bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Distributive and Macroeconomic Impact of Liberalization in Thailand
Authors: Nidhiprabha Bhanupong 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter explores the macroeconomic impact of liberalization in Thailand and its complex relationship with growth, poverty, and income distribution. Section 2 discusses Thailand's macroeconomic performance during the period of trade and capital liberalization (1970 to 2000). Section 3 analyzes the components of aggregate demand by employing a decomposition analysis. Section 4 describes the decomposition of employment and sectoral labor productivity. Section 5 examines the relationship between income distribution and external liberalization. Section 6 investigates the impact of social policy on poverty and distribution. Section 7 gives a conclusion.
Backing Up
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter's title signifies not only that backward induction is introduced, but that some backing up is necessary to put the material of the previous chapter on a more solid foundation. The game of Matching Pennies, with and without peeking, is used to illustrate the difference between games of perfect and imperfect competition. The rules of a game of a general game of perfect information are then described using the idea of a game tree. The principle of backward induction is introduced for the case of win-or-lose games, where its application is entirely uncontroversial. This leads to the notion of the value of a win-or-lose game. As examples, the values of the games of Nim and Hex are found. Chess is then introduced as an example of a strictly competitive game with more than two outcomes. It is shown that finite strictly competitive games always have a value. The connexion between Nash equilibria and saddle points is explained. Subgame-perfect equilibria are introduced as the end-product of backward induction. It is explained why some Nash equilibria are not subgame-perfect. The chapter ends with a discussion of the rationality assumption, and why subgame-perfect play may not always be a good idea when an opponent fails to behave rationally.
Accounting for Tastes
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter explains the meaning of the payoffs that are used to quantify the outcomes of games. The theory of revealed preference assumes only that players are consistent. With appropriate consistency assumptions, it is shown that players act as though maximizing a utility function. The game of Russian Roulette is introduced to show that the players need to reveal preferences over lotteries so that risky situations can be accommodated. Von Neumann and Morgenstern's consistency postulates are shown to imply that an agent acts as though maximizing the expected value of a utility function in risky situations. Risk aversion is identified with having a concave Von Neumann and Morgenstern utility function. The properties of such functions are then explored. Russian Roulette is then analyzed to show that the outcome depends on the level of risk aversion of the players. Finally, Allais' paradox and Zeckhauser's paradox are used to comment on the difference between rational behavior in the presence of risk and actual behavior.
Fighting It Out
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter describes the theory of two-person, zero-sum games invented by John Von Neumann in 1928. It begins with an application to the computation of economic shadow prices. It shows that a two-person game is strictly competitive if, and only if, it has a zero-sum representation. Such a game can be represented using only the first player's payoff matrix. The minimax and maximin values of the matrix are defined and linked to the concept of a saddle point. The ideas are then related to a player's security level in a game. An inductive proof of Von Neumann's minimax theorem is offered. The connexion between the minimax theorem and the duality theorem of linear programming is explained. The method of solving certain two-person, zero-sum games geometrically with the help of the theorem of the separating hyperplane is introduced. The Hide-and-Seek Game is used as a non-trivial example.
Selling Dear
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter is an introduction to the theory of imperfectly competitive markets — a subject that was largely terra incognita before the advent of game theory. The models studied include those of Cournot, Bertrand, and Stackelberg. An unusual feature is a discussion of the Bertrand-Edgeworth model, both with efficient and proportional rationing.
Keeping Up to Date
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter is about Bayesian decision theory. It explains why game theorists model players' beliefs using subjective probability distributions, and how these beliefs are updated using Bayes' rule as further information is received during the play of a game. A skeptical assessment of Bayesian decision theory as a solution to the general problem of scientific induction is then offered, suggesting that we stick to Leonard Savage's view that his theory properly applies only in the context of a small world. The chapter ends with a brief review of the common prior assumption and the idea of subjective equilibria.
Going, Going …
Authors: Binmore Ken 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
The most successful area of game theory is auction design. This chapter offers a short review of the subject. Various traditional auctions are described. After showing that most of these generate the same expected revenue to the seller under appropriate conditions, a version of the revenue equivalence theorem is proved. Reserve prices are briefly considered. An extended example of the use of the principles of mechanism design in constructing an optimal auction is offered, and the case of common-value auctions is reviewed. The chapter ends with a discussion of the important case of multiunit auctions, and concludes that treasury bonds could be sold on a more scientific basis than at present.
For the Healing of the Nations
Authors: Garces-Foley Kathleen 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
The study begins with the story of Evergreen Baptist Church and its transformation from a pan-Asian church into a multiethnic one. The factors that influenced the church's pastor, Ken Fong, to take Evergreen in this direction and the tools he used to frame the church's new identity in appealing ways are identified. While Pastor Ken has been very successful at this task, the work of selling his vision to the congregation is ongoing.
The Racial Reconciliation Movement
Authors: Garces-Foley Kathleen 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis chapter examines the theological foundations of the racial reconciliation movement, which has played an important role in Evergreen's development. After discussing the biblical basis of racial reconciliation theology and its development into a larger movement within mainstream evangelicalism, Evergreen's unique approach to racial reconciliation is assessed, an approach that differs significantly from the color-blind model.
Becoming a Multiethnic Church
Authors: Garces-Foley Kathleen 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter explores what it means to call a church “multiethnic”. It distinguishes the multiethnic church from other institutional forms that urban churches have developed to “manage” diversity by defining the multiethnic church as an inclusive, ethnically diverse community. In practice, such churches are often criticized for ignoring or overemphasizing diversity. The challenge for the multiethnic church is to both affirm the unique ethnic heritage of its members and create a shared sense of community. The chapter considers how Evergreen has institutionalized its commitment to the inclusion of diversity, and how the significance of ethnic identity is understood in this multiethnic setting.
The Culture of Discomfort
Authors: Garces-Foley Kathleen 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis chapter considers the costs of participating in a multiethnic church and how Evergreeners find meaning in, or at least learn to live with, their discomfort at Evergreen. Pastor Ken has purposely shaped a “culture of discomfort” that imbues the challenges of the multiethnic church with eschatological significance. Yet diversity is more than a burden for Evergreeners, who also enjoy these challenges and find humor in them.
Possessors of the Command
Authors: Virani Shafique N. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn Shi'i Islam, the Imams are considered to be the Possessors of the Command (ulu al-amr), and are the purveyors of divine authority in the world. The chapter speaks of the Ismaili Imams, Islamshah and Muhammad b. Islamshah; compares the modes of precautionary dissimulation (taqiyya) of Ismailis in Quhistan (where the community was persecuted) and Syria (where the bravery of the Ismailis was often romanticized); and highlights the emphasis placed on communal harmony. It also delves into the resurgence of the Ismaili da'wa at this time, particularly in South Asia under the able leadership of Pir Shams and his successors, including Pir Sadr al-Din.
Qibla of the World
Authors: Virani Shafique N. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe Ismaili Imams moved from the South Caspian regions to the relative safety of Anjudan, a village near the age-old Shi'i strongholds of Qumm and Kashan. The first Imam for whose connection to the village we have positive evidence is Mustansir bi'llah, who was succeeded by 'Abd al-Salam and Gharib Mirza. A resurgence of Shi'i sentiment in the region preceding the triumph of the Safavids prompted the Ismailis to adopt the cover of Twelver Shi'ism. Attacks on their community by Tamerlane demonstrate that they were still not entirely safe. A number of Ismaili writers flourished at this time, including Da'i Anjudani, Ibn Husam Khusfi, Sayyid Suhrab Wali Badakhshani, Bu Ishaq Quhistani, Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari, Husayn, Darwish, and Zamani, some of whom poetically alluded to Anjudan as the spiritual qibla of the world.
Doctrinal Contexts and Religious Attitudes
Authors: Poceski Mario 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter studies the Hongzhou school's teachings. The first part surveys the religious and intellectual milieus of Tang Buddhism, which formed the backdrop for the development of the Hongzhou school's doctrines and its approaches to spiritual cultivation. The second part offers an analysis of the Hongzhou school's attitudes in four key areas of medieval religious life: monastic mores and ideals, meditative praxis, canonicity and religious authority, and the use of scriptures. The exploration of their basic doctrinal and ethical frameworks shows that Mazu and his disciples were engaged in the creative reformulation of age-old monastic ideals and outlooks, which helped situate the Hongzhou school within a larger nexus of canonically inspired traditions of contemplative monasticism.
Mind, Buddha, and the Way
Authors: Poceski Mario 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter explores key themes in the Hongzhou school's doctrines. It draws attention to attacks on all forms of dogmatism, including reifying concepts of the mind derived from Chinese interpretations of the Buddha-nature theory, which forms a central theme that links together the main sources. A large part of the chapter is concerned with the flexible and context-sensitive interpretive strategies employed in discussions of famous Chan adages associated with Mazu, especially “mind is Buddha” and “ordinary mind is the Way”.
Path of Practice and Realization
Authors: Poceski Mario 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter examines the Hongzhou school's conception of a Chan path of practice and realization. Based primarily on Baizhang's record, it focuses on that text's explication of a path of spiritual practice defined in terms of three distinct stages that represent increasingly subtle forms of detachment and deeper insight into the nature of reality. The investigation of the three stages is followed by an analysis of comparable conceptual schemata formulated by the scholastic traditions of medieval Chinese Buddhism. The chapter ends with a note on Baizhang's intimations of the realm of awakening, which he conceptualized as a consummate perfection of detachment and transcendence, and a fulfillment of the Bodhisattva's selfless activity of helping others.
Dōgen's Interpretations of This Lotus Sutra Story
Authors: Leighton Taigen Dan 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter gives a close reading of a range of references throughout Dōgen's writings on Lotus Sutra Chapters 15 and 16, organized in terms of earth, space, and time. It also looks in to how Dōgen uses these citations as practice encouragements for his students. These commentaries reveal Dōgen's strong lifetime allegiance to the Lotus Sutra text, and also his approach to awakening as a function of the nature of reality, intimately connected with the dynamic support of the earth, space itself, and a multidimensional view of the movements of time.
Christus Proficiens?
Authors: Madigan Kevin 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter provides a rich exegetical context for Thomas's exegesis of Luke 2:52. Only in this context can the distinctiveness and originality of Thomas's position be appreciated. It is argued that although Thomas borrows elements from the interpretations of Ambrose of Milan and John of Damascus, the figures with whom Thomas begins his mature discussion, he differs from both in significant ways. Having outlined the major patristic interpretations of the verse, the positions of four major thinkers from the high-scholastic period (Peter Lombard, Albertus Magnus, Bonaventure, and the early Thomas himself) are then analyzed. It is shown that all four thinkers denied that Jesus progressed in knowledge, at least in the sense that he passed from ignorance of something to knowledge of it. Thomas's disagreement with his patristic predecessors and his scholastic contemporaries is also considered.
Christus Passibilis?
Authors: Madigan Kevin 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Jesus' Agony in the Garden (Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46) was a plague and embarrassment to patristic and medieval interpreters. Few narratives in the New Testament were so inimical to receive christological assumptions. Ancient and medieval interpreters — at least those judged ultimately to be “orthodox” — ascribed to the Incarnate Word the qualities of divine consubstantiality, omnipotence, omniscience, obedience, and impassibility. However, the pericope, at least in its Markan and Matthean versions, presents them with a figure who appears in all-too-human form, that is, powerless, ignorant, recalcitrant, and passible. In large part because of these narrative qualities, the Markan and Matthean narratives generated an enormous explanatory literature over the course of the first thirteen centuries of Christian history. This chapter analyzes, in the high-medieval interpretation of these narratives, a portion of that literature which again sharply focuses some fundamental questions on the use of patristic tradition in Christian thought, in particular on the perennial issue of continuity and change.
Introduction
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the main focus of the book, namely structural reforms in the product and labour markets, and the method adopted in the analysis of structural reforms. It then considers the relevant interactions among institutions and the question of whether these interactions can be exploited to obtain political support for reforms. Government exploitation of labour market reforms and the delegation of power to supranatural authorities are also discussed.
Introduction
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter introduces the first part of the book, which examines the question: do product market reforms contribute to Europe's poor growth and productivity record? The key finding is that although reforms are difficult to implement and do not always deliver the expected gains, particularly in the short term, deregulation of services in all three countries analysed is found to be associated with faster productivity growth and competitiveness both in the service sector and in the rest of the economy. This latter result is largely due to the fact that services play a much more pervasive role in the overall economy than generally acknowledged as they have a significant input into non-service activities like manufacturing and agriculture. Consequently, changes in efficiency, quality, and costs of services delivered trickle down to large competitive gains in the overall economy. The bottom line is that liberalization in services has the potential to bring large welfare gains and governments need to persevere in their effort to reform the service sector.
The Impact of Services Regulation
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter illustrates how regulation in services affected the performance of other sectors in the economy through input-output linkages. The analysis compares the performance of twenty-four non-service (mostly manufacturing) industries in Germany, Italy, and the UK. It is shown that regulation, however measured, has a negative impact on foreign direct investment (FDI).
Introduction
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter introduces Part II of the book, which focuses on how to gain political support for reforms. The succeeding chapters focus on the political feasibility of these reforms, in an attempt to provide some policy advice on how to push forward with structural reforms. The case studies include a broad array of economic areas — such as labour and product markets, the welfare state, and privatizations — and of political institutions, ranging from majority systems, such as the UK, to proportional systems and consensus democracies, such as Denmark, to hybrid systems (Italy), and to new democracies (Russia and the Czech Republic). Although this methodological approach may fail to identify universal ‘laws’, the wide range of economic and political framework conditions analysed will provide common lessons on how to design politically feasible reforms.
Evidence and Theory of Reforms
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter analyses reform over time across countries and sectors. Four scenarios for reforms are identified. In a scenario characterized by strong concentration of power in the hands of the policy-makers, a reform attempt in markets that do not feature entrenched interests may be carried out by exploiting this political power. Policy-makers lacking a substantial concentration of power can instead adopt a consensus building strategy to reform by tailoring the reform package to widen the political base. In the presence of strong entrenched interests, when some specific groups are both too strong to be confronted at once and too expensive to buy out, policy-makers may adopt a strategy of divide and conquer. In several circumstances, the reform efforts of policy-makers are largely affected by the existence of international laws or regulations that make reforms inescapable. Almost regardless of their political power and of the market or institution to be modified, the policy-maker may exploit these external constraints to carry out the reform.
Exploit a Parliamentary Majority
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter concentrates on the reform opportunities that emerge when a government exploits its parliamentary majority. For example the privatizations and pension reforms carried out in the UK by the Thatcher government. When backed by a large parliamentary majority, the policy-makers' only constraint is the need to win a future election, which provides freedom of action in most cases. Yet, this strategy is not always valuable. The mix of successes and failures suggests that other institutional elements are crucial, such as the (lack of) internal cohesion in coalition governments or the existence of strong opposition. A strong parliamentary majority can thus be insufficient to generate sufficient coalition building.
Widen Your Political Base
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter discusses an alternate strategy that policy-makers tend to use when they do not enjoy sufficiently strong political power, and when they address reforms in broad-reaching sectors that affect a large fraction of the population. In the absence of a large parliamentary majority or in the presence of strong opposition in the economic or social arena, policy-makers widen the political base for their reform by resorting to social dialogue and to a more consensual style. The need to gather wider social and political support induces policy-makers to increase the share of winners from the reform, while raising expenses for the losers.
Exploit External Constraints
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter takes a different angle on policy-making by recognizing that several successful reforms were actually implemented under pressure from external constraints. Although strong governments may prefer to be free to select their reform options, governments facing strong opposition may need to rely on external constraints to increase their bargaining power in the coalition building phase and to limit the opposition of lobby groups. The recipe provided in this chapter is hence to exploit external constraints, such as those imposed by World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the Stability Pact, or International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionality rules. The chapter concentrates on the reform experience of two transition countries — the Czech Republic and Ukraine — to highlight the role of commitment to reform provided by a truly external constraint; in this case, the European Union.
How to Reform: Pulling the Strings
Authors: Boeri Tito , Castanheira Micael , Faini Riccardo , Galasso Vincenzo , Barba Navaretti Giorgio , Stéphane Carcillo , Haskel Jonathan , Nicoletti Giuseppe , Perotti Enrico , Scarpa Carlo , Tsyganok Lidia , Wey Christian 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
This chapter presents a synthesis of the case studies discussed in the preceding chapters. European countries faced with increasing globalization, intensifying international competition, or the rise of newly industrializing countries such as China, must adjust their economies to move ahead. They must develop their growth potential, create jobs, and adapt their various welfare systems to the new economic and demographic realities.