This thesis contains five papers studying the economic efficiency and political acceptability of road pricing policies and transport investments in distorted economies. Interactions between the transport market and other distorted markets, such as the labor market, can have a large impact on the welfare effect of a road pricing policy or a transport investment. Many road pricing studies therefore try to incorporate effects from other distorted markets in the analysis. Paper I analyzes how the economic efficiency of a road toll in a distorted economy depends on assumptions about the initial tax system. In the road pricing literature, the welfare effect of a road toll is often found to depend on revenue use. Using a simple general equilibrium model paper I shows that the relative efficiency of marginal revenue recycling policies depends more on assumptions regarding inefficiencies in the initial tax system than on the road toll per se. Paper II studies the effect on welfare, equity and labor supply from a road toll in a commuting population with heterogeneous value of time and endogenous labor supply. When explicitly taking into account that commuters have different value of time, the road toll can increase total labor supply even when the revenues are not recycled back to the commuters. The analysis stresses the importance of recognizing traveler heterogeneity when analyzing congestion pricing. Road pricing policies are often characterized by conflicting interests between different stakeholders and different geographical areas. Papers III and IV study the economic efficiency and political acceptability of pricing and investment policies in different institutional and geographical settings. The main contribution of the papers is to explain how political constraints can lead to inefficient tolling strategies. The papers contribute to the existing literature on political acceptability of road pricing by analyzing the conflict and potential trade-off between political acceptability and economic efficiency. A difficulty when assessing the welfare effect of a future transport policy is also that many factors and parameters needed for the analysis are uncertain. Paper V studies the climate benefit of an investment in high speed rail by calculating the magnitude of annual traffic emission reduction required to compensate for the annualized embedded emissions from the construction of the line. The paper finds that to be able to balance the annualized emissions from the construction, traffic volumes of more than 10 million annual one-way trips are usually required, and most of the traffic diverted from other transport modes must come from aviation. / <p>QC 20121010</p>

The policy of investment incentives is applied in majority of countries all over the world. This popularity is in contradiction with rare academic analyses of this phenomenon and those few existing are not reflected by the actual policy. This work intends to partially fill the first gap and is devoted to estimation of fiscal impact of the policy and also its effects on employment. It contains a proposal of cost-benefit calculation and its application in Czech Republic. The necessary condition for any application of this method, one needs to assess causal impact of such policy on investment and also indirect effects in the labour market. Comparison of investment behavior of supported firms and firms from control group (chosen by matching estimator) shows that the extra investment generated (or maybe only accelerated) was at most 30% of contracted amounts. Indirect effects in labour market are estimated via dynamic model of employment using Heckman's treatment of selection. Inquireies show that linkage effects dominate the crowding out effects, signalling that domestic firms on average benefit from the presence of their foreign conterparts. Turning to supported vs. nonsupported firms, this effect diminishes. For estimation of various scenarios of fiscal and employment effects I use results from econometric estimates of this work as well as the other works from Czech environment. The unitary fiscal cost of one job created is several hundred tousand CZK and therefore the net cost has to be confronted with other potencial benefits of policy. With respect to fact that majority of firms resides and operates in Czech Republic prior the incentive award, technological transfer or other positive effects do not find much support in my findings. This indicates that the arguments for the provision of this policy in Czech economy are not valid (any more).

[pt] Ao longo dos últimos 20 anos as economias aumentaram seus estoques de reservas internacionais de forma acelerada. As reservas globais passaram de aproximadamente um trilhão de dólares em 1990, para mais de cinco trilhões de dólares em 2006. Este processo também pode ser observado no Brasil, principalmente nos últimos dois anos, onde o estoque de reservas passou de aproximadamente 60 bilhões de dólares no fim de 2005 para mais de 180 bilhões de dólares no fim de 2007. Neste estudo, fazemos uma análise custobenefício das reservas internacionais, levando em consideração o seu papel como mitigadora tanto da probabilidade de ocorrência quanto do custo da crise, uma vez esta instaurada. Nossos resultados indicam que maiores reservas, representadas pela razão Reserva/Dívida Externa de Curto Prazo, são significantes em reduzir o custo e a probabilidade de crise. Além disso, encontramos que os níveis de reservas acumulados pela maioria dos países emergentes analisados são ótimos para valores razoáveis de custo de crise e de custo de manter reservas. No entanto, o caso brasileiro é uma exceção, pois o acúmulo de reservas internacionais nos últimos dois anos parece ser excessivo, não podendo ser explicado pelo modelo estimado. / [en] Over the past 20 years, economies have increased their levels of international reserves at a rapid pace. Global reserves went from approximately one trillion dollars in 1990, to over five trillion dollars in 2006. This trend can also be observed in Brazil, especially over the past two years, when the stock of reserves increased from about 60 billion dollars by the end of 2005 to more than 180 billion dollars by the end of 2007. In this study, we make a cost-benefit analysis of international reserves, taking into account its role in mitigating both the probability of a crisis, and the cost of a crisis once it happens. Our results show that higher reserves, represented by the Reserves/Short Term External Debt ratio, are significant in decreasing the cost and probability of a crisis. Furthermore, we find that the levels of reserves accumulated by the majority of the emerging economies analyzed are optimum for reasonable values of cost of crisis and cost of reserves. However, the Brazilian case is an exception, since the reserves accumulated in the past two years seem excessive, not being explained by the model estimated.

O presente trabalho trata das tutelas antecipadas em processos coletivos a partir do tratamento legal diferenciado dado pelo legislador e das considerações jurídicas não-legais próprias do seu objeto. Por meio de estudo comparado, o trabalho pretende enfrentar as dificuldades inerentes à complexidade das relações envolvidas, dando especial atenção à função do desenho da tutela antecipada, ao conceito de irreparabilidade e irreversibilidade, e à aplicação dos requisitos balance of hardships e interesse público. A análise passa pelas teorias da decisão judicial a fim de dar perspectiva à necessidade de um procedimento deliberativo mais complexo e minucioso para fins de responsividade das decisões judiciais. Ademais, explorase a adjudicaçãoo pragmática elaborada por Richard Posner e pretende-se sua aplicação aos processos coletivos por meio da introdução da análise de custo-benefício como procedimento decisório welfarista moralmente relevante, mas não moralmente decisivo. / This thesis focuses on the preliminary injunctions in class actions, having as the starting point the different legal treatment given by the legislator and the non-legal jurídical considerations that flows from its nature. By means of a comparative study, the work intends to face the inherent difficuties of the complex relationships entailed, paying extra attention to the function of the preliminary injunction structure, to the concept of irreparability and irreversibility, and to the way the requirements of balance of hardships and public interest apply. The analysis passes through the theories of the judicial decision-making process in order to give perspective to the need of more complex deliberative proceedings which must be done in full details to reach accountability. Furthermore, the work explores the pragmatic adjudication elaborated by Richard Posner and intends its application to class actions by means of the introduction of cost-benefit analysis as a welfarist decision-making procedure that is morally relevant, but not morally decisive.

No presente estudo foi avaliado os custos dos tratamentos anti-rábicos pósexposição e das atividades do controle da raiva canina realizada no Mogi Guaçu, no período de 2000 a 2004. Para as análises foram utilizadas as informações disponíveis no banco de dados do Sistema Nacional de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) e dos dados pertinentes ao Programa de Controle da Raiva, fornecidos pelo Centro de Controle de Zoonoses. Com o auxilio das planilhas do programa Excel, os dados foram tabulados e os valores em reais, obtidos ano a ano (valores nominais), foram atualizados para valores do ano de 2006, tendo como deflator o Índice de Preço do Consumidor Ampliado (IPCA). No período estudado, ocorreram 4.279 notificações de pacientes agredidos por diferentes espécies de mamíferos. O tipo de lesão mais freqüente foi a mordedura, com 90,9% do total, tendo sido o cão a principal espécie agressora, com 84,1% do total dos agravos. Os pacientes do sexo masculino apresentaram o maior risco exposição (48,2%), o mesmo ocorrendo com os pacientes de faixa etária entre zero e 14 anos (35,2%). O esquema de tratamento pós-exposição, com três doses de vacina e a observação do cão agressor, foi preconizado para 18,3% das pessoas agredidas o que representou um gasto estimado de R$ 43.829,97. O esquema de vacinação (cinco doses) e soro-vacinação foi indicado para 6,2% dos pacientes, com um custo final estimado em R$ 34.731,83. Na composição do custo das ações de controle da raiva canina, o insumo de maior peso foi o combustível. Os custos médios por animal, relativos às ações direcionadas ao controle da raiva animal, foram 9,2 a 20,2 vezes inferiores aos valores estimados para o tratamento anti-rábico humano pós-exposição. As informações oficiais, disponíveis nos bancos de dados, foram suficientes para os cálculos dos custos x benefício propostos. A avaliação do custo x benefício das atividades de prevenção e /ou controle da raiva urbana é importante para a implantação de uma política de conscientização de proprietários e deve estar associada a programas educativos. / In this work, costs with post exposure anti-rabies treatments and activities for canine rabies control in Mogi-Guaçu were evaluated from 2000 to 2004. For the analyses, information available in the National System of Injury Notification database (SINAN) were used, as well as data from Rabies Control Program, supplied by the Center for Zoonoses Control. Data were compiled using Excel software spreadsheets and values in Reais (Brazilian currency), obtained annually (nominal values), were updated for values in 2006. The deflation index used was the Expanded Consumer Price Index (IPCA). In the period studied there were 4, 279 notifications of patients attacked by different kinds of mammals. Bites were the most frequent injury, with 90.9% of the total, having dogs as the main aggressor specie with 84.1% of total cases. Male patients presented the highest exposure risk (48.2%), as well as patients in the age range 0 ? 14 years old (35.2%). Post exposure rabies prophylaxis, including 3 vaccine doses and the observation of the aggressor dog, was adopted for 18.3% of attacked people, representing an estimated expense of R$43.829,97 (approximately US$ 20,198.14). Five-dose vaccination scheme and vaccine and equine rabies immunoglobulin were prescribed for 6.2% of patients, with an estimated final cost of R$34.731,83 (approximately US$16,005.45). In the cost composition for canine rabies control actions, fuel was the most representative item. Average cost per animal considering actions focused on animal rabies control, was 9.2 to 20.2 times lower than estimated values for post exposure human anti-rabies treatment. Official information available in database were enough to calculate the costs and benefits proposed. Cost benefit analysis of the activities for urban rabies prevention and/or control is important for the implementation of an awareness policy for dog owners and must be associated.

Orientador: Renato Parsekian Martins / Resumo: Introdução: O ortodontista necessita ponderar entre a melhor evidência científica disponível, a sua experiência profissional e as preferências do paciente para a tomada de decisão clínica. A decisão entre bráquetes autoligáveis (BA) ou convencionais (BC) pode ser fundamentada com estudos comparando sua eficiência clínica e aspectos profissionais de manuseio dos bráquetes, mas poucos estudos abordam as percepções do paciente e nenhum compara e quantifica a preferência e a percepção de desconforto dos pacientes, distinguindo-a da sensibilidade dolorosa. Um estudo clínico randomizado e controlado split-mouth de centro único foi conduzido com esse objetivo. Métodos: Vinte e seis participantes com média de 28,8(11,5) anos, com má oclusão simétrica, foram convocados para participar da pesquisa. Cada paciente teve um hemiarco superior randomizado para instalação de BA, enquanto o hemiarco contralateral era instalado os BC, ao mesmo tempo (T0). O cegamento apenas foi possível para o pesquisador. A preferência foi consultada após 30 dias e quantificada pela técnica willigness-to-pay (WTP), enquanto o nível de desconforto foi medido por escala visual analógica (EVA) antes da instalação(T0), imediatamente após a instalação (T1), 7 dias após a instalação (T2) e 30 dias após a instalação e com fio amarrado (T3). Índices de placa (IP) e gengival(IG) foram feitos em T0 e T3. Resultados: Os pacientes percebem diferença entre os modelos usados. Ao final, 17 pacientes preferiram os bráquetes c... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: ABSTRACT Introduction: The orthodontist needs to balance between the best available scientific evidence, his professional experience and the patient's preferences for clinical decision-making. The decision between self-ligating (SLB) or conventional (CB) brackets can be based on studies comparing their clinical efficiency and professional aspects of bracket manipulation, but few studies address the patient's perceptions and none compares and quantifies preference and perception of discomfort of patients, distinguishing it from pain sensitivity. A single-center, randomized, controlled split-mouth trial was conducted with this goal. Methods: Twenty-six participants with a mean age of 28.8 (11.5) years with symmetric malocclusion were invited to participate in the study. Each patient had a superior hemiarch randomized to bonding SLB, while the contralateral hemiarch had CB bonded at the same time (T0). Blinding was only possible for the researcher. The preference was consulted after 30 days and quantified by the willigness-to-pay (WTP) technique, while the level of discomfort was measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) before bonding (T0), immediately after bonding (T1), 7 days after bonding (T2) and 30 days after bonding and with wire tied (T3). Plaque and gingival index were made in T0 and T3. Results: Patients perceive difference between the models used. In the end, 17 patients preferred the conventional, while 9 preferred the self-ligation brackets. Patients who chose CBs we... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

With theoretical foundations in welfare theory, the cost benefit analysis (CBA) technique is a powerful tool for assessing benefits particularly where markets do not exist or would fail (for example due to the existence of public goods) or have become potentially politically excluded (such as the health sector). Unlike other economic evaluation techniques, costs and benefits are measured in monetary terms allowing for comparisons within and between different sectors of the economy for resource allocation decisions. Using contingent valuation (CV) techniques, people's preferences for goods are determined by finding out what they would be willing to pay (WTP) for specified benefits or improvements; or accept (WTA), as compensation for withdrawal or loss of benefit. While the use of WTP methods has grown in other sectors, the uptake in health has been limited. A long-standing criticism is that stated WTP estimates may be poor indicators of actual WTP, calling into question their validity and the use of such estimates for welfare valuation. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the criterion validity of CV-WTP studies. A four-pronged approach including critical appraisals of the available literature and evidence on criterion validity and empirical analyses was adopted. The thesis established the scarcity in criterion validity assessments, particularly in the health sector and that evidence on the criterion validity of CV-WTP is more varied than authors are presenting. The variety in the methods used to assess and report criterion validity assessments is demonstrated. Further, the impact of the analysis of hypothetical WTP on criterion validity assessments and conclusions thereof is demonstrated. The empirical analyses further demonstrate the differences in predictions and predictors of WTP analyses, discussing the effect of these on criterion validity assessments and conclusions. Finally, the thesis offers suggestions for the reporting of criterion validity assessments, in efforts to improve the method.

Cílem práce je analýza socioekonomických nákladů a přínosů multifunkčního centra v Karlových Varech a jejich zhodnocení. Hodnocení vychází z metod hodnocení investic ve veřejném sektoru. Pro multifunkční centrum je zvolena cost benefit analýza - analýza nákladů a přínosů. Analýza popisuje dopady stavby na subjekty a společnost a provádí jejich finanční ohodnocení. Hodnocení vychází z vypočtených kriteriálních ukazatelů. Součástí analýzy je charakteristika Karlovarského kraje a jeho sportovní vybavenost.

Cette thèse se focalise sur quatre aspects de la dynamique des réformes financières, qu'elle catégorise en deux parties. La première partie analyse d'une part, l'effet de la cohérence financière sur l'afflux de capitaux étrangers et d'autre part, la relation entre le sentier de croissance et la trajectoire de réformes financières adoptée par les pays. La seconde partie utilise un cadre coût-bénéfice pour évaluer si le comportement des décideurs politiques en matière de réformes est inspirée de la dynamique d'une frontière spécifique de libéralisation; elle analyse aussi dans quelle mesure les phénomènes d'apprentissage ainsi que l'évolution des croyances des décideurs politiques à propos de l'effet de la libéralisation après l'effondrement du système de Bretton Woods contribuent à l'explication de la dynamique des réformes financières dans les pays. Le premier chapitre évalue l'analyse de la complémentarité des réformes financières sur l'afflux de capitaux étrangers. Dans ce chapitre, nous analysons la relation entre la cohérence du système de réformes financières et l'afflux de capitaux étrangers (investissements directs étrangers et investissements portefeuille). Nos résultats suggèrent que la manière dont les réformes financières ont été mises en oeuvre affecte significativement les afflux de capitaux étrangers. Le chapitre 2 de cette thèse analyse comment le sentier ou la trajectoire complète de réformes financières poursuivies par les pays pourrait influencer leur sentier de croissance. Il est basé sur l'idée pertinente de séquençage des réformes avancé par Dewatripont et Roland (1994). Le troisième chapitre de cette partie examine si les pays apprennent à partir d'une norme spécifique de la libéralisation financière et évalue comment le gain de croissance de la libéralisation est affectée dans ce contexte. Les principaux résultats sont que lorsque les pays atteignent la frontière (mondiale ou régionale) de libéralisation, ils obtiennent de meilleurs résultats en terme de croissance du PIB ainsi que la stabilité financière. Le quatrième chapitre explore comment la dynamique des politiques à l'égard des marchés financiers est expliquée par l'apprentissage et par l'évolution des croyances des décideurs à propos des effets de la libéralisation du compte de capital. Nous trouvons que les croyances des décideurs quant aux effets sur la croissance des politiques à l'égard des marchés financiers ont évolué de façon non linéaire. / This thesis focuses on four aspects of financial reforms dynamics which could be categorized into two parts. The first part analyzes the effect of the coherence of financial reforms of international capital inflows and the relation between the path of economic growth and the trajectory of financial reforms followed by countries. The second part uses a cost-benefit framework to analyze whether countries learn from a normative financial liberalization frontier; and shows how learning and the evolution of beliefs have contributed to explained financial markets'policy choices after the collapse of Bretton Woods' system. The first chapter evaluates how financial reforms' complementarity affects international capital inflows. The empirical results suggest that the manner in which financial reforms are implemented matters. Particularly, complementarity increases FDI inflows by 0.10 %. The second chapter analyzes how the full trajectory or sequence of financial reforms followed by countries affects their growth path. It is based on a very relevant argument for sequencing reforms puts--forward by Dewatripont and Roland (1994). We find that the trajectory of financial reforms followed by countries affects the level of GDP per capita growth. The third chapter of this part investigates whether countries learn from a specific norm. The main results are that when countries reach the time specific world (or regional) frontier of liberalization, they perform better in terms of GDP per capita growth as well as financial stability •of financial liberalization and evaluates how the growth payoff of liberalization is affected. The fourth chapter explores how the dynamics of policies towards capital (financial) markets are explained by learning and by the evolution of policymakers beliefs about the effects of capital control or capital account liberalization strategies. We find that policymakers' beliefs about the growth effects of policies towards financial markets evolve non-linearly and that radical changes policymakers' beliefs about the superiority of capital account liberalization policies take time.

Motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs are designed to identify high-emitting vehicles and mitigate their impacts on air quality and climate. I/M programs have been traditionally ranked superior among various vehicle emission control measures by the results of cost-benefit analysis, based on the assumption that these programs will achieve the targeted emission reduction outcomes. However, the actual effects of I/M programs may be greatly uncertain and when this uncertainty is taken into account, these programs may become suboptimal. This study develops a new a cost-benefit analysis framework that links various program design consideration, such as program participation rate, identification rate and effective repair rate, to the public health benefits as well as costs of the programs. This framework helps decision makers to investigate minimum implementation requirements that at least ensure the benefits are greater than the costs of implementing the programs in order to improve the overall effectiveness of the I/M programs. To illustrate the applications of the framework, it was applied to a particulate matter oriented I/M program targeting all diesel-fueled vehicles in the city of Bangkok, Thailand, a large metropolitan area that has been suffering from severe ambient PM pollution mainly attributable to its wide use of diesel-fueled vehicles and motorcycles. It was found that the health benefits achieved from the program are sensitive to several key program design elements, including participation rate and problem vehicle identification rate, fraction of effective repairs and illegal operation rate. Other variables, such as the testing cut-points and vehicle population growth rate, only have modest effects on the overall emission reduction and consequent health benefits. Overall, the performance of multiple variables associated with I/M program design needs to be improved simultaneous in order to achieve the targeted benefits of the program.