bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrative Approach to Measuring Economic Convergence: The Case of the European Union
Authors: Bunyaratavej Kraiwinee , Hahn Eugene D.
Published: December 2005

Empirical convergence analyses have helped provide insight as to whether economies are converging. Previous works on convergence have tended to focus on a particular economic indicator exclusively, even though the convergence process has multiple components. Improved estimates of convergence are likely to result from an integrated approach wherein several indicators are considered simultaneously. The proposed model integrates convergence analyses for three convergence variables to estimate the overall rate of economic convergence in the EU during 1960 to 1990. The research indicates that convergence is occurring overall, but that employment convergence is happening at a considerably slower pace than are the other types of convergence.
Foreign Trade in Environmental Products; The WTO Regulations and Environmental Programs
Authors: Wysokinska Zofia Maria
Published: December 2005

The aim of this paper is to present some aspects related to the Multilateral Trade Regulations and transnational and national environmental programs, from the point of view of their implications for foreign trade in environmental products. It should be noted that the elimination of trade barriers increases the efficiency of the world economic system by enabling countries to specialize in those sectors in which they possess economic advantages, which includes those sectors in which they possess favorable natural environmental conditions. In the latter half of the 1990’s one could observe a rapid and dynamic increase in the environmental protection industry’s share in the world economy. The overall global value of production in the environmental protection industry was estimated at 550 billion USD in the year 2001. In relative terms, this environmental market is not as large as the steel or agriculture markets, but roughly the same size as the pharmaceuticals and information technology markets.

The environmental policy in the “old” and also “new” EU countries contributes to the achievement of the main goals of the global sustainable development strategy via the development of cleaner production and by the support for foreign trade in environmental friendly goods. The results of the empirical foreign trade analysis of trade in environmental products which are presented in the paper cover 11 countries of the OECD, including the USA, seven “old” EU member states, and one “new” member state - Poland . It is based on an international comparable database for environmental friendly goods, calculated by the author according to the OECD requirements (OECD-EUROSTAT, WTO, 1999). The analysis enables the author to present some important trends in foreign trade affecting the main exporters and importers of environmental goods in the USA and the EU. The analysis is also related to some regulations issued by the Committee for Trade and Environment of the WTO, with special reference to the conclusions of the Fourth and Fifth Ministerial Conferences in Doha and Cancun. The paper will also examine the effects of environmental measures on market access within the multilateral liberalization process.
Developing Countries and GATS Negotiations: The Case of India
Authors: Mukherjee Arpita
Published: December 2005

The Doha Round of GATS negotiations is on-going. In this context, this paper argues that developing countries such as India have created niche for themselves in particular services exports and, therefore, should actively participate in the negotiations to remove barriers in sectors/modes of their trade interest. It identified various strategies for negotiations for developing countries, such as formation of coalition on particular issues/sectors/modes with like-minded trading partners and offering binding commitments in Mode 3 in return for greater market access in Modes 1 and 4. The commitments of developing countries should take into account the inter-sectoral and intermodal linkages. Lastly, the paper stresses on the need for complementary domestic reforms which would enable developing countries to gain from multilateral liberalization.
Regulatory Regimes for Goods and Services -- Differences That Matter
Authors: Schmidt Susan M. , King Robin A
Published: December 2005

A country's regulatory regime is a major determinant of the ability to realize the benefits of various macroeconomic efforts and initiatives, including trade agreements. Intrinsic and historical differences between goods and services sectors indicate that a country’s regulatory infrastructure and environment may be potentially more significant for services. The regulatory regimes for service sectors in many countries today, however, are underdeveloped or otherwise ineffective, and may actually deter investment and hinder opportunities in trade involving services. These shortcomings may have particular implications for countries in negotiating service sectors in trade agreements, as they may be, or may perceive themselves to be, at a disadvantage as they negotiate subject matters largely defined by and dependent on the efficacy of regulatory structures and systems. As services increase their importance in national economies and international trade, governments and citizens of those countries are less likely to fully realize the benefits of trade liberalizing efforts or economic growth policies. This article explores the differences between goods and service sectors and the practical implications of the differences - thus, why regulatory regimes matter.
Commentary: A Japanese Perspective on WTO Agricultural Negotiations
Authors: Suzuki Yoichi
Published: December 2005

A commentary on Patrick Messerlin's article "Agricultural Trade Liberalization."

Yoichi Suzuki joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1975, after having studied international public law at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo. He also studied at and graduated from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Paris. He has wide experience dealing with international trade matters. He served in such posts as Director of APEC affairs, Director in charge of the bilateral economic relationship between Japan and the European Union, as well as Director of WTO affairs at the Foreign Ministry. He was Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the WTO from 1997 to 2002 in Geneva. Subsequently he served as Deputy Director General of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry from 2002 to September 2005 in charge of WTO as well as bilateral FTA negotiations. He chaired the regular sessions of the WTO Agricultural Committee in 2000 and 2001. He is currently Vice Chair of the OECD Trade Committee. He also has experience with commodity issues having chaired the International Natural Rubber Council in 1989 and the International Tropical Timber Council in 1991. Suzuki was appointed Consul-General of Japan in Boston in September 2005.
Commentary: A PRC Perspective on Manufactures Liberalization
Authors: Huang Rengang
Published: December 2005

A commentary on Alan V. Deardorff and Robert M. Stern, University of Michigan, "Issues of Manufactures Liberalization and Administered Protection."

Rengang Huang is the Minister/Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the World Trade Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. Since the launching of Doha Development Agenda negotiations in 2001, he has served on many occasions as the head of the Chinese delegations in the WTO. Huang began his career in public service in 1986 with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) of China. He worked for six years in the Foreign Investment Administration of MOFTEC, and in 1992, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Interpreting and Translating Service (ITS) in MOFTEC and became ITS Director in 1997. He has participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral negotiations between China and its trading partners, including China’s accession to the WTO. In 2000, he became Deputy Director General of the Protocol Department and was responsible for the foreign affairs agenda of MOFTEC. Huang received an M.A. degree in International Studies from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China; an MBA degree from Cardiff Business School, University of Wales, UK; and a B.A. degree in English Literature from Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Commentary: Free Trade Agreements and the Doha Development Agenda
Authors: Ciuriak Dan
Published: December 2005

Commentary on FTAs and the Doha Round Agenda.

Dan Ciuriak is Deputy Chief Economist at Canada’s Department of International Trade. He is co-editor of, and regular contributor to, the Department’s annual Trade Policy Research series and advises on a wide variety of international economic issues, including WTO and NAFTA trade litigation. In his personal capacity he has published a number of articles on various aspects of economic globalization, with a particular focus on the Asian Crisis and China’s economic integration into the global economy. From 1994-1998, Ciuriak served as deputy to the Chair of the APEC Economic Committee with principal responsibility for editing the annual APEC Economic Outlook and other Economic Committee publications. From 1990-1994, he served as Finance Counsellor at Canada’s Embassy in Germany, covering G-7 issues, German reunification, the Maastricht process, and the European Monetary crisis. Previously, he was with Canada’s Department of Finance where he was deeply involved in Canada’s federal financial institutions reforms. He studied at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Commentary: An Oxfam America Perspective on the Doha Development Agenda
Authors: Kripke Gawain
Published: December 2005

An Oxfam America commentary on the Doha Development Round.

Gawain Kripke is Senior Policy Advisor on international trade issues with Oxfam America, based in Washington, DC. He directs the policy work of the organization's Make Trade Fair campaign, which aims to change unfair trade rules so that international trade can become a powerful force for reducing global poverty. Kripke has authored numerous opinion pieces and briefing papers on trade and development issues. He has testified before Congress and appears frequently on radio and television programs, including Marketplace, CNN, National Public Radio, and BBC World News. Prior to joining Oxfam, Kripke served as Director of Economic Programs for the environmental organization Friends of the Earth. He holds a B.A. in Government from Harvard College.
Delineating the Relevant U.S. Sweetener Markets
Authors: Moss Charles B. , Schmitz Andrew
Published: December 2005

The relevant market in the U.S. sweetener complex was a subject of debate in the United States v. Archer-Daniels Midland, Co. & Nabisco court case, in which the defendants successfully argued that price fixing in the non-sugar sweetener market was impossible because sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) were substitutes. Hence, they were both part of the so-called relevant market. We use cointegration analysis to show that over a large period of time, sugar prices and HFCS were positively correlated. However, focusing only on the time period 1997 through 2001, sugar and HFCS prices are not correlated. This lack of correlation in the later period implies that beginning in 1997, the relevant market for HFCS does not include sugar. Thus questions are continuingly raised as to the competitiveness of the HFCS industry.
Agricultural Marketing Institutions: A Response to Quality Disputes
Authors: Dimitri Carolyn
Published: December 2005

Grades and inspections govern the marketing of agricultural commodities. Federal legislation created the marketing institutions, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when national markets were emerging. Three commodities  fresh produce (fruit and vegetables), grains, and meat  all rely on similar institutions, suggesting they serve a similar role in each market. Tracing the events prior to the legislation of inspection for the three product groups reveals that disputes over quality in transactions between buyers and sellers were present in the fruit and vegetable and grain markets, while transactions along the meat marketing chain were not subject to such disputes. Evidence suggests that the institutions performed the same functions in the fruit and vegetable and grain sectors (solve quality problems), while meat inspections served different purposes that varied over time. As contracts and vertically coordinated market channels become more common in the fresh produce and grain industries, reputation effects will likely be able to enforce contracts, reducing the need for inspection. Meat inspection most likely will continue to be required to ensure sanitation and safety of the meat supply.
Risk and Transactions Cost in Contracting: Results from a Choice-Based Experiment
Authors: Hudson Darren , Lusk Jayson
Published: December 2005

Contracting is a contentious issue in agriculture. Competing theories assert that risk or transactions cost drive contracting decisions, with some argument that autonomy also plays a role. We examine preferences for different contract attributes using a choice-based conjoint experiment. Results of a study of agricultural producers show that both risk and transactions cost play a role in contracting decisions. Autonomy also plays a role, especially to the extent that producers wish to avoid total loss of autonomy. These results suggest that the effects of risk and transactions cost are relative and should both be considered when analyzing contracting decisions.
Railcar Auctions for Grain Shipments: A Strategic Analysis
Authors: Wilson William W. , Dahl Bruce L.
Published: December 2005

Many of the North American railroads have introduced differentiated services for grain shipments in the past decade. Most interesting have been innovations in guaranteed railcar service which have evolved since their inception. In most cases, pricing and allocation of these services have used some type of bidding mechanism. This paper explores the strategic implications of these mechanisms for the grain shipping industry. A model was developed to analyze the effects of critical variables on equilibrium bids. The paper extends the literature on pricing and car allocation mechanisms whereby auctions are used as an alternative to negotiations and posted-prices in the rail transport sector.
Consumers' Responses to Front vs. Back Package GM Labels in Japan
Authors: Matsumoto Shigeru
Published: December 2005

A number of studies show that consumers are willing to pay premiums for GM-Free foods. In this paper, we examine the effect, if any, that GM-Free messages have on product selection by the consumer. We made sample products which differed in the use of the labels and conducted two experiments: a choice experiment and a memory recall experiment. The result of our choice experiment demonstrates that the consumer who shows general concern about GM foods without relevant biotech knowledge responds to GM-Free messages on front labels. On the other hand, the result of our memory recall experiment shows that the consumer with relevant biotech knowledge uses the product information on back labels. Thus, firms can positively influence the product selection of biotech un-savvy consumers by placing GM-Free message on front labels.
GMOs: Prospects for Productivity Increases in Developing Countries
Authors: Evenson Robert E.
Published: December 2005

There are two mechanisms by which modern genetically modified organism (GMO) products can affect productivity in developing countries. The first is the Genes for Rent mechanism where a recipient country agrees with a GMO company to incorporate a GMO product (e.g., a Bt gene in cotton varieties) and pay a technology fee. The second is the Transgenic Breeding mechanism in which National Agricultural Research System (NARS) breeders use modern biotech methods marker-aided breeding, genetic maps, and genomics research to produce GMO traits of economic value in crop varieties. The first mechanism requires little skill on the part of the recipient country (the GMO supplier will incorporate the gene into a number of varieties). But these GMO products are of little value in traditional crop varieties. Few countries have the Intellectual Property Rights or regulatory regimes at present to support this mechanism. The second mechanism is very demanding of skills by NARS breeders. Only a few NARS programs (notably China, India, Brazil, Argentina, and a few other countries) are investing in these skills. The promise of GMO-based productivity gains in developing countries is thus constrained. Only a few countries are positioned to pursue both mechanisms.
Genetically Modified Organisms: Rights To Use Commodity Names and the Lemons Problem
Authors: Gray Richard , Moss Charles B. , Schmitz Andrew
Published: December 2005

Genetically modified crops have met some consumer opposition domestically and abroad. This opposition has resulted in variety market and policy reactions with a large potential to disrupt trade and to become a focus of international negotiations. In this paper we consider the spillover from adopters to the non-adopters and non-consumers of GM technology. In the absence of any (organizational) transaction costs the assignment of property right to use the name corn will result in Pareto improving decisions with respect to the introduction of GM technology. However, in the presence of transaction costs the ability to use generic crop names such as corn, the adopters of GM technology have the implicit right and will impose costs on participants in the non-GM marketing channel, by creating a lemons problem. This assignment of property rights can result in the commercial introduction of GM despite potential losses in overall social welfare. If the property rights are reassigned such that the innovators are forced to segregate their GM products through labeling laws, this preempts welfare decreasing technology introduction. The relative efficiency of either allocation of property rights depends on the cost savings, rate of adoption, segregation costs, and consumers preference for the GM crop in question. This suggests that assignment of property rights may be more effective if done on a case-by-case basis rather than a one size fits all policy.
Did StarLink Reduce Import Demand for Corn?
Authors: Schmitz Troy G. , Schmitz Andrew , Moss Charles B.
Published: December 2005

This study estimates the impact of reduced demand for U.S. corn during the 2000/01 marketing year caused by the StarLink-contamination event in the year 2000. A partial equilibrium model is constructed that separates both the domestic and foreign demand functions for corn into food and non-food demand curves. The complexities arising from the Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) Program are also incorporated. The empirical results indicate that the reduction in Japanese corn demand alone would have reduced the average price received by U.S. corn producers in 2000/01 by between U.S. 4.17¢ to U.S. 5.18¢ per bushel if LDP payments did not partially offset the market impact. However, after adjusting for LDP payments, the average price received by U.S. corn producers dropped by only between U.S. $0.50¢ and U.S. 0.83¢ per bushel over the 2000/01 marketing year. This translates into a loss in revenue of between U.S. $48 and U.S. $78 million.
Agricultural Biotechnology: Productivity, Biodiversity, and Intellectual Property Rights
Authors: Zilberman David , Ameden Holly , Graff Gregory , Qaim Matin
Published: December 2005

This paper argues that current forms of agricultural biotechnology have significant potential for developing countries; the challenge is to realize this potential. We develop a conceptual model that explains why the yield effects of GMVs (genetically modified varieties) tend to be significant and reduce chemical use, contributing to human welfare, and present results from empirical studies that support these findings. We demonstrate that the adoption of GMVs might not necessarily lead to elimination of many varieties. Instead, crop biodiversity may be enhanced. Finally, we discuss how IPR constraints can be addressed, and new institutions that are already emerging may be used to allow developing countries more access to IPRs.
Controversies Over the Adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms: An Overview of the Special Issue
Authors: Schmitz Andrew
Published: December 2005

Many of the controversial issues surrounding the adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are addressed in this special issue of JAFIO. There is concern that due to institutional constraints the biotechnology gene revolution will not live up to its potential. The potential for GM crops in less-developed countries appears to be less than for developed nations. In the United States the adoption rate of GM products varies by crop, thus it is difficult to generalize about the economic returns received from GM-crop adoption. Contamination issues such as the StarLink event, coupled with segregation costs have made GM crops less attractive than would otherwise be the case. In the European Union resistance to GM crops will likely remain high for the next several years due to both consumer resistance and from those producers who lose from the adoption of GM crops. Consumer acceptability of GM crops varies by country and is influenced by public information, which often is biased in favor of special interest groups. International clubs, which trade in GM products, may be formed in the future.
The Impact on Farmers of Privatizing Parastatal Agricultural Monopsonies
Authors: Makdissi Paul , Wodon Quentin
Published: December 2005

International Financial Institutions have advocated the privatization of integrated agricultural monopsonies in developing countries with the hope that competition between private firms under a contract farming system would reduce inefficiencies in production and enable farmers to obtain a higher share of world commodity prices. Using a very simple theoretical model, this paper shows however that the impact of privatization and contract farming may not be positive for all farmers.
Market Conduct in the U.S. Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry
Authors: Reimer Jeffrey J
Published: December 2005

Product differentiation is well established as being the key source of the cereal industrys high price-cost margins. However, there is little consensus as to whether pricing collusion is also a source of profitability, and indeed, whether price even serves as a strategic variable in this industry. This paper seeks to resolve this debate by determining whether cereal firms strategically interact on price, and if so, estimating the extent that this increases margins relative to what perfect collusion among firms could achieve. Firms are estimated to cooperate on price to the extent that margins are 2.5 percentage points higher than what is possible under a Nash-Bertrand game. This raises margins by about 43% of what could be achieved under a perfectly executed agreement to fix prices. The results are consistent with studies in the literature that characterize the industrys pricing as "approximately cooperative."
Market Segmentation via Mixed Logit: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil in Urban Italy
Authors: Scarpa Riccardo , Del Giudice Teresa
Published: December 2005

The paper presents some results from a stated-preference study that compares three samples of urban consumers of extra-virgin olive oil from three representative Italian cities: Naples (South), Rome (Centre) and Milan (North). A series of multinomial logit models are estimated from choice experiments responses and tested for unobserved heterogeneity for EU labelling informing on PDO/PGI, organic and place of origin attributes. The consequences of such form of heterogeneity are flashed out with respect to issues of market segmentation on the basis of the pattern of correlation across preferences as estimated from mixed logit models. Results indicate that product origin matters differently in different cities, while the sample from Naples is the least heterogeneous the Milan and Rome samples display highest taste heterogeneity, but also stronger intensity of taste.
Grocery Retailer Behavior in Perishable Fresh Produce Procurement
Authors: Sexton Richard J. , Zhang Mingxia , Chalfant James A.
Published: December 2005

This study examines supermarket retailer behavior in the procurement of iceberg lettuce from California and Arizona, vine-ripe and mature-green tomatoes from California, and mature-green tomatoes from Florida. The analysis relies upon both a reduced-form specification of farm-retail price spreads and a structural model of procurement for a perishable commodity with inelastic supply. The evidence supports a conclusion that buyers have been able to exercise oligopsony power in procuring iceberg lettuce from grower-shippers in California and Arizona. The evidence regarding buyer market power is more mixed for fresh tomatoes. The apparent success of the Florida mature-green tomato industry in enforcing a price floor and capturing a significant share of the surplus in excess of the price floor demonstrates the potential benefits to producers from coordinated behavior.
Retailer Strategies in the Food Marketing Chain: Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Soler Louis-Georges
Published: December 2005

A good understanding of the current evolution in the retail sector is important for both stakeholders in the food chains and governments who have to design policies regulating competition and supplier-buyer relationships. The papers grouped in this special issue provide insights about three questions raised by that evolution: the impact of private label expansion on national brand prices, retailers pricing strategies, and retailers buying strategies and their impact on upstream producers.
A Simple Test of Oligopsony Behavior with an Application to Rice Milling
Authors: Crespi John M. , Gao Zhifeng , Hanawa Peterson Hikaru
Published: December 2005

While the development of empirical models of seller conduct abound, arguably less attention has been paid to the development of empirical models of buyer conduct. This is especially problematic in studies of food and agricultural industries where high buyer concentration along the supply chain is the norm. The purpose of this paper is to provide one more tool in the toolkit of econometric estimation of oligopsony behavior, in particular for those cases where researchers may have rather limited data sets. We derive a set of equations to estimate buyer market power with fewer equations and less formal functional specifications than are typically used in such studies. We apply the model to the U.S. rice industry finding a degree of oligopsony behavior consistent with that found in studies of other agricultural markets.
Dethroning Economic Kings: The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 and its Modern Awakening
Authors: Rosales William E.
Published: December 2005

In this Comment, I examine federal courts hesitation to apply the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 to address the consolidation of the meatpacking industry. A currently pending case, Pickett v. IBP, represents an opportunity for federal courts to apply the Act to combat that consolidation, and I argue that Pickettthe first class action suit granted class certification under the antitrust provision of the Actrepresents an opportunity for the judiciary to reform the meatpacking industry by addressing issues of equal access to the market.
Private Label Products as Experience Goods
Authors: Bergès-Sennou Fabian , Waterson Michael
Published: December 2005

In Europe, food retailing has become more concentrated and private label goods have spread over the last 40 years. They are now a key element of retailers' shelf offer. Using a model in which consumers become informed about the good's quality only in period two, we examine what determines the presence or absence of private label experience goods in supermarkets, taking into account the retailer's reputation commitment involved. Our most novel result is that for products purchased infrequently, introducing a reputable private label is unsustainable. However, more retailer bargaining power increases the likelihood of a private label good being marketed.
On Reference Designs For Microarray Experiments
Authors: Steibel Juan P. , Rosa Guilherme J. M.
Published: December 2005

We compare four variants of the reference design for microarray experiments in terms of their relative efficiency. A common reference sample across arrays is the most extensively used variation in practice, but independent samples from a reference group have also been considered in previous works. The relative efficiency of these designs depends of the number of treatments and the ratio between biological and technical variances. Here, we propose another alternative of reference structure, denoted by blocked reference design (BRD), in which each set (replication) of the treated samples is co-hybridized to an independent experimental unit of the control (reference) group. We provide efficiency curves for each pair of designs under different scenarios of variance ratio and number of treatments groups. The results show that the BRD is more efficient and less expensive than the traditional reference designs. Among the situations where the BRD is likely to be preferable we list time course experiments with a baseline and drug experiments with a placebo group.
Using Active Learning in Lecture: Best of "Both Worlds"
Authors: Oermann Marilyn H
Published: December 2005

Many creative teaching strategies have been developed in recent years in nursing and other fields to promote active learning. These strategies foster development of problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills, and they encourage students to work collaboratively with peers. However, in nurse educators rush to embrace active learning, lecture has been viewed negatively by some faculty. Rather than positioning active learning against lecture, another approach is to integrate active learning within lecture, gaining the benefits of both methods. An integrated approach also takes into consideration the situation of teaching large groups of students. This article examines benefits of an integrated approach to teaching and presents strategies for active learning intended for use with lecture.
How Different Can You Be and Still Survive? Homogeneity and Difference in Clinical Nursing Education
Authors: Paterson Barbara L , Osborne Margaret , Gregory David
Published: December 2005

The article focuses on a component of a three-year institutional ethnography regarding the construction of cultural diversity in clinical education. Students in two Canadian schools of nursing described being a nursing student as bounded by unwritten and largely invisible expectations of homogeneity in the context of a predominant discourse of equality and cultural sensitivity. At the same time, they witnessed many incidents, both personally and those directed toward other individuals of the same culture, of clinical teachers problematizing difference and centering on difference as less than the expected norm. This complex and often contradictory experience of difference and homogeneity contributed to their construction of cultural diversity as a problem. The authors provide examples of how the perception of being different affected some students learning in the clinical setting and their interactions with clinical teachers. They will illustrate that this occurred in the context of macro influences that shaped how both teachers and students experienced and perceived cultural diversity. The article concludes with a challenge to nurse educators to deconstruct their beliefs and assumptions about inclusivity in nursing education.
Educating Nurses for the Knowledge Economy
Authors: Myrick Florence
Published: December 2005

When discussing the education of nurses for the knowledge economy it must be assumed that nursing is influenced by multiple factors reflective of the broader society in which it exists. These factors include civil society, social justice, and the public sector, all of which converge to shape nursing education and ultimately nursing practice. Over the past decade in particular, these factors have been greatly affected by what may be described as the hegemonic influences of the knowledge economy and the philosophical assumptions on which it is based, influences that are impacting directly on how the health system is evolving. The author posits, therefore, that it is incumbent on faculty to educate future nurses for the knowledge economy and to provide them with appropriate tools with which to meet the many challenges that confront them today and will invariably continue to confront them in the coming decades.
Exploring the Attributes of Critical Thinking: A Conceptual Basis
Authors: Forneris Susan G
Published: December 2005

Many teaching methods used in nursing education to enhance critical thinking focus on teaching students how to directly apply knowledge; a technically rational approach. While seemingly effective at enhancing students critical thinking abilities in structured learning situations, these methods dont prepare students to operationalize critical thinking to manage the complexities that actually exist in practice. The work of contemporary educational theorists Paulo Freire, Donald Schon, Chris Argyris, Jack Mezirow, Stephen Brookfield, and Robert Tennyson all share similar perspectives on thinking in practice and the use of reflection to achieve a coherence of understanding. Their perspectives provide insight on how educators can shift from a means-end approach to operationalizing thinking in practice. The author identifies four attributes of critical thinking in practice evidenced in these views, followed by a discussion of specific educational strategies that reflect these attributes, and operationalize a critical thinking process in nursing practice to achieve a coherence of understanding.
Creating Cohesion Between the Discipline and Practice of Nursing Using Problem Based Learning
Authors: Williams Bev
Published: December 2005

For at least four decades there has been concern about the discontinuity between the discipline and practice of nursing. The learning traditions in nursing, including the traditional organization of professional educational curricula with an emphasis on general education, could be contributing to this discontinuity. Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been identified as one way to facilitate greater cohesion between the discipline and practice of nursing. Nursing learners exposed to PBL are challenged to achieve professionally desired liberal learning outcomes and acquire knowledge and skill in the discipline of nursing by encountering key professional practice situations as the stimulus and focus of their classroom learning activity. By combining reflection on existing knowledge essential to understanding the situation with research for new knowledge, PBL reflects the process of knowledge generation. Through PBL learners can achieve a deeper understanding of nursing as a discipline, the relationship of nursing to other disciplines and cohesion between the discipline and practice of nursing.
The Impact of an Urban Outreach Teaching Project: Developing Cultural Competence
Authors: Ott Carol H. , Doyle Lynn H. , Tarantino Sharyl-Lynn
Published: December 2005

The purpose of this study was to explore the development of cultural competence in a group of university nursing students in the context of an interactive substance abuse prevention project attached to a health promotion course with 414 racially diverse high school students. The project provided opportunities for contact, interaction, and reflection. A descriptive approach was utilized to elicit the meaning attached to the experience. Data included written content from an exit survey, field notes from onsite debriefings, transcriptions of a focus group interview, and an analysis of theoretical papers. Findings indicate that when university students participate in an urban teaching project under conditions of diminishing anxiety and are given opportunities for reflection, they not only increase cultural competence but they also develop a sense of advocacy. Recommendations are made for building community partnerships to enhance cultural competence.
Scholarly Teaching and Scholarship of Teaching: Noting the Difference
Authors: Allen Marion N , Field Peggy Anne
Published: December 2005

Scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching are being discussed more frequently in the nursing education literature, yet a clear distinction between the two is often not made. In this paper we will identify the differences between the two and the role each plays in faculty evaluation. We argue that all faculty members should be scholarly teachers but not all will or should engage in the scholarship of teaching.
Transforming Nursing Education: A Partnership Social System for Alignment with Philosophies of Care
Authors: Clark Carey S.
Published: December 2005

It has been made clear by nurse educators and theorists such as Bevis (1989), Benner, Tanner, and Chesla (1996), and Bevis and Watson (2000) that a movement away from the traditional, behavioral, medical-model of lecture and behaviorism as the main modalities for teaching and learning in nursing is essential. Why is it then that nursing education by and large is still taught via lecture and behavioralist methodologies (Bevis & Watson, 2000), despite the proliferation of research related to innovations in nursing education? This paper examines the parallel between the prevailing Western dominator social system or paradigm, masculine values/ traits, and the established behavioralist-medical methodology of teaching nursing. How nursing education in general has been influenced by the dominator social system is discussed and an argument for why nurse educators might consider working towards more effective means of closing the gap between caring-humanistic nursing philosophies and actual educational practices presented.
Learning from Experience: Three Community Health Population-Based Outreach Projects for Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Authors: D'Lugoff Marion Isaacs , McCarter Jeanne
Published: December 2005

Three outreach activities by a school of nursing, in partnership with community agencies, provided learning experiences in primary and secondary preventive health care for graduate and undergraduate nursing students while addressing health needs in the community. The activities included administration of immunizations to a newly arrived Somali Bantu refugee population, targeted screening of an African-American population at risk for diabetic retinopathy, and general health screening for an underserved Hispanic immigrant population. These activities lend insight and depth to a community health curriculum by allowing students to provide needed services while engaging with culturally diverse clients of varying socioeconomic status. Learner objectives, resources, processes and outcomes are provided for each example.
The Process of Master's Education in Nursing: Evolution or Revolution?
Authors: Cragg C.E. 'Betty' , Andrusyszyn Mary-Anne
Published: December 2005

In this qualitative, descriptive study, the process of achieving change in knowledge and attitudes through Masters education in nursing is examined. Twenty-two recent graduates from three Ontario universities participated in semi-structured, taped interviews. Participants recounted personal and professional changes they attributed to completing a Masters program in Nursing and their experience of the process of change. After responding to questions about differences they perceived in themselves, participants reviewed Mezirows (1991; 1994) 11 stages of perspective transformation and discussed whether these phases resonated for them. Some felt that the stages described their experience accurately; others reported their experience of the process was not as dramatic as Mezirows description implied. Several who had taken degree completion baccalaureate programs perceived their baccalaureate experience to be more congruent with Mezirows transformation process than the change process in their Masters program. At the Masters level, the majority felt the changes were evolutionary, not revolutionary. Most reported that rather than undergoing a perspective transformation, they were building on values and attitudes from the baccalaureate level. This study contributes to understanding the processes of change experienced by students in graduate education in nursing.
Evaluation of a Clinical Teaching Method Involving Stories
Authors: Shieh Carol
Published: December 2005

A clinical teaching method involving stories was evaluated in this study. A total of 25 ASN and BSN students participated in Phase I evaluation and another 16 ASN students were included in Phase II. Each student created a story about an obstetric or a pediatric topic. The story was then read by the story writer to peers and faculty. The faculty member facilitated dialogues and reflections on the meanings of the story. In Phase I, students offered written responses about the effectiveness of the story teaching. In Phase II, a 5-item questionnaire measured pre- and post-test scores of perceived improvement in five knowledge areas. Results showed that students perceived the story teaching positively because it brought learning to a personal level and facilitated in-depth discussion and critical thinking. Perceived knowledge improvement was evident after the story teaching in nursing interventions, the physiological and psychosocial alterations, legal/ethical/cultural issues, and community resources. In conclusion, this teaching method was acceptable to students and may have contributed to positive learning outcomes.
Experimental Political Betting Markets and the 2004 Election
Authors: Wolfers Justin , Zitzewitz Eric
Published: December 2005

Betting on elections has been of interest to economists and political scientists for some time. We recently persuaded TradeSports to run experimental contingent betting markets, in which one bets on whether President Bush will be re-elected, conditional on other specified events occurring. Early results suggest that market participants strongly believe that Osama bin Ladens capture would have a substantial effect on President Bushs electoral fortunes, and interestingly that the chance of his capture peaks just before the election. More generally, these markets suggest that issues outside the campaign - like the state of the economy, and progress on the war on terror - are the key factors in the forthcoming election.
The Unsustainability of U.S. Trade Deficits
Authors: Quiggin John
Published: December 2005

Although substantial current account deficits can be sustained indefinitely, large deficits in goods and services trade cannot be. Even to stabilise the current account deficit, the United States must restore balance in goods and services trade within a decade or so. If this adjustment is to be achieved without a crisis, a range of policy adjustments will be needed. Options include a managed devaluation of the US dollar, substantial increases in public and household saving and initiatives to reduce reliance on imported oil and gas.
Economic Illiteracy on the Campaign Trail
Authors: Boskin Michael J.
Published: December 2005

All candidates and Presidents make some statements that make economists cringe, often put into speeches by political advisors unconstrained by economic literacy. From its description of the state of the economy to its policy prescriptions, much of the Kerry-Edwards campaigns pronouncements are at odds with economic reality and basic economic principles. While their first term was far from perfect (too much spending, steel tariffs), Bush-Cheney policies and proposals are much closer to textbook economics, both micro and macro. The article discusses several such areas: the description of the economy; countercyclical fiscal policy; and price regulation.
Government Deficits and The Deindustrialization of America
Authors: McKinnon Ronald I
Published: December 2005

Government deficits are accelerating deindustrialization in the United States. Should we care? Absolutely. One reason is that manufacturing and associated learning-by-doing are powerful sources of external benefits that accelerate economy-wide productivity growth. A second is that the loss of manufacturing jobs is a powerful source of anger against free trade. The U.S. federal government needs to run surpluses to eliminate the savings deficiency of the American economy.
Test Drive Suggests Bush's "Ownership Society" May Be a Lemon
Authors: Munnell Alicia
Published: December 2005

Social Security privatization, in any form, will only highlight the problems that individuals face when left on their own to make saving and investment decisions. The 401(k) experience is a case in point. Making everyone a money manager is not the way to improve retirement income security for an aging population. Ownership sounds appealing  but when we own things, we often have professionals care for them, whether they be money managers, auto mechanics, or architects and builders. Instead of continuing to transfer more risk and responsibility to individuals, we should strengthen the nations collective savings mechanisms.
Cutting the Safety Net, One Strand at a Time
Authors: Currie Janet
Published: December 2005

Ballooning federal deficits threaten all social spending in this country, but in kind programs for vulnerable women and children may be most at risk. In 2002, only 5 million people received cash welfare under TANF, while more than 30 million people participated in other safety net programs. The attack on the federal safety net has several prongs including allegations that programs dont work, that programs are riddled with fraud, waste, and abuse, and that poverty alleviation is best left to state and local government. This article assesses these arguments, and argues that each is mostly myth.
Neither Borrower nor Lender Be: A Letter commenting on "The Unsustainability of U.S.Trade Deficits" by John Quiggin
Authors: Grennes Thomas J
Published: December 2005

John Quiggins' article, "The Unsustainability of U.S.Trade Deficits" ignores the gains from international borrowing and lending and the gains from trading according to comparative advantage.
The Virtues of Personal Accounts for Social Security
Authors: Lazear Edward P.
Published: December 2005

Personal accounts provide the benefits of the government run Social Security program without the problems. Specifically, personal accounts are more consistent with economic principles, avoid government moral hazard, and provide more security than government Social Security.
Microsoft's Market Realities: A Letter Commenting on "Going Soft on Microsoft? The EU's Antitrust Case and Remedy" by Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff
Authors: Coate Malcolm B. , Fischer Jeffrey H
Published: December 2005

Several factors suggest the Ayres-Nalebuff scenario is unlikely to occur. First, producing a media player is not difficult: Cnet.com lists 31 free players. Second, although firms that own encoding standards can make money by licensing the standard, to monopolize encoding, Microsoft would need to exclude rival formats, forcing consumers to use its WMA format. Third, they assume that the ubiquity of one audio format means that content encoded in other formats will disappear. We believe it wont.
The Precautionary Principle as a Basis for Decision Making
Authors: Sunstein Cass R.
Published: December 2005

Over the coming decades, the increasingly popular precautionary principle is likely to have a significant impact on policies all over the world. Applying this principle could lead to dramatic changes in decision making. Possible applications include climate change, genetically modified food, nuclear power, homeland security, new drug therapies, and even war.We argue that the precautionary principle does not help individuals or nations make difficult choices in a non-arbitrary way. Taken seriously, it can be paralyzing, providing no direction at all. In contrast, balancing costs against benefits can offer the foundation of a principled approach for making difficult decisions.