In political science there has always been an interest in the factors that affect the approval ratings of politicians, particularly the president. However, more recently that interest has been extended to the governors of the fifty states. This thesis explores that very question by focusing on the economy. Economic conditions for thirty-one different states were analyzed for three years covering the recent recession. The analysis revealed that traditional economic factors may not play as big a role in determining approval ratings as what was previously thought.

This PhD thesis discusses Chinese trade and financial relations with Canada, Australia, Britain, Japan, France, West Germany, Mexico, Argentina, and the Netherlands in the context of the Beijing government's domestic economic problems and policies and also the US-led trade embargo against China over the period 1957 to 1963. By focussing on key trade negotiations and agreements between the Chinese and these non-Communist nations the thesis demonstrates the importance of these contacts in terms of the grain, agricultural, and petrochemical sectors of the Chinese economy. The thesis also shows the vital importance of this particular period of Chinese trade diplomacy with non-Communist nations. Trade diplomacy precipitated a 'credit race' among participants in the Chinese market and led to the breakdown of US-led trade controls against China. Despite China's grave economic situation, its negotiators were able to exploit competition among suppliers arising from surpluses and overproduction in non-Communist countries. In making use of recently declassified government archives in Canada, Australia, Britain and the US, the thesis examines a topic and period which has received little attention from historians and reaches several new conclusions. First, the 1961 to 1963 Chinese purchases of Western grain were a continuation of 'test purchases' which began in early 1958 in response to serious food shortages and famine that had begun to develop in 1957-58. These 'test purchases' were terminated during the Great Leap Forward from mid-1958. But in late 1960 Chen Yun, Zhou Enlai, and Li Xiannian became the chief architects of a new and expanded grain import policy which was also supported and encouraged by the PLA leadership. Secondly, beginning in April 1961, cash purchases were succeeded by the granting of medium-term credits of increasing duration which were instrumental in arresting deaths from starvation by early 1962, thus allowing the Chinese to implement economic policies aimed at 'readjustment'. Thirdly, beginning in autumn 1961, both the Chinese and US governments became internally divided over the possibility of negotiating Sino-American grain sales. The US government continued to be under pressure from the US 'China Lobby' and the Taiwanese government to maintain a firm stance against those calling for changes to US 'China policy'. With the conflict in Vietnam showing signs of worsening, the US government continued efforts at extraterritorial application of its Foreign Assets Control legislation. Washington's continued inflexibility with respect to the trade embargo against China increasingly caused friction in US-allied relations and contributed to the near breakdown by late 1963 of the US led controls on exports of non-military goods to China. Fourthly, it was necessary to relate China's need for grain imports to its determination in 1962-63 to improve its agricultural productivity on the basis of importing fertiliser, and equipment and technology required for fertiliser production. Fifthly, medium-term and long-term credits obtained to facilitate purchases of grain and fertiliser production equipment and technology respectively were instrumental in stabilising China's economic situation and vital to developing improved trade relations with non-Communist interests. The first chapter discusses Chinese grain shortages and the Chinese economy between 1953 and 1963. Chapters two through eight focus on the Chinese-Western grain trade while the final chapter discusses Chinese purchases of chemical fertiliser and chemical fertiliser production equipment and related technology which involves the larger question of Chinese economic planning in 1962-63.

No description available.

No description available.

This dissertation presents an analysis of the impacts of trade policy reforms in Sri Lanka. A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is constructed with detailed description of the domestic production structure and foreign trade. The model is then used to investigate the effects of trade policy reforms on resource allocation and welfare. Prior to 1977, Sri Lanka maintained stringent control over its imports through rigid quantitative restrictions. A new economic policy reform package was introduced in 1977, and it shifted Sri Lanka's development strategy toward an export oriented policy regime. The shift of policy focus from a restrictive trade regime toward a more open trade regime is expected to have a significant impact on the volume of external trade, domestic production structure, allocation of resources, and social welfare. Simulations are carried out to assess the effects of three major policy reforms: (1) a devaluation of the Sri Lanka rupee, (2) a partial or a complete elimination of export duties, and (3) a devaluation-cum-removal of export duties. Simulation results indicate that the macroeconomic impact of a devaluation-cum-removal of export duties can be substantial. They also suggest that the resource-pull effects of a devaluation and a devaluation-cum-export duty removal policy are significant. However, the model shows that a devaluation combined with an export duty reduction is likely to be a superior strategy.

The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence on the effects of relative price uncertainty and political instability on private investment. My effort is expressed in a single-equation model using macroeconomic and socio-political data from eight Latin American countries for the period 1970-1996. Relative price uncertainty is measured by the implied volatility of the exchange rate and political instability is measured by using indicators of social unrest and political violence. I found that, after controlling for other variables, relative price uncertainty and political instability are negatively associated with private investment. Macroeconomic and political stability are key ingredients for the achievement of a strong investment response. This highlights the need to develop the state and build a civil society in which citizens can participate in decision-making and express consent without generating social turmoil. At the same time the government needs to implement structural policies along with relative price adjustments to eliminate excess volatility in price movements in order to provide a stable environment for investment.

Orientador: Armen Mamigonian / Banca: Miguel Gimenez Benites / Banca: Tania Maria Fresca / Resumo: A indústria têxtil do Vale do Itajaí, em Santa Catarina, teve sua formação com a chegada dos imigrantes alemães, no final do século XIX, através da instalação de uma pequena fábrica de camisetas, em Blumenau, atual Cia Hering. A empresa, por sua vez, passou por transformações ao longo de sua história, chegando a investir, após o processo de reestruturação administrativa e produtiva, acarretada pela abertura econômica dos anos 90, do século XX, em recursos humanos, ou seja, em valorização e qualificação da mão-deobra, por meio de cursos especializados em áreas produtivas. Investiu também na distribuição dos produtos no varejo, pois, atendendo aos pequenos mercados (de forma indireta, através das franquias), a empresa conseguia ficar mais perto do consumidor. As grandes empresas passaram a terceirizar boa parte da produção, principalmente nas áreas de costura, possuindo as facções em municípios vizinhos (Rodeio, Ascurra, Ibirama, Gaspar), mudando, assim, a organização do processo produtivo, haja vista que a desintegração vertical implica estruturas elaboradas na produção, na informação, como também na transformação do espaço regional, garantindo a qualidade dos produtos, principalmente, com a utilização de tecnologias flexíveis e redes de franquias. / Abstract: The industry textile of the Valley of the Itajaí, in Santa Catarina, had its formation with the arrival of the immigrants German, in the end of century XIX, through the installation of a small t-shirt plant, in Blumenau, current Cia Hering. The company, in turn, passed for transformations throughout its history, arriving to invest, after the process of administrative and productive reorganization, caused for the economic opening of years 90, century XX, in human resources, or either, in valuation and qualification of the man power, by means of courses specialized in productive areas. She also invested in the distribution of the products in the retail, therefore, taking care of to the small markets (of indirect form, through the surmountings), the company obtained to be more close to the consumer. The great companies had started to terceirizar good part of the production, mainly in the sewing areas, possessing the factions in neighboring cities (Rodeio, Ascurra, Ibirama, Gaspar), moving, thus, the organization of the productive process, have seen that the vertical disintegration implies structures elaborated in the production, the information, as also in the transformation of the regional space, guaranteeing the product quality, mainly, with the use of flexible technologies and nets of surmountings. / Mestre

No description available.

L'économie mixte : un instrument de l'action local / The mixed economy : an instrument of local action

No description available.