The Development of Swedish Tourism Public Policy 1930-2010

In this article, the development and changes in Swedish public policy relating to tourism from the 1930s to 2010 is described and interpreted from a political economy perspective. A case study, compiled from mainly secondary sources, is analyzed from a theoretical framework based on regulation theory. The purpose with this study is to increase the understanding of how the macro political economy context has influenced the policy-making in tourism in Sweden, but also to make a contribution to an area which seems to be quite neglected when it comes to research. The changes are analyzed according to the three periods denoted as pre-Fordism (mid-19th century-1930s), Fordism (1930s-1970s) and post-Fordism (1970s to present). It is observed how the general changes between these periods regarding aspects such as regulation and deregulation, and the degree of state involvement, have affected tourism policy making. The tourism policy making has changed from being insignificant, to a high degree of state involvement including planning, control and supervision, to a situation where the market rather than government regulation is considered as state of the art. 

Commitment of the Mentally Ill in Maine: a History of Public Policy

This paper traces the historical development in the State of Maine of the procedures by which persons found to be mentally unsound can be committed to institutional care against their will. Beginning in 1820 and continuing to the present, specific changes in the statutes governing this area are noted. Both the criminal and civil commitment procedures are dealt with. Following the historical trace, pending legislation relating to the criminal commitment process is examined in detail. Finally, consideration is given to the need for a complete reexamination of the practice of involuntary commitment involving ethical and constitutional issues.

A note on growth, welfare and public policy

In this note the growth anti welfare effects of fiscal anti monetary policies are investigated in three economies where public investment is part of the productive process It is shown that growth is maximized at positive levels of income tax and inflation but that there is no direct relationship between government size, productivity and growth or between inflation and growth. However, unless there are no transfers or public goods in the economy, maximization of growth does not imply welfare maximization and the optimal tax rate and government size are greater than those that maximize growth. Money is not superneutral anti the optimal rate of money creation is below the maximizing rate of growth.

Property rights as a public policy tool: an empirical analysis of the social and economic effects

Secure property rights are considered a key determinant of economic development. However, the evaluation of the causal effects of land titling is a difficult task. The Brazilian government through a program called "Papel Passado" has issued titles, since 2004, to over 85,000 families and has the goal to reach 750,000. Furthermore, another topic in Public Policy that is crucial to developing economies is income generation and child labor force participation. Particularly, in Brazil, about 5.4 million children and teenagers between 5 and 17 years old are still working. This thesis examines the direct impact of securing a property title on income and child labor force participation. In order to isolate the causal role of ownership security, this study uses a comparison between two close and very similar communities in the City of Osasco case (a town with 650,000 people in the São Paulo metropolitan area). One of them, Jardim Canaã, was fortunated to receive the titles in 2007, the other, Jardim DR, given fiscal constraints, only will be part of the program schedule in 2012, and for that reason became the control group. Also, this thesis also aims to test if there is any relationship between land title and happiness. The estimates suggest that titling results in a substantial decrease of child labor force participation, increase of income and happiness for the families that received the title compared to the others.

About DAPP: Meet the Department of Public Policy Analysis

The Department of Public Policy Analysis of Getulio Vargas Foundation (DAPP-FGV) is a research boutique concerned with the innovation of state structures and the relations between these and Civil Society, based on an interdisciplinary approach of applied social science, together with Information and Communication Technologies.

Lighting and violent crimes: evaluating the effect of an electrification policy in rural Brazil on violent crime reduction

This paper estimates the effect of lighting on violent crime reduction. We explore an electrification program (LUZ PARA TODOS or Light for All - LPT) adopted by the federal government to expand electrification to rural areas in all Brazilian municipalities in the 2000s as an exogenous source of variation in electrification expansion. Our instrumental variable results show a reduction in homicide rates (approximately five homicides per 100,000 inhabitants) on rural roads/urban streets when a municipality moved from no access to full coverage of electricity between 2000 and 2010. These findings are even more significant in the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil, where rates of electrification are lower than those of the rest of the country and, thus, where the program is concentrated. In the north (northeast), the number of violent deaths on the streets per 100,000 inhabitants decreased by 48.12 (13.43). This moved a municipality at the 99th percentile (75th) to the median (zero) of the crime distribution of municipalities. Finally, we do not find effects on violent deaths in households and at other locations. Because we use an IV strategy by exploring the LPT program eligibility criteria, we can interpret the results as the estimated impact of the program on those experiencing an increase in electricity coverage due to their program eligibility. Thus, the results represent local average treatment effects of lighting on homicides.

Avaliação do programa escola ativa como política pública para escolas do campo com turmas multisseriadas: a experiência em jardim do seridó/rn (1998-2009)

This work aims at developing an evaluation of the implementation of the Program Escola Ativa as a public policy for rural schools with combined grade classrooms in Jardim do Seridó RN (1998 2009) focusing on the following dimensions: school s physical environment, training, follow up, and didactic usage of the methodology. In order to develop this research we refer to the literature that analyzes the cycle of policies (FREY, 2000). In this approach, evaluation represents an important step in the process of analyzing the implementation of public policies, as a way of measuring up their performance, as well as a guide for realignments and redefinitions (PRESSMAN; WILDAVSKY, 1998). In order to accomplish this function, the evaluator of policies must be acquainted with scientific concepts and methods that consist of describing, interpreting and analyzing the policies in the governmental sphere (MENY; THOENIG, 1992; LIMA JÚNIOR, 1978). In this perspective, we intend to investigate whether in its proposition of minimizing the blanks in the Brazilian educational system, the implementation of the Program would be contributing to the improvement of the political-pedagogical practices in the rural schools with combined grade classrooms in Jardim do Seridó RN. In order to do this research, we have developed a theoretical-methodological matrix made of analysis dimensions, variables, indicators and instruments, such as literary revision, documental analysis, semi-structured interviews with four teachers and three supervisors that work and/or have worked in Escola Ativa in that town in the period comprised among 1998 2009, besides notes taken from field observation and photographs from four rural schools with combined grade classrooms. With this research we have identified that the Program, at a national level, has gone through different phases in its implementation process, for the town was not ready to fully take the responsibilities of the autonomous expansion, in 2002. From that period on, the execution of Escola Ativa has suffered several discontinuities, such as the lack of professional training and supervising. It is also noted that the methodology contributes to the dynamization of the didactic-pedagogical activities and promotes the cooperation and autonomy of the students in the organization and the applicability of the components of the curriculum, especially of Governo Estudantil and Cantinhos de Aprendizagem. Although the directions of the Program (BRASIL, 2005) point out that Escola Ativa has among its principles social transformation, we identified that, isolated, the initiative is not capable of promoting the changes that the rural schools need, namely investments in the physical, material, pedagogical and technological infra-structure, besides the estimation and a career plan for the teachers. In a general draft of the results of this research, we realized that some aspects presented about the peculiarities of Escola Ativa in Jardim do Seridó as a governmental Program, reinforce the need for the public policies to be evaluated, in order to confront critic and operationally the planning with the practice, revising action, whenever necessary

The distribution of agricultural land and the question of agrarian reform in Brazil

Agrarian reform has long been an acute issue in Brazil, where the distribution of cultivable land is extremely unequal. The Land Statute adopted by the military in 1964 constituted a genuine reform programme, which, however, was never implemented as the government chose to modernize agriculture and expand cultivated areas. This has prevented the poorest from having access to the land.-from English summary

Distributive impact of public policy

Includes bibliography

Latin America and the Caribbean in the transition to a knowledge-based society: an agenda for public policy

Includes bibliography

From social innovation to public policy. Success stories in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Toward a conceptual framework and public policy agenda for the information society in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Regional integration and public policy. Evaluation of the European experience and possible implications for Latin American integration

Includes bibliography