Journal articles: 'Policy Explanations'

1

THOMAS, R. S. D. "Editorial: Explanations, Policy, and Thanks." Philosophia Mathematica 1, no. 1 (1993): 66–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/philmat/1.1.66.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

2

Pal, Leslie A. "Reply: Restraining Class in Policy Explanations." Canadian Journal of Political Science 19, no. 1 (March 1986): 99–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0008423900058005.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

3

Pesquera Alonso, Carlos, Práxedes Muñoz Sánchez, and Almudena Iniesta Martínez. "Youth Guarantee: Looking for Explanations." Sustainability 13, no. 10 (May 17, 2021): 5561. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13105561.

Full text

Abstract:

Aiming to tackle the high levels of youth unemployment and rates of Not Employed, in Education, or Training (NEET), the European Union launched the flagship policy Youth Guarantee in 2013. In this article we evaluate this policy in order to reveal the lessons it can teach us and possible ways for its improvement to achieve a sustainable active labor market policy. We use the data collected through the Indicator Framework for Monitoring the Youth Guarantee to analyze the policy impact, limited to some of the countries with the highest NEET rates: those of the Mediterranean European Economic Area (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain). We used the data to create regression models for the evaluation of policy measures, spread, and achievements. In our findings we reveal the importance of time in the policy implementation, the differences and commonalities between the countries, and hidden problems in the data collection that lead to biases and misleading results. We conclude that it is too soon to judge the usefulness of the policy and recommend an improvement in the data collection process.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

4

FRIESENDORF, CORNELIUS. "Police assistance as foreign policy: Explaining donor practices." Review of International Studies 42, no. 2 (September 21, 2015): 377–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0260210515000297.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractPolice assistance is an important, albeit understudied aspect of foreign policy. While many scholars have studied international and transnational policing, it remains largely unknown why donor police forces often support their colleagues in fragile states in different ways. This article discusses a variety of potential explanations of police assistance: a domestic rational actor model; a constructivist focus on international norms; and theories on the use of force by democracies. While all of these explanations are relevant, this article shows that they remain incomplete without studying police organisations and how these implement assistance on the ground. As the organisational cultures of donor police agencies differ, so do their assistance practices. The case of German and Italian police assistance in Afghanistan illustrates the relevance of an organisational approach: despite operating in the same environment, German police officers promoted civilian and Italian Carabinieri militarised policing. The article stresses that explaining security assistance, an important form of indirect intervention in fragile states, requires zooming in on policy implementation and policy implementers.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

5

ZHANG, Beibei. "Why Is Japan’s Housing Vacancy Rate So High? A History of Postwar Housing Policy." Social Science Japan Journal 23, no. 1 (December 23, 2019): 65–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ssjj/jyz041.

Full text

Abstract:

Abstract This article provides an explanation for Japan’s current vacant housing crisis. While existing explanations usually ascribe the crisis to demographic factors or individual governmental policies, this article seeks to transcend those explanations by situating the vacant housing phenomenon within a broader social, economic, and historical context. Drawing on historical materials, the empirical analysis deciphers how the state has subordinated housing development to the overarching objective of economic growth through the manipulation of housing finance policies and land use planning regulations during the postwar period. The article argues that today’s vacant housing crisis is the result of the state’s pro-growth housing policies throughout the postwar period.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

6

Maroney, James J., Timothy J. Rupert, and Martha L. Wartick. "The Perceived Fairness of Taxing Social Security Benefits: The Effect of Explanations Based on Different Dimensions of Tax Equity." Journal of the American Taxation Association 24, no. 2 (September 1, 2002): 79–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.2308/jata.2002.24.2.79.

Full text

Abstract:

In this study, we construct explanations for the taxation of social security benefits based on previously identified dimensions of fairness (exchange, horizontal, and vertical equity). We then conduct an experiment to examine whether providing senior citizen taxpayers with explanations increases the perceived fairness of taxing social security. The results indicate that for those subjects with the greatest self-interest (subjects currently taxed on a portion of their social security benefits), the exchange equity explanation had the most consistent positive effects on both acceptance of the explanation and on the perceived fairness of taxing social security benefits. On the other hand, for those subjects not currently taxed on their social security benefits, the vertical equity explanation was more likely to be accepted than either the exchange or horizontal equity explanation. However, while these subjects agreed with the vertical equity explanation, it did not increase their fairness perceptions. These findings illustrate how important it is for tax policy makers striving to increase perceptions of fairness to carefully consider and develop explanations for tax provisions.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

7

Berkowitz, Monroe, Kalman Rupp, and David C. Stapleton. "Growth in Disability Benefits: Explanations and Policy Implications." Industrial and Labor Relations Review 53, no. 1 (October 1999): 159. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2696172.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

8

Ferguson, William L., Kalman Rupp, and David C. Stapleton. "Growth in Disability Benefits: Explanations and Policy Implications." Journal of Risk and Insurance 68, no. 4 (December 2001): 715. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2691547.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

9

Topin, Nicholay, and Manuela Veloso. "Generation of Policy-Level Explanations for Reinforcement Learning." Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence 33 (July 17, 2019): 2514–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33012514.

Full text

Abstract:

Though reinforcement learning has greatly benefited from the incorporation of neural networks, the inability to verify the correctness of such systems limits their use. Current work in explainable deep learning focuses on explaining only a single decision in terms of input features, making it unsuitable for explaining a sequence of decisions. To address this need, we introduce Abstracted Policy Graphs, which are Markov chains of abstract states. This representation concisely summarizes a policy so that individual decisions can be explained in the context of expected future transitions. Additionally, we propose a method to generate these Abstracted Policy Graphs for deterministic policies given a learned value function and a set of observed transitions, potentially off-policy transitions used during training. Since no restrictions are placed on how the value function is generated, our method is compatible with many existing reinforcement learning methods. We prove that the worst-case time complexity of our method is quadratic in the number of features and linear in the number of provided transitions, O(|F|2|tr samples|). By applying our method to a family of domains, we show that our method scales well in practice and produces Abstracted Policy Graphs which reliably capture relationships within these domains.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

10

Nezhyva, O. "FUTUROLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF THE NEW UKRAINIAN EDUCATIONAL POLICY." Zhytomyr Ivan Franko state university journal. Рedagogical sciences, no. 2(109) (October 19, 2022): 16–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.35433/pedagogy.2(109).2022.16-28.

Full text

Abstract:

The article considers the peculiarities of futurological explications of the new educational policy in Ukraine. It also shows the existing contradictions in the development of the state education policy of Ukraine and the importance for transitive societies of its formation on a democratic basis, actualizing the development and implementation of the policy of reforming the national education system. At the same time, the peculiarities of the formation and development of the Soviet and European education system are analyzed. Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages. The article notes that educational policy should move away from monosubjectivity and become polysubjective. To do this, it should be based on state, as well as on public, social mechanisms of activity regulation, make and keep a favorable environment for the existence and functioning of other opportunities, which is a necessary condition for the establishment of free educational interaction and the understanding of education as a practice of freedom. The article illustrates the main provisions of the Ukrainian educational policy based on the Ukrainian national idea. These provisions provide for the following: education policy of Ukraine should be based on the recognition of the fact of the birth of individuality, as well as be based on the principle of "do no harm"; an individual approach to pupils and students requires certain changes in the organization of the system; relevance of the language issue in education; it is necessary to establish independent public control over the quality of educational services provided and their compliance with modern world standards; it is necessary to go away from the trendy of the received diploma, and it is also necessary to strive for constant professional growth of all categories of the population: from teachers to motorists. The article illustrates the main provisions of the Ukrainian educational policy based on the Ukrainian national idea. These provisions provide for the following: Ukrainian educational policy should be based on the recognition of the fact of the birth of individuality, as well as be based on the principle of "do no harm"; an individual approach to pupils and students requires certain changes in the organization of the system; relevance of the language issue in education; it is necessary to establish free public control over the quality of educational services provided and their compliance with modern world standards; it is necessary to go away from the cult of the received diploma, and it is also necessary to strive for constant professional growth of all categories of the population: from teachers to motorists. And this growth should be accompanied by diplomas obtained, and from educational institutions of authority not only in Ukraine, but also abroad. Besides, this growth should be accompanied by diplomas obtained, and from educational institutions of authority not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

11

Mourmouras, Alexandros, and Peter Rangazas. "FISCAL POLICY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT." Macroeconomic Dynamics 13, no. 4 (September 2009): 450–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1365100509080171.

Full text

Abstract:

This paper offers possible explanations for three generally observed facts about fiscal policy and development: (F1) the relative size of government increases as an economy develops, (F2) the rise in government and taxation are associated with rising or constant economic growth rates, and (F3) today's developing countries have larger government sectors than today's developed countries had at similar stages of development. The explanations for these facts are based on the structural transformation from traditional to modern production, rising public infrastructure investment, and less democratic governments in many of today's developing economies.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

12

Hurka, Steffen, Christian Adam, and Christoph Knill. "Is Morality Policy Different? Testing Sectoral and Institutional Explanations of Policy Change." Policy Studies Journal 45, no. 4 (March 22, 2016): 688–712. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/psj.12153.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

13

Huhe, Narisong, Daniel Naurin, and Robert Thomson. "The evolution of political networks: Evidence from the Council of the European Union." European Union Politics 19, no. 1 (November 14, 2017): 25–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1465116517740228.

Full text

Abstract:

We test two of the main explanations of the formation of political ties. The first states that political actors are more likely to form a relationship if they have similar policy preferences. The second explanation, from network theory, predicts that the likelihood of a tie between two actors depends on the presence of certain relationships with other actors. Our data consist of a unique combination of actors' policy positions and their network relations over time in the Council of the European Union. We find evidence that both types of explanations matter, although there seems to be variation in the extent to which preference similarity affects network evolution. We consider the implications of these findings for understanding the decision-making in the Council.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

14

Romer, Christina D. "Changes in Business Cycles: Evidence and Explanations." Journal of Economic Perspectives 13, no. 2 (May 1, 1999): 23–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/jep.13.2.23.

Full text

Abstract:

This paper shows that the volatility of annual real macroeconomic indicators for the United States and the average severity of recessions have declined only slightly between the pre-World War I and post-World War II eras. Recessions have, however, become somewhat less frequent and more uniform. It argues that the advent of macroeconomic policy after World War II can account for both the observed continuity and change. Countercyclical monetary policy and automatic stabilizers have prolonged postwar expansions and prevented severe depressions. At the same time, policy-induced booms and recessions have led to continued volatility of the postwar economy.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

15

Zhang, Qiaoning, Xi Jessie Yang, and Lionel P. Robert. "Drivers’ Age and Automated Vehicle Explanations." Sustainability 13, no. 4 (February 11, 2021): 1948. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13041948.

Full text

Abstract:

Automated vehicles (AV) have the potential to benefit our society. Providing explanations is one approach to facilitating AV trust by decreasing uncertainty about automated decision-making. However, it is not clear whether explanations are equally beneficial for drivers across age groups in terms of trust and anxiety. To examine this, we conducted a mixed-design experiment with 40 participants divided into three age groups (i.e., younger, middle-age, and older). Participants were presented with: (1) no explanation, or (2) explanation given before or (3) after the AV took action, or (4) explanation along with a request for permission to take action. Results highlight both commonalities and differences between age groups. These results have important implications in designing AV explanations and promoting trust.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

16

Wallinga, D., G. Rayner, and T. Lang. "Antimicrobial resistance and biological governance: explanations for policy failure." Public Health 129, no. 10 (October 2015): 1314–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2015.08.012.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

17

Norris, Pippa. "Cultural Explanations of Electoral Reform: A Policy Cycle Model." West European Politics 34, no. 3 (May 2011): 531–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2011.555982.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

18

Igudia, Eghosa O. "Exploring the theories, determinants and policy options of street vending: A demand-side approach." Urban Studies 57, no. 1 (May 2, 2019): 56–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042098019835736.

Full text

Abstract:

Street vending has become an increasingly common feature of urban centres for several decades, with a relatively high proportion of developing countries’ populations depending on it for employment, income or survival. Taking a supply-side approach, studies have shown that the responses of urban planners to street vending have followed the modernism theory. In this paper, we take a demand-side (buyer-focused) approach to studying street vending, which has received little attention to date from the academic community. Employing data from Lagos state, Nigeria, we report four explanations underpinning the demand side of street vending: formal economy failures, social/redistributive explanations, financial gains and a multifeature explanation. These are, in turn, explained by the marital status, level of education and perception of individuals. Our findings highlight the need for urban planners to embrace pragmatic policies in addressing these demand-side drivers of street vending and use of urban space, rather than criminalising its actors.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

19

LINDBECK, ASSAR, and DENNIS J. SNOWER. "EXPLANATIONS OF UNEMPLOYMENT." Oxford Review of Economic Policy 1, no. 2 (1985): 34–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/1.2.34.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

20

Morton, Rebecca B. "Incomplete Information and Ideological Explanations of Platform Divergence." American Political Science Review 87, no. 2 (June 1993): 382–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2939048.

Full text

Abstract:

One of the paradoxes of formal spatial voting models is the robustness of the theoretical result that candidates will converge toward centrists positions and the empirical observation of persistent policy divergence of candidates. A solution is that candidates are ideological (have policy preferences). When candidates have policy preferences and incomplete information about voter preferences, then platform divergence is theoretically predicted. Experimental tests of the ideological model are presented. It is shown that platform divergence is significant when candidates are ideological and have incomplete information about voter preferences. However, candidate positions are more convergent, on average, than the theory predicts, suggesting that subjects value winning independently of the expected payment.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

21

kahl, sigrun. "the religious roots of modern poverty policy: catholic, lutheran, and reformed protestant traditions compared." European Journal of Sociology 46, no. 1 (April 2005): 91–126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003975605000044.

Full text

Abstract:

this paper shows that religion is a basic principle that underlies modern poverty policy. however, it has played out in very different ways in societies according to the relative predominance of catholic, lutheran, and calvinist heritages. though religion is but one explanation for why we deal with the poor as we do today, systematically accounting for denominational differences in poor relief traditions can help to answer a series of otherwise perplexing cross-national differences in poverty policy and enrich existing explanations of the welfare state.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

22

De Bièvre, Dirk, and Arlo Poletti. "Towards Explaining Varying Degrees of Politicization of EU Trade Agreement Negotiations." Politics and Governance 8, no. 1 (March 31, 2020): 243–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/pag.v8i1.2686.

Full text

Abstract:

Over the last decade, European Union (EU) trade agreement negotiations in the form of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada have been strongly contested. By contrast, many other EU trade negotiations have sailed on with far less politicization, or barely any at all. In this contribution, we assess a series of plausible explanation for these very varying degrees of politicization across EU trade agreement negotiations—conceived of as the combination of polarization of opinions, salience given to them in public debate, and the expansion of the number of societal actors involved therein. Through a review of existing explanations, we show how each of these explanations faces a set of challenges. In the third section, we argue it is useful to conceive of these existing explanations as structural background conditions enabling agency on the part of interest group and civil society organizations. We therefore close by sketching how literature on the relationship between interest group mobilization and public opinion could inform further comparative research on trade policy negotiations, and on politicization of EU policy making in general.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

23

Baker, H. Kent, and Imad Jabbouri. "How Moroccan institutional investors view dividend policy." Managerial Finance 43, no. 12 (December 4, 2017): 1332–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/mf-06-2017-0215.

Full text

Abstract:

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how Moroccan institutional investors view dividend policy. It discusses the importance these investors attach to the dividend policy of their investee firms, how much influence they exercise in shaping investee firms’ dividend policies, their reactions to changes in dividends, and their views on various explanations for paying dividends. Design/methodology/approach A mail survey provides a respondent and firm profile and responses to 28 questions involving various explanations for paying dividends and 30 questions on different dividend issues. Findings Institutional investors attach substantial importance to dividend policy and prefer high dividend payments. Although liquidity needs are a major driver, taxes play little role in shaping dividend preferences. Respondents agree with multiple explanations for paying dividends giving the strongest support to catering, bird-in-the-hand, life cycle, signaling, and agency theories. Research limitations/implications Despite a high response rate, the number of respondents limits partitioning the sample and testing for significant differences between different groups. Practical implications The lack of communication between Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) listed firms and institutional investors may depress stock prices and increase volatility. The results suggest agency problems and a weak governance environment at the CSE. Originality/value This study documents the importance that institutional investors place on dividend policy, their reactions to changes in their investees’ dividend policy, and the methods used to influence these firms. It extends previous research by reporting the level of support Moroccan institutional investors give to various explanations for paying dividends.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

24

Baker, H. Kent, and Sujata Kapoor. "Dividend policy in India: new survey evidence." Managerial Finance 41, no. 2 (February 9, 2015): 182–204. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/mf-01-2014-0024.

Full text

Abstract:

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey managers of dividend-paying firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India to learn their views about the factors influencing dividend policy, dividend issues, and explanations for paying cash dividends and repurchasing shares. The authors compare the results to other dividend surveys based on firms in Indonesia, Canada, and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use questionnaire to gather primary data from a sample of 500 firms listed on the NSE. Findings – The most important determinants of dividends involve earnings (the stability of earnings as well as the level of current and expected future earnings) and the pattern of past dividends. Comparing the overall rankings of the 21 factors by respondents from Indian firms to those of Indonesian, Canadian, and US firms reveals statistically significant correlations. Respondents also perceive that dividend policy affects firm value. Respondents also view maintaining an uninterrupted record of dividends as important. The most highly supported explanations for paying cash dividends concern signaling, the firm life cycle, and catering. Although none of the theories of repurchasing shares is dominant, respondents provide little support for the agency explanation. Research limitations/implications – Although the tests suggest that the sample does not suffer from non-response bias, the findings should be viewed as suggestive rather than definitive because of the relatively low response rate. Originality/value – The paper presents new evidence about dividend policy of Indian firms. To the knowledge, this is the most comprehensive survey of Indian firms to date that captures managerial perceptions on both cash dividends and share repurchases.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

25

Walsh, Dawn. "Taoisigh & Prime Ministers’ policies towards extremists in Northern Ireland 1985-1996." Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science 18 (November 1, 2012): 121–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.22151/politikon.18.10.

Full text

Abstract:

Several different explanations of policy change based on notions of learning have emerged in policy literature. These explanations can largely be divided into those that deal with policy learning and those relating to policy adaptation. Policy learning is a fundamental process that involves re-thinking primary values, altering the goals of policy and constructing complex cause and effect chains as the result of processing new knowledge in the policy area provided by epistemic communities. Policy adaptation, on the other hand, is an ad hoc process of change where fundamental values remain constant and only the means of achieving goals change not the goals themselves. This paper applies these possible explanations to the case of the policy change effected by the British and Irish governments in relation to negotiating with extremists in Northern Ireland 1985-1996; a policy change that has been cited as being pivotal to the success of that peace process.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

26

Lau, James, and Joern H. Block. "Corporate payout policy in founder and family firms." Corporate Ownership and Control 11, no. 3 (2014): 95–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv11i3p7.

Full text

Abstract:

This paper investigates the tax and agency explanations of corporate payout policy by investigating the likelihood, the level and the method of payout in founder and family firms. Controlling founders and families are both subject to the tax disadvantage of dividends arising from their substantial shareholdings, but family firms are arguably subject to more severe agency conflicts than founder firms due to their susceptibility to wasteful expenditure and the adverse effects of intra-family conflicts. Results indicate that founder firms on average are less likely and pay a lower level of dividends than family firms. Moreover, founder firms prefer share repurchase over dividends as the main method of payout whereas family firms prefer dividends over share repurchase. Overall, our findings are consistent with the agency explanation of corporate payout policy.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

27

Therborn, Goran. "Does Corporatism Really Matter? The economic crisis and issues of political theory." Journal of Public Policy 7, no. 3 (July 1987): 259–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0143814x0000444x.

Full text

Abstract:

ABSTRACTIn spite of a recently growing interest in corporatism as a political explanation of cross-national variations of economic performance and as a device for successful crisis management, there is little evidence that corporatism matters as a determinant of economic outcomes. Two kinds of corporatism – as a pattern of interest intermediation or industrial relations, and as a system of concerted public policy-making – are distinguished and tested with OECD data from the 1973 – 85 crisis. Little or no support for either corporatist explanation was found. Alternative perspectives of industrial relations, labour organisations, public policy concertation, state administration, and politico-economic institutions are discussed as offering more promising explanations of differences in governments’ responses to economic crisis.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

28

Moon, Bruce E. "Consensus or compliance? Foreign-policy change and external dependence." International Organization 39, no. 2 (1985): 297–329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0020818300026989.

Full text

Abstract:

The foreign-policy behavior of weak states, conventional wisdom holds, is largely determined by a process of bargaining with a dominant state. Compliance with the dominant state's preferences is viewed as necessary to the maintenance of economic exchange relations that benefit the weak state. Evidence for such a theory has been found in cross-sectional correlations of aid and trade with UN voting. However, such empirical studies have ignored alternative explanations, overlooked elements of the statistical record, and failed to examine the logic of the bargaining model. The assumptions of the bargaining model are vulnerable to criticism; an alternative model emphasizes multiple constraints on the behavior of both the strong and the weak nation in an asymmetrical dyad. Reanalysis of the data uncovers strong evidence of an explanation for foreign-policy continuity rooted in dependency. Dependency permeates and transforms the political system of dependent nations, thus bringing about constrained consensus rather than compliance. Furthermore, the data provide strong evidence for an explanation of foreign-policy change in both nations that centers on regime change, not on bargaining with an external actor.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

29

Nessel, S. "Consumer Policy in 28 EU Member States: An Empirical Assessment in Four Dimensions." Journal of Consumer Policy 42, no. 4 (September 16, 2019): 455–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10603-019-09428-x.

Full text

Abstract:

Abstract This article examines consumer policy in 28 EU Member States. It introduces a new methodological framework and several indicators to analyse legal, social, enforcement, and associational dimensions of consumer policy. Drawing on the most recent data, the empirical results provide a detailed picture of consumer policy across Europe displayed in several indices. The results furthermore allow for statistically testing consumer policy regimes, as suggested by previous research. These indices reveal great differences between individual countries but only few instances of statistically significant differences between consumer policy regimes. Considering legal and political accounts as well as sociological explanations that have not yet been applied, possible explanations for these findings are discussed. It is concluded that comparative consumer policy analysis should further analyse differences between individual European countries in several dimensions and should not only account for consumer policy regimes from a legal or a political science perspective. The methodological framework and the theoretical explanations outlined in this article may help to accomplish this goal.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

30

Coibion, Olivier, and Yuriy Gorodnichenko. "Why Are Target Interest Rate Changes so Persistent?" American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics 4, no. 4 (October 1, 2012): 126–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/mac.4.4.126.

Full text

Abstract:

While the degree of policy inertia in central banks' reaction functions is a central ingredient in theoretical and empirical monetary economics, the source of the observed policy inertia in the United States is controversial, with tests of competing hypotheses, such as interest-smoothing and persistent-shocks, being inconclusive. This paper employs real time data; nested specifications with flexible time series structures; narratives; interest rate forecasts of the Fed, financial markets, and professional forecasters; and instrumental variables to discriminate between competing explanations of policy inertia. The evidence strongly favors the interest-smoothing explanation and thus can help resolve a key puzzle in monetary economics. (JEL C53, E43, E47, E52, E58)

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

31

Moravcsik, Andrew M. "Disciplining trade finance: the OECD Export Credit Arrangement." International Organization 43, no. 1 (1989): 173–205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0020818300004598.

Full text

Abstract:

The salience of tariffs, quotas, and other import restrictions in current discussions of trade policy obscures what may well become a more significant form of government intervention: subsidized export promotion. Over the past two decades, subsidized trade finance has been one of the most widely used instruments of export promotion. This article offers an historical description and a theoretical explanation for the success of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Export Credit Arrangement, an international regime restricting the provision of subsidized trade finance. The explanation emphasizes three factors: the structure of government institutions, the relative power of states, and the functional value of information. More generally, the analysis demonstrates the inherent weaknesses of monocausal explanations of international cooperation and the advantages of explanations based on a conception of international cooperation as a multistage, process, each stage of which may be explained by a separate theory.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

32

Fox, James Alan, and Jack Levin. "Mass Murder in America: Trends, Characteristics, Explanations, and Policy Response." Homicide Studies 26, no. 1 (October 16, 2021): 27–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10887679211043803.

Full text

Abstract:

Mass murder, especially involving a firearm, has been a subject of increasing interest among criminologists over the past decade. Lacking an existing and reliable data resource for studying these crimes, several organizations have launched their own database initiatives with, unfortunately, little consensus on definition. As a result, there is confusion regarding the nature and trends of such events. In this paper, we rely on the Associated Press/USA Today/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database, which provides the widest coverage of incidents in the U.S. with four or more victim fatalities, regardless of location, situation, or weapon. First, we present trends in incidents and victimization of mass killings from 2006 through 2020, followed by an examination of various incident, offender, and victim characteristics, distinguishing among the major subtypes. Next, we detail a motivational typology of mass murder and identify the common contributing factors. Finally, we consider the potential effects of certain policy responses related to media coverage, mental health services, and gun restrictions on the prevalence of mass killing.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

33

Rajagopalan, Rajesh. "US policy towards South Asia: The relevance of structural explanations." Strategic Analysis 23, no. 12 (March 2000): 1997–2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09700160008455177.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

34

McDonald, Paula, Kerry Brown, and Lisa Bradley. "Explanations for the provision‐utilisation gap in work‐life policy." Women in Management Review 20, no. 1 (January 2005): 37–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09649420510579568.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

35

Green, Erik. "Modern Agricultural History in Malawi: Perspectives on Policy-Choice Explanations." African Studies Review 50, no. 3 (December 2007): 115–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/arw.2008.0034.

Full text

Abstract:

Abstract:Development research is often associated with issues of policy. Researchers aim to increase our contextual and theoretical knowledge to enhance the creation of “good” development policies. One way of doing this is to identify and learn from harmful policies of the past. The objective of this article is to examine such policy-choice explanations by looking at the dominant understandings of the modern history of agriculture in Malawi. These perspectives share the view that the high level of rural poverty is, to a great extent, an outcome of the agricultural policies implemented by the colonial and postcolonial governments. Of crucial importance are the mechanisms whereby the state actively tried to transfer resources from the smallholder sector to the state or to the estate sector. This had a negative impact on the production capacity of the smallholder sector. This article notes that the focus on policies alone is not a sufficient approach to understand the dynamics and limitations of the smallholder sector. The article also points to some methodological weaknesses with policy-choice explanations that are relevant for development research in general.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

36

Dasgupta, Sunil. "The Promise and Limits of Structural Explanations of Foreign Policy." Asia Policy 25, no. 2 (2018): 142–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/asp.2018.0030.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

37

Altissimo, Filippo, Pierpaolo Benigno, and Diego Rodriguez Palenzuela. "Inflation Differentials in a Currency Area: Facts, Explanations and Policy." Open Economies Review 22, no. 2 (October 27, 2010): 189–233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11079-010-9189-6.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

38

Karagiannis, Yannis. "The origins of European competition policy: redistributive versus ideational explanations." Journal of European Public Policy 20, no. 5 (May 2013): 777–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2012.736726.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

39

Haule, John James. "United States foreign telecommunications policy goals-issues, explanations and prospects." Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands) 44, no. 1 (August 1989): 27–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001654928904400102.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

40

Chavan, Abhaysingh, and Rajendra R. Vaidya. "Collateralized Lending by Indian Banks: Some Explanations and Policy Implications." Journal of Quantitative Economics 3, no. 1 (January 2005): 74–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf03404776.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

41

Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali, Miriam J. Haviland, and Alice M. Ellyson. "Firearm Policy and Youth Suicide—In Pursuit of Mechanistic Explanations." JAMA Network Open 3, no. 11 (November 4, 2020): e2024920. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.24920.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

42

Goodin, Robert E., and Julian Le Grand. "Creeping Universalism in the Welfare State: Evidence from Australia." Journal of Public Policy 6, no. 3 (July 1986): 255–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0143814x00004025.

Full text

Abstract:

ABSTRACTThere are good reasons to suppose that the non-poor will infiltrate welfare programmes originally targeted on the poor. This paper discusses this phenomenon of ‘creeping universalisation’ and provides a number of possible explanations for it. Evidence is used from Australia to show that creeping universalisation does indeed occur, and to test the competing explanations. It is concluded that the most likely explanation for the phenomenon is individual behavioural responses: that is, the non-poor respond to the imposition of a means-test by re-arranging their affairs, legitimately or illegitimately, so as to pass the test.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

43

Pirani, Pietro. "‘The way we were’: the social construction of Italian security policy." Modern Italy 15, no. 2 (May 2010): 217–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13532940903573639.

Full text

Abstract:

Italian security policy literature reveals, usually implicitly rather than explicitly, two distinct strains of analysis. One set of explanations, rooted in realist theory, views Italian foreign policy behaviour by reference to its power position. A second set of arguments, rooted in liberalism, assumes that policy-makers are ultimately influenced by domestic institutional factors in deciding foreign policy issues. The purpose of this article is to offer a theoretical contribution to the ongoing debate on continuity and change in Italian foreign policy. While neorealist and liberal theories have been widely used to explain the development of Italian international behaviour, neither approach has yet provided a full explanation of Italian security policy since the end of the Cold War. In contrast to these theories, it is argued that Italy has built its foreign policy on the basis of cultural considerations involving conflicting strategies of action.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

44

Kiely, Ray. "Neoliberalism Revised? A Critical Account of World Bank Conceptions of Good Governance and Market Friendly Intervention." International Journal of Health Services 28, no. 4 (October 1998): 683–702. http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/rpmg-jyb5-8dn6-ac30.

Full text

Abstract:

This article examines recent World Bank reports on the role of the state in the development process, with particular reference to the rise of the East Asian newly industrializing countries and the crisis of “governance” in sub-Saharan Africa. The concepts of market friendly intervention and good governance are critically discussed, and are found to be inadequate as explanations for East Asian “success” and African “failure.” The author presents an alternative explanation for the rise of the newly industrializing countries, which draws out some of the implications for the developing world.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

45

Almas Haider Naqvi and Dr Syed Qandil Abbas Assistant Professor. "Russian South Asia Policy: From Estrangement to Pragmatism." Strategic Studies 42, no. 1 (August 4, 2022): 97–115. http://dx.doi.org/10.53532/ss.042.01.0011.

Full text

Abstract:

This paper is an attempt to analyse the Soviet and Post-Soviet Russian policy responses towards the South Asia particularly India and Pakistan contextualising how the systemic pressures stimulated from balance of power and intervened by domestic factors specifically ideology and leaders’ images played important role in policy formulation and execution. Majority explanations of Soviet-Russian South Asian policy do not offer analysis of inside-out interactions. Incorporation of domestic factors in analysis would provide better explanation of Soviet-Russian policy and the key developments in South Asia. Soft-positivist methodology with qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to analyse data from primary and secondary sources. The paper categorises four distinct phases of Russian South Asia policy responses; Estrangement (1947-1953), Engagement (1954-1971), Indo-Centrality (1971-1991), Pragmatism (1991-2022) stimulated by systemic and intervened by domestic factors. Balancing and competition with the United States (US) and China primarily motivates Soviet Union to shape policy but ideology, leaders’ perceptions and images also influenced.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

46

Baker, H. Kent, Sujata Kapoor, and Imad Jabbouri. "Institutional perspectives of dividend policy in India." Qualitative Research in Financial Markets 10, no. 3 (August 6, 2018): 324–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/qrfm-07-2017-0067.

Full text

Abstract:

Purpose This study aims to examine dividend policy from the perspective of institutional investors in India. It focuses on the level of importance these investors attach to the dividend policy of their investee firms, the level of influence they exercise in shaping such firms’ dividend policies and their reactions to changes in dividends. This study also reports how institutional investors view various explanations for paying dividends. Design/methodology/approach A mail survey provides a profile of respondents and their firms, as well as responses to 29 closed-ended questions involving various explanations for paying dividends and 22 closed-ended questions on various dividend issues. Findings The evidence shows that Indian institutional investors attach substantial importance to dividend policy and prefer high dividend payments. Their reactions to dividend changes are asymmetric. Taxes are a major driver for why they seek dividends, whereas liquidity needs to play little role in shaping their preferences. The two most commonly used methods of active monitoring are selling shares and communicating concerns to investee companies. Research limitations/implications The number of responses limits the ability to test for statistically significant differences between the various competing hypotheses. Practical implications The findings support multiple explanations for paying cash dividends and provide new evidence supporting the positive relation between inflation and dividend payments. Originality/value This study provides the first survey evidence on the views of institutional investors on dividend policy in India.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

47

ALTMAN, DAVID, and ROSSANA CASTIGLIONI. "Determinants of Equitable Social Policy in Latin America (1990–2013)." Journal of Social Policy 49, no. 4 (October 4, 2019): 763–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047279419000734.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractThe fact that equitable social policy expanded drastically in Latin America during the left turn and during a time of prosperity does not necessarily mean that the ideological color of governing parties and economic growth are the engines behind changes in social policy, as is usually claimed by part of the literature. Using panel data from Latin American countries for 1990–2013, this paper offers an alternative explanation, derived from previous qualitative research, that the level of political competition, the strength of civil society, and wealth are the key factors behind the expansion of equitable social policy. Once these explanations are included in our models, the ideological leaning of governments and economic growth lose statistical significance. Thus, this paper challenges dominant approaches that consider social policy change in Latin America a consequence of the ideological leaning of the government and economic growth.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

48

Cvetanovic, Slobodan, Milorad Filipovic, Miroljub Nikolic, and Dusko Belovic. "Endogenous growth theory and regional development policy." Spatium, no. 34 (2015): 10–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/spat1534010c.

Full text

Abstract:

The numerous versions of endogenous explanations of economic growth emphasize the importance of technological change driving forces, as well as the existence of appropriate institutional arrangements. Endogenous growth theory contributes to a better understanding of various experiences with long-term growth of countries and regions. It changes the key assumptions of the Neoclassical growth theory and participates in the modern regional development physiology explanation. Based on these conclusions, the paper: a) explicates the most important theoretical postulates of the theory, b) explains the most important factors of economic growth in the regions in light of the Endogenous growth theory messages and c) emphasizes the key determinants of regional competitiveness which in our view is conceptually between the phenomena of micro- and macro-competitiveness and represents their necessary and unique connection. First of all, micro-competitiveness is transformed into a regional competitiveness; then regional competitiveness is transformed into a macro-competitiveness. In turn, macro - influences the microeconomic competitiveness, and the circle is closed. After that, the process starts over again.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

49

MAXFIELD, SYLVIA. "Bankers' Alliances and Economic Policy Patterns." Comparative Political Studies 23, no. 4 (January 1991): 419–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0010414091023004001.

Full text

Abstract:

This article suggests an organizational or institutional explanation of economic policy patterns which differs significantly from state- or society-centered explanations and those based on international factors. Bankers' alliances, defined as interest coalitions of public and private financiers, play an important role in shaping economic policy. The stronger the bankers' alliance, the more likely that long-run economic policy patterns will feature orthodox policies such as tight monetary policy and limited government intervention in financial or foreign exchange markets. The historical organization of state economic agencies, and of capital, create national environments more or less conducive to formation of strong bankers' alliances. The three key variables center on: (a) the timing and actors involved in central bank formation, (b) the relationship between the central bank and other state economic policy-making agencies, and (c) the extent of conglomeration between industrial and financial enterprises and its impact on state control of investment financing. Comparative history of the Mexican and Brazilian cases provides preliminary evidence with which to explore the proposed relationship between organizational features of the state and capital, the political influence of bankers' alliances, and economic policy patterns.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

50

Bauerle Danzman, Sarah. "Foreign direct investment policy, domestic firms, and financial constraints." Business and Politics 22, no. 2 (July 22, 2019): 279–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/bap.2019.13.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractThe past three decades have witnessed a spectacular evolution in policies toward foreign direct investment (FDI). Whose interests do these policy innovations reflect? While existing theory suggests popular pressure drives openness, I argue reforms occur when shifts in financial access change local economic elites’ policy preferences toward FDI. When large domestic firms no longer have access to cheap credit through political connections, liquidity constraints outweigh firms' preferences to exclude foreigners. Economic elites then pressure governments to pursue liberal FDI policy environments. Using a combination of measures of FDI policy for up to 166 countries from 1973–2015, I find increases in financial constraints are robustly associated with decreases in foreign equity restrictions, and this relationship is strongest when domestic political institutions favor business interests. A financing constraints explanation of FDI policy reform has important implications for explanations of policy change, theories of business power amid increased interdependence, and expectations over the distributive effects of globalization.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

Journal articles on the topic 'Policy Explanations'

Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles