bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The epidemiology of recurrent miscarriage: A descriptive study of 1214 prepregnant women with recurrent miscarriage
Authors: YANG Catherine J. , STONE Peter , STEWART Alistair W.
Published: July 2006

Aims:  To describe the characteristics of the prepregnant population attending the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic (RMC) at the National Women's Hospital (NWH), Auckland, between 1986 and 2003, and to compare them with the overall obstetric booking population of the hospital.

Methods:  The identifying details of 1214 prepregnant women attending the RMC were obtained. Both hospital and RMC records, which were kept separately, were retrospectively reviewed for demographic information and results of diagnostic investigations. Data from Auckland residents who attended the clinic were compared with data from all Auckland women booking or delivering at NWH.

Results:  RMC attendees were older than the general NWH population, but had similar parity. Clinic attendees had a higher incidence of personal and family history of antepartum haemorrhage, fetal abnormalities, stillbirths and neonatal deaths than reported rates for the general population. Chromosomal anomalies were detected in 86 women, reproductive tract anomalies were found in 142 women, and polycystic ovarian syndrome was detected in 49 women. The majority (52.7%) of women had no identifiable cause for recurrent miscarriage detected.

Conclusions:  These data support the concept of women with recurrent miscarriage being at high risk for adverse obstetric outcomes including fetal abnormalities, stillbirths and neonatal deaths, even when the pregnancies are ongoing. We conclude that recurrent miscarriage is different from subfertility, and provide information of use in planning care for such women.
Not all ovarian cysts in young woman are benign: A case series and review of the management of complex adnexal masses in young women
Authors: CARTER Jonathan , PATHER Selvan , ABDEL‐HADI Mohammed , NATTRESS Kathryn , DALRYMPLE Christopher , BEALE Philip
Published: July 2006

While ovarian cancer is a disease that predominately affects postmenopausal women, up to 13% of affected patients are indeed less than 45 years of age. The diagnosis is often delayed because of the non‐specific nature of symptoms and a lack of specific and accurate diagnostic tests, that is, CA125 and ultrasound. In premenopausal women these issues are compounded, further reducing the likelihood of an accurate and early diagnosis. It is important for gynaecologists to have a high index of suspicion and appropriately investigate symptomatic patients and interpret test results critically. Not all ovarian cysts in young women are benign, and a low threshold for surgical evaluation is warranted.
Nocardial tubo‐ovarian abscess in a pregnant woman: A rare case report
Authors: KEPKEP Kumral , TunÇay Yildiz Ayhan , YIgItbasI Rafet
Published: July 2006

Nocardiosis is a rare disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. We report on a 32‐year‐old pregnant woman with nocardiosis, which may be the third reported case in which no risk factor for the infection (other than the pregnancy itself) could be found. Pregnancy was complicated by the formation of a tubo‐overian nocardia abscess, resulting in abortion. Lapartomy with trimethopprim‐sulfamethoxazole led to complete cure of the patient at the end of the fifth month. This case emphasizes the difficulty in the diagnosis and treatment of a nocardial infection during pregnancy.
Headache in Patients with Baroreflex Failure
Authors: Khurana Ramesh K.
Published: July 2006

Two cases of baroreflex failure presented with tension‐type/exertional headache. The usefulness of noninvasive physiological tests in diagnosing baroreflex failure and the role of baroreceptors in trigeminal nociception are discussed.
Black‐White Economic Participation in Large U.S. Cities: Some Determinants of Their Differentials
Authors: Marshall Harvey
Published: July 2006

Abstract. In this study some of the causes of the differentials in Black‐White economic participation in large U.S. cities are examined. Specific concern is with unemployment and withdrawal from the labor force. The underlying hypothesis is that these differentials are a response to compositional differences between the two populations. The effects of region, economic structure, and segregation are also examined. A causal model is explicated in which these variables are inter related and their direct and indirect effects upon the dependent variables analyzed. The data suggest that, while having similar patterns of causes, labor force withdrawal and unemployment differentials are distinct phenomena. It also appears that a major portion of the variance in these variables is not accounted for by compositional differences between Blacks and Whites on socio‐economic variables. However, educational and occupational differentiation have theoretically significant effects. It is argued that a major portion of the residual variance is due to discrimination, although there is no way of directly testing this hypothesis. An important negative finding is the apparently minor impact of residential segregation, suggesting that the physical isolation of Blacks is not a key factor in their limited economic participation. Finally, the data suggest that it is meaningful to regard assimilation as a multidimensional phenomenon whose dimensions are causally interrelated.
The Politics of Government Pricing: Political Influences on Rate Structures of Publicly‐owned Electric Utilities
Authors: Blair John P.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Although theoretical analysis of publicly‐owned enterprises is rapidly evolving into a well established body of literature, parallel empirical work is scarce. A major cause of this imbalance is the difficulty of quantifying theoretically important concepts such as political influence or political power. The purpose of this paper is to narrow the gap in the literature by statistically testing the role of political forces in determining the price structure in the case of publicly‐owned electric utilities (POEUs).

The price differential between residential and commercial users is examined. Variables reflecting the relative political influence of the customer groups are discussed and their strength as determinants of the rate structure is tested. The findings are consistent with theoretical expectations; the higher the gain from favoring one group relative to the other, the greater the variance in price between groups.
An American Owenite: Edward A. Filene and the Parameters of Industrial Reform, 1890‐1937
Authors: McQuaid Kim
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Edward A. Filene pioneered in introducing industrial democracy in his Boston department store in 1891. In the store's rapid expansion he lost control in 1928 and the experiment came to an end. Equally unsuccessful were his efforts to strengthen public control over the street railway, gas and subway monopolies in Boston after 1901 and to promote urban reform there from 1909 to 1912. He became a prophet of the New Capitalism and a promoter of the New Deal but in both movements his integrity isolated him from his peers. His enduring contributions were the cooperative and credit union movements.
The Single Taxers' ‘Invasion’ of Delaware
Authors: Wolfe Nancy T.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. In 1895 a group of Single Taxers—members of the ethical democratic social reform movement founded by the American Journalist, Henry George—'invaded’ Delaware in an attempt, by concentrating their efforts, to achieve a demonstration of the efficacy of their theories by putting them into practice. The campaign won adherents but it failed to win adoption of the program because the idealists were not political realists and so they were unaware that Delaware in the mid‐90s was a very unlikely place for a third‐party movement.
Equity in Financing Primary and Secondary Education
Authors: Flora Jan L.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Per pupil educational costs for Kansas counties are analyzed according to degree to which the county is rural. The loss or gain due to migration of educated young people is then added into the costs. Those costs are then compared to ability to pay according to a number of indicators in each category of the county. The impact of various forms of taxation to support schools is analyzed. Rural counties spend more per pupil and pay higher per capita property taxes. The differences in cost between rural and urban areas is even greater when the effects of migration are included. Household incomes tend to be lower in more rural counties. The effects of a court‐ordered change in school finance will increase the inequalities between rural and urban areas. It is contended that reliance on the property tax contributes highly to this inequality.
The Value of Time Spent in Home Production
Authors: Murphy Martin
Published: July 2006

Abstract. For a variety of reasons the monetary value of time spent in home production, expecially by housewives, is of interest to lawyers, economists, sociologists and various other groups in society. By convention, economists value this time on the basis of the wage paid to a hired replacement. The model developed in this paper shows that this approach requires general assumptions concerning the nature of work and home production which are unduly restrictive and frequently contrary to observation. As a result, the conventional methodology cannot be adapted to individual circumstances and consequently yields misleading results. By contrast, the methodology suggested here can be applied on a case by case basis.
Public Choice and Urban Water Quality*
Authors: Delorme Charles D. , Wood Norman J.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. It is the purpose of this paper to examine critically the choice of “zero discharge” as me ultimate goal of our federal water pollution policy and to demonstrate that a goal of 90 percent removal of pollutants from effluents of urban areas will be more economically efficient. Our results indicate that in reaching “Zero discharge,” there is a minimal return in water quality for urban areas which are located on large bodies of water. The final conclusion is that the substantial resources, which would be required to surpass the level of 90 percent removal of pollutants, could be employed more effectively in other social programs.
The Keynesian Paradigm and Public Administration
Authors: Bornemann Alfred H.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Keynesian theory in macroeconomics and public finance in the United States was compatible with and supportive of a parallel development in the public administration branch of political science that arose in the Great Depression of the 1930s. This was the theory that the initiative in achieving welfare goals should be taken by government agencies acting to resolve conflicting interests. In initiating and taking leadership in bringing about social change, the administrators expanded government into a new bureaucratic State.
Environmental Quality and Social Equality:
Authors: Gore Peter H. , Lapping Mark B.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The problems and contradictions which arise when an economically “poor” region is mandated to remain environmentally “pure“ are examined. The Adirondack region of New York State is such an area, being now protected by the 1972 Adirondack Park Land Use Plan. This limitation on development for environmental reasons has serious consequences for the 120,000 permanent residents within the park boundaries who, through their legislators, vigorously opposed the controls. A number of examples of the conflicts which have arisen are cited and a framework for “comprehensive” rather than “fragmented”planning is suggested.
Veblen as Teacher and Hunker in 1896–97:
Authors: Uselding Paul
Published: July 2006

Abstract. From the notes of a graduate student, James E. Hagerty, there has survived a record of sorts of what Thorstein Veblen taught at the University of Chicago in 1896–97. It shows that Veblen was working out in the classroom the ideas he presented formally after 1889, particularly the idea that “Differences in political economy now and in the past are due to a difference in psychology”—in “the point of view from which the facts are handled.” Veblenian thought was the product of the prevailing scientific philosophy. The Hagerty notes are presented in full in an appendix.
Louis F. Post and the Single Tax Movement, 1872–98
Authors: Candeloro Dominic
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The career of Louis F. Post (1849–1928), upon his return to New York following a stint as a Carpetbagger in South Carolina, became, for a time, that of publicist. Post first attempted to break into regular Republican politics, then turned to Journalism on the staff of the New York Truth, and finally was converted to the Single Tax philosophy of Henry George in the early 1880s. Thereafter, Post became George's closest confidante and labored hard as a writer, lecturer, and political organizer to elect George and others to make the Single Tax a reality (1). The author's sources include Post's unpublished autobiography, the files of The Public, The Standard and the Cleveland Recorder, as well as material from the Henry George Collection in the New York Public Library.
A ‘Basic Needs’ Strategy for Development of Technology in Low Income Countries.
Authors: Long Frank
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The ‘basic needs’ strategy in development planning calls for giving priority to meeting minimum human needs and providing certain essential public services. This investigations studies its relevancy for developing technology and change in low income countries. It advances the case for an operationally‐oriented basic needs concept for technology in such countries. It outlines a simplified planning model incorporating such a strategy. Eight equations are developed to yield an illustrative preliminary function showing the basic needs technology interacting with a structure of production, consumption and accumulation.
Highway Usage, Needs and Pollution as a Function of City Size and Population Density
Authors: Miller Edward
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Using the data for 1990 urbanized areas from the 1972 Highway Needs Study, the effects of city size and population density on per capita vehicle use, miles of road, highway needs and “optimal”highway investment needs were investigated. The regressions showed that the miles of road per capita decrease with city population and population density. The vehicle miles of travel were found to increase with the land area of a city and its population. Although travel, and hence pollution increases in total as a city becomes more spread out, the suburban sprawl lowers the concentration of automotive pollutants in the atmosphere. Highway needs per capita decrease with population density, but increase with city size. Similar results are obtained when an approximation to optimal investment is used as the dependent variable.
From the Narrow Single Tax to Broad Progressivism: The Intellectual Development of Louis F. Post, 1898‐1913
Authors: Candeloro Dominic
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Following a brief biographical sketch of Louis F. post (1849‐1928), this study focuses on the intellectual development of the man who became the de facto leader of the U.S. Single Tax Movement after the death of Henry George. During the period 1898–1913, Post served as editor of The Public, a Chicago weekly. In its analysis of Post's journalistic writings and of his books, The Ethics of Democracy (1905), Social Service (1909), and The Ethical Principles of Marriage and Divorce (1904), the study documents the broadening of Post's thought and suggests the influence which Progressivisim had on the single tax and vice versa. Single Taxers contributed greatly to the success of progressivism in America. In the process, however, many single taxers moderated their thinking to the point where the Single Tax Movement lost its separate identity. Post also participated in the 1909‐1910 Reform movement in England.
Modernization and the Problem of Abstractive Levels: Situational Logic as a Means of Bridging Group Structural and Inter‐Personal Relationships
Authors: Prattis J. I.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Studies of modernization and change tend to perpetuate a dichotomy between micro‐ and macro‐levels of sociological analysis. This bifurcation is used to introduce the problem of abstractive levels whereby the properties and procedures of system‐level analysis and ego‐centred approaches are discussed and compared. The contention is that both levels of abstraction must be incorporated within our explanations of social phenomena. The application of situational logic to Rossel Island and Highland Burma is briefly discussed to suggest that this particular concept set has properties which may effectively link abstractive levels that usually remain discrete.
The Sociological Foundations of Consumer Behavior: Their Implications for Economic Efficiency
Authors: Collier Betty J.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Neoclassical economic theory asserts that when the assumptions of perfect competition apply to a market economy, the allocation of inputs and/or outputs is such that by additional inputs or outputs no individual's welfare can be improved without diminishing some other individual's. That is, it is considered Pareto Efficient. When imperfect markets exist, however, externalities—influences from outside the economic process—in production and exchange, and indivisibilities—benefits or costs which cannot be allocated to or assessed against the individuals who enjoy or occasion them—appear and the market ceases to be an efficiently operated one. It is argued here that a fourth category of factors exists which may interfere with economic efficiency and that these factors are sociological in nature, factors arising from such considerations as class, status, role and power.
Property Taxation and Human Migration
Authors: Cebula Richard J. , Curran Christopher
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Various factors explain human migration as it relates to the growth of cities. Some are closely related to the location of modem industry: people follow jobs or at least are attracted by better economic opportunities. Cities also attract population by a quality of life otherwise unavailable. Some move to particular cities for personal reasons, etc. But for the United States, at least, and for White migrants, two factors are also important in affecting migration decisions: White migrants are attracted by higher educational spending and lower property tax burdens relative to areas with lower spending and higher burdens. White migrants in 1960‐70 apparently preferred areas with mild or warm climates but were less sensitive to income differences.
Land Prices and Tax Policy: A Study of Fiscal Impacts
Authors: Smith Roger S.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Various tax measures are in use in efforts to control the level of land prices and to moderate changes in them. These are the site value, vacant land, increment value and transfer taxes. Analysis indicates that sufficiently heavy site value taxes can help stem the rise in land prices and that relatively heavy vacant land taxes can be used to encourage the development of certain urban land. Both instruments may bring forward the time of development. Both are perhaps the best tax tools for controlling speculation. Significant problems seem likely to attend the use of land value increment and transfer taxes applied at high rates. Non‐tax alternative or complementary measures are also analyzed.
Obstacles to Federal Tax Reform: An Exploratory Inquiry Into the Fiscal Attitudes of a Small Group of Taxpayers
Authors: Evans Linda
Published: July 2006

Abstract. An exploratory inquiry was conducted to identify legislative goals of Washington‐based tax reformers and to learn bow a small group of taxpayers (n = 54) from various socio‐economic backgrounds felt about some of these goals. On a general level most informants claimed they supported elimination of tax loopholes. However, on a more specific level informants tended not to see any tax provision they used to avoid taxes as a “loophole,” According to these semi‐structured conversations, these taxpayers held no allegience to any particular principle of tax equity or tax justice except that, believing that other taxpayers engage widely in avoiding taxes, they are anxious to lose no importunity to do so.
New light on Veblen's Work and Influence
Authors: Walker Donald A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. An important recent publication of writings by and about Thorstein Veblen, entitled Essays, Reviews, and Reports; Previously Uncollected Writings (1973), sheds new light on the social critic's work and influence. It was edited by Joseph Dorfman and includes a book by him entitled New Light on Veblen. Veblen's reviews are examined and evaluated. Dorfman's collection of material is surveyed, and it is seen that Veblen influenced an extremely wide range of important people besides the economists known as “institutionalists.” The book will be an essential source for anyone who tries to assess the impact of Veblen on our culture, and it is also a monument to Dorfman's dedication to its subject.
Planned Global Interdependence as a Foreign Policy Goal: The Problem of Coordinating Trading Relationships
Authors: Winthrop Henry
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The significance of the concept of interdependence is dealt with from four aspects. 1) Attention is focused upon the meanings attached to the concept of interdependence in the growing literature on the subject. 2) The mathematical structure of the concept is analyzed and its implications for, and restraints upon, global planning are emphasized. 3) the analysis of the implications of the concept for global planning is further extended by a discussion of the tasks that would be involved in all efforts to coordinate global plans that have been developed within a framework of International forms of interdependence. 4) An effort is made to relate the tasks of coordination for global plans that reflect various forms of interdependence, to economic concerns and to the relationships that arise for interdependencies of trade.
In Perpetuity: Some Reflections on Literary Views of Land and Other Forms of Property
Authors: De Gregori Thomas R.
Published: July 2006

Abstract

Some of civilization's finest minds have focused on societal problems and reported the result in literary works. Literary sensitivity and sensibility ought to provide insight on the value consequences and normative dimensions of social science theorizing. These hypotheses are tested against some of the ideas on property, particularly property in land, in great works of literature, contrasted with some analogous ideas from economic theory. No sweeping generalizations or policy conclusions were sought or found; insights were obtained as aids or guides for economic inquiry. But, interestingly, many of the literary views were in substantial accord with views on land and property espoused by Henry George, views which, as he noted, have a history extending into ancient and possibly prehistoric times.
Multinational Corporations, Nation‐States and Ocean Resource Management: The Impact of the World's 200‐mile Economic Zone on Multinational and National Development*
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Chennat
Published: July 2006

Abstract

The extension of coastal State jurisdiction to 200‐nautical miles—a ‘fact of international law’ about to receive juridical status—would lead to a unique situation in the ownership of ocean resources, viz. 15 coastal states would receive among them approximately 42 percent of the world's 200‐mile economic zone area. At least 8 of these countries are less‐developed coastal states (LDCS) which lack the key factors, capital, technology and managerial skill, necessary to tap these resources. As a result, the reliance of the LDCS on marine multinational corporations will markedly increase since a significant part of marine technology exists in the private sector. Concurrently, a dramatic rise in the control of coastal states over MNCs engaged in ocean resource development will occur. Thus, under the new regime of ocean resource management, the relationship between MNCs and Nation‐States is likely to be one of constructive partnership in development, rather than one of conflict and discord.
The ‘Impact’ of Equal Employment Legislation on Women's Earnings: Limitations of Legislative Solutions to Discrimination in the Economy
Authors: Okelly Charlotte G.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Although a strong legal basis now exists for equal opportunity in employment for women, women's earnings have actually dropped relative to men's. This holds true even when experience on the job, life‐time work experience, and education are similar. Females are also still twice as likely as males to be below the poverty line. The impact of low female earnings may be of even greater significance today because of the increase in female‐headed families. Equal opportunity legislation has not been sufficient to end economic sexism.
On the Centenary of Progress and Poverty
Authors: Lissner Will
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Henry George was more fortunate than many authors of classics. His Progress and Poverty won understanding, appreciation and recognition from the start. The book presented a theory of the business cycle based on monopoly of which theorists must take account. It also represented the peak of the development of the classical school. George shared with the school's great figures, particularly Adam Smith and David Ricardo, a Utopian vision of a free economy. But George went beyond them in envisioning a free society in a new moral order; he was one of the great libertarian philosophers. Moreover, as Teilhac has shown, he projected into economics a social rationalism that opened the way for a reborn political economy based on scientific method. Though his is one of the enduring creations of the human mind which spur the species on to greater cultural achievements, it is, first and foremost, an economic classic. Insofar as George pointed to monopoly and privilege as socially disastrous institutions, his teaching has been adopted by economists everywhere. His doctrine that all men share a common right to the earth now rules space exploitation—that is, the universe—and the deep oceans and it is winning grudging recognition in the one‐fourth of the earth humanity inhabits.
Professional Research on Minority Economic Problems and its Effect on Academic Hiring
Authors: Vowels Robert C.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. This study in the sociology of economics analyzes the probable effects of selected social and institutional variables on the academic hiring of economists. Authorship data on minority economic problems in 29 principal economic journals were related to data on the ranking of graduate programs in economics and to data on the ranking of economic journals. Formally, this is a problem in conditional probabilities, suggesting the use of transition matrices with elements Pij. High ranking schools tend to be net Ph.D. producers, thus exporting their “surpluses”, and perhaps ideas, to other institutions. Graduates of these schools, reflecting a homogeneous grouping, tend to publish in the high ranking economic journals. Examination of the relationship between the school that granted the author's Ph.D. and his academic employment reveals a picture of interinstitutional concentration and hierarchy. Through the hiring process, these social and institutional variables probably significantly influence the direction and pace of economic idea production.
Alternative Policies for Preserving Farm and Open Areas: Analysis and Evaluation of Available Options
Authors: Veseth Michael
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Rapid urban growth disrupts land use patterns on the urban‐rural fringe, increasing development pressure on nearby farm and open lands. Many public agencies have attempted to moderate these development pressures through intervention in the local land market in order to preserve remaining open areas. There are essentially five ways that governmental units can act to preserve farm and open lands: public purchase of these lands; restrictive zoning laws; public purchase of the development rights to open lands; programs of transferable development rights, and preferential assessment property tax programs. Each of these methods imposes burdens on different groups and creates winners and losers among property owners, taypayers and others. This paper analyzes the economic impacts of these open space preservation programs and evaluates their effectiveness in achieving their goals. None of the programs evaluated is judged to be perfect in preserving open space, but the public purchase of development rights is seen to be an equitable second‐best solution.
The Economics of Edward Alsworth Ross
Authors: Spellman William E.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Edward Alsworth Ross gained fame as a founding father of American sociology; however, he was trained as an economist by Richard T. Ely and made significant contributions in economics before he moved into sociology. Ross was the John Kennneth Galbraith of the popidist‐progressive era. The similarity in background, methodology, Weltanschauung, and controversial academic and political styles of these men is discussed. Ross became a cause célébre after his dismissal from Stanford University in 1900 which became a major academic freedom case. Although he was a professional economist for only six years, Ross made original contributions in the areas of taxation, debt management, value theory, uncertainty, and location theory. The discussion of uncertainty as a factor in production precedes Knight's concept of risk and uncertainty and challenges neoclassical policy conclusions in a dynamic environment. His treatment of location theory includes a discussion of agglomeration, externalities, regional dualism, factor endowment, and comparative advantage to explain economic mobility.
Ragnar Frisch: Econometrics and the Political Economy of Planning
Authors: Long Frank
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Ragnar Frisch's main contributions are in the field of econometrics. This paper discusses Frisch's contribution to the political economy of planning. It argues that although planning was not a special feature of classical political economy, Frisch nonetheless shared in the broader social and moral aspirations of political economy; for Frisch, these were the ultimate objectives of planning. To this end the paper discusses Frisch's approach to the formalization of society's preferences. This approach involves an interactive mechanism in which politicians and technical experts participate. Against the political economy aspirations of Frisch, some behavioral shortcomings of his framework are briefly discussed.
General Property Reassessment: Relative Tax Impacts on Land and on Structures
Authors: Mikesell John L.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Many jurisdictions require periodic mass reassessment of real property to bring assessed values closer to market values and to reallocate tax burdens among property types. This paper examines the influence of general reassessment on the tax burden on land relative to that on improvements in Indiana, a state using elected local assessors, statewide mass reassessment on a regular cycle, and assessment of structures at hypothetical reproduction cost. Examination of data over the 1950‐51 to 1974‐75 period shows that economic growth and development reallocates property tax impact away from land: the share of land in the base declines and the effective rate paid on any given parcel of land declines. Reassessment adjusts these impacts. While reassessment increases the share of improvements in the total base, the readjustment for land is larger. From this analysis, the most recent mass assessment (1968) increased the land to improvement ratio by about 42 percent.
The Roles of Equilibrium, Optimality, Maximization and Discontent in Decision‐Making Processes
Authors: Zinam Oleg
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The concept of equilibrium plays a pivotal role in the neoclassical maximization theory. Equilibrium, or balance of forces, is an ethically neutral term, while optimum is a position considered by the decision‐maker as the most desirable, according to some predetermined criteria of optimality. Disequilibrium can be defined as a divergence between the actual and the desired performance. Within this context, the optimum position is attained when the ideal and actual values of the crucial variables measuring performance coincide. Disequilibrium analysis can be expressed in terms of the theory of discontent. Socio‐economic change caused by human decisions and actions is always rooted in discontent, which leads to determination to act. This determination, or will, is one necessary condition for change. The other necessary condition is the use of power to close the discontent gap. The coincidence of power to act and will to use it is a sufficient condition for change. To what extent a new equilibrium balancing aspirations and attainments is established depends on the relationship between the rate of change in the level of aspiration and the rate of change in the level of attainment. The theory of discontent has a much broader application to economics which is elaborated.
Models of the Significance of Interlocking Corporate Directorates
Authors: Koenig Thomas , Gogel Robisrt , Sonquist John
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Four different models explaining the significance of the patterns of interlocking directorates in the American economy are delineated and examined to discover a few of the behavioral predictions inherent in each. Empirical tests are employed to examine the general pattern of replacement of interlocking relationships between the largest American firms when ended through the death of an outside director. Another test employed is to examine the stability of interlock patterns over time. From the results it is concluded that interlocking directorates do not generally represent evidence of close interconnections between specific corporations but do connect some stable, city‐based groups.
Economic Development, Social Mobilization and the Growth of Public Expenditures in Greece
Authors: Michas Nicholas A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. This study attempts to provide insight into those factors which affect the level and composition of public expenditures in a developing country by conceptualizing the interrelationship of economic, political, and sociological factors. Changes in governmental expenditures in post‐war Greece are postulated to be a function of the underlying social and political currents as manifested through a process of social mobilization that comes to bear upon the political process and ultimately on decision‐making by government. The analysis presented here indicates that on the basis of selected indicators, mounting pressure by the increasingly mobilized population has, particularly between 1958 and 1967, influenced significantly the pattern of growth and composition of public expenditures in Greece.
The Time Horizon of Planned Social Change: I. Why Utopian Movements Always Promise Amelioration in the Future
Authors: Noyes Richard
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Why have worthy social reforms in general, and Henry George's 100‐year‐old proposal to end land speculation and land monopoly, in particular, taken so long to win acceptance? The sociology of knowledge, framed by Mannheim and others, offers fresh insight into the question. The newer concepts of time horizon and its variants‐time frame and temporal calibration‐examined by Edward Banfield, Paul Fraisse and others, take it further. Seen and discussed by Locke, Hobbes and Hume without being given names, the new concepts have only recently been singled out for closer study. Time horizon, as a human variable, clarifies why Utopian ideas are originally acceptable to few, and isolates factors that determine the rate at which those ideas become realistic. Thus it helps establish how best to speed that transition.
Political Unionism and Autonomy in Economies of British Colonial Origin: The Cases of Jamaica and Trinidad
Authors: Johnson Caswell L.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. This investigation has shown that in developing countries an inconsistency arises between the need for more equitable distribution of income and wealth between classes and groups and the goals of an industrial relations system in which the trade unions are committed to ‘political unionism.’ While the unions helped to achieve independence and thus economic growth, in Jamaica the country moved into independence with a legacy of hardship and conflict, and of bad labor‐management relations. Legitimate union demands were suppressed, producing a situation in which latent conflict became manifest. This became a permanent feature; the unions are encouraged to become militant political organizations which in Trinidad were alienated from the formal political structure. The type of unions and industrial relations systems that emerged after independence proved unsuitable and undesirable for achieving sustained rapid rates of economic growth, making reform of the labor relations system and the electoral process mandatory.
Urbanization and Migration in Brazil
Authors: Wagner F. E. , Ward John O.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Brazil's rural to urban migration has been dramatic. In 1940 only 15 percent of the country's population lived in urbanized areas. By 1970 more than 50 percent were so classified. This trend in population concentration continues. Studies of the causes and the consequences of population shifts in Brazil when based upon “choice models” of decision making are inconclusive. The current trend in urban migration reflects the impact of structural changes in Brazil's economy including industrialization, agricultural automation, and the accompanying modifications of programs and policies of Brazil's changing governmental elite. Governmental policies designed to stem the flow of population to the cities will require structural changes in the economy comparable to those which precipitated the migration.
The ‘Socialism’ of Léon Walras and His Economic Thinking
Authors: Cirillo Renato
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Léon Walras was one of the few outstanding 19th century economists who, though as a theoretician belonged to the mainstream of orthodox economics, expressed views which at one time were considered to be too radical. He advocated in particular the nationalization of land as the solution to the social problem. This would generate sufficient revenue to government to enable it to do away with taxing income derived from wages and salaries. As a result workers would be in a position to invest their untaxed income and thus acquire their rightful share in the national wealth. Contrary to what many have argued, such ‘socialistic’ policy was not incompatible with Walras’ theoretical model of perfect competition. In the absence of private ownership of land and natural resources, there would be no place for big enterprises and monopolies. His great compromise was: allow social reforms in the realm of distribution, but promote lassser‐faire in the production of goods and services. Walras was convinced that if, on top of a radical land reform, the State sought to secure the working of a free competitive system, then the economic system could function very closely to the theoretical model. Though there are flaws in his proposals, his ideas no longer appear as preposterous as they did in his own time.
Altruism and Economic Behavior: II Private Charity and Public Policy
Authors: Kennett David A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The relative advantages of private charitable organizations as against government agencies in achieving efficient redistribution of income and supply of services are examined. Central to this discussion is the elasticity of private giving to tax concessions and the propoition of donor dollars being absorbed in overhead. Recent estimates of these magnitudes are summarized. Of parallel concern is to what extent can reliance on altruism by sellers of goods and services serve as a substitute for government regulations to enforce standards, prices or product disclosures. Finally, the ways in which government can use and encourage private charitable impulse to maximize social welfare are examined; of particular interest here is the literature surrounding Richard Titmuss’ work on blood donorsbip which raises the issue of whether or not extension of markets reduces, rather than extends, individual choice. The growing technological complexities of society, it is concluded, render the altruistic virtues of trust and consideration increasingly valuable—if increasingly rare.
Land and Its Taxation as Issues in Economic Theory: What Is the Reason for Their Eclipse?
Authors: Skouras Athanassios
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Despite the continuing practical importance of the subject, land and its taxation have lost their prominence in modern economic theory. This evolution in economic thought is traced briefly. An explanatory hypothesis is offered based on the theoretical bias of the two major traditions in neo‐classical theory: the Marshailian tradition does not distinguish land from capital (treating land as only one among many forms of capital) while the Walrasian tradition cannot distinguish capital from land (treating capital as an “original” factor similar to land). Though both Alfred Marshall and Léon Walras had a considerable interest in questions of land taxation, their followers, on the whole, have been neither able to overcome nor have they even been aware of the confinement of their respective theoretical perspectives.
Are Household Services Overvalued?
Authors: Murphy Martin
Published: July 2006

Abstract. It has been argued that estimates of the magnitude of household services relative to the Gross National Product (GNP) are generally overstated. Although under certain conditions this conclusion is justified, the explanations given are sometimes questionable. It is shown here that when overstatements do occur it is due to the need for valuation adjustments rather than quantity adjustments to the estimates. Moreover, depending on the points to be demonstrated it is equally correct to express such estimates as a percentage of the GNP or as a percentage of GNP plus household services. Some have argued to the contrary. It is further shown here that when valuations are adjusted to reflect labor market conditions and other factors, estimates of household services are reduced considerably.
New Data on Worker Self‐administration
Authors: Kolaja Jiri
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The movement for worker participation in management has developed, in various places around the world, into various forms. In Yugoslavia it took the form of workers' councils half a century ago and now, as the country is attempting to solve its grave problems by moving away from centralized command planning to more limited command planning within a market economy, workers are seeking a decentralized approach emphasizing self‐administration.
Emergence of Political Unionism in Economies of British Colonial Origin: The Cases of Jamaica and Trinidad
Authors: Johnson Caswell L.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. What were the circumstances under which political unionism has emerged in economies of British colonial origin, such as Jamaica and Trinidad? The hypothesis tested is that the political activities of trade unions in such economies played a role in the process of economic development, helping to achieve political independence and then economic growth. But at that stage political unionism is found to be incompatible with needed acceleration of growth rates. A significant deterioration in economic and social conditions produced a crisis and the unions traded support for the parties for some control over economic and social policy. This gave the political leaders the power they needed to negotiate for independence but, in Jamaica, it changed the focus and character of the labor movement.
Cultural Values and Social Planning: A Control Theory Approach to Satisfying a Social Welfare Criterion
Authors: Frank Thompson A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. A method of social planning is presented which can be used to fulfill a social welfare criterion with normative values. The purpose is to show how a social welfare model which includes cultural norms can be optimized using classical control theory. Current literature stresses the importance of incorporating social indicators in welfare economics. Given a social welfare function which actively includes a hierarchy of cultural values, control theory can be used to set social policy to reach social goals. The approach is to define a set of desired cultural norms at some future time and then determine the social policy necessary to reach this state. Control theory is used to find the social plan consistent with attaining the set of desired values.
A Reconsideration of the Rationality Postulate: ‘Right Hemisphere Thinking’ in Economics
Authors: Williams Edward E. , Findlay M. Chapman
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The cardinal postulate of neoclassical economics is that individuals and entrepreneurs seek to maximize their unique positions in the world. Yet behind this postulate is an even more fundamental premise: that men are rational and can discern their own best interests. From Adam Smith on, it has been accepted that reasonable men act to maximize their own pecuniary advantage and in most economic models even the potential for irrationality is ignored. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly obvious from the research conclusions of other disciplines (psychology, philosophy, political science, and sociology in particular) that the simplistic notion of “economic man,” posited so often in the economics literature, is more fancy than fact. There is an implicit recognition that the neoclassical assumptions may not be correct in the developing area of economic behaviorism. The economic behaviorists, however, adopt a more general definition of rationality, substituting what might be called a “modified rationality postulate” for the global rationality assumed in neoclassical theory. As a result, their conclusions do not differ greatly from those of the neoclassicists. Fortunately, ideas are now crystallizing in psychology which may enable us to shed light on decisions which previously would have had to be classified as non‐rational, irrational, or unexplainable. Some of those ideas are explored.
What Is ‘Just and Reasonable’ in Rent Control?Why Historic Cost Is More Rational Than Current Value
Authors: Kaish Stanley
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Rent control legislation must allow landlords to earn a “just and reasonable return” on their property. If the law prevents a landlord from attaining such a result he is entitled to seek relief by administrative or judicial process. The customary measure of ‘just and reasonable return’ is the current interest rate applied to current, fair market value. During a period of inflation such a calculation results in too high a measure. Because both interest rates and the value of tangible property rise together, rentals must increase at twice the inflation rate to meet the standard. Recent legal opinions evidence no appreciation or awareness of this. Furthermore, in a rent‐controlled situation it is impossible to establish a valid current market value for a property. Both difficulties are overcome if a ‘just and reasonable return’ is based on historic cost rather than current market value. Arguments in favor of historic cost are made employing capital market analysis and classical rent theory.
The Reduction of a Self‐Sufficient People to Poverty and Welfare Dependence: An Analysis of the Causes of Cherokee Indian Underdevelopment
Authors: Anders Gary C.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. This investigation of American Indian underdevelopment is based on historical data on the Cherokee people which demonstrate how a self‐sufficient people have been reduced to their present state of poverty and welfare dependence. Colonialism and the imposition of White control over Native institutions undermined the Cherokees' ability to innovate effectively. This hypothesis is substantiated by similar experiences of other tribes, as well as those of different indigenous groups, such as Alaska Natives, who have been more successful in preserving their traditional cultures.