EMEC är en allmänjämviktsmodell som har använts av Konjunkturinstitutet för att beräkna samhällsekonomiska kostnader av styrmedel, och utvärdera kostnadseffektivitet som en del av det svenska klimatpolitiska beslutsunderlaget. Med anledning av kritik som har riktats mot modellen har detta examensarbete syftat till att analysera EMEC och dess effekter i klimatpolitiken, samt belysa och diskutera aspekter som eventuellt behövs utvecklas eller hanteras på ett annat sätt i den svenska klimatpolicyutvärderingen. En intervju - och litteraturstudie bidrog med ett kontrasterande aktörsperspektiv på olika identifierade nyckelaspekter som sedan utgjorde ett ramverk för analysen av en efterföljande empirisk studie. Resultaten visar att det finns starka skäl att påstå att modellen har överskattat kostnader av utsläppsminskningar vilket sannolikt har påverkat Sveriges klimatpolitiska inriktning. I direkt anknytning till modellen argumenteras detta bero på svårigheten i att göra antaganden om framtida teknik-och prisutvecklingar, samt på modellens statiska utformning. I samband med modellens klimatpolitiska roll kan det argumenteras bero på ett relativt kortsiktigt tidsperspektiv och en endimensionell bedömning av klimatomställningens nytta i relation till klimatfrågans långsiktighet och flerdimensionella nyttosida. Det kan också påpekas att detta fördyrar klimatpolitiken på lång sikt. En alternativ klimatpolicyutvärdering tillämpar ett bredare grepp genom att exempelvis inkludera de dynamiska kostnader som är förknippade med inlåsningseffekter i kolintensiva strukturer, vilket med en kontrafaktisk jämförelse sänker kostnaden av en klimatpolicy. Vid fortsatt styrmedelsutvärdering med EMEC föreslås en förändring av hur resultaten ska tolkas. Givet att det politiska sammanhanget också fortsättningsvis kräver kvantitativa underlag finns det ett behov av en mer varierad klimatpolicyutvärdering, där också kvalitativa aspekter och fler indikatorer än BNP beaktas som komplement. / EMEC is a computational general equilibrium (CGE) model used for calculation of societal costs and evaluation of cost-effectiveness in the decision basis of Swedish climate policy. The model has been criticized for exaggerating societal costs of policies, exemplified by Sweden's relative decoupling of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions during 1990-2010. Thereby, one could argue that the model results possibly have led to less ambitious climate targets in Sweden. With the model's suitability being questioned and an expressed need for better climate policy evaluation, this master thesis aims to analyse EMEC and its effects on Sweden's climate policy. It also aims to highlight key aspects for improved climate policy evaluation. Literature and interview studies were conducted in order to form a balanced framework of different actors' perspectives on the issue. This related to several identified aspects that were considered important by the authors in the context of the EMEC model. The subsequent empirical study of three periods of Swedish climate-political processes used these results as a basis for discussion. The results imply that the critique about exaggerated costs very likely is justified, which probably also has affected Sweden's climate-political direction. Regarding the model itself, the principal reasons are argued to be its static nature and the difficulties associated with predicting future technological- and world-market price developments. Connected to the model's role, the principal reasons are argued to be rooted in its relatively short-term perspective and one-dimensional definition of benefits, compared to the long-term and multi-dimensional nature of a transition to a low-carbon society. These features have, in this study, been argued to weaken the long-term cost-effectiveness of Sweden's climate policy. The EMEC-model's principal effects in this respect have been constituted in the arguments for general policies over sector-specific goals as well as emission reductions abroad. An alternative evaluation framework would include a wider range of benefits and costs associated with climate policy, for example dynamic costs of lock-in effects in carbon intensive structures. This would decrease the costs of climate policy in a counter-factual comparison. It could be argued that a qualitative decision basis would be more appropriate considering the complexities and difficulties associated with modelling a largely uncertain future. Especially, since model results are based on the same historic trends that need to be abandoned in order to reach future climate targets. However, considering that the climate-political process demands a quantitative decision-basis, qualitative aspects should function as a complement and gain increased emphasis in the Swedish climate- political decision basis. This would purposively broaden the framework and serve as a necessary balance to the indications given by results on GDP. Given that the EMEC model to some extent continues to constitute a basis for climate policy, suggestions for alternative interpretations of the model results have also been provided.

In recent years, several nations have adopted institutional framework laws, so-called Climate Change Acts (CCAs), as means to enforce Paris-compliant mitigation pathways. A key institutional feature to ensure policy stability and compliance with CCAs has been the establishment of independent advisory bodies, tasked with advising on mitigation targets and policy instruments, as well as the, monitoring and evaluation of target attainment. These advisory bodies are endowed with a crucial role in the long-term evaluation and planning process: examining how the low-carbon transition pathways might be achieved. Calling attention to the question of how transition pathways should be conceived and approached, whether it is in 'bio-physical' (climate science), 'techno- economic' (technology assessment/economics) or 'socio-technical' (socio-technical transition field) terms. Recent studies have indicated that a socio-technical transitions is increasingly framed as a question of removing carbon energy from various practices and infrastructures, challenging the dominant techno-economic approach of emissions reductions using carbon-pricing instruments. This thesis explores this challenge, drawing upon a case study of the establishment of the Swedish Climate Policy Council, by means of analyzing the process of institutionalization and how transition pathways are (re)produced discursively through the practices of climate policy evaluation and planning. The main findings of this thesis is that a cross-party consensus behind the Swedish CCA was formed around institutionalizing a 'bio-physical’ mitigation pathway, monitored and safeguarded by the Council which could assign 'political embarrassment' to governments failing to comply with the interim and long-term GHG mitigation targets. Beyond this consensus, the institutional design of the Council is the result of discursive struggles between actor-coalitions supporting techno-economic versus socio-technical transition pathways. However, the recently formed Council has come to challenge previously dominant techno-economic practices of forecasting cost-efficient emissions reductions. This has been accomplished by introducing a novel socio-technical approach to climate policy evaluation: the backcasting of interrelated technological and institutional shifts believed to be necessary in bringing about a low-carbon transition or transformation. Nevertheless, as this socio-technical practice primarily backcasts upon a number of key technological innovations, with limited changes to current industrial patterns of production and consumption, doubts are raised if this approach is to be considered as constitutive of transformative transition pathways.

Cette thèse cherche à évaluer le rôle des politiques d’information dans la réduction des inégalités de capital humain.Dans le premier chapitre, co-écrit avec Bruno Crépon, nous étudions l’impact d’une expérimentation visant à augmenter le recours aux soins des jeunes chômeurs en France. Les jeunes en situation de précarité ont plus de risque de sous-investir dans leur santé, ce qui peut avoir des conséquences économiques et sociales à court et long terme. Dans cette étude, nous examinons deux barrières possibles : le coût des soins, et la mauvaise perception des besoins. A l’aide d’une expérience randomisée, nous trouvons qu’informer individuellement ces jeunes sur leurs besoins ainsi que sur le système d’assurance santé permet d’augmenter leurs investissements, en doublant notamment la probabilité de consulter un psychologue. Nos résultats suggèrent également qu’une telle intervention permet de favoriser les entrées en formation. Afin de distinguer les barrières relevant du coût des soins des barrières relevant d’une mauvaise perception des besoins, nous testons aussi une intervention dans laquelle les jeunes reçoivent uniquement l’information sur le système d’assurance santé. A la différence de l’intervention combinée, cette intervention ne permet pas d’augmenter le recours aux soins, ce qui souligne le rôle crucial des perceptions subjectives dans les décisions de santé.Dans le second chapitre, issu d’un travail avec Marc Gurgand, Nina Guyon et Marion Monnet, nous évaluons une politique consistant à orienter des enfants vivant en zones urbaines sensibles (ZUS) en France vers des structures répondant à leurs difficultés. Dans les ZUS, certains enfants ont tendance à cumuler difficultés scolaires, problèmes de santé, de socialisation, et parfois problèmes familiaux. La politique étudiée consiste à mettre en place des interventions individualisées et multidimensionnelles pour les enfants, impliquant leurs parents et leur enseignant. Ces interventions consistent par exemple à inscrire l’enfant dans un club de sport, à réaliser un bilan de santé, à offrir aux parents une assistance administrative, et reposent sur les ressources disponibles au niveau de la commune. Afin d’identifier un effet causal, nous mettons en place des méthodes d’appariement que nous combinons avec un estimateur en différence-de-différences. Nous trouvons que le dispositif n’a d’effet ni sur le comportement des enfants, ni sur leurs compétences cognitives, et un effet négatif sur la socialisation et la motivation scolaire. Il réduit en revanche l’absentéisme. Une comparaison avec d’autres dispositifs suggère qu’il est nécessaire d’intervenir dès le plus jeune âge et de manière plus intensive pour améliorer la situation de ces enfants défavorisés.Dans le troisième chapitre, j’examine dans quelle mesure les politiques d’information destinées à guider les lycéens dans la transition vers le supérieur permettent d’augmenter le recours aux bourses parmi les étudiants défavorisés au Canada. Les doutes de plus en plus nombreux quant à la capacité des politiques d’aides financières à réduire les inégalités d’accès à l’enseignement supérieur conduisent à s’interroger sur leurs conditions d’efficacité. Cette étude vise à mieux comprendre les barrières informationnelles auxquelles les étudiants sont confrontés. Sur la base d’une expérience contrôlée, je modélise la demande de bourse comme étant fonction de l’utilité perçue de l’université, qui elle-même dépend du niveau d’information des jeunes. J’utilise ensuite le modèle pour simuler différentes politiques d’information souvent mises en œuvre, mais rarement évaluées. Informer les jeunes sur le système d’aides financières s’avère particulièrement efficace. Rencontrer un conseiller scolaire ou faire un test de compétences et d’orientation permet également d’augmenter le recours aux aides. Les simulations suggèrent que de tels dispositifs pourraient égaliser la demande entre étudiants favorisés et défavorisés. / This dissertation attempts to assess the role information policies may play in the reduction of human capital inequalities.In the first chapter, which is a joint work with Bruno Crépon, we study the impact of an experiment aimed at increasing the use of healthcare services among unemployed youth in France. Economically disadvantaged youth are particularly at risk of under-investing in their health, which can have short and long term negative consequences on a variety of socioeconomic outcomes. In this study, we investigate two possible factors of under-investment: cost of healthcare, and misperception of health needs. Relying on a randomized experiment, we find that providing them with personalized information on their health needs as well as on public health insurance raises their health investments, in particular it doubles the proportion of people consulting a psychologist. Our results suggest that such policies also have a potential for increasing participation to training programs. To distinguish between financial constraints and misperception of health needs, we also test a program providing information on public health insurance only. In contrast, this limited program does not induce any health investments, which highlights the crucial role of subjective perceptions of needs in health decisions among disadvantaged youth.In the second chapter, which is based on a joint work with Marc Gurgand, Nina Guyon and Marion Monnet, we evaluate a policy that consists in directing 2 to 16 year-old children living in deprived areas in France to the local resources they need. In deprived areas, some children tend to cumulate academic difficulties with health, social and sometimes family difficulties. In this paper, we evaluate a policy consisting in individualized and comprehensive programs that involve both the child, the parents and the teacher. Interventions range from sport activities or health diagnosis for the child to administrative assistance for the parents, and use existing local resources. Our identification strategy relies on propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences estimation. We find no impact of the policy on children behavior and cognitive skills, and on their parents’ relation to school, and negative impacts on the relation to other children and on school motivation. By contrast, school attendance increases among treated children. Comparison with other comprehensive programs suggests that more intensive or earlier interventions might be required to significantly improve the situation of deprived children.In the third chapter, I assess the extent to which information policies aimed at guiding high school students in their transition to higher education can raise the take-up of grants among disadvantaged students in Canada. Growing concerns about the capacity of grant policies to reduce the socioeconomic gap in college enrollment call to investigate the conditions required for these policies to reach their target. This paper aims at better understanding the information barriers disadvantaged students may face. Based on a lab-in-the-field experiment, I model the demand for grants as a function of the perceived utility of university, which depends on the level of information on higher education and on the labor market students have. I use the model to simulate several information policies that are commonly implemented in high schools, but rarely studied. While receiving information on the financial aid system demonstrates to be particularly effective, meeting a school counsellor or taking a skills and interests test also significantly raises the take-up of grants among disadvantaged students. Simulations suggest these policies could close the take-up gap with their more advantaged counterparts.

The Twin Transitions (TT) concept highlights the interconnection between the green transition, geared toward achieving climate goals, and the digital transition, aimed at disseminating digital technologies and infrastructures. These objectives are fundamental for the long run competitiveness of economic systems. Even though various EU strategic documents and a part of the scientific literature assume the two transitions to be mutually reinforcing, the effective sustainability of the TT is endangered by two issues of environmental nature: the dependence of modern technologies on specific mineral resources and the management of end-of-life technologies, that is electronic waste. Circular Economy (CE) strategies, ultimately aimed at decoupling techno-economic systems from the use of natural resources and at a minimization of human-induced environmental impacts, emerge as a tool to address both issues. Throughout the thesis, this overarching research theme has evolved into three lines of activity: 1) analysis of the relationship between recent technological trajectories and mineral resources consumption; 2) review of the literature on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to investigate its rationale, policy makers expectations and, focusing on the specific case of electronic waste, its impacts in environmental and innovation terms; 3) empirical analysis of the relationship between EPR on batteries and international trade of waste. The project embraces the multidisciplinary and multidimensionality nature of sustainability analysis, by linking various streams of literature (Innovation studies, Ecological Economics, International Economics, Environmental Economics) and types of data (international trade, patents, waste management, resources extraction, material composition of technologies, scientific production). Ultimately, the project elucidates how both market-driven and policy-led CE strategies can engender structural changes capable of driving, at least partially, the Twin Transition dynamics toward achieving effective sustainability outcomes.

The phenomenon of the public policy process, which encapsulates the public policy implementation, has been in existence long before the political transformation that took place in South Africa in 1994. However, the ushering in of the new dispensation saw the integration of the existing public policies. In addition, it inevitably heralded the introduction of the new public policies and national guidelines across all sectors of the South African public institutions. Public policy implementation, as an integral stage of the public policy process, emerged as indispensable towards effective and efficient public service. The basic education, as a public institution, could also not be exempted from such inevitability of heightened public policy implementation. The introduction of the new education related public policies included the developmental appraisal system (DAS), the whole school evaluation (WSE), the integrated quality management systems (IQMS) and the discipline and safety national guidelines (DSNG). This, consequently, bears testament to what became an inevitable transformation process in South African basic education. Using the DAS, the WSE, the IQMS and the DSNG as points of departure and Empangeni education district as a reference area, the focus of this study has been the public policy process, the internal organisational arrangements and structures for public policy implementation, the public policy implementation process together with its inherent challenges and an improved model aimed at alleviating or even eradicating such public policy implementation challenges. The theoretical models, both descriptive and prescriptive, suggest that the public policy process, which entails namely: public policy agenda, public policy formulation, public policy adoption, public policy implementation and public policy evaluation, is premised on the public policy models. Of all the above-listed public policy process stages, public policy implementation stands out as the pinnacle around which the public policy process revolves. The public policy implementation stage, therefore, suggests a point where the influence, the impact and the successes or failures of the public policy process unfold. In light of this inextricable link of the public policy implementation stage to the general public policy process that is influenced by models, the effective public policy implementation is, subsequently, embracive of attributes and lessons derived from the public policy models. Some of these attributes and lessons, inter alia, include; the mutual participation by all actors involved, rather than dominance by an elite group (derived from the elite/mass model), the identification of institutional structures responsible for the public policy implementation (derived from the institutional model) and the accommodation of the implementation review as well as feedback (all indicative of the systems model). The literature review and the empirical data analyses show convergent views that suggest that the effective public policy implementation is directly proportional to the extent of internal organisational arrangements and structures as well as to the basic functionality of schools as centres for the implementation process. This implies that where internal institutional arrangements and structures are evident and functional, the implementation of public policies is bound to be effective and efficient, while the contrary also holds. Given Empangeni education district being the focal point of the study, it has emerged that the use of personnel from other units and the absence of a district unit designated to solely oversee the coordination, the implementation and the evaluation of the education related public policies, inhibit the potential of adequately achieving the intended objectives of the education related public policies implemented. In case of schools as the institutional centres for public policy implementation, empirical data analyses have established an inter-connection between the public policy implementation and the schools‟ basic functionality. Consequently, it is in functional schools (i.e. schools where the school management teams and school governing bodies are visible, effective and work collaboratively), where public policy implementation thrives and is effective. The contextualisation of the empirical research analyses to the study focus area, Empangeni Education District (EED), established that its current implementation model faces public policy implementation challenges. The most evident challenges, inter alia, include: * the inadequate advocacy of the education related public policies to be implemented; * the two or three days, currently accepted as a capacity building period by those expected to implement education related public policies, are not proportional to the volume of work to be covered and it suggests an inadequate time-frame for capacity development in the EED's current model; * the material and mechanisms used to perform functional work do not accommodate all role-players (also called actors in this study) according to their demographical needs, like language, which renders them inept to perform to their optimum level; * the primary structure of the current EED's public policy implementation model is a top-down directional structure which underscores the top-down cascading model; * current communication technology employed, do not take advantage of the 21 century‟s information computer technology in order to make the work environment more user-friendly, efficient and effective; * the simultaneous implementation of education related public policies poses a challenge to internal organisational arrangements, such as public policy implementation (PPI) structures and personnel, for effective implementation of such policies; and * the evident inadequate continuous and deliberate monitoring of implemented education related public policies. Conclusions and inferences drawn from this study suggest that the EED's current public policy implementation model is inadequate to deal with the identified challenges. Finally, this study proposes a strengthened EED public policy model, which accommodates recommendations to EED's public policy implementation challenges. Inherently, the proposed strengthened public policy implementation model is not limited to dealing with the identified challenges only, but it radically embraces the introduction of systems and internal organisational structures that promote inclusive, collaborative and traceable implementation of education related public policies. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The phenomenon of the public policy process, which encapsulates the public policy implementation, has been in existence long before the political transformation that took place in South Africa in 1994. However, the ushering in of the new dispensation saw the integration of the existing public policies. In addition, it inevitably heralded the introduction of the new public policies and national guidelines across all sectors of the South African public institutions. Public policy implementation, as an integral stage of the public policy process, emerged as indispensable towards effective and efficient public service. The basic education, as a public institution, could also not be exempted from such inevitability of heightened public policy implementation. The introduction of the new education related public policies included the developmental appraisal system (DAS), the whole school evaluation (WSE), the integrated quality management systems (IQMS) and the discipline and safety national guidelines (DSNG). This, consequently, bears testament to what became an inevitable transformation process in South African basic education. Using the DAS, the WSE, the IQMS and the DSNG as points of departure and Empangeni education district as a reference area, the focus of this study has been the public policy process, the internal organisational arrangements and structures for public policy implementation, the public policy implementation process together with its inherent challenges and an improved model aimed at alleviating or even eradicating such public policy implementation challenges. The theoretical models, both descriptive and prescriptive, suggest that the public policy process, which entails namely: public policy agenda, public policy formulation, public policy adoption, public policy implementation and public policy evaluation, is premised on the public policy models. Of all the above-listed public policy process stages, public policy implementation stands out as the pinnacle around which the public policy process revolves. The public policy implementation stage, therefore, suggests a point where the influence, the impact and the successes or failures of the public policy process unfold. In light of this inextricable link of the public policy implementation stage to the general public policy process that is influenced by models, the effective public policy implementation is, subsequently, embracive of attributes and lessons derived from the public policy models. Some of these attributes and lessons, inter alia, include; the mutual participation by all actors involved, rather than dominance by an elite group (derived from the elite/mass model), the identification of institutional structures responsible for the public policy implementation (derived from the institutional model) and the accommodation of the implementation review as well as feedback (all indicative of the systems model). The literature review and the empirical data analyses show convergent views that suggest that the effective public policy implementation is directly proportional to the extent of internal organisational arrangements and structures as well as to the basic functionality of schools as centres for the implementation process. This implies that where internal institutional arrangements and structures are evident and functional, the implementation of public policies is bound to be effective and efficient, while the contrary also holds. Given Empangeni education district being the focal point of the study, it has emerged that the use of personnel from other units and the absence of a district unit designated to solely oversee the coordination, the implementation and the evaluation of the education related public policies, inhibit the potential of adequately achieving the intended objectives of the education related public policies implemented. In case of schools as the institutional centres for public policy implementation, empirical data analyses have established an inter-connection between the public policy implementation and the schools‟ basic functionality. Consequently, it is in functional schools (i.e. schools where the school management teams and school governing bodies are visible, effective and work collaboratively), where public policy implementation thrives and is effective. The contextualisation of the empirical research analyses to the study focus area, Empangeni Education District (EED), established that its current implementation model faces public policy implementation challenges. The most evident challenges, inter alia, include: * the inadequate advocacy of the education related public policies to be implemented; * the two or three days, currently accepted as a capacity building period by those expected to implement education related public policies, are not proportional to the volume of work to be covered and it suggests an inadequate time-frame for capacity development in the EED's current model; * the material and mechanisms used to perform functional work do not accommodate all role-players (also called actors in this study) according to their demographical needs, like language, which renders them inept to perform to their optimum level; * the primary structure of the current EED's public policy implementation model is a top-down directional structure which underscores the top-down cascading model; * current communication technology employed, do not take advantage of the 21 century‟s information computer technology in order to make the work environment more user-friendly, efficient and effective; * the simultaneous implementation of education related public policies poses a challenge to internal organisational arrangements, such as public policy implementation (PPI) structures and personnel, for effective implementation of such policies; and * the evident inadequate continuous and deliberate monitoring of implemented education related public policies. Conclusions and inferences drawn from this study suggest that the EED's current public policy implementation model is inadequate to deal with the identified challenges. Finally, this study proposes a strengthened EED public policy model, which accommodates recommendations to EED's public policy implementation challenges. Inherently, the proposed strengthened public policy implementation model is not limited to dealing with the identified challenges only, but it radically embraces the introduction of systems and internal organisational structures that promote inclusive, collaborative and traceable implementation of education related public policies. / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Is inflation targeting an appropriate framework for monetary policy? Experience from the inflation-targeting countries countries are optimistic about inflation targeting as a monetary-policy framework. South Africa is also following this trend. The international literature review of the topic offers lessons to be learnt from the common experience of the countries considered. It shows that inflation targeting is not a universal remedy to modern economic ills -- there is an emerging danger of assigning monetary policy a larger role than that which it can perform; a danger of expecting monetary policy to accomplish tasks that it cannot achieve; and a danger of preventing monetary policy from making the contribution that it is capable of doing. Therefore, inflation targeting cannot address all the macroeconomic problems that face many countries, except for inflation. Nonetheless, it plays a crucial role in improving macroeconomic performance. / Economics / M.A. (Economics)

Health is deemed central to a nation’s development. Accordingly, health care reform and expansion are key policy priorities in developing countries. Many such nations are now testing various methods of funding and delivering health care to local disadvantaged populations. Similarly, India launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) national health insurance programme for low-income groups in 2008. The RSBY intends preventing catastrophic health-related expenditure by improving recipients’ access to hospital-based care. This thesis is an in-depth qualitative evaluation of the RSBY in Delhi state. It examines the RSBY’s effectiveness in fulfilling its goals and meeting local health care needs. Walt and Gilson’s (1994) actors-content-process-context model informs the research design and an actor-centred “responsive” (Stake 1975) or “constructivist” approach guides data analysis. Three research questions are examined: (i). Why was a health insurance programme launched and why now? Why was this model favoured over alternate methods of service expansion? (ii). Is the RSBY delivered as intended? If not, why? (iii) How does the RSBY affect patients’ access to services? The findings are based on documentary sources, observation of implementation sites and activities and 164 semi-structured interviews with RSBY policymakers, insurers, NGOs, doctors, and patients. The results show improved access to curative and surgical care for RSBY patients. However, RSBY’s focus on hospitalisation and omission of primary and outpatient services had undesired negative effects. The lack of ambulatory facilities led RSBY patients to self-medicate or use dubious quality informal providers. By only allowing inpatient care, the RSBY also seemingly encouraged the substitution of outpatient care with costlier hospitalisations. In effect, the RSBY’s design contributed to cost increases and poor patient outcomes. While more funds and human resources were needed to improve RSBY implementation, the performance of frontline agencies could potentially improve through more stable, longer-term contracts. Similarly, modifying RSBY’s monetary incentives for doctors may lead to better service delivery by them. By evaluating the RSBY’s strong points and shortcomings, this thesis provides key lessons on strengthening policy design and health service delivery in developing countries. Thereby, it makes a broader contribution to understanding the determinants of successful policymaking.

本論文以我國對美外交工作中的對美智庫工作為標的，以政策評估之角度，對此項工作之有效性進行評估。 針對我國對智庫工作進行政策評估，其主要核心即在於討論我國影響美國智庫的能力，及美國智庫影響美國政府之能力等兩者，以求瞭解對智庫進行工作，是否最後能產生實現特定之國家目標的結果。整個影響過程，包括了我國□美國智庫□美國政府等三個主體，其中箭頭代表「影響」，整個三主體兩階段過程能夠順利建立，則代表美國政府之友我政策產出，我國的特定國家目標得以實現。為對上述兩階段進行檢視，在研究架構上本論文採取了政策評估研究為整體研究脈絡，並以決策研究及統計研究進行各次級項目的細部討論，以逐一檢視三主體兩階段過程中，每一段是否能夠成立。 首先，本研究則針對台美關係之歷史脈絡及美國目前重要智庫分佈情形進行彙整，並針對傳統上將學者及智庫分為紅隊及藍隊之恰當性進行討論。之後，則先由各項理論及影響管道等兩方面，針對智庫影響政府政策之能力（三主體兩階段架構之後段）進行探討。在論證此階段之影響力確實存在後，緊接著則針對國家影響智庫之能力（三主體兩階段架構之前段）進行研究。透過學理及統計分析等兩方面之研究結果均顯示，我國對美國智庫之工作，確實已對該智庫之言論取向及活動內容，發揮明確之影響力。吾人可稱三主體兩階段之影響架構確實存在，我國對智庫之工作確實可達成影響美國政策之政策目的，就本研究而言，在政策有效性之評估上，應已合乎要求。 在確認三主體兩階段之影響力均存在後，本研究彙整各階段研究之結果，並據以擬定智庫工作之模式：「台灣模式（Taiwan Model）」。 / This is a policy evaluation which takes Taiwan’s U.S. policy as it is enacted through U.S. think tanks as the subject for evaluation. The purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy in practice In evaluating Taiwan’s work on American think tanks, the core aim is to evaluate Taiwan’s ability to effect U.S. think tanks and, in turn, the ability of U.S. think tanks to influence the U.S. government. Through this study observers will gain a sense of whether Taiwan’s work on U.S. think tanks is effective in terms if achieving specific national goals. For the purpose described above, this study firstly introduces the historical background to Taiwan-U.S. relations and makes a general survey in the current situation of U.S. think tanks. It also discusses the appropriateness of the classifications “red team” and “blue team”. In the following chapters, I examine the ability of U.S. think tanks to influence the U.S. government through both theoretical and channel-observing approaches. I also examine the Taiwan government’s ability to influence U.S. think tanks through both theoretical and statistical approaches. I conclude that this effectiveness exists, and that Taiwan’s work on U.S. think tanks can survive policy evaluations in terms of effectiveness. In the last chapter, I collate the results from each stage of this study, and frame a model for work on think tanks. I call this the “Taiwan Model”.

This thesis consists of five essays on the economic outcomes of immigrants and homosexuals on the labour and housing market. Essay I evaluates the effect of an in-work benefit on the labour supply of single immigrant women by means of simulation. Although, on average, there is no significant effect, we find that the in-work benefit increases the working hours of single women with low incomes and slightly decreases the working hours of those with high incomes. The increase in working hours is primarily a result of increased participation. As expected, the positive effect is largest for the immigrant groups with the lowest participation rates and lowest labour incomes. Essay II studies intergenerational transmissions in self-employment. The results show that immigrants transfer general human capital over three generations in the sense that individuals whose fathers and grandfathers are self-employed have a higher self-employment propensity. For natives, only the father’s self-employment affects the son’s probability of becoming self-employed. Furthermore, the results show that natives transfer specific human capital from father to son, which increases the probability of sons becoming self-employed in the industry in which their fathers are self-employed. Essay III explores the effect of self-employment experience on subsequent earnings and the employment of male and female immigrant wage earners. We find that, relative to continued wage employment, self-employment is associated with lower earnings and difficulties in returning to paid employment for both immigrant men and women. The effect is less severe for natives. Among immigrant groups, the results give little support that self-employment experience improves earnings and employment prospects compared to experience from wage employment.  Essay IV applies a field experiment to investigate how increasing the information about applicants affects discrimination against male Arab/Muslim applicants on the rental housing market. The Arab/Muslim applicants received fewer responses from the landlords than did the Swedish applicants. All of the applicants gained by providing more information about themselves, but the magnitude of discrimination against the Arab/Muslim applicants remained unchanged, indicating that increasing the amount of applicant information will not reduce discrimination. Essay V studies possible discrimination against lesbians in the rental housing market using a field experiment. We let two fictitious couples, one heterosexual and one homosexual, apply for vacant apartments on the Internet. We then explored if there were differences in callbacks, invitations to further contact and/or showings. The results show no indication of differential treatment of lesbians by landlords.