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2761. Speed of Convergence and Relocation: New EU Member Countries Catching up with the Old

Author:
Kari E. O. Alho, Ville Kaitili, and Mike Widgrén
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
Economic convergence of the EU's new member countries (NMCs) towards the incumbent EU countries (EU-15) is of paramount importance for both partners, not only in terms of real income but also in nominal terms. In this study we build a dynamic, computable general equilibrium model, starting from the Balassa-Samuelson two-sector framework, then modify and enlarge it (with, among other things, endogenous capital formation, consumption behaviour and labour mobility) to address several other issues such as uncertainty, welfare and sustainability in terms of foreign indebtedness. At the same time we make flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) endogenous in order to evaluate the impact convergence has on the EU-15 and the inter action between the two regions through FDI. We find that in a general equilibrium setting, fears of adverse effects resulting from a relocation of EU-15 manufacturing to the NMCs are not well founded.
Topic:
International Relations, Development, Economics, and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:
Europe

2762. The Rise of China with Special Reference to Arms Supplies

Author:
Peter Brookes, Bruno Tertrais, and Alexei D. Voskressenski
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
Like the rest of the world, Europe has been fascinated by the emergence of China for a long time, and there has been an official relationship between the EU and the People's Republic of China for 30 years now. This relationship was upgraded in 1998. It now takes the form of a China-EU summit every year, the latest having taken place in December 2004. The EU became China's main trading partner in 2004, with trade between the two parties soaring to €160 billion.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation and Development
Political Geography:
China, Europe, and Asia

2763. Integration and Conditional Convergence in the Enlarged EU Area

Author:
Ville Kaitila
Publication Date:
02-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
This working paper analyses conditional convergence in Europe and also tries to assess the impact that arises from integration. Using a pooled mean-group estimation method, we first analyse the conditional convergence of GDP per labour force in the area covering the 15 member states of the European Union (EU-15) in 1960-2002. Conditional convergence is well-documented for the EU- 15. Higher investment, lower public consumption and lower inflation have contributed positively to GDP growth. Deeper European integration is shown to have accelerated growth when inflation is not included in the specification, but not otherwise. The evidence on the effect of integration on growth is therefore mixed. We then apply the same method to estimate the growth of GDP per labour force in the new EU member states – the eight Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) – for the period 1993-2002. These countries are shown to have converged conditionally towards the average level of GDP per labour force in the EU-15. Higher investment and lower public consumption have also supported growth in the CEECs.
Topic:
International Relations and Development
Political Geography:
Europe

2764. State Building under Foreign Supervision: Intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1996-2003

Author:
Senada Šelo Šabić
Publication Date:
05-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian National Defence Academy
Abstract:
This introductory chapter frames the ideas that have preoccupied me in relation to the nature of post-war re conciliation among the parties to the Bosnian conflict and the role of external actors in facilitating this reconciliation. This thesis is the result of my profound interest in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the doubts raised with regards to its fate: whether or not this newborn is a stillborn? My interest in the case in hand led me to explore several fascinating topics, most of which triggered new ideas and an ambition to research them more fully.
Topic:
Development, International Cooperation, International Organization, International Political Economy, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans

2765. After Intervention: Public Security Management in Post-Conflict Societies - From Intervention to Sustainable Local Ownership

Author:
Anja H. Ebnöther and Philipp H. Fluri
Publication Date:
08-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian National Defence Academy
Abstract:
The transition from interventionist (military) peace-keeping to local (civilian) ownership of public security management has proved not only to be a severe challenge for most peace-keeping operations and their civilian administrators, but also a reason for such operations being prolonged at tremendous cost. In many cases, peace-keeping operations and/or other international agents rapidly became part of the local economy, and thus contributed to the preservation of the status quo rather than to a sustainable process leading toward local governance; meanwhile local police organs - often remnants of the winning force in the antecedent conflict - remained tribal or clannish in their approaches and interests. They could thus hardly be seen as enforcement agencies of a law which remains equally applied to all citizens.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Security, Development, International Organization, and War
Political Geography:
Iraq, Middle East, and Balkans

2766. Angola - Drivers of Change: An Overview

Author:
Alex Vines, Nicholas Shaxson, and Lisa Rimli
Publication Date:
05-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chatham House
Abstract:
Angola has undergone dramatic economic and political changes since independence from Portugal in 1975, and continues to face severe challenges three decades later. An open democratic process has not yet been established, the economy faces deep-rooted structural imbalances, and the country's international relations have undergone many shifts and changes, so that it is currently again in a major transitional era.
Topic:
Civil Society, Democratization, Development, Government, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Africa

2767. The Sources of Stigma for Means-Tested Government Programs

Author:
Jennifer Stuber and Mark Schlesinger
Publication Date:
03-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Robert Wood Johnson Health Society Scholars Program
Abstract:
Stigma has been shown to discourage participation in means-tested government programs. Prior research cannot explain why this deterrent effect varies in intensity across different individuals and programs. We develop a more comprehensive model of the possible determinants of stigma associated with means-tested programs than has previously been suggested by studies of welfare stigma. We test hypotheses using unique data based on interviews with 1405 respondents in ten states and the District of Columbia. The results suggest that there are two distinct forms of stigma related to participation in means-tested government programs: one related to self-identity, the other to threats of negative treatment. Both forms of stigma are more pronounced for welfare compared to Medicaid. The sources of stigma identified by conventional treatments of welfare stigma (e.g. individual attributions of responsibility for poverty) have significant explanatory power, but neglect other important influences. We find that stigma is exacerbated by poor health and by minority status. Stigma is also fostered by the ways in which means-tested programs are implemented, including negative interactions with case workers, long waiting times and for Medicaid, applications for benefits in alternative enrollment sites such as health centers or hospitals. These findings suggest new points of leverage for addressing the potentially deleterious consequences of stigma.
Topic:
Development, Government, Health, and Human Welfare
Political Geography:
Colombia

2768. Africa: The Development Challenges of the 21st Century

Author:
Callisto Madavo
Publication Date:
09-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Wilson Center
Abstract:
An Introduction from Africa Program Director Howard Wolpe: The following remarks were delivered by Callisto Madavo, former Vice President for Africa at the World Bank, at a Congressional Staff Forum on Africa Retreat, convened by the Woodrow Wilson International Center March 8-10, 2005. A noted Zimbabwean economist, Callisto Madavo served as World Bank Vice President 1996-2005. Over the course of a distinguished 36-year career at the Bank, which included postings in the Middle East, East Asia and Africa, Madavo witnessed both the successes and failures of poverty reduction strategies in multiple settings. Now, with the world's attention being increasingly drawn to the challenge of poverty reduction in Africa, Madavo offers an important perspective on the context and history of the economic challenges facing the continent.
Topic:
Development, Government, and Politics
Political Geography:
Africa

2769. Eye on Africa: A Scholar's Tale

Author:
Jesse Ribot
Publication Date:
06-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Wilson Center
Abstract:
Ribot is a senior associate at the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington and currently a Wilson Center fellow working on a new book on rural democracy in Africa. Several years ago, he was writing a history of forestry in French West Africa, a story of a supposed deforestation crisis from 1880-1920. The colonial government had devised odd policies to fix this nonexistent problem—policies that would not have fixed it had there been a crisis. Furthermore, the policies concentrated access to lucrative resources in the hands of a few elites. "The discourse of 'deforestation crisis' was being used to expropriate the people's resources," Ribot said. "That was the real story."
Topic:
Democratization, Development, and Third World
Political Geography:
Africa and Washington

2770. Environmental Change Security Program Report 11

Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Wilson Center
Abstract:
Since 1994, the Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) has promoted dialogue on the connections among environmental, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. ECSP brings international policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to Washington, D.C., to address the public and fellow experts.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Security, Development, and Environment
Political Geography:
Washington