Distribution Of Financial Resources Research Articles

Buenos Aires: ciudad metropolitana y gobernabilidad / Buenos Aires: Metropolitan City and Governance

El presente artículo se refiere a la ausencia de respuesta institucional en Argentina, como consecuencia de la falta de reconocimiento de la ciudad como objeto real de gobierno. Se entiende que lo metropolitano es el resultado de la intersección de una dimensión urbano territorial (crecimiento y expansión de la ciudad) y otra político territorial (la organización territorial del estado).La configuración metropolitana, desde que se iniciaron los procesos de expansión propios de la industrialización sustitutiva de importaciones hasta que se resintió el impacto de la reestructuración y la globalización, ha transformado el territorio acentuando las diferencias y las desigualdades, las fragmentaciones y las zonas excluyentes que pese a todo se complementan.Esas desigualdades se concretan en tres contradicciones fundamentales; la primera entre el ámbito territorial de los problemas y el relativo al gobierno y a la gestión local; la segunda entre el ámbito territorial de las necesidades y el de la representación política; y la última entre el ámbito territorial de las necesidades y el de los recursos. Tales contradicciones en tanto no son resueltas tienden a configurar desigualdades que se polarizan territorialmente.La cuestión metropolitana se convierte en un asunto de gobernabilidad como falta de orientación o conducción gubernamental, que deriva en problemas metropolitanos como la “ilimitada” expansión urbana, las desiguales condiciones de la calidad de vida urbana y de la seguridad ciudadana, la distribución no equitativa de los recursos financieros, la mala gestión de los servicios, las dificultades para la gestión ambiental, y la falta de un ejercicio democrático que legitime las decisiones que afectan el ámbito metropolitano.Frente a esos problemas existen alternativas institucionales que, desde la fragmentación hasta la consolidación, intentan una gobernabilidad metropolitana. No todas esas formas tienen conexión con las condiciones reales del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Su complejidad político institucional y su peso (demográfico, económico y político) en el contexto nacional, relativizan una posible solución hacia la consolidación. Frente a esas dificultades, procesos de centralización estatal y de transferencia de decisiones al mercado caracterizan la gestión urbana en esa Área Metropolitana, fortaleciendo sus contradicciones y dificultando la gobernabilidad. AbstractThis article concerns to the lack of institutional response in Argentina, as a result of the failure to recognize the city as the real object of government. Metropolitan affairs are understood to be the result of the intersection between a territorial urban dimension (growth and expansion of the city) and a territorial, political dimension (the territorial organization of the state).From the time when the processes of expansion characteristic of import- substitution industrialization began until the impact of restructuring and globalization was felt, the metropolitan configuration has transformed the territory by accentuating differences and inequalities, fragmentation and the exclusive zones which, nonetheless complement each other. These inequalities are expressed in three fundamental contradictions: the first between the territorial sphere of problems and that of government and local management, the second between the territorial sphere of needs and that of political representation and the last between the territorial sphere of needs and that of resources. As long as these contradictions remain unresolved, they tend to configure inequalities that become territorially polarized.The metropolitan issue becomes a matter of governance in the sense of the lack of government orientation or management, which leads to metropolitan problems such as “unlimited” urban expansion, unequal conditions as regards the quality of urban life and safety on the streets, the unfair distribution of financial resources, poor administra­tion of services, difficulties in environmental management and the lack of a democratic exercise legitimizing the decisions that affect the metropolitan environment.In order to deal with these problems, institutional alternatives have been created which, from fragmentation to consolidation, attempt metropolitan governance. Not all these methods, however, are linked to the actual conditions of the Buenos Aires Metro­politan Zone. Its institutional and political complexity and its demographic, economic and political importance within the national context limit possible solutions to consolida­tion. Given these difficulties, processes of state centralization and the transferal of decisions to the market characterize urban management in this metropolitan area, reinforcing its contradictions and hindering governance.

Cohabiting Couples: Rethinking Money in the Household at the Beginning of the Twenty First Century

This paper assesses the implications of existing research on the intra-household economy for current debates about the emergence of new forms of radically democratic intimate relationships in ‘late modern’ or ‘world risk’ society. The different ways in which couples organise money are particularly important in evaluating these debates because as Pahl (1989 , 1997 , 1999 ) argues, money can be seen as a tracer for other aspects of a couples' lives together, especially the power relationship between them. One of the groups currently thought to be in the vanguard of shifts to new forms of egalitarian and radically democratic intimate relationships are heterosexual cohabiting couples. So far however, there has been little, if any, research on the ways in which cohabiting couples organise money, particularly in Britain. This paper therefore assesses the possible implications of existing research on the intra-household economy amongst heterosexual couples in the UK and elsewhere, for the ways in which cohabiting couples may possibly be organising household money in Britain today, and what light this sheds on current debates about shifts towards greater equality in new forms of intimate relationships. One of the main questions underlying the discussion concerns the extent to which trends towards individualisation in intimate relationships are coming to be associated with greater sharing and equality in the distribution of financial resources, as Giddens' (1992) thesis would lead us to expect, or whether as Pahl (1999) and others ( Jamieson, 1999 ) have suggested, an increasing proportion of couples may now be coming to use individualised or privatised systems of money management which while enhancing individual control over finances, may nevertheless still be associated with the maintenance and reproduction of some very traditional gender inequalities between male and female partners, albeit in a new and apparently impersonal, ‘marketised’ form.

Resource distribution for the Basic Care Plan with equity approach, Bogotá 2002

To apply a technique that will guide financial resources distribution for the Basic Care Plan for carrying out collective actions according to different health conditions. A prior estimation of a global health index was performed by means of the analysis of major components prioritizing areas of Bogotá according to their health condition: "poor", "intermediate," and "good". A square minimum technique was applied to minimize difference between observed and expected global health index after resource investment. Resource distribution for the Basic Care Plan was achieved for twenty areas of Bogotá and a higher amount than the district median was allocated in areas with "poor" health conditions. Also, areas lacking universal health coverage were identified using the per capita resource allocation. This technique puts in evidence the disparity in health conditions between areas of "poor" health condition and those with "good" condition, in spite of the increased coverage of the Basic Plan of Attention, indicating the need of intersectorial social investment in these areas.

Economic Aspects of Epilepsy

Economic Aspects of Epilepsy

Equity and geographic distribution of financial resources in health systems

This study focuses on equity in health and specifically the geographic distribution of financial resources. The author reviews the main contemporary theories of social justice and discusses the concept of equity in general and specifically in the health field. Based on the discussion of selected international experiences (United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy), the Resource Allocation Working Party (RAWP) formula used in the United Kingdom is identified as the most adequate distributive methodology, sizing the relative needs based on the population's demographic and epidemiological profiles. Finally, the results are presented from a simulation performed for the Brazilian case, showing that a more equitable geographic distribution of financial resources would require a redistribution favoring the States of the North and Northeast. The article concludes by highlighting that a comparison of actual fund outlays by the Ministry of Health in 1994 and the results of the simulation with the RAWP methodology for the Brazilian case show that the principles written into Brazilian legislation were absent from the geographic distribution of financial resources.

Le financement de la formation professionnelle

The Funding of Continuing Education Contrary to other European states in which individual companies bear the responsibility for carrying out continuing education, in France, companies share the responsibility for the overall cost of continuing education. This system creates financial solidarity among companies and gives all social partners the responsibility for informing employees of their right to continuing education. The continuing education system remains however unsatisfactory, due to the fact that although France spends at least as much as the average European country on training, the management of funds by consular and collective intermediaries does not ensure efficient distribution of financial resources. This suggests the need for an overhaul of funding circuits in view of improved management of mutual funds.

Health sector reform in Brazil: a case study of inequity.

Health sector reform in Brazil built the Unified Health System according to a dense body of administrative instruments for organizing decentralized service networks and institutionalizing a complex decision-making arena. This article focuses on the equity in health care services. Equity is defined as a principle governing distributive functions designed to reduce or offset socially unjust inequalities, and it is applied to evaluate the distribution of financial resources and the use of health services. Even though in the Constitution the term "equity" refers to equal opportunity of access for equal needs, the implemented policies have not guaranteed these rights. Underfunding, fiscal stress, and lack of priorities for the sector have contributed to a progressive deterioration of health care services, with continuing regressive tax collection and unequal distribution of financial resources among regions. The data suggest that despite regulatory measures to increase efficiency and reduce inequalities, delivery of health care services remains extremely unequal across the country. People in lower income groups experience more difficulties in getting access to health services. Utilization rates vary greatly by type of service among income groups, positions in the labor market, and levels of education.

The Finances of Major U.S. Unions

Financial resources have a significant impact on labor's current attempt to reassert itself. We examine the total assets, net worth, and income of unions in (1) a cross‐sectional analysis of the distribution of financial resources across national, intermediate, and local levels of unions and (2) a longitudinal analysis of trends in a variety of financial measures. We observe considerable decentralization of financial resources across levels, substantial concentration of resources, and differences across and within union sectors. These results are discussed with regard to current merger activity.

Equity in the Brazilian Health Care System: a contribution for debate

In this article it is discussed some relevant issues in regard to inequalities in the consumption of health care services and the construction of more equitable health care system in Brazil. The concept of inequalities in health is distinguished from the concept of inequalities in the consumption of health care services. It is argued that the geographical dimension of health care service consumption differs from the social dimension. This implies that a better distribution of financial resources between geographical regions acts at the level of regional inequalities but might not have a positive impact on existing social inequalities. A more equitable system depends on a greater participation on the financing of the system of the richer people. It depends on the solidarity of the different social groups in society. The present situation of great scarcity of financial resources calls for a definition of priorities. Nonetheless, it is argued that the establishment of priorities in the availability of health care services is an ethical approach only if it is assumed to be a transient strategy directed to the construction of a system based in universal access for all those in need.

Toward Conceptual, Policy, and Programmatic Frameworks of Affirmative Action in South African Universities

Debate surrounding the concept and goals of affirmative action is growing in the United States and other countries. This article explicates and compares the conceptual tenets of affirmative action as they have been operationalized in the U.S. and South Africa. It critiques the positions on equity and affirmative action stated in South African policy documents and by key government policymakers, university executives, and faculty. It also presents case study data on the relationship between affirmative action and institutional change at four South African universities, identifying emerging paradigms for democracy in that nation's higher education system. INTRODUCTION Much of the development of affirmative action concepts, policies, and programs-along with much of the debate-has been centered in the United States. However, other countries have used this mechanism to redress societal inequities. In South Africa, the transformation from apartheid to democracy has highlighted the roles of institutions of higher education. The development of a critical knowledge base and the preparation of students to assume key professional and policymaking roles in various sectors are central purposes of universities. Unfortunately, the presence of Blacks (Africans, Indians/Asians, and Colored groups) and women of all races and ethnicities in South African universities as students, faculty, and professionals is still limited in various disciplines, faculties, and administrative areas. Herman (1995), for example, reports that 51 out of every thousand in South Africa's White population were enrolled in postsecondary institutions in 1991 compared to 35, 13, and 9 out of every thousand for the Indian/Asian, Colored, and African populations, respectively. The 1996 Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation, one of the South African government's major working policy documents, details staff composition trends showing that Whites and men still hold those positions with the greatest prestige, status, and influence in the nation's academy (National Commission on Higher Education, 1996b). The Green Paper further reveals that in 1993, South Africa's historically White universities (HWUs) produced 83% of all research articles generated by the nation's scholars and 81% of all master's and doctorate graduates. To change these realities, redress or affirmative action has become a salient mechanism. Increasing the percentages of underrepresented groups and women is a primary emphasis of affirmative action in higher education. Other prominent ways to redress inequities and to diversify colleges and universities include: professional development for junior professionals, academic bridge programs for students who are underprepared to engage in university work, and the equitable distribution of financial resources to the historically (Black and) disadvantaged universities (HDIs) that have served the nation's Black populations. Various levels of resistance have been encountered in the implementation of such changes in South Africa. Several reports and pieces of legislation written or passed since the 1994 democratic elections have articulated rationales and ways of ensuring fairness and equity throughout the South African university system. After presenting a brief glimpse of the disparate education provided to South Africans of various racial/ethnic groups during the apartheid era, the present article explicates and compares the conceptual tenets of affirmative action as they have been operationalized in the United States and South African contexts. It also critiques the positions on equity and affirmative action expressed by various South African educational policy documents and government officials. To portray the relationship between affirmative action policy and institutional change in the nation's HWUs and HDIs, this article presents relevant findings from the authors' qualitative study of the history and goals of four South African universities. …

A Few Thoughts on an Equalizing Transfer Payment System

The goal for the establishment of a transfer payment system has been reasonably clear, that is, to achieve an equalizing national level of public services. In other words, governments, through the transfer payment system, acquire the financial capacity to provide citizens in all regions with basic, standard (at different periods of time), and equal materials and services. In our opinion, this goal is what the transfer system will ultimately achieve in China, but it cannot be reached at present. This is because regional economic development is uneven and there is a great disparity in financial capacities across regions. Under these circumstances, the evening of the level of public services among regions requires radical changes in the current revenue distributive structure, which would no doubt be unsuitable to the development of the fiscal system in China and have unwanted consequences. The tax division system has been in operation for two years and its impact is beginning to show. Any major change in this situation would create great disturbances in the newly established order of revenue distribution and affect the stability of the fiscal system. In addition, there are financial difficulties in all regions, in both rich and poor areas, and the average financial resources merely enable government to keep the administration running and in some places this cannot even be guaranteed and, therefore, there are no extra financial resources to transfer. Furthermore, one outstanding problem in the distribution of financial resources in China at present is the insufficient effort to generate revenue in many regions. The solution to this problem is to find incentives for local governments to generate revenue. Once the revenue in every region has increased, the national financial capacity will be enlarged and the central government can acquire more financial resources. Otherwise, any unrealistic maneuvers to absorb financial resources from some regions on a large scale will severely obstruct the economic development in these regions and have a negative effect on the local incentives to generate revenue, ultimately affecting revenue growth at the central, as well as local levels. What then, should be the goal of the transfer payment system? In our opinion, it is ultimately the achievement of an equalizing level of public services on a national scale, but this achievement must go through a long process. At present, a short term goal is needed that is both practical and realistic and on the basis of which the transfer payment system can be designed.

Equipamentos de saneamento e desigualdades no espaço metropolitano do Rio de Janeiro

This article deals with the distribution of financial resources allocated to the basic sanitary systems in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area during the 1975-1991 period. The study analyzes the investments allocated by the local utility company, known as Cedae, using a spatial model produced especially for this research. The model was produced using information from the national demographic census of 1980, the only one developed within the study period. The recent changes as observed are explained on the basis of their relationship to the spatial and political contexts in the metropolis and the country, as well as from the organization of the services themselves. The paper adds important arguments to the discussion over the restructuring of metropolitan areas and urban public policies. The spatial and social distribution of resources observed during the period differed from the preexisting pattern, yet although there was a substantial democratization in the allocation of public resources, the pattern was not subverted.

Development, distribution and the future

The distribution of world output between countries, and between social groups within countries, is central to long-term development prospects. Unequal shares mean unequal influence over the future direction of world affairs. The level and structure of demand are conditioned by the distribution of financial resources; while the power to influence the course of development is itself tied to the resources that can be marshalled in support of one's objectives. Two forecasting techniques, scenario construction and global modelling, are used to assess these relationships and explore the consequences of one possible ‘future history’ in which distribution worldwide does eventually begin to improve. Striking limitations to most development strategies are identified; without a wide-ranging set of changes, the prospects for improved distribution—and relief of poverty—are bleak.