Financial Coordination and Income Distribution of Agricultural Supply Chain

The agriculture field is a fundamental industry which supports the rapid development of the nation?s economy.However,credit constraints faced by farmers have restricted the modernization in the agricultural industry.The agricultural supply chain finance is effective in promoting rural industrial revitalization and agricultural modernization,which is of great significance to the transformation and development of rural economy and agriculture in China.In this paper,the financial coordination model in agricultural supply chain is constructed,and the income distribution model of Shapley value method is introduced.The results showed that the agricultural supply chain finance can significantly improve the income of the participants in the agricultural industrial chain and verify the economic feasibility of agricultural supply chain finance.

Technical Change,Income Distribution,and Profitability:Marx's Law Revisited

Under the assumption of constant real wage,Okishio’s theorem shows that profit rates do not fall after any viable technical change.Research has indicated that if real wages rise after the introduction of technical change and then profit rates fall,then such fall in profit rates belongs to the realm of profit squeeze theory,which leads to the claim of the impossibility of a consistent theory of declining profit rate based on Marx’s insight.The present study proposes a two-channel framework to distinguish the mechanism of rising organic composition of capital from that of profit squeeze,and show that any viable capital-using and labor-saving technical change would lower the profit rate if the wage/profit ratio is unaffected in a multi-sector setting.

Rural-urban Migration and Dynamics of Income Distribution in China:A Non-parametric Approach

Extending the income dynamics approach in Quah （2003）, the present paper studies the enlarging income inequality in China over the past three decades from the viewpoint of rural-urban migration and economic transition. We establish non-parametric estimations of rural and urban income distribution functions in China, and aggregate a population- weighted, nationwide income distribution function taking into account rural-urban differences in technological progress and price indexes. We calculate 12 inequality indexes through non-parametric estimation to overcome the biases in existingparametric estimation and, therefore, provide more accurate measurement of income inequalitY. Policy implications have been drawn based on our research.

Village Elections,Accountability and Income Distribution in Rural China

China has experimented with village elections for nearly 20 years. Using village and household survey data collected from 48 villages of 8 Chinese provinces for the period 1986-2002, this paper studies how the introduction of elections affects village governance and income distribution in Chinese villages. The econometric analysis finds the following outcomes. First, village elections have increased the share of public expenditure and reduced the share of administrative expenditure in the village budget, so the accountability of the elected village committee has been enhanced. Second, elections have not led to more income redistribution; instead, they have reduced the progressiveness of income redistribution. Third, elections have reduced income inequality measured by the Gini coefficient in villages. The reduction is equivalent to 5.7 percent of the sample average, or 32 percent of the growth of the Gini coefficient in the period of 1987-2002. Because village elections have not led to more income redistribution, this positive effect must have come from more public investment, which benefits the poor more than wealthier people. The general conclusion that we draw from our results is that, despite institutional constraints, village elections have improved village governance and the life of villagers.

Development strategy,economic transformation and income distribution

Income inequality will affect China’s economic growth over the long term.It is also one of the important factors determining whether China can avoid the middle-income trap.Different from the‘equality of outcome’perspective,this paper analyses the causes of China’s income distribution from the perspective of equality of opportunity.The inequality of opportunity in China is mainly caused by distorted institutional arrangements in the financial markets,labour markets,and product markets,involving e.g.restrictions on interest rates,the household registration(hukou)system,price controls on industrial and agricultural products,and privileges of state-owned enterprises.All of these distorted institutional arrangements are attributed to the heavy-industry-oriented development strategy in the recent history.Although this strategy was gradually abandoned,it has generated some institutions which have long-run impacts on the income distribution in China.Transforming government functions through institutional reforms is necessary to improve equality of opportunity and income distribution.

Modeling Impact of Hurricane Damages on Income Distribution in the Coastal U.S.

This article examines the impact of catastrophic hurricane events on income distribution in hurricane states in the United States. Media claims have been made and the perception created that the most damaging impact of hurricanes is on the lowest income population in the affected states. If these claims are true, they may have serious implications for the insurance industry and government policy makers. We develop a panel data, fixed effects econometric model that includes hurricane-impacted states as cross-sections using annual data for a period of almost 100 years. The Gini coefficient is used as a measure of income inequality, and is a function of normalized hurricane economic damages, gross domestic product(GDP), a set of socioeconomic variables that serves as a control, time trend, and cross-sectional dummy variables.Findings indicate that for every 100 billion US dollars in hurricane economic damages there is an increase in income inequality by 5.4 % as measured by Gini coefficient.Political, sociodemographic, and economic variables are also significant. These include such variables as the political party controlling the U.S. Senate, the proportion of nonwhite population by state, and GDP. Time trend is a positive and significant variable, suggesting an increase in income inequality over time. There are significant differences among the states included in the study. Our results demonstrate that different segments of the population are differently impacted by hurricanes and suggest how that differential impact could be considered in future government policies and business decisions, particularly those made by the insurance industry.

Correlation between Employment and Income Distribution in China

The employment and income distribution problems after reform and opening up have become more and more lasting. To get these problems clear is of great practical significance in acquiring a deeper understanding of the nature, characteristics, and root causes of the current income distribution and employment problems; and finding a solution is to contribute to the building of a harmonious society. The co-existence of a half-market and half-traditional system is the basic feature of employment and income distribution in China. This paper analyzes the general and structural correlations between income distribution and employment in China. In the analysis of structural correlation, the paper explains the multi-institutional segmentation in the transitional period. In the multi-level areas segmented institutionally, the wage income gap or labor income gap has become the main factor contributing to the general income gap. To narrow the income gap, it is therefore necessary to attach much importance to the reform of employment-related institutions, the establishment, and the improvement of the market economic order.

Fiscal Expenditure,Trade Openness and Income Distribution

As a policy tool of income redistribution,fiscal expenditure cannot change the unfair primary distribution caused by trade openness.Moreover,the effect of trade openness on the scale of fiscal expenditure distorts its income redistribution effect.This paper’s empirical analysis shows as follows.(1)Both fiscal expenditure and trade openness expand income gap on the whole.(2)Whatever budget structure and expenditure category,fiscal expenditure cannot affect the scale of trade openness significantly,which means that fiscal expenditure cannot indirectly affect trade openness’income distribution effect through its scale.(3)Trade openness can reduce the scale of public finance expenditure and most categories’fiscal expenditure,which means that trade openness can indirectly affect fiscal expenditure’s income redistribution effect through its scale.Therefore,trade openness will limit and distort fiscal expenditure’s income redistribution effect.While improving the income distribution effect of fiscal expenditure,we should also recognize that this effect is limited.

The Approaches to Narrowing Urban-Rural Income Gap——From the Perspective of Rural Social Security

From the situations about the incomes and life quality of the urban and rural residents,the thesis briefly introduces the status quo of the urban-rural income gap and explores the impact of the income gap on social economy:firstly,it hampers economic development;secondly,it is detrimental to the social development.Then the thesis analyzes the role of a sound social security in narrowing urban-rural income gap:at first,it broadens the institutional environment of improving the agricultural efficiency;secondly,it eliminates the uncertainties influencing the farmers' income;thirdly,it improves the farmers' capacity to increase income;at last,it enhances the farmers' consciousness of wealth.Next the thesis inquires into the problems existing in the system of rural social security:the first problem is more obviously fragmented system;the second is inadequate security projects and narrower coverage;the third is an obvious lack of equality in urban and rural security;the fourth is even less sound management system;the last is the lagging of legislation.Afterwards the thesis proposes the countermeasures and suggestions to improve the system of rural social security and narrow urban-rural income gap:firstly,to integrate the social security system in rural areas;secondly,to perfect security projects and enhance the security system;thirdly,to integrate the administrative management of social security;at last,to enforce the legal system.

Scrutinizing Distributions Proves That IQ Is Inherited and Explains the Fat Tail

The motivation of this paper is to show how to use the information from given distributions and to fit distributions in order to confirm models. Our examples are especially for disciplines slightly away from mathematics. One minor result is that standard deviation and mean are at most a more or less good approximation to determine the best Gaussian fit. In our first example we scrutinize the distribution of the intelligence quotient (IQ). Because it is an almost perfect Gaussian distribution and correlated to the parents’ IQ, we conclude with mathematical arguments that IQ is inherited only which is assumed by mainstream psychologists. Our second example is income distributions. The number of rich people is much higher than any Gaussian distribution would allow. We present a new distribution consisting of a Gaussian plus a modified exponential distribution. It fits the fat tail perfectly. It is also suitable to explain the old problem of fat tails in stock returns.

Size and proportion of urban and rural middle-income group in China: A comparative analysis based on CHNS and CHIP data

To enlarge the middle-income group and construct the "olivary" income distribution becomes one of the important issues of the economic development and income distribution reform in China. The income distribution function is estimated with kernel density, and the income distribution M-curve is constructed with CHNS and CHIP data to calculate the middle-income group. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is carried out for the changing trend of the size and proportion of middle-income group. Research conclusion: it is discovered according to the income distribution M-curve that the key to the enlargement of urban middle-income group lies in the lower middle-income group, while the key to the enlargement of rural middle-income group lies in the improvement of the upper middle-income group. The range of middle-income group is expanding, but due to the small scale, low proportion, and poor stability, it has not developed the "olivary" income distribution structure yet, and income inequality tends to be deepened.

Conditional Cash Transfer Program Effects on Anthropometric Index from Children in Latin America: A Systematic Review

Introduction: To compare the Brazilian conditional cash transfer program, the “Bolsa Família” with the similar programs found in Latin America regarding its effects in the children’s growth and development. Methods: The systematic review contemplated the Scopus, Embase, Pubmed, Scielo and Lilacs data bases. The inclusion criteria were epidemiological quantitative, observational, descriptive and analytical studies that had as target public children contemplated by the income transfer program with health conditionalities in Latin America. Narrative reviews related to the research theme were excluded as well as systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis related to the research theme. Results: The titles and abridgements review from 1007 articles resulted in the selection of 17 complete studies. After the quality analysis of these, as well as the application of the inclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in this review. Among the types of epidemiologic studies selected to compose this systematic review, 3 are cohort analytical studies. Conclusion: Studies carried out in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Nicaragua were selected and indicated the positive effects that the conditional income transfer brought to the anthropometric index from beneficiary children in the researched countries.

The Slow-paced Development of the Middle Stratum in China: Reason Analysis and Solution

The comparison study of economic development levels and social structures reveals that the development of China's middle stratum is apparently lagging. Currently, China's GDP per capita is almost equivalent to that of developed economies like Europe and the USA in the middle and late 1970 s, when they became middle-stratum-dominated societies. However, China's middle stratum is still underdeveloped in scale and proportion. Reasons for this are the Chinese household share of wealth distribution is low and wealth polarization is sharp. The solution to this problem is to build a fair environment for wealth creation, let enterprises and government give away part of their income to residents, and increase residents' income. In the short run, China should make plans to increase incomes and develop plans aimed at key groups in a bid to increase the Chinese middle stratum in scale and proportion. Education resources must also be equally distributed, and the under-stratum must be helped to move up the social ladder.

Demand-Side Reform:A New Mission to Promote the Dual Circulation Development Pattern

Beginning with increasing effective demand,thedemand-sidereformadvocates for the strategy to expand domestic demand,rectifies distortions in the demand structure,and further aligns demand and supply by reforming the mechanisms for demand formation and regulation,matching supply and demand structures,and easing restrictions on demand.This will enhance economic growth potential and operational efficiency.The demandside reform contributes to developing a super-large-scale market and optimize market functions to form a unified national market.It also helps address significant structural distortions within domestic circulation and move faster to form a new development pattern of dual circulation.As demand-side reform inevitably deals with the vested interests of stakeholders,it presents challenges on par with supplyside structural reform.Therefore,due attention must be given in terms of priority and weight by increasing operational and property household income,transforming governmentt functions,rectifying any excessive market-orientedreforms in certain public service sectors,among others.

Export Dependence and Sustainability of Growth in China

This paper examines the contribution of exports to growth in China since the early years of the decade. It is estimated that, despite a high import content ranging between 40 and 50 percent, approximately one-third of Chinese growth before the global crisis was a result of exports, due to their phenomenal growth of some 25 percent per annum. This figure increases to 50percent if spillovers to consumption and investment are allowed for. The main reason for excessive dependence on foreign markets is underconsumption. This is due not so much to a high share of household savings in GDP as to a low share of household income and a high share of profits. It is argued that China can no longer maintain such high growth rates for its exports, and, therefore, needs to turn to consumption-led growth by expanding the share of wages and household income in GDP and accelerating public spending in social infrastructure.

From Equality of Deprivation to Disparity of Prosperity： The Poverty-Growth-Inequality Triangle in Post-reform China

In the post-reform era, China achieved poverty reduction that was unprecedented in human history This poverty reduction was accompanied by fast growth and worsening income distribution. The present paper examines the poverty-growth-inequality triangle in China by.＂ （i） providing growth, inequality and poverty profiles at the national and provincial levels; （ii） uncovering the contributions of growth and inequality changes to poverty reduction; and, finally, （iii） drawing lessons for other developing countries. Based on the World Bank＇s definition of the poverty line, China has already eliminated abject poverty, even though the poverty rate was as high as 88.3 percent in 1981. The remarkable record in poverty reduction is predominantly attributable to growth. The effect of inequality varied in different periods. In addition, the impact of growth on poverty reduction is found to be diminishing over time, a phenomenon worth further research and policy attention.

China's Export-led Growth Strategy:An International Comparison

A pressing challenge for China is determining where to accommodate millions of migrant workers displaced by the closing of many export-oriented factories. The current global financial crisis＂ has exposed the fragility of the export-led growth strategy China has adopted over the past 30years. Is there a better alternative for providing non-agricultural jobs than the sweatshops of cheap export production？ In the present paper, international experience is reviewed to shed light on China＇s situation. Using pooled regression models, we analyze data from the World Bank for 209 economies. We investigate the experience of other economies to answer the following questions： What is the common process of expanding the nonagricultural economy？ How is that process affected by the level of the real exchange rate？ Is export production a common way of absorbing surplus rural labor？ Finally, what are the ways that domestic demand and service employment can be expanded？

The Rise of China's Global Middle Class in an International Context

We estimate the size of the global middle class in China and 33 other countries and analyze China’s expanding middle class in an international context.The“ghbal middle class”is defined in terms of being neither poor nor rich in the developed world.China’s global middle class has grown rapidly and has been catching up with the middle class in developed countries.By 2018 China’s global middle class constituted 25 percent of China s population;in absolute size it was nearly double the size of the global middle class in the US and was similar in size to that of Europe.Cross-country analysis of the relationship between the middle-class share of the total population and GDP per capita reveals an inverted-U pattern.China is not an outlier from the cross-country pattern but the speed with which its middle-class has expanded is unusual.The only other countries with similarly large,rapid expansions of the middle class are transition economies.