Economic Endowments Research Articles

How does political stability affect renewable energy finance? International evidence

Renewable energy financing (REF) embodies both energy and financial attributes. Despite the extensive attention to the many factors affecting REF, the relationship between political stability and REF remains unclear. Accordingly, this study empirically examines the specific impact of political stability on REF using cross-country panel data from 2002 to 2020. The results indicate that political stability significantly promotes REF, and this conclusion remains robust across various tests, including explanatory variable changes, sample period adjustments, and addressing potential endogeneity issues. Heterogeneity analysis shows that political stability facilitates financing for wind and hydropower and promotes REF in non-OECD and non-OPEC countries. Furthermore, mechanism analysis shows that political stability promotes REF through domestic channels (increased energy demand and reduced investment risk) and international channels (increased foreign capital inflows and international aid). Finally, the industrial and economic endowments of a country exhibit threshold effects, influencing the direct impact of political stability on REF and the mechanisms through which political stability promotes REF. This study furthers the understanding of REF and provides theoretical support for policymakers in different countries to maintain political stability and promote the prosperity of the renewable energy sector.

Domestic Violence in Nyeri County, Kenya: What and When?

Domestic violence is a worldwide problem affecting many households. Nyeri County, one of the 47 counties in Kenya has, according to reports, experienced a steep increase. Nyeri County has experienced tremendous development, and therefore, changes in terms of education, occupation, and economic activities, making it one of the richest counties in Kenya. With these changes in levels of education, strong cultural adjustments, and increased economic endowment, the expectation is that there should be harmony in the homes. Contrary to that, there is a lot of domestic violence as captured by scholars and the media. This study sought to investigate three things namely; when the violence takes place, the types of violence, and why the violence tales place. The study was underpinned by the frustration-aggression theory and the social learning theory, where descriptive and evaluative research designs were used. The following respondents were sampled to participate in the study: 384 household heads, 12 assistant chiefs, 15 police officers, 30 religious leaders, 12 NGOs/CBOs, 3 Sub-county administrators, and 20 village elders. Primary methods of data collection were questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 to give frequency distribution, means and percentages, and findings were presented using tables, graphs, and charts. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic narrations, with findings presented using narrations and descriptions. The study found out that the cases increase when the farmers receive the coffee bonuses, when learners are going back to school and fees is needed, during the festive seasons and traditional festivities, as well as during the drought season. The study concludes that domestic violence is evident throughout the year, but there are times when the cases increase as a result of conflict in the gender roles. In this case, therefore, the study recommends that there should be a social talk on the gender roles in the study area so as to ease the adamant rise and spread of domestic conflicts related to the various sets of culturally defined and allocated sex roles. Further, there is need to empower both men and women in Nyeri county so that no gender feels threatened by the other. This will go a long way in ensuring that there is peace and stability in families and social relationships.

Assessing the technical efficiency performance of Chinese ports logistics: Evidence from the DEA and fsQCA.

Ports are critical centers of international trade and global logistics now that economic globalization has taken hold. The efficiency performance of port logistics is crucial to building an emerging pattern of development in which domestic and foreign dual cycles are complementary for China. This paper examines the efficiency performance of 19 ports within five major economic circles in China. It explores how their efficiency is distributed, and the configurations of efficiency improvement during the new normal of China's economy. First, the DEA-BCC model is employed to calculate the technical efficiency performance and distribution of each port from 2011 to 2020. Then, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was applied to integrate and analyze the influencing factors. The results show as follows: (1) Each port group performed differently on efficiency rankings, as well as regional distributions. Among these, the port groups of the Bohai Rim region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Bohai Rim region continue to rank highly. (2) From the perspective of configuration analysis, the results suggest that government support is not necessary for port logistics with better economic endowments. However, it is critical for backward ones. (3) A rational industrial structure can enhance levels of infrastructure, openness, and information technology, improving port performance. The findings can provide theoretical and practical references for better promoting the development of Chinese port management.al references for better promoting the development of Chinese port management.

Study on the complex magmatic and hydrothermal metallogenic processes in the giant Huayangchuan uranium (U)-polymetallic ore district: Constraints from geochemical and geochronological evidences

The supergiant Huayangchuan uranium (U)-polymetallic deposit is situated in the west part of Lesser Qinling Orogen, Central China, which is renowned for its unique metallogenic type and complex mineralization processes. This newly-discovered deposit contains economic endowments of U, Nb, Pb, Se, Sr, Ba and REEs. The genesis of this deposit remains hugely controversial and the related magmatic and metallogenic framework have not been well established. In our study, we present newly obtained zircon U-Pb age data, whole-rock trace elements, detailed SEM observation, carbon and oxygen isotope determination and titanite U-Pb age result to provide geochemical and geochronological constraints on the magmatic and hydrothermal metallogenic processes in Huayangchuan ore district and give insight into the REE, Nb and U mineralization and remobilization mechanism. Carbonatite in Huayangchuan deposit is rich in Ba, Sr, Nb, U and REE and the δ18OSMOW and δ13CPDB (‰) values of carbonatite vary between + 7.30 ‰ to + 9.80 ‰ and − 6.00 ‰ to − 7.20 ‰, respectively, which is the unique characteristic of igneous carbonatite. The total REE contents of carbonatite range from 1319.5 to 2535.8 ppm, significantly higher than that of the granite pegmatite dykes and Taihua Group granitic gneiss. Two zircon grains from the Huayangchuan carbonatite yield the 206 Pb / 238 U age of 223 ± 5.6 Ma and 217 ± 8.6 Ma. Uranium and niobium are mainly hosted in the primary mineral of betafite, minorly in uraninite and fergusonite. REE are remained in various REE carbonates, phosphates and silicates, e.g. allanite, parite, monazite, apatite, yttrialite and xenotime. Betafite contains numerous mineral inclusions of calcite, allanite and apatite, which displays as vermicular relicts with metasomatic corrosion texture. The intimate relationship between betafite, calcite, apatite, allanite and REE carbonates implies that U and Nb mineralization occurred during carbonatite-related magmatic stage. Late Triassic carbonatite magmatism (∼220 Ma) was responsible for the world-class U-Nb-Mo-REE mineralization in the Qinling Orogen. Whereas, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb data of titanite collected from Huayangchuan carbonatite reveal two sets of ages in the Huayangchuan deposit: during the Late Triassic and the Early Cretaceous. LA-ICP-MS data of the Triassic titanite and Cretaceous titanite in Huayangchuan deposit yield the lower intercept age of 223.1 ± 9.4 Ma and 141.9 ± 4.7 Ma respectively in the Tera-Wasserburg (238U/206Pb - 207Pb/206Pb) diagram. Cretaceous hydrothermal titanites show enrichment in Y, HREEs and depletion in TiO2 and LREEs relative to the Triassic magmatic titanites. Primary betafite and titanite were subjected to later hydrothermal alteration. The close genetic relation between altered titanite and Ti-Fe-Nb-Pb-U mineral inclusions demonstrates that Early Cretaceous hydrothermal fluids contributed to the Nb, U and Ti remobilization. Early Cretaceous regional granitic magmatic activity brought hydrothermal fluids to alter the early carbonatite magmatic pyrochlore and titanite. U, Nb, Ti, Y, Pb and HREEs were transferred and subsequently re-precipitated into uraninite, and hydrothermal titanite.

Civil Administration and Economic Endowments in the Munster Republic's "Real Capital," July–August 1922

Civil Administration and Economic Endowments in the Munster Republic's "Real Capital," July–August 1922

Socio-Cultural Dynamics Influencing Domestic Violence in Nyeri County, Kenya

For many years, domestic violence has been stereotyped as violence against women and girls, with men as perpetrators. However, in recent times, men have also become victims. Domestic violence is a violation of human rights and should not be condoned. Nyeri County has experienced tremendous development and, therefore, changes in terms of education, occupation, and economic activities, making it one of the richest counties in Kenya. With these changes in society, there is a high level of education, strong cultural adjustments, and economic endowment, and the expectation is that there should be harmony in the homes. On the contrary, as researchers and the media have documented, there is a lot of domestic violence. Therefore, this study is intended to answer the question "why" by interrogating the influence of socio-cultural dynamics on this domestic violence. This paper presents a discussion of the results of the objective, which was to investigate the nexus between socio-cultural dynamics and domestic violence in Nyeri County. The study used descriptive and evaluative research designs. The following respondents were sampled to participate in the study: 384 household heads, 12 assistant chiefs, 15 police officers, 30 religious leaders, 12 NGOs/CBOs, 3 sub-county administrators, and 20 village elders. The primary methods of data collection were interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic narrations, and findings were presented using narrations and descriptions. The study show that the main socio-cultural factors that influence domestic violence are chauvinism, gender role exchange, alcoholism, and the MAU impact. The study recommends that there should be sensitization in the study area to help people utilize the positive changes in society, such as high education levels, to make a harmonious society instead of using it to fight among spouses.

Challenges and Opportunities of Domestic Violence in Nyeri County, Kenya

For many years, domestic violence has been stereotyped as violence against women and girls, with men as perpetrators. However, in recent times, men have also become victims. Domestic violence is a violation of human rights and should not be condoned. Nyeri County has experienced tremendous development and, therefore, changes in terms of education, occupation, and economic activities, making it one of the richest counties in Kenya. With these changes in society, there is a high level of education, strong cultural adjustments, and economic endowment, and the expectation is that there should be harmony in the homes. To the contrary, there is a lot of domestic violence, as captured by scholars and the media. The objective of the study was to assess the challenges and opportunities resulting from domestic violence in Nyeri County, Kenya. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The study was underpinned by the frustration-aggression theory and the social learning theory. Descriptive and evaluative research designs were used. The study was conducted in Nyeri County, which has a population of 759,164. The study used random, purposive, convenience, and census sampling techniques. The following respondents were sampled to participate in the study: 384 household heads, 12 assistant chiefs, 15 police officers, 30 religious leaders, 12 NGOs/CBOs, 3 sub-county administrators, and 20 village elders. The primary methods of data collection were questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 25 to give frequency distributions, means, and percentages, and findings were presented using tables, graphs, and charts. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic narrations, and findings were presented using narrations and descriptions. Challenges to domestic violence include a lack of political will (16%), modernity (15%), the influence of social media (20%), societal victimisation (29%), and high poverty levels (20%). There are some opportunities for enhancing the resolution of domestic violence, such as boosting moral values, strengthening the justice system, enacting social programmes and sensitization, and providing psychosocial support. The study recommends that the government, civil society, and the general public should work together to end domestic violence in the county, as it is a major threat to human rights.

Does perfect regional innovation ecosystem curb carbon emissions? A measure based on the niche fitness

As the economy grows, the continued increase in global carbon emissions poses a threat to human health and climate change. Identifying the role and mechanism of innovation vitality on carbon emissions from the perspective of the ecosystem can help accelerate the process of low carbon transition of the economy in China. Regional innovation ecosystem is an organic unit in which innovation subjects interact with other subjects and innovation environment through the flow of innovation resources and development of innovation capability, thus realizing value creation. The niche-fitness model is used to measure the perfection of regional innovation ecosystem based on the niche fitness. The spatial Durbin model is used to assess the carbon emission reduction effects of the regional innovation ecosystem from a green-biased innovation perspective from 2007 to 2019. The role of environmental regulation, economic endowment, and regional heterogeneity are further analyzed. The results reveal that there is a shortage of innovative talents in areas with high niche fitness, while limited resources and poor environment in areas with low niche fitness are the key problems. A perfect regional innovation ecosystem can significantly reduce carbon emissions per capita by driving green-biased technological progress. These results help to understand the mechanisms of the carbon reduction effects of innovation from a new perspective, and help to make constructive suggestions in terms of making up for the shortcomings of innovation elements, promoting green innovation and improving environmental regulations, which accelerates the achievement of China's dual carbon goals.

Accessibility analysis in spatial planning: A case of special economic zones (SEZs) in Campania, Southern Italy

The strategic role of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) at the Italian level has also been underlined by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which has provided an important economic endowment to relaunch the national economy, in general, and the Campania region territorial economy, in particular. Literature and best practices clearly show that many factors determine the success of a SEZ, with transport accessibility being one of the key factors. This study performs a transport accessibility analysis both at national and first/last-leg levels, by comparing the accessibility of the Campania SEZ areas, the other SEZ areas in Italy and all the other Italian local labour systems. The study focuses on the Campania region, as it represents the first Italian pilot project of spatial planning through the establishment of SEZs. The Campania region exhibits, on average, good transport accessibility both at a national level (considering the multi-modal freight Italian transport network) and at a first/last-leg level (considering relevant nodes of the network, such as tollbooths, freight stations, ports, interports and airports). Also, the impact of SEZ implementation on land use planning has been discussed, to provide a useful tool for stakeholders that are interested in revitalizing the area, at different levels: i) land use policymakers, to plan interventions/planning concerning infrastructures and spatial planning; ii) national policymakers, to establish SEZs in other geographical areas; iii) investors, to assess the convenience of investments in this geographical area.

A study on the level of digital economy development and influencing factors in Chinese coastal provinces - based on EWM and ANN algorithm

Focusing on the high-quality regional economic development of 11 coastal provinces in China in the new era, this article constructs a multi-level evaluation system of digital economy development level composed of 12 indicators and uses the EWM analysis method to measure the development level of the digital economy in the region. At the same time, 13 indicators are selected as regional economic endowment conditions, and the ANN algorithm is used to study the impact of regional economic endowment conditions on the development of the digital economy. The evaluation system of this study is relatively comprehensive, and the machine learning method is used to make the results more accurate. Taking coastal provinces as the specific research object, more concrete and targeted conclusions will be produced, providing cutting-edge theoretical support for the economically developed regions such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River.

Do governmental policy interventions help urban economic recovery? Experimental evidence from China's provinces governance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By examining China's province-level data, this paper uses governmental intervention theory to investigate the extent to which governmental policy interventions alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local economic growth. Results suggest that stronger government intervention during COVID-19 pandemic boost the economic recovery, and the effectiveness of governmental policy interventions is contingent on pandemic severity and local economic endowment. Specifically, facilitating effect of government intervention on economic growth is effective in all provinces, and the impact of government intervention is more pronounced in the province with more diagnosed cases, a high level of marketization and fiscal income.

Research on China's Environmental Governance Mode: Quality Driven or Quantity Driven?

High-quality environmental governance (EG) is closely related to its governance mode. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the EG modes from the dual perspectives of quality and quantity. This article utilizes panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2003 to 2020 to research the influence of environmental governance efficiency (EGE) and investment (EGI) on EG through a fixed-effect mode. The outcomes show that China’s EG is driven mainly by quantitative EGI. EGE and EGI show significant geographic regions, economic development levels, resource endowments, and stage heterogeneity to EG. In light of these conclusions, this article argues that the future needs to reasonably allocate EGI based on consideration of the heterogeneity of geographical regions, economic development levels, and resource endowments to optimize EGI structure and increase EGE in each province to achieve high-quality EG.

Incomes, employment and gender roles: understanding women's intrahousehold decision-making participation in Nicaragua

PurposeThis paper explores the relationship between married women's intrahousehold decision-making participation and marital gender roles, next to factors suggested in the household bargaining literature. Additionally, the authors investigate whether women's employment carries the same importance for decision-making participation as contributions to household incomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing 2011/2012 Nicaraguan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the authors estimate multinomial logistic regressions for eight decision-making domains, analyzing three levels of decision-making: wife-dominant or sole decisions, joint decision-making (with the partner) and decision-making by someone else. The authors create an additive index for measuring internalized marital gender roles.FindingsWomen's intrahousehold decision-making participation is explained differently depending on the decision-making area and level of participation. Women with a better relative position vis-à-vis partners and not following patriarchal gender roles are more likely to make decisions jointly with their partners, but not alone. Women's age and educational level are the strongest predictors in the analysis. Women's employment reduces their decision-making participation in children's disciplining and daily cooking-related decisions.Research limitations/implicationsIt focuses on married women only, while marital status might be a determinant of decision-making itself and left out the contribution of unearned incomes.Practical implicationsInterventions aimed at increasing women's intrahousehold decision-making participation should not only focus on economic endowments but also comprehend the gendered dynamics governing intrahousehold allocation.Originality/valueThe study incorporates quantitative measures of marital gender roles in the study of intrahousehold decision-making. It also contributes to the literature with insights from contexts where women's involvement in employment increased against a background of patriarchal gender roles.

Farmer Heterogeneity and Land Transfer Decisions Based on the Dual Perspectives of Economic Endowment and Land Endowment

Guiding qualified farmers to transfer their land is an important way to alleviate the problem of land abandonment, improve land use efficiency, and achieve moderately large-scale land management. Based on the dual perspectives of economic endowment and land endowment, this paper uses the 2015 data of the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), using the semilogarithmic ordinary least-squares method and the logit model, to explore differences in land transfer decisions under the effect of farmer heterogeneity. The circulation trading market was further improved to provide a reference. The heterogeneity of economic endowment and land endowment significantly affects the decision-making behavior of farmers in transferring land. The higher the land endowment is, the greater the probability that farmers transfer the land out and successfully trade, and they are more inclined to transfer the cultivated land to cooperatives, village collectives, and other institutions through formal channels, leading to a higher unit income of the transfer. Further research shows that land endowment has no significant difference in the impact of land endowment on whether farmers with different livelihood endowments transfer their land, but under the same land endowment, farmers with economic endowment advantages are more able to use their own endowment advantages to transfer their land out through formal channels and obtain higher gains income. Therefore, focusing on improving the conditions of land resources and increasing the endowment of farmers are important means to promote successful transactions in the land transfer market, ensure its sustainable operation, and promote further increase in the income of transfer farmers.

Economic policy uncertainty, resource endowments and industrial structure transformation

This article examines the impact of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on the industrial structure using panel data of 275 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2018 with the mediating effect of resource endowments. We find that uncertainty about economic policy has an inverted U-shaped relationship with industrial structure. Moreover, the positive relationship between EPU and industry structure is more prominent for cities with abundant natural resources. In addition, from the perspective of the three industries, EPU has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the primary and tertiary sectors and a U-shaped relationship with the secondary sector. EPU has a positive threshold effect on the rationalization of industrial structure. These results suggest that local governments should consider EPU to promote industrial structure transformation and strengthen its governance capacity to reduce the negative impact of EPU.

Shrinking capitalism: components of a new political economy paradigm

Abstract The climate emergency, rising inequality, and pandemic diffusion have raised the question: for what purpose is capitalism fit? Implementing new policies and institutions to meet these challenges will require a realignment of political forces on a scale similar to that achieved by neoliberal policies and ideas over the past four decades. We suggest that a successful new paradigm must provide the basis of a dynamic and sustainable economy and be constituted by a synergistic set of ethical commitments, economic models, emblematic policies, and a new vernacular economics by which people understand and seek to improve their livelihoods and futures. We illustrate these four components by reference to the classical liberal, Keynesian-social democratic, and neoliberal paradigms. Using an expanded space for policies and institutions that integrates markets, states, and civil society, we propose elements of a new paradigm, including diminished space for capitalism and greater equality not only of economic endowments but also of dignity and voice.

The Chinese Inland-Coastal Inequality: The Role of Human Capital and the 2007–2008 Crisis Watershed

We investigate the role of human capital (HC) in the Chinese inland-coastal inequality and, related to this, how the consequences of the 2007–2008 crisis may induce China to re-focus its development path on HC. We compare panel data analyses for two periods (1998–2008 and 2009–2017) for two diverging groups of provinces (the richer/coastal and the relatively poor/inland areas). In the first period, the economic strengths that influenced the Chinese take-off and the dualism are confirmed. However, the results show that an evolution in local economic endowments is taking place: first, HC has a more evident economic effect after the crisis only in the inland provinces; second, the development path of the inland area is changing, with an evolution towards more productive sectors which can favor higher returns to HC.

Development Starts With Historical Endowments: Industrial Policy and Leadership Are Catalysts

Ben Armstrong compares the implementation of regional economic development programs in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland metropolitan statistical areas during the 1980s. He argues that their regional economies and research institutions were then similar. He contends that the transformational policy difference occurred when Pennsylvania’s governor mandated that the presidents of Pittsburgh’s research universities be programmatic leaders while Ohio’s governor did not do the same. Armstrong concludes that Pittsburgh’s Metropolitan Statistical Area became a center of high-tech innovation as a result, while Cleveland’s did not. This author contends that disparities in regional technology resources, as well as institutional self-interest and leadership, were the critical differences. Cleveland’s institutions had to give priority to fixing their business problems. Armstrong and the author agree that economic endowments and industrial policy played roles in both regions’ economic outcomes; where they disagree is on the weights given to each.

Close the carbon loophole

Close the carbon loophole

LOCKDOWN MEASURES IN INDIA AND ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT ON LOW INCOME GROUPS

The complete lockdown measures implemented in India to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the economic conditions of the working class of the country. The initial jolt pushed the unemployment figures to 23.52% in April 2020, and to date, the recovery has been far from satisfactory. The quarterly GDP growth data have indicated a negative real GDP growth for India for the fiscal year 2020-21. As data on employment, income, consumption, saving, borrowing, and access to different public utilities are available after a time-lag; there was no other option but to depend on micro-level studies to get an idea of the real picture on the ground. In this paper, we have attempted to assess the impact of the lockdown on the workers of unorganized sectors especially the self-employed and the daily wage earners of different service sectors from urban and semi-urban areas located in and around South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The present study has found that the income of workers from the informal sectors has recorded a sharp decline during the lockdown period. As these workers primarily belong to the low-income group, their consumption expenditures have also declined concomitantly, reflecting their low economic endowments. Most of them didn’t have much savings to support the sudden decline in their income, thereby resulting in a decline in consumption expenditure. This decline is most severe for daily wage workers. This paper has argued in favour of direct cash transfer from the government to low-income people as the only way out to overcome the present crisis.