación corporal. Se puso énfasis en la generación de debates, discusiones y reflexiones que tocaran a todos los expositores o a grupos de ellos, posibilitando delimitar puntos de encuentro y divergencias entre sus enfoques. Las discusiones surgidas estuvieron atravesados por el hecho de que casi todos los trabajos compartían una característica: el ser producto de la reflexión sobre la propia práctica. Esto puso en el centro del debate las reflexiones sobre las relaciones entre experiencia e investigación, y los diálogos que se generan entre el hacer investigación desde y sobre la práctica

The foundation of the Mexican welfare state and social security reform in the 1990s

Before 1982 Mexico's welfare state regime was a limited conservative one that put priority on the social security of organized labor. But following the country's debt crisis in 1982, this regime changed to a hybrid liberal model. The Ernest Zedillo government (1995-2000) in particular pushed ahead with liberal reform of the social security system. This paper examines the characteristics and the policy making of the social security reforms in the 1990s. The results suggest that underlying these reforms was the restructuring of the economy and the need to cope with the cost of this restructuring. The paper also points out that one of the main factors making possible the rapid execution of the reforms were the weakened political clout of the officialist labor unions due to their steady breakdown during the 1990s and the increase in the monopolistic power of the state vis-a-vis the position of labor during the negotiations on social security reforms.

Transformation and continuity of the Argentine welfare state -- evaluating social security reform in the 1990s

Beginning after World War II, Argentina institutionalized a limited conservative corporatist welfare state where occupation-linked social insurance held a central position and social assistance had a residual character. This was called a limited conservative corporatist welfare state, because the huge population within the informal sector was excluded from the main system. A populist government supported by trade unions and the economic model of import-substituting industrialization were the background for the formation of this type of welfare state. During the 1990s, elements of a liberal regime were added to the Argentine welfare state under the reform carried out by the Menem Peronist government. However, social insurance reform and labor reform were not as drastic as the economic reform. They still retained a certain continuity from the traditional systems. The government intended to carry out more drastic social security and labor reform, but was unable to do so due to the legacy of corporatism of the Peronist government.

Negative Bubbles and Unpredictability of Financial Markets: The Asian Currency Crisis in 1997

We obtain the three following conclusions. First, business cycles depend on prices of stocks and primary commodities such as crude oil. Second, stock prices and oil prices generate psychological cycles with different periods. Third, there exist cases of "negative bubble" under certain conditions. Integrating the above results, we can find a role of a government in financial market in developing countries.

IT Clusters in India

One of the facilitating factors that enabled the rise of IT industry in India is the evolution of IT clusters. A study of these clusters can provide interesting insights. The rise of the Banglaore IT cluster was due, among other things, to some of the policies the Indian government took three decades or earlier. It would be difficult to talk of "benign neglect" of the government towards this sector. Different factors worked in the case of Hyderabad. A comparison between the IT clusters in India has much to tell the new emerging IT clusters in India as well as those outside of it.

韓国のソーシャル・セーフティネット

アジア通貨危機後、韓国はIMFの構造調整を受け入れた。不況とマクロ緊縮政策があいまって、失業率が急激に上昇した。その対策として、政府はソーシャル・セーフティネットの整備に力を入れた。雇用保険の適用者拡大などの政策は、IMFのコンディショナリティに従ったものである。しかし、実際に実施された政策はIMFの勧告を超え、広く社会保障の整備につながるものであった。

The Production Technology of Philippine Domestic Banks in the Pre-Asian Crisis Periods: Estimation of Cost Function in the 1990-96 Period

This is to analyzes the operational behavior and technical progress among Philippine domestic banks, using micro-level data on individual banks. First, we summarize their major business activities and gain insight on how the structure is changing. Then, we formally estimate the cost function of Philippine domestic banks using panel data covering a seven-year period (1990-96). The presence of economies of scale and economies of scope is investigated and technical progress in the banking industry is measured. In addition, the results of analysis for the Philippines are compared with those of similar studies on Thailand conducted by the author previously.

Fiscal Decentralization, Chinese Style: Good for Health Outcomes?

This study analyzes the effect of fiscal decentralization on health outcomes in China using a panel data set with nationwide county-level data. We find that counties in more fiscal decentralized provinces have lower infant mortality rates compared to those counties in which the provincial government retains the main spending authority, if certain conditions are met. Spending responsibilities at the local level need to be matched with county government's own fiscal capacity. For those local governments that have only limited revenues, their ability to spend on local public goods such as health care depends crucially upon intergovernmental transfers. The findings of this study thereby support the common assertion that fiscal decentralization can indeed lead to more efficient production of local public goods, but also highlights the necessary conditions to make this happen.

Institutional Development of Capital Markets in Nine Asian Economies

This paper is conducting a comparative analysis of the development of securities markets in nine Asian economies: Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China. This study focuses on two aspects: the history and institutional development of securities market, such as legal systems, payment systems, etc. From the analyses, this paper reveals several common features of the development of securities markets in nine Asian economies. First, most economies had an informal capital market in the early period of their history. Second, the background of the foundation of their official markets was influenced by experiences of colonization. Third, most governments recognized the importance of the capital market for economic development and had a positive attitude in promoting the market. Fourth, statistics clearly showed that most economies experienced several booms in their capital market from the late 1980s.