The book critically examines the government's involvement in social insurance, highlighting President Reagan's proposal to shift to block grants. This approach aims to transfer financial responsibility to political decision-makers, raising questions about accountability and the future of social welfare programs. Through this analysis, the author explores the implications of such policy changes on social insurance systems.
The book presents insights from the 19th Kiel Week Conference, emphasizing the growing significance of services in both industrialized and developing nations. It explores how the service sector contributes to global economic growth and trade, highlighting its impact on various economies. The discussions reflect the evolving landscape of economic activities and the critical role services play in fostering development and trade relationships worldwide.
The book compiles papers and discussions from a conference focused on the debate surrounding rules for monetary and fiscal policy. It highlights opposing views that argue such rules have failed, particularly due to significant fluctuations in the velocity of money circulation. The collection offers insights into the complexities of economic policy-making and the challenges faced in establishing effective frameworks.
The 1997 Symposium of the Egon-Sohmen-Foundation, which gave rise to this book, took place in the United States, on the East Coast between New Y C)rk and New Haven, more precisely in Stamford (Conn.). The original choice had been a place close to Yale University, where Egon Sohmen taught economics from 1958 to 1960, subsequent to his period at MIT. But the hotel in New Haven was closed down by a new owner-to pass through a process of creative destruction. Change of ownership-on a large scale and as a transition from public to private hands-had been the topic of the preceding Egon Sohmen-Symposium (in Budapest in 1996) published under the head ing: Privatization at the End of the Century (Springer-Verlag, 1997). Yet mere change of ownership, some of us at the Foundation felt in subsequent months, was too narrow a focus to properly deal with the movement under consideration: a transition of ownership together with a general move towards a competitive market system charac terized by global openness, uncertainty, decentralized risk-bearing, and the increasing importance of information and innovation.
InhaltsverzeichnisPreface.I. The Economics of Privatization.When the State Changes Its Mind: The Puzzle of Discontinuity in Government Control of Economic Activity.Privatization and Economic Growth: Reflections and Observations.An Alternative to Privatization: Coping with Managerial Slack in Public Firms.Public Choice Aspects of Privatization Policies: Driving Forces and Obstacles.Methods of Privatization: Auctions, Bargaining, and Giveaways.Comment on the Methods of Privatization: Politico-Economic and Historical Issues.II. Country Experiences.Privatization in the United Kingdom and Poland: The Model and Its Transformation.Privatization in Eastern Germany: The Never-Ending Story of the Treuhand.Privatization in the Czech Republic and Russia: The Voucher Model.Privatization in Estonia and Hungary: Selling Out.Comment on the Hungarian Experience: Trade Sales versus Mass Privatization.Privatization in China: Something to Learn From?.III. A Broader Perspective.Regulation of Privatized Networks: The Case of Telecommunications.Comment on the Regulation of Privatized Networks: The Case of Electricity Industry.Private Provision of Public Goods and Services.About the Authors.
This book is the sequel to Fighting Europe's Unemployment in the 1990s, the collection of papers presented at the Salzburg Symposium of the Egon-Sohmen-Foundation in 1994. Though the problem of un employment was urgent already then, it has not found a practical solution in the meantime, and even intellectually it remains somewhat of a mystery. A clue is offered by the contrast with the United States: they have the working poor; we, on the old continent, have the welfare recipients. This brings the relationship between unemployment and the welfare state to the fore. On closer inspection, however, the matter appears to be much more complicated than the transatlantic contrast suggests. Consider only that the welfare state and what is called „social policy“ have a long tradition in Europe. They obviously did not pre vent or noticeably hamper the decline in unemployment in the 1950s and the emergence of full employment in the 1960s. This leaves room for various conjectures. Does the welfare state matter only after a long time lag or after it has grown too fast or too much beyond a critical size? Is it the welfare state per se that is harmful to employment or do its harmful effects arise only under certain conditions, e. g.
Following the five books listed above on an earlier page, the Egon Sohmen-Foundation herewith submits its sixth volume. Once again, it is a collection of academic papers that were discussed at a symposium sponsored by the Foundation and subsequently revised. Readers not familiar with the Foundation may be interested to know that it was established in 1987 by Helmut Sohmen of Hong Kong in memory of his late brother, Egon Sohmen (1930-1977). Egon Soh men was an international economist highly respected in North America and in Europe, notably for his work on flexible exchange rates and on the economics of allocation and competition. Born in Linz (Austria) and educated as an economist in Vienna, Tiibingen, and Cambridge, Mass., Egon Sohmen held teaching posts in several places (M. I. T., Yale, Frankfurt, Saarbriicken, Minnesota, and Heidelberg). As an active participant in numerous international con ferences and workshops, he truly belonged to the international research community of his time and age cohort. His lasting reputation greatly helped me to convene the active participants of this symposium.
Herbert Giersch's contribution to economics has ranged widely over international economics, European integration and the economics of entrepreneurship. This book presents in one volume a selection of some of his most important essays and papers. It encompasses the gradual evolution of his work from its beginnings to his most recent contributions to the debate on the future of the European Economic Community. It contains some of his most significant work during the last 30 years and includes material that is not widely available. It will be an essential reference point for all economists concerned with entrepreneurship, the world economy and Europe.