It is generally accepted that governments favor expansive fiscal policies to address an economic scenario in which supply exceeds demand. In other words, economic imbalance is regarded as the cause of the problem and ...It is generally accepted that governments favor expansive fiscal policies to address an economic scenario in which supply exceeds demand. In other words, economic imbalance is regarded as the cause of the problem and fiscal expansion as the result. However, this paper posits that China＇s expansive fiscal policies may also be a major cause of its economic imbalance, and that fiscal expansion and economic imbalance create cumulative causation. Specifically, China＇s tax system, characterized by a regressive commodity tax, intensifies constraints on domestic consumption while distributing a large proportion of national income to government and enterprises; supply-demand imbalance prompts the government to expand fiscal expenditures and increase taxes, which further exacerbates this imbalance. Thus, even as the country faces a macroeconomic imbalance, the strong measures it adopts in response may stimulate economic growth in the short term, but in the long term, they may do exactly the opposite and create the next economic crisis.展开更多
The economic regionalization practice led by China local governments has gradually evolved into chaos. Local governments compete to declare for higher-leveled and large-scaled economic regions to obtain more economic ...The economic regionalization practice led by China local governments has gradually evolved into chaos. Local governments compete to declare for higher-leveled and large-scaled economic regions to obtain more economic resources and policy support in the way of policy game. The author argues that the regionalization chaos is attributed to the reason that the present theoretical support for economic regionalization overemphasizes the economic growth brought about by the economic regionalization but ignores the effect of transaction cost, which leads to constraint loss on the economic regionalization theory analysis framework. Then, the introduction of economic regionalization analysis framework based on the conflicts between scale expansion and transaction costs would establish equilibrium conditions to set up a moderate scale development for economic regions. The author hopes that the acceptance of this framework into the economic regionalization decision-making system would give guidance for making more appropriate regionalization decisions.展开更多
This paper （1） discusses how the two indicators used in official statistics of China, namely total investment in fixed assets and the gross fixed capital formation, reflect changes infixed asset investment and their...This paper （1） discusses how the two indicators used in official statistics of China, namely total investment in fixed assets and the gross fixed capital formation, reflect changes infixed asset investment and their relationship, （2） analyzes the growth of fixed asset investment and its contribution to changes of economic growth rate since the reform and opening-up, and （3） explains how fiscal policy impacts the growth of fixed asset investment and analyzes in detail the impacts of the two rounds of contractionary fiscal policy, two rounds of expansionary fiscal policy and one round of neutral fiscal policy on China＇ s fixed asset investment growth since reform and opening-up using full and accurate data. Practice shows that the impact of fiscal policy on China＇ s fixed asset investment is direct and obvious, yet sometimes too drastic. In the future, fiscal policy should be used in alignment with other economic policies with appropriate intensity and timing so that it will help stabilize the growth of fixed asset investment.展开更多
If urban sprawl is to be avoided in China in the next ten years, it is not only crucial to understand the overall history, current status, and future trends of urban expansion there, but also these differences, and th...If urban sprawl is to be avoided in China in the next ten years, it is not only crucial to understand the overall history, current status, and future trends of urban expansion there, but also these differences, and this is presently lacking. In this study, remotely sensed images with approximately 30 m spatial resolution were used to quantitatively assess the spatial and temporal patterns of urban expansion of 60 Chinese cities(1973–2013). Urban-expansion-process curves of the cities studied were drawn using annual expansion area as an indicator. Curve similarity analysis generated four basic process modes of urban expansion in China. These included cities that: 1) peaked around 2004 and then decelerated; 2) peaked around 2010 and then decelerated; 3) showed sustained acceleration, and 4) showed continued deceleration. Four basic process modes represented cities under different levels of development stage. Geographic location was found to be the most related characteristic to urban expansion process. Regional development policies at the national level in each region also showed highly temporal consistency with fluctuation characteristics of urban expansion process. Urban characteristic such as population size and administrative level were not found to be significantly related to urban expansion-process modes. Understanding the basic process-mode categories well is extremely important for future regional-balance planning and development of macroeconomic policies.展开更多
In May 2012 a seismic sequence occurred in Northern Italy that was characterized by two main shocks with a magnitude range between 5.5 and 6. These shocks represent a good case study by which to quantify the monetary ...In May 2012 a seismic sequence occurred in Northern Italy that was characterized by two main shocks with a magnitude range between 5.5 and 6. These shocks represent a good case study by which to quantify the monetary losses caused by a moderate earthquake in a densely populated and economically well-developed area.The loss estimation accounts for damage to residential buildings, and considers the full effect of all the seismic aftershock events that lasted for nearly a month. The building damage estimation is based on the European Macroseismic Scale(EMS-98) definitions, which depict the effects of an earthquake on built-up areas in terms of observed intensities. Input data sources are the residential building census provided by Istituto Nazionale di Statistica—the Italian National Institute of Statistics(ISTAT)—and the official market value of real estate assets, obtained from the Osservatorio del Mercato Immobiliare—the Real Estate Market Observatory(OMI). These data make it possible to quantify the economic losses due to earthquakes, an economic indicator updated yearly. The proposed multidisciplinary method takes advantage of seismic,engineering, and economic data sets, and is able to provide a reasonable after the event losses scenario. Data are not gathered for each single building and the intensity values are not a simple hazard indicator, but, notwithstanding its coarseness, this method ensures both robust and reproducible results. As the local property value is availablethroughout the Italian territory, the present loss assessment can be effortlessly repeated for any area, and may be quickly reproduced in case of future events, or used for predictive economic estimations.展开更多
Toadies cities are accumulating the global population in their territories, occurring formally and informally. The increase of urban informality is the most significant trend shaping the 21st century world. Furthermor...Toadies cities are accumulating the global population in their territories, occurring formally and informally. The increase of urban informality is the most significant trend shaping the 21st century world. Furthermore, the urban informality ＂theory＂ should be considered in urbanization courses and development studies. With the rapid economic market development, changes mapped the major Syrian cities. Damascus is in the midst of a profound transformation of architectural and planning changes. Damascus urbanization is crowded simultaneously with informal settlements. In consequence, a detonation of urban sprawl placing random districts and informal settlements around the city （elmokhalafat ＆ elmanatiq elashwaiya） Damascus urban informality is a way of supplying shelters and houses as a fundamental human need. The study hereby high-lights the informal phenomenon and its effects on the city at present through analytical study showing solutions and asking questions, and, finally, deals with informality in an urbanized way with self-help constructs and upgrades to aid the low income and urban poor.展开更多
文摘It is generally accepted that governments favor expansive fiscal policies to address an economic scenario in which supply exceeds demand. In other words, economic imbalance is regarded as the cause of the problem and fiscal expansion as the result. However, this paper posits that China＇s expansive fiscal policies may also be a major cause of its economic imbalance, and that fiscal expansion and economic imbalance create cumulative causation. Specifically, China＇s tax system, characterized by a regressive commodity tax, intensifies constraints on domestic consumption while distributing a large proportion of national income to government and enterprises; supply-demand imbalance prompts the government to expand fiscal expenditures and increase taxes, which further exacerbates this imbalance. Thus, even as the country faces a macroeconomic imbalance, the strong measures it adopts in response may stimulate economic growth in the short term, but in the long term, they may do exactly the opposite and create the next economic crisis.
文摘The economic regionalization practice led by China local governments has gradually evolved into chaos. Local governments compete to declare for higher-leveled and large-scaled economic regions to obtain more economic resources and policy support in the way of policy game. The author argues that the regionalization chaos is attributed to the reason that the present theoretical support for economic regionalization overemphasizes the economic growth brought about by the economic regionalization but ignores the effect of transaction cost, which leads to constraint loss on the economic regionalization theory analysis framework. Then, the introduction of economic regionalization analysis framework based on the conflicts between scale expansion and transaction costs would establish equilibrium conditions to set up a moderate scale development for economic regions. The author hopes that the acceptance of this framework into the economic regionalization decision-making system would give guidance for making more appropriate regionalization decisions.
文摘This paper （1） discusses how the two indicators used in official statistics of China, namely total investment in fixed assets and the gross fixed capital formation, reflect changes infixed asset investment and their relationship, （2） analyzes the growth of fixed asset investment and its contribution to changes of economic growth rate since the reform and opening-up, and （3） explains how fiscal policy impacts the growth of fixed asset investment and analyzes in detail the impacts of the two rounds of contractionary fiscal policy, two rounds of expansionary fiscal policy and one round of neutral fiscal policy on China＇ s fixed asset investment growth since reform and opening-up using full and accurate data. Practice shows that the impact of fiscal policy on China＇ s fixed asset investment is direct and obvious, yet sometimes too drastic. In the future, fiscal policy should be used in alignment with other economic policies with appropriate intensity and timing so that it will help stabilize the growth of fixed asset investment.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41201443,41101148)Strategic Planning Program in the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan of Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.Y4SG0100CX)
文摘If urban sprawl is to be avoided in China in the next ten years, it is not only crucial to understand the overall history, current status, and future trends of urban expansion there, but also these differences, and this is presently lacking. In this study, remotely sensed images with approximately 30 m spatial resolution were used to quantitatively assess the spatial and temporal patterns of urban expansion of 60 Chinese cities(1973–2013). Urban-expansion-process curves of the cities studied were drawn using annual expansion area as an indicator. Curve similarity analysis generated four basic process modes of urban expansion in China. These included cities that: 1) peaked around 2004 and then decelerated; 2) peaked around 2010 and then decelerated; 3) showed sustained acceleration, and 4) showed continued deceleration. Four basic process modes represented cities under different levels of development stage. Geographic location was found to be the most related characteristic to urban expansion process. Regional development policies at the national level in each region also showed highly temporal consistency with fluctuation characteristics of urban expansion process. Urban characteristic such as population size and administrative level were not found to be significantly related to urban expansion-process modes. Understanding the basic process-mode categories well is extremely important for future regional-balance planning and development of macroeconomic policies.
基金the project ‘‘The Economic Assessment of Natural Disasters in Italy’’ (La valutazione economica dei disastri naturali in Italia, in Italian) funded by Fondazione Generali from 2013 to 2017
文摘In May 2012 a seismic sequence occurred in Northern Italy that was characterized by two main shocks with a magnitude range between 5.5 and 6. These shocks represent a good case study by which to quantify the monetary losses caused by a moderate earthquake in a densely populated and economically well-developed area.The loss estimation accounts for damage to residential buildings, and considers the full effect of all the seismic aftershock events that lasted for nearly a month. The building damage estimation is based on the European Macroseismic Scale(EMS-98) definitions, which depict the effects of an earthquake on built-up areas in terms of observed intensities. Input data sources are the residential building census provided by Istituto Nazionale di Statistica—the Italian National Institute of Statistics(ISTAT)—and the official market value of real estate assets, obtained from the Osservatorio del Mercato Immobiliare—the Real Estate Market Observatory(OMI). These data make it possible to quantify the economic losses due to earthquakes, an economic indicator updated yearly. The proposed multidisciplinary method takes advantage of seismic,engineering, and economic data sets, and is able to provide a reasonable after the event losses scenario. Data are not gathered for each single building and the intensity values are not a simple hazard indicator, but, notwithstanding its coarseness, this method ensures both robust and reproducible results. As the local property value is availablethroughout the Italian territory, the present loss assessment can be effortlessly repeated for any area, and may be quickly reproduced in case of future events, or used for predictive economic estimations.
文摘Toadies cities are accumulating the global population in their territories, occurring formally and informally. The increase of urban informality is the most significant trend shaping the 21st century world. Furthermore, the urban informality ＂theory＂ should be considered in urbanization courses and development studies. With the rapid economic market development, changes mapped the major Syrian cities. Damascus is in the midst of a profound transformation of architectural and planning changes. Damascus urbanization is crowded simultaneously with informal settlements. In consequence, a detonation of urban sprawl placing random districts and informal settlements around the city （elmokhalafat ＆ elmanatiq elashwaiya） Damascus urban informality is a way of supplying shelters and houses as a fundamental human need. The study hereby high-lights the informal phenomenon and its effects on the city at present through analytical study showing solutions and asking questions, and, finally, deals with informality in an urbanized way with self-help constructs and upgrades to aid the low income and urban poor.
