bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International capital tax evasion and the foreign tax credit puzzle
Authors: Scharf Kimberley A.
Published: March 2003

In this paper we examine how the presence of international tax evasion affects the choice of a foreign tax credit by a capital exporting region. Since the credit raises the opportunity cost of concealing foreign source income, it can be employed to discourage evasion activity. International tax evasion can thus help to rationalize the adoption of a tax credit in excess of a deduction‐equivalent rate. JEL Classification: H21, H26

Evasion fiscale pour le capital international et le problème du crédit d'impôt pour le fardeau fiscal à l'étranger. Ce mémoire examine comment la présence d'évasion fiscale pour le capital international affecte le choix du crédit d'impôt pour le fardeau fiscal à l'étranger par une région qui exporte du capital. Puisque le crédit d'impôt accroît le coût d'opportunité du camouflage de la source étrangère de revenus, c'est une technique qui peut être employée pour décourager l'évasion fiscale. Voilà qui peut expliquer qu'on adopte un crédit d'impôt qui est plus généreux que ce qui constituerait la déduction dans un système où le fardeau fiscal à l'étranger est simplement déduit du revenu imposable.
Endogenous public sector budgeting: to centralize or not?
Authors: Fearon Gervan
Published: March 2003

In this paper the impact of budget size on a government's choice to centralize or decentralize the budgetary process is investigated using asymmetric information, differing preferences, and endogenous budgetary arrangements. The central government chooses between a budgetary process that excludes the regional board (centralization) and one that includes the board (decentralization) in the determination of program budget levels. It is predicted that the central government will decentralize the budgetary process at low and centralize at high overall budget levels. Switching from decentralization to centralization is predicted to result in a reduction in the budget allocated to the regional board. JEL Classification: H3, C7

Processus budgétaire endogène dans le secteur public: faut‐il centraliser ou non? Ce mémoire analyse l'impact de la taille du budget sur le choix par un gouvernement de centraliser ou non son processus budgétaire. On met en évidence l'information asymétrique, les préférences différentes, et les arrangements budgétaires endogènes. Le gouvernement central choisit entre un processus budgétaire qui exclut le conseil régional (centralisation) et un autre qui l'inclut (décentralisation) dans la détermination des niveaux de budgets pour les programmes. On montre que le gouvernement central va décentraliser le processus budgétaire quand les niveaux de budget sont bas, et centraliser à des niveaux de budget plus élevés. Un déplacement de la décentralisation vers la centralisation résulte en une réduction du budget alloué au conseil régional.
Restructuring and Well‐Being in the Non‐Metropolitan Pacific Northwest
Authors: Ohman Debra
Published: March 2003

This paper shows how social and economic change impact well‐being in Pacific Northwest counties from 1970–1990. Economic and social well‐being, measured as income growth and low income inequality, are modeled using net migration data and measures of social and economic restructuring. In the 1970s there is an inverse relationship between population growth and income growth, while during both decades the retail sector contributes to income growth. Amenity or urban‐adjacent counties show the most growth, in both population and employment, but also have the greatest income inequality. Several factors contributing to income growth also contribute to greater income inequality. Migration flows for each decade also illustrate the associations between restructuring, well‐being, and population growth. Populations in counties with net out‐migration over both decades are aging, but show greater income growth and lower inequality in the 1970s followed by lower income growth in the 1980s. Net in‐migration over both decades is associated with lower income growth and greater inequality in the 1970s, but these counties are substantially better off economically in the 1980s and they maintain a balanced age structure through migration of different age cohorts over the two decades. This research provides needed work on the connections between social and economic change in the context of the Pacific Northwest.
Multipliers in a Central Place Hierarchy
Authors: Olfert M. Rose , Stabler Jack C.
Published: March 2003

Open economy multipliers, at the community level, capture only a portion of the system‐wide impact of changes in local autonomous spending. Multiplier effects for the central place system will include the community‐specific multiplier, where the autonomous expenditure was initiated, plus all of the cross‐community multiplier effects generated through linkages among communities in the hierarchy. Import leakages, in the form of shopping at higher levels, result in “filtering up” of expenditure increases initiated at lower levels of the system.

In an earlier paper (Olfert and Stabler 1994), community‐level multipliers for a central place system in the Great Plains were estimated. In this paper, the distribution of direct and induced spending, resulting from autonomous spending increases initiated at particular levels of a central place hierarchy, is derived and empirically estimated over all levels of the hierarchy. Building on (1) own‐community level multipliers, (2) an exhaustive set of cross‐community multipliers are derived and empirically estimated. The combination of own‐ and cross‐community multipliers produces (3) system‐wide multipliers that show the system‐wide impact of spending initiated at any level in the hierarchy. Finally, (4) level‐specific impact multipliers resulting from autonomous spending originating at any (every) level in the system are calculated.

Results indicate that the induced impact of autonomous expenditure increases anywhere in the system will be the greatest at the top of the hierarchy, that autonomous increases at higher levels have a larger local impact than they do at lower levels, and that equal expenditure increases across the hierarchy will have a disproportionate impact at the top of the hierarchy, as well, dueto a combination of higher own‐community multipliers and spending up the hierarchy by residents of lower level centers.
Ethnicity, State Violence, and Neo‐Liberal Transitions in Post‐Communist Bulgaria
Authors: Pickles John , Begg Robert B.
Published: March 2003

State socialist nationalization policies in the 1980s severely impacted the ethnic Turkish and Muslim regions of Bulgaria, while neo‐liberal economic strategies have subsequently further deepened their economic crisis. This paper focuses on the ways in which policies of regional economic marginalization, cultural assimilation, and population expulsion have deeply marked the people and places of the Kurdajli region of southeastern Bulgaria. The paper shows how mass unemployment arose quickly after 1989 as a result of the closure of branch‐plants, and assesses the role of social networks and non‐capitalist economic practices in the Muslim communities during this period of economic immiseration. The paper shows how these legacies of state policy and social practice have provided flexible opportunities for the resurgence of apparel assembly for export, referred to locally as ‘Klondike capitalism’. The paper concludes with a discussion of the extent to which the history of violence has influenced the processes of internationalization in the region, and how we are to think about the relationship between regional mass unemployment and sectorally specific industrial revitalization.
Unemployment, Growth, and Trade Unions
Authors: De Groot Henri L. F.
Published: March 2003

This paper develops a two‐sector endogenous growth model with a dual labor market caused by the operation of trade unions. Trade unions strive for the extraction of rents from the growth generating imperfectly competitive primary sector. This union behavior results in a non‐competitive wage differential between the primary and secondary (perfectly competitive) sector. How the relationship between growth and unemployment depends on the institutional details of the labor market is analyzed. In general, growth and unemployment are intimately related for two reasons. Unemployment affects the scale of operation of the economy and thereby the growth rate. Growth affects inter‐temporal decisions of workers about where to allocate on the labor market once they are laid off, and thereby it affects equilibrium unemployment.
Endogenous Growth and Environmental Policy
Authors: Withagen Cees , Vellinga Nico
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the relationship between environmental policy and growth, from the perspective of endogenous growth theory. In particular three standard endogenous growth models are supplemented with environmental issues, such as pollution and exhaustibility of natural resources. It is found that these new elements may affect the long run growth rates, but this is not a universal outcome. One consequence for economic policy is that optimal taxation to realize a social optimum should take account of environmental issues.
Globalization and Restructuring during Downturns: A Case Study of California
Authors: Bardhan Ashok Deo , Howe David K.
Published: March 2003

Restructuring through foreign outsourcing, whereby greater imports of manufactured inputs substitute for blue‐collar labor, is shown to intensify when industries experience declines in sales. The magnitude of this effect was four to seven times greater in California industries experiencing a 20 percent sales decline from 1987‐1992, relative to those industries whose sales dropped by 5 percent. Foreign outsourcing explains a quarter to two‐fifths of the rise in payroll inequality between blue and white collar workers in California and perhaps five to ten percent of the rise in the remainder of the U.S. Past work linked growing inequality with foreign outsourcing and restructuring with economic downturns. Here, foreign outsourcing is used as an example of a particular efficiency augmenting measure, which occurs predominantly, though not exclusively, in troubled industries.
The Changing Scale of Livestock Production in and around Corn Belt Metropolitan Areas, 1978–97
Authors: Sharp Jeff S. , Roe Brian , Irwin Elena G.
Published: March 2003

This research examines changes in four sectors of livestock production, pork, dairy, fed cattle, and beef cows, from 1978 to 1997 by county metropolitan character. Relative changes in the amount of production and the number of producers in a county as well as changes in the average scale of production are examined. The purpose is to identify whether structural differences have emerged between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan Corn Belt counties as a result of industrialization in livestock production. The analysis identifies a divergence in the amount and scale of pork production in metro versus nonmetro regions from 1987 to 1997, coinciding with a period of substantial industrialization in that sector. Little divergence is identified in the scale of dairy, fed cattle, and beef cows operations during the same time period. The findings have implications for farmland preservation and agricultural viability in exurban regions of the Corn Belt.
Small–Scale Entrepreneurship and Access to Capital in Peripheral Locations: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Felsenstein Daniel , Fleischer Aliza
Published: March 2003

This paper presents an analysis of a public assistance program for small–scale entrepreneurship in peripheral areas. Public assistance compensates for market inefficiencies where the decision rules of financial institutions discriminate against otherwise viable small firms in capital markets. Lending institutions perceive high risk in providing debt capital when little information is present. Using empirical data from Israel, the determinants of this risk are estimated and the role of location in creating this information asymmetry is stressed. These results empirically establish that (1) location matters in determining the risk profile of the firm, (2) locationally targeted programs can reduce the information asymmetries that make peripheral firms unattractive to lenders, and (3) these programs can also generate positive welfare effects. Finally, there is speculation on the potential role of ICT (information and communications technology) in increasing the visibility of small firms in remote locations and creating a more symmetrical flow of information.
Perceiving and Reasoning about a Changing World
Authors: Pollock John L.
Published: March 2003

A rational agent (artificial or otherwise) residing in a complex changing environment must gather information perceptually, update that information as the world changes, and combine that information with causal information to reason about the changing world. Using the system of defeasible reasoning that is incorporated into the OSCAR architecture for rational agents, a set of reason‐schemas is proposed for enabling an agent to perform some of the requisite reasoning. Along the way, solutions are proposed for the Frame Problem, the Qualification Problem, and the Ramification Problem. The principles and reasoning described have all been implemented in OSCAR.
Encoding of Multiple Inheritance Hierarchies and Partial Orders
Authors: Caseau Yves , Habib Michel , Nourine Lhouari , Raynaud Olivier
Published: March 2003

Efficient implementation of type inclusion is an important feature of object oriented programming languages with multiple inheritance. The idea is to associate to each type a subset of a set S={1,...,k} such that type inclusion coincides with subset inclusion. Such an embedding of types into 2S (the lattice of all subsets of S) is called a bit‐vector encoding of the type hierarchy. In this paper, we show that most known bit‐vector encoding methods can be inserted on a general theoretical framework using graph coloration, namely the notion of a simple encoding. We use the word simple because all these methods are heuristics for the general bit‐vector encoding problem, known as the 2‐dimension problem. First we provide a correct algorithm for partial orders based on simple encoding, improving the algorithm of Krall, Vitek, and Horspool (1997). Second we show that finding an optimal simple encoding is an NP‐hard problem. We end with a discussion on some practical issues.
Compiling Ramification Constraints into Effect Axioms
Authors: Pinto Javier
Published: March 2003

We present a method to derive a solution to the combined frame and ramification problems for certain classes of theories of action written in the situation calculus. The theories of action considered include the causal laws of the domain, in the form of a set of effect axioms, as well as a set of ramification state constraints. The causal laws state the direct effects that actions have on the world, and ramification state constraints allow one to derive indirect effects of actions on the domain.

To solve the combined frame and ramification problems, the causal laws and ramification state constraints are replaced by a set of successor state axioms. Given a state of the world, these axioms uniquely determine the truth value of dynamic properties after an action is performed. In this article, we extend previous work by formulating an approach for the mechanical generation of these successor state axioms. We make use of the notions of implicate and support that have been developed in the context of propositional theories. The approach works for classes of syntactically restricted sets of ramification state constraints.
Generate and Repair Machine Translation
Authors: Naruedomkul Kanlaya , Cercone Nick
Published: March 2003

We propose Generate and Repair Machine Translation (GRMT), a constraint–based approach to machine translation that focuses on accurate translation output. GRMT performs the translation by generating a Translation Candidate (TC), verifying the syntax and semantics of the TC and repairing the TC when required. GRMT comprises three modules: Analysis Lite Machine Translation (ALMT), Translation Candidate Evaluation (TCE) and Repair and Iterate (RI). The key features of GRMT are simplicity, modularity, extendibility, and multilinguality.

An English–Thai translation system has been implemented to illustrate the performance of GRMT. The system has been developed and run under SWI–Prolog 3.2.8. The English and Thai grammars have been developed based on Head–Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG) and implemented on the Attribute Logic Engine (ALE). GRMT was tested to generate the translations for a number of sentences/phrases. Examples are provided throughout the article to illustrate how GRMT performs the translation process.
A Prescription Rejected: Market Solutions to Problems of Public Sector Governance
Authors: Christiansen Peter Munk
Published: March 2003

The New Public Management includes the idea of incorporating market mechanisms in public sector governance. In the Danish case, market reforms have scarcely been used; private sector supplies of public services have not increased during the last decade. The lack of success of market reform in Denmark is explained by the strong institutions of traditional public sector governance operating at the micro‐level. Formal and informal hierarchy and formal and informal corporatism hold a strong grip on public sector governance. The very decentralized structure of the Danish public sector decreases the importance of central government in terms of reform strategies. Strong interests and institutional constraints keep reforms in the Danish public sector within a hierarchical mode of governance.
Interpreting Administrative Change: Bureaucratic Self‐Interest and Institutional Inheritance in Government
Authors: Christensen Jørgen Grønnegârd
Published: March 2003

Between 1946 and 1995, Danish central government had been subject to numerous reorganization initiatives. Based on the assumption of self‐interest motivated and risk‐averse bureaucrats, these initiatives are analyzed in a long‐term historical perspective. It is argued that civil servants both feel a strong incentive to and have good chances of defending the existing organization. This creates a historical bias in favor of whatever organizations were created in the past. Still, the mutual dependence between political executives and their civil servants opens up for bargaining dynamics allowing for mostly incremental change. While ideology has been unimportant in the development of central government organization, broadly shared ideas about reform may account for some instances of radical reform, consistently opposed by Danish civil servants.
Discretion and Politicization in EU Competition Policy: The Case of Merger Control
Authors: McGowan Lee , Cini Michelle
Published: March 2003

In a world where goods and services (but also people, capital and ideas) are increasingly ignoring national borders, competition policy has emerged as a highly salient issue at the heart of international trade discussions. Aspects of competition policy, from cartels and monopolies to state aids and the liberalization of the utilities, have become a regular feature in the pages of the financial and legal press and have become identified as a central element in any government's policy towards industry and its drive for competitiveness. This article focuses on European Union merger control and although appreciative of the dominance of economics and law in competition policy, stresses the political dimension to competition policy. A government and public administration perspective is essential. This is in evidence in the type of regime, the commitment to enforcing the law, the role of discretion and issues such as transparency and democracy. The example of merger control is used to illustrate how the European Commission (EC) has emerged and operates as a genuinely federal actor in determining and shaping merger policy throughout the EU. In short, this article accounts for policy development, the decision making process and in particular the degree to which discretion and politicization underpin one of the most crucial aspects of economic regulation.
Why Fit Doesn’t Always Matter: The Impact of HRM and Cultural Fit on Job Involvement of Kenyan Employees
Authors: Nyambegera Stephen , Daniels Kevin , Sparrow Paul
Published: March 2003

The study investigates whether fit of human resources management (HRM) policies with employees’ preferences in developing countries of sub‐Saharan Africa, with specific reference to Kenya, impacts on levels of job involvement. We argue that the contextual variables in developing countries are varied and complex to the extent that organisations operating in these milieux might find that ‘fit’ as presented in the literature from developed economies does not matter. Further, we examine the role of individual value orientations and organisation value fit to look for a link with job involvement. The study contends that the use of simple difference scores to measure fit is inadequate, and adopts Edwards’ (1994) regression technique to analyse fit. Overall, the results indicate that the person–environment (HRM preference with actual policy practice) fit model can partially predict job involvement in a developing country context, but in a way that is not consistent with theory. However, job involvement is not related strongly to either the convergence of an individual’s values with those of others in the organisation, or convergence of HRM policies with individual preferences. It is the values themselves—not their fit—that are most predictive of job involvement.
Transformative Justice: Psychological Services in the Criminal, Family, and Juvenile Justice Centres of the Subordinate Courts of Singapore
Authors: Ozawa Joseph Paul
Published: March 2003

Les tribunaux de première instance de Singapour assurent la prévention et une justice rapide, loyale et efﬁcace; ils font en outre preuve d’innovation. Les tribunaux sont perçus comme étant un creuset de conﬂits, de traumarismes et de dysfonctions relationnelles, ce qui exige d’eux une grande compétence dans le traitement des problèmes humains complexes. Les services de la psychologie vont au‐delà de la fourniture classique d’un proﬁl criminel pour devenir une aide au système judiciaire, ce qui peut constituer une force majeure de transformation individuelle, familiale et sociale. On présente trois interventions des services de la psychologie: les conférences familiales, les critères du comportement délinquant juvènile, et le projet HEART. Chaque intervention entraîne des transformations dans un cadre de légalité judiciaire.

In addition to being a centre for the expeditious, fair, and effective administration of justice and the disposition of deterrence, the Subordinate Courts of Singapore have developed as a centre of innovation. Courts are also conceptualised as a crucible of human conﬂicts, traumas, and relational dysfunctions, thus requiring expertise in dealing with complex human problems. Psychological Services go beyond the conventional notion of providing expert criminal proﬁling to becoming an adjunct to a judiciary which can become a driving force behind individual, familial, and societal transformation. Three functions of the Psychological Services are presented—Family Conferences; the Juvenile Offender Behaviour (JOB) Criteria; Project HEART. Each function reﬂects transformation within a forensic‐legal framework.
The Effect of Mental Training with Biofeedback on the Performance of Young Swimmers
Authors: Bar‐Eli Michael , Dreshman Raya , Blumenstein Boris , Weinstein Yitzhak
Published: March 2003

Cette recherche porte sur la relation que l’entraînement mental entretient avec le biofeedback et la performance. C’est une version adaptée de l’approche en cinq étapes de Wingate qui a été utilisée comme technique de préparation mentale en vue de l’amélioration des performances en natation chez des nageurs de 11 à 14 ans. Les participants (N= 38) ont été distribués au hasard à l’une des deux conditions suivantes: (a) Un entraînement expérimental régulier assorti de trois étapes du programme Wingate; (b) Un entraînement de contro̊le régulier avec de la relaxation. Après une mesure de départ, les participants ont été testés sur des scores d’évaluation et sur leur performance réelle deux fois sur une période de quatorze semaines. Le groupe expérimental progressa davantage, mais le groupe contrôle s’améliora aussi. Ces résultats sont examinés à partir des travaux antérieurs sur l’approche de Wingate. En outre, on aborde certains problèmes méthodologiques et théoriques qui concernent spécialement l’appel à de telles procédures dans d’autres spécialités sportives chez les enfants, les adolescents, et les adultes.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between mental training with biofeedback and performance. An adapted version of the Wingate five‐step approach was used as a mental preparation technique for enhancing the swimming performance among 11–14‐year‐old children swimmers. Participants (n= 38) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) experimental—regular training plus three stages of the Wingate mental training program, and (b) control—regular training and relaxing activities. After a baseline measurement, participants were tested on evaluation scores and actual performance twice during a 14‐week period. Results indicated that the experimental group exhibited a greater increase in performance, although the control group also displayed some improvements. Results are discussed in reference to previous work on the Wingate approach to mental training. In addition, several methodological and theoretical aspects are discussed that are particularly relevant to the use of such interventions with other athletic tasks among children, adolescents, and adults.
Constructive Consequences of Leaders’ Forcing Influence Styles
Authors: Emans Ben J.M. , Munduate Lourdes , Klaver Esther , Van de Vliert Evert
Published: March 2003

Par comparaison avec les styles d’influence non autoritaire utilisés par les leaders, leurs styles d’influence autoritaire sont habituellement jugés inefficaces, suscitant une forte résistance plutôt que de la soumission. Nous déduisons de la théorie du comportement conflictuel synthétisé que l’autorité, si elle est associée à une attitude démocratique, peut néanmoins être tout à fait efficace puisque les deux styles interagissent de telle façon que l’autorité tend à renforcer l’acquiescement émanant de la démocratie. On a récolté par questionnaires, sur un échantillon de 145 officiers de police, des données fiables concernant le type de pouvoir de leur supérieur (autoritaire‐non autoritaire) et leur tendance à répondre favorablement à ses désirs. L’hypothèse de l’interaction autoritaire‐non autoritaire a été mise à l’épreuve avec des analyses de régression. Comme prévu, une interaction significative est apparue en ce qui concerne l’impact de l’usage des pouvoirs autoritaire et non autoritaire par les leaders d’une part, et la soumission comportementale des collaborateurs d’autre part. L’appel à des styles d’influence autoritaire rend ainsi le leadership plus efficace, non parce que cette façon d’agir l’est en elle‐même, maís parce qu’elle renforce l’impact de l’usage du pouvoir démocratique.

In contrast to non‐forcing influence styles used by leaders, their forcing influence styles are commonly found to be ineffective, evoking sheer resistance, rather than compliance. As a corollary of conglomerate conflict behavior theory, we state that forcing, if combined with non‐forcing, may nonetheless be quite effective, while both styles interact in such a way that forcing tends to strengthen the compliance brought about by non‐forcing. In a sample of 145 police officers, reliable questionnaire data were collected, regarding the power use of their supervisor (forcing/non‐forcing) and their tendency to comply with their supervisor's wishes. By means of moderated regression analyses the forcing‐non‐forcing interaction hypothesis was tested. As expected, a significant interaction effect was found with regard to the impact of forcing and non‐forcing power use by leaders on the one hand, and coworkers’ behavioral compliance on the other. The use of forcing influence styles thus appears to add to effective leadership, not because it is effective in and of itself (which is certainly not the case), but because it reinforces the impact of non‐forcing power use.
Occupational Stressors and Well‐being among Chinese Employees: The Role of Organisational Commitment
Authors: Siu Oi‐ling
Published: March 2003

Cette recherche examine les éléments occupationnels stressants et le bien‐être pour des occupations de nature manuelles et intellectuelles, avec des échantillons provenant de la Chine et de Hong Kong et des instruments standards validés dans la recherche occidentale. Les résultats démontrent que les éléments occupationnels stressants jouent un rôle significatif dans la détermination de la satisfaction au travail et du bien‐être physique et mental. La fiabilité des instruments standards utilisés dans la recherche occidentale (incluant le “Occupational Stress Indicator‐2”[Williams & Cooper, 1996] et le questionnaire d’engagement organisationnel [Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979]) est démontrée. Les résultats démontrent aussi que l’engagement organisationnel et le bien‐être sont positivement reliés. Plusieurs régressions hiérarchiques sont utilisées pour démontrer les effets modérateurs de l’engagement organisationnel sur les résultats du stress qui sont mis en évidence dans les sociétés occidentales. L’étude répliquative avec des participants chinois contribue à la généralisation des théories en psychologie organisationnelle.

This paper examines occupational stressors and well‐being for blue‐ and white‐collar occupations with Chinese and Hong Kong samples using standardised instruments validated in Western research. The study demonstrates that occupational stressors play a significant role in determining job satisfaction, mental and physical well‐being. The reliability of standardised instruments used in Western research (including the Occupational Stress Indicator‐2 [Williams & Cooper, 1996] and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire [Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979]) is demonstrated. The results of the study show that organisational commitment and well‐being are positively related. A number of hierarchical regressional analyses (Cohen & Cohen, 1983) are used to demonstrate the moderating effects of organisational commitment in the stress outcomes that are evidenced in Western societies. The replication of research with Chinese subjects contributes to the generalisability of theories in organisational psychology.
Borrowing of Land, Security of Tenure and Sustainable Land Use in Burkina Faso
Authors: De Zeeuw Fons
Published: March 2003

Lack of formal security of land tenure is often cited as a constraint for participatory land management programmes which try to motivate African farmers to grow trees and to realize other improvements in their fields in order to control soil erosion. According to this approach, the borrowing of land would represent an insecure form of land tenure hindering sustainable land use. However, on the basis of a case study in Burkina Faso, this article demonstrates that this is not necessarily so: borrowing arrangements may play a part in avoiding local overload of the carrying capacity and in an efficient distribution of village lands among the farming units. Furthermore, borrowing does not hinder some major intensification techniques of land use which are currently being applied in Burkina Faso. Legal interventions which aim to increase security of tenure and to create favourable conditions for sustainable land use may in fact have the opposite effect.
Community Forestry and Tree Theft in Mexico: Resistance or Complicity in Conservation?
Authors: Klooster Dan
Published: March 2003

Community forestry is thought to diffuse the kind of tensions over access to resources that frequently make centralized forest management systems based on the principles of scientific forestry ineffective and conflictive. Centralized systems often create resistance, as communities whose vegetation management practices have been declared illegal by forest bureaucracies anonymously contest the restrictions imposed on them by ‘stealing’ trees and committing ‘arson’. These restrictions are intimately related to the requirements of scientific forestry, however, so co‐management strategies relying on scientific forestry might also engender various forms of internal resistance, such as tree theft. Local interpretations of justice in access to resources, together with community social structures and the distribution of resources can result in internalized resistance, rendering community‐based resource management ineffective. In a Mexican community case‐study, scientific forestry and tree theft co‐evolved during a period of concessions and continue under co‐management. This system creates an arena where anonymous individual resistance like tree theft can give way to forms of protest more likely to result in legitimate and effective forest management systems.
In Situ Urbanization in Rural China: Case Studies from Fujian Province
Authors: Zhu Yu
Published: March 2003

In most parts of the developing world, the urbanization process has been dominated by rural–urban migration and the growth of existing cities. However, case‐studies in China’s Fujian Province suggest that this process can also be achieved mainly by in situ transformation in rural areas. Such in situ transformation of rural areas has been driven mainly by two forces, the development of township and village enterprises (TVEs) and the inflow of foreign investment; and facilitated by the relevant policies adopted by the Chinese government since 1978. The former has been very effective in the transformation of rural employment structure, while the latter has brought many physical changes to the previously rural landscape. Being mutually complementary, these two ways of rural transformation have not only benefited and urbanized the rural areas, but kept many farmers in their hometowns, replacing the dominant role of rural–urban migration and the growth of existing cities in the urbanization process.
Post‐Conditionality Politics and Administrative Reform: Reflections on the Cases of Uganda and Tanzania
Authors: Harrison Graham
Published: March 2003

This article contributes to the discussion of the nature of external intervention in the reform processes of indebted states. Looking at administrative reform in Uganda and Tanzania, it is argued that external involvement in sub‐Saharan Africa is becoming increasingly differentiated. For some states — including the two cases dealt with here — a key set of continuities and changes allows us to conceptualize a regime of post‐conditionality. Post‐conditionality regimes exist where extreme external dependence and economic growth produce a set of political dynamics in which external–national distinctions become less useful, in which there emerge a set of unequal mutual dependencies, and in which donor/creditor involvement in reform becomes qualitatively more intimate, pervading the form and processes of the state. Details of this dispensation are provided in an analysis of key ministries and key interventions by donors/creditors. The article finishes by considering the contradictions of the post‐conditionality regime, and its prospects.
The European Commission Perspective on Rural Development: Integrating New Trends into Multi‐sectoral Approaches
Authors: Mikos Philip
Published: March 2003

Rural development thinking has changed. The increased focus of governments and donors on the reduction of poverty, combined with the large concentration of poverty in rural areas, has helped revive a concept characterised by lack of policy focus, over‐complicated structures and, ultimately, poor results and elusive sustainability. The European Commission has reviewed its rural policy to increase the poverty focus and encompass new development concepts and practices such as empowerment, participation, and decentralisation. A new approach has emerged which links national and international levels of intervention into a single operational framework. The article argues that a strategic framework is necessary but in itself not sufficient to ensure greater effectiveness.
Prudential Regulation of Banks in Less Developed Economies
Authors: Murshed S. Mansoob , Subagjo Djono
Published: March 2003

This article argues that developing countries face inherent obstacles in setting up efficient financial regulation, and building up a sound banking sector: the presence of multiple tasks and multiple principals, poor institutions, lack of economies of scale in the banking sector as well as regulatory supervision, and the lack of reputation. Developing countries need a regulatory framework that rewards prudent risk‐taking, but punishes misconduct. This is likely to involve a combination of input‐based measures impacting on bankers' incentives, with a few direct controls on the output of the sector. The article concludes with a list of policy options whose appropriateness is judged by their ‘friendliness’ with local circumstances.
Malawi
Authors: Jenkins Rob , Tsoka Maxton
Published: March 2003

There are few grounds for believing that the implicit hypothesis contained within the PRSP approach – that PRSPs will change the nature of conditionality, leading to enhanced ownership of the strategies themselves, and therefore more effective implementation – will hold true in the case of Malawi. This is despite the fact that the PRSP formulation process has been among the country's most participatory policy–making exercises to date, with civil society engaging in both policy dialogue and co–ordinated protest. Key constraints are an absence of high–level political commitment to serious reform and the lack of a thoroughgoing overhaul of conditionality by the IFIs.
We almost had a great future behind us: The contribution of non‐linear dynamics to developmental‐science‐in‐the‐making
Authors: Van Geert Paul
Published: March 2003

Classical developmental theories, like those of Piaget, Werner and Vygotsky, were on the verge of developmental science, the study of phenomena from the point of view of development. Methodological and theoretical shifts in the 1960s changed the original goals and questions and turned developmental psychology into a discipline that is, on the whole, more like a subservient than a leading branch of psychology. Dynamic systems theory, which has its roots in mathematics and physics, can help developmental theory out of its current blind alley by providing the general theoretical frameworks and methods for bringing the dynamic aspects of change back to the fore. By doing so, it will help turn the scientific course back in the direction of developmental science.
Is atypical development necessarily a window on the normal mind/brain?: The case of Williams syndrome
Authors: Karmiloff‐Smith Annette
Published: March 2003

In this paper I challenge the accepted view that atypical development necessarily serves as a window on the normal mind/brain. Such a stance ignores the dynamics of development. Rather I submit that the development of many atypical groups cannot be thought of in terms of a normal brain with whole cortical circuits intact or impaired, as in the adult neuropsychological model, because the brains of genetically impaired children develop differently at multiple levels – brain anatomy, brain chemistry, temporal patterns of brain activity – throughout embryogenesis and postnatal development. This is briefly illustrated with reference to studies of Williams syndrome. It is argued that very subtle differences in developmental timing, neuronal density, neuronal efficiency, firing thresholds, transmitter types, synaptogenesis and pruning, may have crucial but very indirect effects on the resulting phenotypes, affecting certain systems more than others. Subtle differences at a much lower level than cognitive modules are likely to explain the range of phenotypical outcomes that humans can display.
The cortex in multidimensional space: where do cortical areas come from?
Authors: Kingsbury Marcy A. , Finlay Barbara L.
Published: March 2003

The concept of a cortical ‘area’ as a discrete phylogenetic, developmental and computational unit is evaluated. Evidence including the comparative organization of the forebrain in vertebrates, the organization of cortex in different mammals, the scaling of the areas of the isocortex in mammals, and the early molecular differentiation of the cortex all suggest a special status for the primary sensory cortical areas, particularly the visual cortex. Furthermore, the overlapping gradients of early molecular expression and the patterning of cortical structure and connectivity by thalamic input suggest a new view of cortical organization that is different from the traditional view of a developmentally mosaic cortex; this view proposes that distinct cortical areas arise combinatorily from the multiple overlapping processes imposed upon the developing cortex.
Duck or rabbit? Reversing ambiguous figures and understanding ambiguous representations
Authors: Gopnik Alison , Rosati Andrea
Published: March 2003

In two studies we investigated 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children’s ability to reverse ambiguous figures and the relation between this ability and the ability to understand multiple representations. Children never reversed before they were informed of the two alternative interpretations of the figures. Even when they were informed of the alternatives and understood that both were possible, 3‐year‐olds and most 4‐year‐olds did not reverse. In contrast, a majority of 5‐year‐olds did reverse. In general, children only reversed if they also passed a standard false belief task. However, there was a closer correlation between reversals and a ‘droodle’ task that involved an understanding of the ambiguity of perceptual representations. These results suggest that the immediate experience of reversal may depend on a more abstract understanding of ambiguous representations.
Figural goodness, stimulus heterogeneity, similarity and object segregation in infancy
Authors: Bertin Evelin , Bhatt Ramesh S.
Published: March 2003

The segregation of objects from other objects in visual arrays is a fundamental function of our visual system. Research suggests that adults’ detection of a target among nontargets is affected by the heterogeneity of array elements and the resulting changes in target–nontarget and nontarget–nontarget similarities. We examined the effects of heterogeneity and similarity on object segregation in infancy. In Experiment 1, 5.5‐month‐olds detected a misoriented element in an array when the array elements were spatially arranged in a ‘good’ configuration but not when they were arranged in a ‘poor’ configuration. In Experiment 2, infants detected a vertical line in a homogeneous array of 55° or 125° lines, but failed to do so in a heterogeneous array of 55° and 125° lines. Thus, heterogeneity in both the arrangement and identity of array elements affected infants’ discrepancy detection. Because the average target–nontarget similarity was the same in the two conditions of Experiment 2, the results also indicated that nontarget–nontarget similarity independently affects discrepancy detection in infancy. These results are consistent with models of object segregation by adults, and suggest that stimulus heterogeneity and similarity have analogous effects on object segregation at 5.5 months of age and in adulthood.
Newborns’ preference for up–down asymmetrical configurations
Authors: Simion Francesca , Valenza Eloisa , Macchi Cassia Viola , Turati Chiara , Umiltà Carlo
Published: March 2003

The present study was aimed at investigating whether, because of a differential sensitivity between the upper and the lower visual fields, in a visual preference task newborns would orient more frequently and look longer at patterns with a great number of high–contrast areas in the upper or lower visual field. Newborns were presented with three pairs of geometrical stimuli, each composed of a pattern with a greater number of elements in the upper part or a pattern with more elements in the lower part. The results showed a reliable preference for the stimuli that had more elements in the upper than in the lower part. The evidence obtained suggests the possibility that, at birth, the visibility of a stimulus depends not only on its sensory properties, but also on its structural characteristics.
A developmental investigation of ERP auditory rhyming effects
Authors: Coch Donna , Grossi Giordana , Coffey–Corina Sharon , Holcomb Phillip J. , Neville Helen J.
Published: March 2003

In a simple auditory rhyming paradigm requiring a button–press response (rhyme/nonrhyme) to the second word (target) of each spoken stimulus pair, both the early (P50, N120, P200, N240) and late (CNV, N400, P300) components of the ERP waveform evidenced considerable change from middle childhood to adulthood. In addition, behavioral accuracy and reaction time improved with increasing age. In contrast, the size, distribution and latency of each of several rhyming effects (including the posterior N400 rhyming effect, a left hemisphere anterior rhyming effect, and early rhyming effects on P50 latency, N120 latency and P200 amplitude) remained constant from age 7 to adulthood. These results indicate that the neurocognitive networks involved in processing auditory rhyme information, as indexed by the present task, are well established and have an adult–like organization at least by the age of 7.
Disaster Management in the Caribbean
Authors: Poncelet Jean Luc
Published: March 2003

This paper identifies the main trends in approaches to disaster management in the Caribbean at both regional and national levels over the past 20 years. It highlights the main reasons why and how the region has moved from an ad hoc response to an organised approach. Finally, it suggests ways in which future regional and national disaster management could be improved.
A Review of Contributions to Disasters: 1977—1996
Authors: Kelly Charles
Published: March 2003

Since the first issue in 1977, Disasters has been one of the pre‐eminent refereed journals on the study and reporting of disasters. This article reviews 703 articles and reports in the journal through 1996 to provide a snapshot of the nature of the journal throughout 20 years of publication. The results indicate the most common contributions: first, were research articles by authors from the North Atlantic; second, most often dealt with natural disaster relief or impact; and third, most frequently focused on Africa. These generalisations, however, do not reflect attention paid to food‐related and political disasters and greatly understate the broad diversity of material presented in the journal. To improve the topical and geographic coverage of Disasters probably requires a proactive effort to close gaps in the journal’s coverage of disasters.