The goal is to describe the evolution of welfare economics from its beginnings to the present, to draw attention to the pitfalls of the various views and orientations, to evaluate the applicability of new welfare economics in terms of real economy and the example of the Republic or other countries (or EU) to indicate the possibilities of welfare economics or its part in practice, including positive and negative impacts on the economy and society. In the first part, which is part of the theoretical problems described welfare economics, and is also outlined the development of welfare economics. In the second part of the problem is applied to housing issues. Outlined here are the current problems associated with this phenomenon. The problem is under consideration from the perspective of welfare economics and its possible applications.

This study focuses on the rhetoric of racial politics and the ideology of exclusion it produces. This study analyzes the political rhetoric constructed by David Duke, white supremacist, disavowed neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan member, and former Louisiana State Representative. The topics of affirmative action, reverse discrimination, immigration, and welfare were chosen for analysis. Using ideological criticism, this study reveals the role Duke pays in America's increasingly exclusionary political environment. Specifically, this study uses the concepts employed by Louisa Martin Rojo in exploring the rhetorical process of demonization which is used to turn someone or something into an enemy. The process needed to demonize an enemy involves two rhetorical strategies: division and rejection. Division establishes the opposing categories in the conflict, manifesting itself as an arguments between "us verses them" or "good verses evil." Rejection further demonizes the enemy by rhetorically marginalizing, segregating, or creating a negative image about them. Through his rhetoric, Duke strives to provoke feelings of resentment by utilizing demonization to reject and divide whites from minorities. In his rhetoric, Duke excludes people of color from society by portraying affirmative action as minority special privilege, reverse discrimination as white exclusion, welfare as a bastion of illegitimacy, and immigration as the downfall of American culture. Attempting to exclude minorities from society, Duke moves beyond Rojo's concept of demonization and uses scapegoating to blame minorities for America's social ills. By using people of color as a scapegoat, Duke effectively excludes them from participating in the debate over social concerns.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o balanço econômico de uma política de incentivos para as fontes de energia renovável, analisando em particular o caso das PCHs (Pequenas Centrais Hidrelétrica) inseridas no Proinfa, o Programa de Incentivo às Fontes Alternativas de Energia Elétrica. A análise é desenvolvida tomando por base a internalização de custos e benefícios para a sociedade do referido Programa. Dentre os benefícios, estão destacados o desenvolvimento de uma fonte alternativa de energia que diminui os impactos ambientais devidos às emissões de gases poluentes, tal como o CO2, NOx o SO2 e o material particulado. Dentre seus custos, o imposto a ser cobrado se faz necessário para que programas dessa natureza se realizem. Para tanto, a revisão da literatura se concentra em assuntos concernentes à avaliação de programas de incentivos, bem como sobre o desenho de políticas de subsídio e das formas que a economia encontra para lidar com externalidades. Em seguida, analisam-se as estruturas propostas de incentivos, verificando-se, à luz da teoria, se essas estruturas são apropriadas aos seus fins e procedendo-se a uma análise de custo/benefício destas. / This work has the objective to evaluate the economic balance of an incentive policy for renewable energy source (RES), in particular it analyses the SHP (Small Hydropower Plant) case into the Context of Proinfa, the Brazilian alternative electrical energy source incentive program. This analysis is developed considering the point of view of internalizing the costs and benefits for the society. Among the benefits could be highlighted the development of a RES that reduces environmental impacts caused by pollutant gas emissions, such as CO2, NOx, SOx and particulated material, among the costs is the tax necessary to support this kind of program. To achieve this objective, the literature revision was focused on subjects related to evaluation of an incentive program as well as on the design of subsidy policies and how the economy deals with externalities. Also it is analyzed the incentives framework proposed, verifying based on the economic theory, if this framework is suitable to its own aims, and at the end it is proceed a cost benefit analysis of this structure.

Part I comprises three chapters (2-4) that analyse the optimal combination of a universal benefit (B≥0) and categorical benefit (C≥0) for an economy where individuals differ in both their ability to work and, if able to work, their productivity. C is ex-ante conditioned on applicants being unable to work, and ex-post conditioned on recipients not working. In Chapter 2 the benefit budget is fixed but the test awarding C makes Type I and Type II errors. Type I errors guarantee B > 0 at the optimum to ensure all unable individuals have positive consumption. The analysis with Type II errors depends on the enforcement of the ex-post condition. Under No Enforcement C > 0 at the optimum conditional on the awards test having some discriminatory power; whilst maximum welfare falls with both error propensities. Under Full Enforcement C > 0 at the optimum always; and whilst maximum welfare falls with the Type I error propensity it may increase with the Type II error propensity. Chapters 3 and 4 generalise the analysis to a linear-income tax framework. In Chapter 3 categorical status is perfectly observable. Optimal linear and piecewise-linear tax expressions are written more generally to capture cases where it is suboptimal to finance categorical transfers to eliminate inequality in the average social marginal value of income. Chapter 4 then derives the optimal linear income tax for the case with classification errors and Full Enforcement. Both equity and efficiency considerations capture the incentives an increase in the tax rate generates for able individuals to apply for C. Part II (Chapter 5) focuses on the decisions of individuals to work when receiving C, given a risk of being detected and fined proportional to C. Under CARA preferences the risk premium associated with the variance in benefit income is convex-increasing in C, thus giving C a role in enforcement.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o balanço econômico de uma política de incentivos para as fontes de energia renovável, analisando em particular o caso das PCHs (Pequenas Centrais Hidrelétrica) inseridas no Proinfa, o Programa de Incentivo às Fontes Alternativas de Energia Elétrica. A análise é desenvolvida tomando por base a internalização de custos e benefícios para a sociedade do referido Programa. Dentre os benefícios, estão destacados o desenvolvimento de uma fonte alternativa de energia que diminui os impactos ambientais devidos às emissões de gases poluentes, tal como o CO2, NOx o SO2 e o material particulado. Dentre seus custos, o imposto a ser cobrado se faz necessário para que programas dessa natureza se realizem. Para tanto, a revisão da literatura se concentra em assuntos concernentes à avaliação de programas de incentivos, bem como sobre o desenho de políticas de subsídio e das formas que a economia encontra para lidar com externalidades. Em seguida, analisam-se as estruturas propostas de incentivos, verificando-se, à luz da teoria, se essas estruturas são apropriadas aos seus fins e procedendo-se a uma análise de custo/benefício destas. / This work has the objective to evaluate the economic balance of an incentive policy for renewable energy source (RES), in particular it analyses the SHP (Small Hydropower Plant) case into the Context of Proinfa, the Brazilian alternative electrical energy source incentive program. This analysis is developed considering the point of view of internalizing the costs and benefits for the society. Among the benefits could be highlighted the development of a RES that reduces environmental impacts caused by pollutant gas emissions, such as CO2, NOx, SOx and particulated material, among the costs is the tax necessary to support this kind of program. To achieve this objective, the literature revision was focused on subjects related to evaluation of an incentive program as well as on the design of subsidy policies and how the economy deals with externalities. Also it is analyzed the incentives framework proposed, verifying based on the economic theory, if this framework is suitable to its own aims, and at the end it is proceed a cost benefit analysis of this structure.

<h2><br></h2> <p>This dissertation consists of distinct but related essays that delve into the impacts of changing economic conditions and climate mitigation policies on household consumption, health, and welfare outcomes. The first essay examines the effect of variations in economic factors, such as home values, on unhealthy consumption behaviors in the U.S. The second essay examines the distributional effects and possible health advantages of climate mitigation policies in India. The findings in this dissertation have significant implications for preventive health and environmental justice policies, particularly concerning vulnerable populations. </p> <p>The first essay of this dissertation investigates the impact of home value fluctuations on household tobacco and alcohol consumption in the U.S., specifically focusing on consumption based on homeownership status. First, we utilize high-frequency household transaction panel data and ZIP code-level home values to estimate the causal effect of home value fluctuations (or the housing wealth effect) on household tobacco and alcohol consumption for all U.S. households. Second, we predict household homeownership status by supplementing our primary household panel transaction data with a secondary household survey dataset; this allowed us to estimate the housing wealth effect separately for homeowners and renters. Home values are a leading economic indicator and effectively represent variation in housing wealth, whereas prior literature mainly focuses on lagging economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate. Housing wealth is a significant component of household net worth in the U.S. We leverage temporal and geographic fluctuations in household transactions and local home values to show that changes in housing wealth have a causal effect on household tobacco and alcohol consumption. Our findings show that declining home values increase tobacco and alcohol consumption among homeowners, with no effect on renters. Beer and cigarettes mainly drive this effect. Declining home values substantially increase annual consumption of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and alcohol by volume, exacerbating public health concerns. In contrast, unemployment shocks increase tobacco and alcohol consumption among homeowners and decrease it among renters. The housing wealth effect is most pronounced among bubble states households, heavy-use consumers, low-income, and white households. The study emphasizes the importance of targeted policy interventions to mitigate the negative effects of fluctuations in housing wealth on unhealthy consumption, especially amid the current unpredictable economic environment and volatile real estate market. </p> <p>The second essay of this dissertation analyzes the distributional impacts of climate mitigation policies consistent with India’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution and 2070 net-zero target, using a dynamic global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with heterogeneous Indian households. Specifically, we expand the CGE model to incorporate ten rural and ten urban household income deciles. Additionally, we link the CGE model with a global atmospheric source-receptor model to derive health co-benefits from reduced premature mortality due to lower air pollution. Several policy levers are considered in this study, including carbon pricing, enhanced coal consumption tax (or coal cess), and fossil subsidies phaseout. These are further combined with five alternative revenue recycling options. Our results suggest the potential welfare costs of such mitigation policies are rather moderate and do not exceed 0.5% over 2023-2050, not accounting for health and environmental co-benefits and damages avoided by successfully limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C. However, health co-benefits from lower air pollution can potentially outweigh the mitigation costs. Combining carbon pricing and fossil subsidy removal is more efficient than carbon pricing alone, generating progressive medium-term welfare gains due to reduced market distortions. Raising coal cess rates is the least efficient policy. Inequality and distributional impacts vary significantly based on the chosen revenue recycling approach. Equal transfer of tax revenue across households proves to be the most efficient and equitable, followed by labor tax subsidies, leading to a Gini index and S20/S80 ratio reduction of 0.01%-1.7% and 0.1%-7%, respectively. Recycling revenues to stimulate green energy investments yields the least favorable distributional impacts and worsens inequality. Trade-offs exist between reducing inequality and fostering investment-driven economic growth when choosing revenue recycling options. Policymakers should prioritize policy mixes and revenue-recycling methods based on their objectives to effectively combat climate change while promoting sustainable growth and reducing income inequality in India. </p>

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruno Beltrame.pdf: 550537 bytes, checksum: dd98c2c17868e3f8b2d425a2f8ed1be8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The aim of this dissertation is to inquire in what sense it is reasonable to locate in Kenneth Arrow s social choice theory and in John Rawls theory of justice the two main theoretical roots of Amartya Sen s capability approach. It will be argued that Arrow s social choice theory had the role of revealing the main deficiencies of the welfare economics theory. Thus, Arrow s analysis points the limitations to be fulfilled in order to arrive at satisfactory theory of social choice indicating, in this sense, the paths to be pursued. In the same manner, it is argued that Ralws theory of justice provided important elements that inspirated certain ethical positions present in Amartya Sen s thought, which appear in his approach to the problem of social choice. To conclude, the main features of the capability approach that can be directly associated with these two theoretical origins are exposed, and it is argued that Sen s theory simultaneously solves the deficiencies pointed by him in the theoretical structure of Arrow s social choice and embodies, even though in a modified way, elements of Rawls thought / O objetivo dessa dissertação é investigar em que sentido é pertinente localizar na teoria da escolha social de Kenneth Arrow e na teoria da justiça de John Rawls as duas principais raízes teóricas da abordagem das capacidades de Amartya Sen. Argumentar-se-á que a teoria da escolha social de Arrow cumpriu o papel de explicitar as deficiências da teoria econômica do bem-estar. Desse modo, as análises de Arrow apontam as limitações a serem superadas para se chegar a uma teoria satisfatória da escolha social indicando em certa medida rumos a serem seguidos. Da mesma maneira argumenta-se que a teoria da justiça de Rawls forneceu elementos importantes que inspiraram certos posicionamentos éticos evidentes no pensamento de Amartya Sen e que se refletem em suas análises da escolha social. Por fim são apresentadas as principais características da abordagem das capacidades que podem ser diretamente associados a estas duas origens teóricas, e será argumentado que a teoria de Sen ao mesmo tempo soluciona as deficiências apontadas por ele na estrutura teórica da escolha social de Arrow e incorpora, ainda que de forma modificada, elementos presentes no pensamento de Rawls

Dans cette thèse, j’explore les modèles de prise de décision basés sur des préférences multiples. Dans la première partie de la thèse, j’analyse certaines des implications de l’adoption des préférences multiples en économie et de différentes façons dont elles peuvent être conceptualisées et utilisées dans ce domaine. En particulier, je révise certaines des conséquences positives et normatives des préférences sur des préférences (chapitre 1), la distinction comportementale entre des modèles de préférences uniques et des modèles de préférences multiples (chapitre 2), et j’introduis un nouveau cadre de choix avec le temps dans lequel les modèles de préférences multiples peuvent être plus facilement caractérisés (chapitre 3). La deuxième partie de la thèse est con- sacrée à l’analyse théorique et empirique du comportement économique qui peut être représenté comme s’il résulte de la prise de décision avec des préférences multiples. En particulier, je construis un modèle pour étudier les effets des préférences multiples sur le comportement politique (chapitre 4) et je mène une étude expérimentale pour distinguer les différentes motivations derrière une potentielle valeur intrinsèque du droit de décision (chapitre 5). / In this thesis I explore decision making models based on multiple preferences. In the first part of the thesis, I analyze some of the implications of adopting multiple preferences in economics and different ways in which they can be conceptualized and used within this field. In particular, I review some of the positive and normative consequences of preferences over preferences (Chapter 1), the behavioral (in)distinguishability of the single and multiple preferences models (Chapter 2), and introduce a new framework of choice with time in which models of changing preferences can be more easily characterized (Chapter 3). The second part of the thesis is devoted to the theoretical and empirical analysis of economic meaningful behavior that can be represented as if it is the result of decision making with multiple preferences. In particular, I build a model to study the effects of multiple preferences to political behavior (Chapter 4), and run an experimental study to distinguish different motivations behind a potential intrinsic value of holding a decision right (Chapter 5).

Decentralization leads to functional and financial devolution of authority, induces more transparency in the system and puts emphasis on local needs. It creates platforms to voice and institutionalize the interests of various groups, and comes nearer to the public by making all tiers of government accountable directly to the people. However, several complexities govern this effort in India. First, implementation involves several official agencies, creating administrative gaps, lack of coordination and fiscal complexities. Second, Indian society is largely agrarian and rural marked by divisions of religion, caste and economic class. Third, the socially vulnerable and poor are often trapped in interlocking economic transactions with affluent landlords making it difficult for them to go for collective change. This research critically evaluates these dynamics taking the case example of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGREGS). We followed a threefold methodology in order to understand the policy dynamics, namely, stakeholders’ interviews, primary survey data analysis and secondary data analysis. Case studies were useful in understanding policy implementation dynamics through field observations. The multi-level regression results reflected co-existence of agriculture and MGREGS dynamics, with their own rules and objectives, apparently contradictory, but leading to social and economic equilibrium. Searching explanations for these contradictory results led us to two larger understandings: 1) Actors are seen to take rational decisions based on local socio-politico-economic understandings of the world. 2) These decisions are, however, at multiple levels and at multiple action spaces. Institutional rational choice perspective proposed by Ostrom (1999) corroborated these findings. Latent variable path analysis results indicated the dynamics of civil society and administrative bureaucracy as a negotiated equilibrium that has the potential to transform governance. The process of institutional evolution was through endogenous institutional change process as proposed by Grief and Laitin (2004). Furthermore, the effect of socio-structural factors on institutional structures was observed. The results indicated two major understandings: 1) the formation and effectiveness of institutional structures were dependent on social capital and in turn on social structures and networks 2) the influence of formal institutional structures on local governance and social dynamics affect the governance network formation (Hertting, 2001). Scenario-wise regression analyses results revealed that the effort to improve social capital of the groups through governance procedures need to be mediated through ‘local’ social structures. Agent based model results indicated the following: 1) regulatory dynamics need not necessarily follow the trend of socio-economic dynamics. Instead, they were in line with advocacy dynamics (Sabatier, 1988), which in turn depend on the social structures and networks. 2) regulatory strategies were endogenous institutional rational choices, given the existing socio-economic structures and networks of the society. Hence, Institutional theories were observed to be instrumental in understanding the policy implementation dynamics in democratic decentralization setup.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / I examined a panel of all 50 states over a period of 30 years between 1981 and 2010, estimating a random effects model to examine the relationship between the party of a state’s governor and changes in pretax and transfer income inequality. Though the literature has quite consistently shown that income inequality increases more quickly under Republican governors or when policies favored by Republicans are implemented, I find no evidence to support this, though this is perhaps because I did not allow a long enough lag time for new policies to have an effect. I did, however, find that pretax income inequality increases more quickly under Democratic presidents than under Republicans, in spite of the fact that all previous research shows the opposite to be true. I suspect that this unusual finding is the result of a quirk in my 1981-2010 time frame, namely the effects of the shift in welfare policy under the Clinton administration in the 1990s.