Limited Government Intervention Research Articles

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CAPITALISM: MAX WEBER AND MILTON FRIEDMAN

Purpose- The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," and Milton Friedman's influential book, "Capitalism and Freedom," offer valuable insights into the intricate relationship between religion, capitalism, and the development of Western societies. Weber's analysis focuses on the historical and cultural factors that have shaped the evolution of capitalism, particularly examining the influence of religious beliefs, such as Protestantism. He argues that the Protestant work ethic, emphasizing hard work, thrift, and the pursuit of wealth, played a significant role in fostering capitalism. On the other hand, Friedman, an economist and advocate of classical liberal economics, explores the advantages of free-market capitalism and emphasizes limited government intervention in the economy. While acknowledging the historical impact of religion, Friedman primarily addresses the economic principles of capitalism and its relationship with political freedom. Weber's work draws upon historical research and sociological insights, while Friedman relies on economic theory and empirical analysis. Ultimately, Weber's analysis provides a deeper understanding of how Western societies adopted a capitalist work ethos, while Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom" promotes a laissez-faire approach to economic policy, advocating for limited government intervention and the benefits of free markets. Methodology- Methodology employed in this study centers around conducting a discourse analysis of Max Weber's "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" and Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom." The aim was to deconstruct the narratives presented in these influential books and analyze their respective perspectives on the relationship between religion, capitalism, and freedom. The primary methodological approach involved a close reading and critical examination of the texts, through which the ideas, arguments, and underlying assumptions put forth by Weber and Friedman were explored. By thoroughly engaging with the content of the books, a comprehensive understanding of the authors' viewpoints and the nuances of their arguments was sought. Additionally, comparative analysis techniques were employed to identify similarities and differences in the approaches taken by Weber and Friedman. Through this comparative approach, the distinctive aspects of their theories were highlighted, and the broader discourse surrounding religion, capitalism, and freedom in Western societies was illuminated.. Findings- According to Max Weber, the Protestant Reformation, with a specific focus on Calvinism, was instrumental in promoting values and behaviors that nurtured the capitalist spirit. The Protestant work ethic, emphasizing hard work, thrift, and the pursuit of wealth, created an environment conducive to the rise of capitalism. Milton Friedman primarily explores the economic principles of capitalism and their relationship with political freedom. It is argued by Friedman that economic freedom is a necessary condition for achieving civil and political freedom. Emphasis is placed on the detrimental effects of excessive government intervention, and advocacy is made for limited state control and free-market capitalism. Friedman believes that a competitive capitalist system, characterized by voluntary cooperation and individual initiative, can prevent the concentration of coercive political power. It is posited by him that economic arrangements, based on free markets and individual freedom, are crucial for the overall promotion of a free society. Conclusion- Both studies are unique in their own ways and contribute to original ideas on what capitalism ought to be. Weber compared to Friedman has a profound insight in how capitalism has grown from specific cultural and religious values. Friedman struggles with explaining how capitalism might have risen, but relies heavily on classic liberal ideas on how capitalism must be perceived to be a necessity for political freedoms. Keywords: Capitalism, protestant ethic, economic freedom, political freedom, hard work, discipline, free market JEL Codes: B1, B2, P4, Z1

Geographies of COVID‐19

Geographies of COVID‐19

Review Of The Scourge Of Neoliberalism By Jack Rasmus

In approximately the last four decades, neoliberalism has reigned as the structure of Western economies, chiefly the United States. However, neoliberal capitalism and an environment synonymous with deregulation, “free” markets, and limited government intervention in economic matters has repeatedly led to crises and crashes in history. The Scourge of Neoliberalism examines the actions of past presidential administrations since 1980, and explains how neoliberalism’s allure has kept it afloat for so many years.

State legal regulation of the sphere of agriculture in Russia

The article examines the issues of state and legal regulation of the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation, as a basic component of the country’s agro-industrial complex, at the present stage. The authors analyze the problems associated with the peculiarities of the regulatory support of the agricultural sector, focus on the priorities of the state socio-economic policy in the current conditions of the need for import substitution, including agricultural products. The article examines the methods and limits of government intervention in agricultural production. The most effective methods of state influence and stimulation of the subjects of agrarian legal relations in order to attract highly qualified personnel to the field of agriculture are analyzed.

A Study of the Practical Dilemmas and Safeguarding Strategies of Universities in Mainland China in Exercising Academic Freedoms

Academic freedom is a universal right in the work and lives of citizens. Academic freedom at institutions of higher education not only refers to the freedoms enjoyed by university faculty members and scholars in teaching, research, and publishing of their views and findings, but furthermore encompasses the freedom to learn enjoyed by students. The uniqueness of academic freedom lies in its uniting of autonomy, openness, conviction, and ambience. There are some practical dilemmas in the exercise of academic freedoms in mainland Chinese universities, such as the administrative power's control and arrogance of academic freedoms, the rights to academic freedom move toward administrativeization, the lack of institutional mechanisms for the protection of academic freedoms. Academic freedom is the soul and character of the university. Mainland Chinese universities need to start from four aspects to ensure the proper exercise of academic freedoms, such as improving the legal system for academic freedoms, formulating a guarantee system for academic freedoms, clarifying the limits of government intervention in academic freedoms, practicing academic freedoms based on academic norms responsibly.

Drug Policy, Paternalism and the Limits of Government Intervention

Gerald Dworkin provides an insightful starting point for determining acceptable paternalism through his commitment to protecting our future autonomy and health from lasting damage. Dworkin grounds his argument in an appeal to inherent goods, which this paper argues is best considered as a commitment to human flourishing. However, socialconnectedness is also fundamental to human flourishing and an important consideration when determining the just limits of paternalistic drug controls, a point missing from Dworkin’ essay. For British philosopher Thomas Hill Green, regulation of alcohol sales emerged from the social ideal. Green argued that policy interventions, including restricted opening hours and locations, improved the conditions for humans to flourish. Green offers a compelling political vision but fails to account for the fact pleasure is also an inherent good. He focused excessively on our social nature, excluding our more pleasure-seeking and egoistic characteristics. In contrast, a more realistic and complete vision of human flourishing can be found in an amended version of Gerald’s Dworkin’s arguments. In conclusion, this paper argues drug policy makers should remain committed to the harm principle as applied to criminal law whereby a person should never be criminalized for self-harm. Such a limit on paternalistic interventions is deemed necessary when eudaimonia is the end of government action. In practical terms, this means that the criminalization of drug use, as opposed to drug production, is always unjust.

The Third Section's Oversight of the Private Life of Provincial Officials (1820–1830s)

The article is devoted to the oversight of the Third Section of His Majesty's Own Chancellery of the private life of provincial officials in the 1820s and 1830s. The research is primarily based on documents from the archives of the Third Section, the Corps of Gendarmes and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The recent research revealed that the secret police under Nicholas I not only looked after political opposition but also supervised service activities of provincial officials, as well as the private life and behaviour of subjects. In practice, these activities were closely intertwined. The article deals with the examples of the intervention of the Third Section in the private life of provincial officials with the main accent on the civil governors. The central theme is the case of Perm governor Kirill Tyufyaev (1777–1845). The research revealed that there was no common approach to the limits of government intervention in the private life of officials. Under Nicholas I this area became the object of supervision of the secret police primarily through gendarme staff officers in provinces. Gendarmes paid particular attention to family discord and indecent behaviour. Nicholas I often personally delved into the details of such cases. The sovereign tried to avoid unnecessary publicity but intervened when the circumstances of the private life of employees became the subject of public discussion. In this case, the home life ceased to be a private matter and could end their career. As a representative of the supreme power, the governor had no right to discredit it with his behaviour.

Contextualist Inquiry into E-Commerce Institutionalization in Developing Countries: The Case of Mozambican Women-led SMMES

Aim/Purpose: This study explores how women-led SMMEs in developing countries, specifically in the Mozambican context, institutionalise e-commerce by focusing on the ongoing interaction between the SMME, its context, and process of e-commerce institutionalization. Background: It is believed that institutionalization of e-commerce provides significant benefits of unlimited access to new markets, and access to new, improved, inexpensive and convenient operational methods of transacting. Although prior studies have examined the adoption of e-commerce and the enabling and constraining factors, few have examined e-commerce (i) institutionalization (that is, post-adoption), and (ii) from a gender perspective. This study aims to respond to this paucity in the literature by exploring how women-led SMMEs in developing countries, specifically in the Mozambican context, institutionalise e-commerce. Methodology: The study follows a qualitative inquiry approach for both data collection and analysis. Semi-structured interviews were adopted for data collection and thematic analysis implemented on the data. SMMEs were purposively sampled to allow for the selection of information-rich SMMEs for study and specifically those that have gone through the experience of adoption and in some cases have institutionalized e-commerce. Contribution: The empirical findings explain how the institutionalization process from interactive e-commerce to transactive e-commerce unfolds in the Mozambican context. Findings: Transition from interactive to transactive e-commerce is firstly influenced by (i) the type of business the SMME is engaged in; and (ii) customer and trading partner’s readiness for e-commerce. Secondly, the transition process is influenced by the internal factors of (i) manager’s demographic factors; (ii) mimetic behaviour arising from exposure to (foreign) organizations in the same industry that have mature forms of e-commerce; (iii) the business networks developed with some of these organizations that have mature forms of e-commerce; (iv) access to financial resources; and (v) social media technologies. Thirdly, the process is influenced by external contextual factors of (i) limited government intervention towards e-commerce endeavors; (ii) limited to lack of financial institutions readiness for e-commerce; (iii) lack of local available IT expertise; (iv) consumer’s low purchasing power due to economic recessions; (vi) international competitive pressure; and (vii) sociocultural practices. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study provides SMME managers, practitioners, and other stakeholders concerned with women’s development with a better understanding of the process in order to develop appropriate policies and interventions that are suitable for the reality of women-led SMMEs in Mozambique and other developing countries with similar contextual characteristics. Recommendation for Researchers: The study contributes to the existing debate of e-commerce and the use of ICT for development in developing countries by providing a distinct contribution of the institutionalization process and how the contextual structures influence this process. Impact on Society: Women-led SMME managers can learn from the different experiences, and compare their e-commerce efforts with SMMEs that were able to institutionalize and make strategies for improvements within their organizations. Future Research: The manner in which women-led SMMEs employ e-commerce requires further investigation to understand how issues related to gender, the cultural context, and different regions or countries impact this process.

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MADEIRA AHYDROELECTRIC COMPLEX, BRAZILIAN AMAZON

Abstract This article analyses the health impact of the installation of the Madeira Hydroelectric Complex to the population of Porto Velho county (Amazon, Brazil) between 2001 and 2010. The incidence of a selected list of diseases was evaluated with regard to changes that took place in the human and natural environment, compared to the phase prior to the installation of the hydroelectric power projects. An assessment of environmental responsiveness and the population’s vulnerability was carried out based on a matrix of socioeconomic, health, and environmental indicators. Malaria, Aids, leishmaniosis and dengue transmission were differentially affected by the implementation of the hydroelectric power plants in a context of limited government intervention in terms of sanitation and health care infrastructure, deforestation, different forms of land use and cover, in addition to migration processes within the area influenced by the hydroelectric power plants.

Nudges and the limits of appropriate interference: reading backwards from J.S. Mill’s harm principle to Jeremy Bentham’s indirect legislation

ABSTRACTThe starting point of the present paper is the nudge phenomenon. The most disturbing element of nudge is its potential for individual manipulation, that is, for relying on initiatives that go beyond the acceptable limits of interference in individual choice. This feature is not ignored by nudge advocates, who discuss it extensively to justify the overriding benefits of such initiatives. In this discussion, they acknowledge the seminal importance of J.S. Mill’s harm principle, which is introduced in On Liberty. Academics without hidden agendas must look into Mill’s theories from an intellectual history perspective and study to what extent Mill’s harm principle lends support to the interference of government and society in private lives. This paper first unveils some contradictions in the interpretation of Mill’s harm principle in order to show that it is an unlikely source of philosophical justification for nudge proponents. The paper argues further that Mill was familiar with Jeremy Bentham’s writings on indirect legislation, presented in the Traités de legislation civile et pénale. It pinpoints elements of indirect legislation that are discussed by Mill in On Liberty, without ever naming them as such. The paper contends that Mill’s presentation of the harm principle can be read as a discussion with Bentham in relation to the appropriate limits of government intervention in people’s lives. This double reading of Mill and Bentham through the lens of indirect legislation makes it possible to pinpoint the main differences between the authors as regards the appropriate degree of government interference. Bentham’s theories appear to be a more appropriate source of philosophical justification for the use of nudges than Mill’s harm principle.

Capital Conversion in the Organized Crime of the Favelas

Segregated in the hills of Rio de Janeiro, favelas are socially and economically marginalized slums, with pervasive drug crime. As a result of limited government intervention, drug lords assume the mandate in these sectors, reinforcing poverty and social exclusion.Traditional approaches to poverty analyze this context with capital scarcity as a point of reference. Moreover, the concept of capital has been used to denounce structural inequalities that are reproduced in social classes. By the same token, it is argued that the accumulation of capital may lead to social mobility. Low-income neighborhoods have their own resources and forms of mobilization. Conditions of precariousness can be explored without focusing on the absence of resources, but rather on the ways in which local capital gets mobilized and converted. In the favelas, drug gangs have their own capital dynamics that make them acquire and retain control over the territory. In this paper, I examine how capital conversion and mobilization among members of organized crime in these districts of Rio de Janeiro reinforce structural inequalities by perpetuating social exclusion.

Renewable Energy and the WTO: The Limits of Government Intervention

The paper examines the role of government intervention in designing and supporting renewable energy programs and the compatibility of such interventions with various covered agreements of the WTO. The WTO treaty does not provide a special framework for renewable energy and a number of such programs are susceptible to WTO challenges and domestic trade contingency measures. Of particular interest to developing countries such as India will be the availability of necessary policy space in fostering various renewable energy programs. This paper discusses the current treaty provisions of the WTO, especially the SCM Agreement and the TRIMs Agreement and examines as to what policy space is available to various WTO Members across varying levels of development. In short, the paper seeks to examine the limits of WTO consistent government intervention in the field of renewable energy.

An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Relationship between Ethics and Today’s Capitalism

The paper begins by emphasizing the fact that, on a historical scale, one can have several views of the relationship that has existed over time between ethics and capitalism, namely missionary, ‘Nietzschean’, critical, and ‘regulatory’. It is argued that, nowadays, the capitalization of the contributions supplied, over time, by the four views embraces the form of two modern diametrically opposed perspectives, i.e.: on the one hand, there is the interpretation given by the neo-classical school of thought (mainstream economics) and, on the other hand, it comes to the interpretation given by the Austrian praxeological economic school (libertarian economics). The emphasis of the analysis is put on the assertions developed by the last one, libertarian thinking, that insists on the necessity to operate with a well-defined distinction between the legal level of the matter, the ethical level and the moral one. At the core of the libertarian analysis there is the understanding of the capitalist system being naturally impregnated by ethical values. And this intrinsic ethical nature of capitalism is organically bound to the sphere of the ownership-type relationship. In line with the understanding of the economic system, based on the institutions of the free market as representing ethical capitalism per se, the paper argues that the realities of the world today show governmental interventionism as a main factor that supports non-ethical economic behaviour. As a consequence, the more limited government intervention is, the greater the chance of ethical capitalism, that is, voluntary, non-conflictual and non-aggressive economic market relationships. Under such conditions, a ‘minimal state’ institutional arrangement (that is, the legitimate use of power by the state is limited to preventing fraud or the use of force; it does not include the power to tax or to confiscate property) is the basic condition for the existence of an ethical capitalism that works, which is to say that the chance of an economic system based on ethical values stands in people’s willingness to be part of such an evolution in society that aims to minimise the role of the state. Further, the paper argues that any historical analysis on how societies asserted such a willingness outlines the expression of a secular and unshaken option for growing rather than diminishing state involvement in the economy. It is about people’s perennial preference for the state, namely for the organization of society based on state interventionism (respectively, their preference for the coercive order imposed by the state authorities, order based, through its own nature, on the subjugation of private property and the aggression against individual freedom), with a preference for the government intervention over the organization of a society based on free market functioning (which is equivalent, in fact, to their rejection of a voluntarily and spontaneously non-violent order, based on the observance of private property and individual freedom, brought about by the free functioning of markets). In the last part of the paper there are put forward for discussion the possible explanations for this perennial preference for non-ethical capitalism, the analysis focusing on two directions: firstly, on that of social ontology; and then, on that of human psychology.

Market-Driven Clusters as Prerequisites and Consequences of Smart Specialisation

The strategies for smart specialisation platform exhibits an extensive policy framework that aims at stirring regional development and economic growth through integrated efforts of public administration agencies, business leaders and university establishments. Essential elements of the platform are unique clusters of specialised business activities that generate employment and economic growth. The unique blend of cluster activities in each region is among the critical success factors for the longevity and vitality of business clusters. Clusters are focal points where interactions between industry, government and university take place. Yet, cluster research is still lacking coherent theoretical foundations and robust methodologies for comparative empirical investigation. Our research on the health technology cluster in the Greater South East of England (GSE) aims to fill this gap and to demonstrate the advantages of our methodology for cluster mapping and analysis. We engaged in mapping of the research and production activities within the health technology cluster, mapping of the value-chain relationships internalised within mature firms, performance analysis of strategic industry groups, mapping of the geographic distribution of commercial and research establishments and analysis of the pattern of distribution of public funds to centres of excellence in health technology research. We look at the health technology cluster in the GSE from the perspective of strategic management theory and particularly—decisions made by commercial establishments to diversify in particular segments of the health technology sector, decisions made by universities to develop knowledge potential in the health, medical and bio-technology fields and decisions made by the government and public bodies to fund centres of excellence in the region and to support bio-technology and medical research. Our case demonstrates that even under the umbrella of limited government intervention, markets and procurement strategies can drive cluster growth and development.

Myths and Legends: Exploring Differences in Regional Governance and Collective Action in the North American City

In their 1986 book Goldberg and Mercer find institutional and structural differences between Canadian and American cities attributable to the different ways that political culture has affected the evolution of urban regions. The American preference for individualism and competition, for limited government intervention and for local autonomy have all contributed to a political climate that encourages local government fragmentation and renders formal metropolitan restructuring difficult. This phenomenon is institutionalized in the principle of home rule. These features of the American system are widely cited to explain the relative rarity of metropolitan forms of government. But what of metropolitan governance? New regionalism emerged in response to the challenges of formal government reorganization and is based on the principle that metropolitan coalitions are easier to establish and more flexible than metropolitan reform. This form of regional coordination is more compatible with local autonomy. However, in theory metropolitan collective action may also be more difficult to establish in the American context that privileges individualism and competition. This article is structured around a series of questions: First, is metropolitan governance more difficult to establish in the American context? Second, are certain forms of metropolitan governance more common in each country, reflective of their political cultural and institutional differences? Finally, what do these findings suggest for theory building? Is one theory about the sources and determinants of metropolitan collective action sufficient? This article hypothesizes that despite important differences it is possible to explain the emergence and form of metropolitan governance with a single theoretical framework.

English

  We used a stochastic production frontier and a Tobit model to evaluate technical efficiency and inefficiency of Bulgarian limited resource peanut farms for the period 2000/2002. We used a Just-Pope model to examine risks related to on-farm yield adjustments. Technical efficiency of farms ranged from 77 to 97%, with an average 92%, a median of 93%, mode of 90%, and skewness -1.49. The technical efficiency of these farms are largely influenced by on-farm decisions, the quantity of seeds, phosphate, fungicide, the amount investment capital, hours of manual labor used, and leased mechanized labor. The results indicate that efficiency is more crop specific than farm size dependent. Farm inefficiency was unrelated to size but rather to gender and age of operator. Farmers used less than the optimum levels of seeds and phosphate but there was risk associated with an increase in application rates of these inputs. These findings indicate that limited resource Bulgarian peanut farms are approaching efficiency, and adjustment to attain greater efficiency may be influenced by socio-demographic factors and limited government intervention.   Key words: Production, efficiency, peanuts, Bulgaria.

Oreos, Big Gulps, and Nicotine: Legal Challenges to Government Lifestyle Interventions

Both bans on unhealthful foods and warning label requirements face strong legal opposition from industry and ignite furious public debate about the role and limits of government intervention in American lifestyles.

Health Care: A Brave New World

The current U.S. health care system, with both rising costs and demands, is unsustainable. The combination of a sense of individual entitlement to health care and limited acceptance of individual responsibility with respect to personal health has contributed to a system which overspends and underperforms. This sense of entitlement has its roots in a perceived right to health care. Beginning with the so-called moral right to health care (all life is sacred), the issue of who provides health care has evolved as individual rights have trumped societal rights. The concept of government providing some level of health care ranges from limited government intervention, a 'negative right to health care' (e.g., prevention of a socially-caused, preventable health hazard), to various forms of a 'positive right to health care'. The latter ranges from a decent minimum level of care to the best possible health care with access for all. We clarify the concept of legal rights as an entitlement to health care and present distributive and social justice counter arguments to present health care as a privilege that can be provided/earned/altered/revoked by governments. We propose that unlike a 'right', which is unconditional, a 'privilege' has limitations. Going forward, expectations about what will be made available should be lowered while taking personal responsibility for one's health must for elevated. To have access to health care in the future will mean some loss of personal rights (e.g., unhealthy behaviors) and an increase in personal responsibility for gaining or maintaining one's health.

Renewable Energy And The WTO: The Limits Of Government Intervention

This paper examines the role of the government in designing and supporting renewable energy programs and the compatibility of such interventions with various covered agreements of the World Trade Organisation (‘WTO’). The WTO treaty does not provide a special framework for renewable energy and a number of programs are susceptible to WTO challenges and domestic trade contingency measures. Of particular interest to developing countries such as India will be the availability of necessary policy space in fostering various renewable energy programs. This paper discusses the current treaty provisions of the WTO, especially the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (‘SCM Agreement’) and the Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures (‘TRIMs Agreement’) and examines the extent of space in policy making available to various WTO Members across varying levels of development. In short, the paper seeks to examine the limits of WTO-consistent government intervention in the field of renewable energy.

The Regulation of Consumer Financial Products: An Introductory Essay with Four Case Studies

The recent financial crisis has led many to question how well businesses deliver consumer financial services and how well regulatory institutions address problems in consumer financial markets. In response, the Obama administration proposed a new agency to oversee consumer financial services, and the recently enacted Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act embraced the Administration's proposal by creating the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Other regulatory reforms have been advanced, and in some cases adopted, in recent years, at both the federal and state level. In this paper, we provide an overview of consumer financial markets, detailing the purposes they serve, the extent to which they suffer from market failures or other deficiencies, and the structure of our current system of regulation. To illustrate our analytical framework, we present case studies on retirement savings, residential mortgages, payday lending, and mutual funds. We conclude with a series of observations on the limits of government intervention, suggestions about how to measure whether government intervention is successful, and potentially fruitful lines of future research and data collection.