Policy Mechanisms Research Articles

Can smart city policies foster digital innovation in the construction industry? Evidence from BIM-related patents in China

PurposeThe construction of smart cities holds the potential to drive digital innovation in the construction industry through various means, such as enhancing supply and demand. This study echoes the urgent need for the construction industry to overcome development challenges. Hence, it is necessary to study the extent and ways in which smart city policies promote digital innovation in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThis study treats China’s smart city policies as quasi-natural experiments. Using a dataset of Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2021 and a difference-in-differences model, the study scrutinizes the impact of smart city policies on digital innovation within the construction industry.FindingsThe study reveals a substantial positive influence of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry. In addition, the study explains these results by analysing supply-side and demand-side mechanisms. Moreover, the effect of smart city pilot policies on promoting digital innovation within the construction industry displays noteworthy heterogeneity across cities at different regional and political levels.Originality/valueBy exploring the impact and mechanisms of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry, this research contributes to a more comprehensive and profound comprehension of the role of policies in facilitating the digital transformation of the construction sector. It is a valuable reference for policymakers and industry practitioners aiming to advance digital development.

Carbon Abatement Effect of Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy: Insights from a Time-Varying DID Model

The low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy constitutes a crucial element in China’s endeavors to attain its carbon peak target. Thoroughly analyzing the carbon abatement effects and mechanisms of the LCCP policy is essential for supporting China’s goals of achieving low-carbon sustainability. We use panel data from 1997 to 2019, covering 249 Chinese cities, for a quasi-natural experiment. This study assesses the effect of the LCCP project on urban carbon emission intensity (CEI) using a difference-in-difference (DID) model. Furthermore, the article conducts analyses on policy coordination effects, impact mechanisms, and spatial spillover effects. Our research findings indicate that the LCCP policy substantially decreases urban CEI, a result that withstands a battery of robustness tests. The carbon abatement effect of LCCP policies is dynamic and typically endures for three years. Subsequent investigations unveil a cooperative impact between the LCCP policy and the carbon trading pilot policy. The decrease of urban CEI under the LCCP policy is primarily attributed to command and market tools, although the efficacy of voluntary tools remains unrealized. From the standpoint of adjacent nonpilot cities, our conclusions do not endorse the presence of spatial spillover effect for the LCCP project. The insights derived from our findings offer crucial guidance for policymakers exploring low-carbon models and pathways.

Navigating the Labyrinth of Pregnancy-Related Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants: An Assessment of Current State and Federal Policies.

Insurance coverage for prenatal care, labor and delivery care, and postpartum care for undocumented immigrants consists of a patchwork of state and federal policies, which varies widely by state. According to federal law, states must provide coverage for labor and delivery through Emergency Medicaid. Various states have additional prenatal and postpartum coverage for undocumented immigrants through policy mechanisms such as the Children's Health Insurance Program's "unborn child" option, expansion of Medicaid, and independent state-level mechanisms. Using a search of state Medicaid and federal government websites, we found that 27 states and the District of Columbia provide additional coverage for prenatal care, postpartum care, or both, while 23 states do not. Twelve states include any postpartum coverage; 7 provide coverage for 12 months postpartum. Although information regarding coverage is available publicly online, there exist many barriers to access, such as lack of transparency, lack of availability of information in multiple languages, and incorrect information. More inclusive and easily accessible policies are needed as the first step toward improving maternal health among undocumented immigrants, a population trapped in a complicated web of immigration policy and a maternal health crisis. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 15, 2024:e1-e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307750).

The financial accelerator, wages, and optimal monetary policy

I study the effects of labor market outcomes on firms' loan demand and credit intermediation. I first show in partial equilibrium that the presence of frictions in the banking sector lowers the capital factor demand elasticity to changes in real wages. This finding helps to connect the substitutability of labor and capital with credit conditions. Second, I use a new Keynesian banking model with an endogenous financial accelerator mechanism to study the role of lower capital factor demand elasticity in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. Stabilizing nominal wages is close to the optimal monetary policy because it coincides with stabilizing the credit spread, the net worth gap, and the output gap. Inflation stabilization, in turn, imposes a policy trade-off with high welfare costs.

Research progress on the evaluation mechanism of scientific research teams in the digital economy era

PurposeIn today’s digital economy, it is very important to cultivate digital professionals with advanced interdisciplinary skills. The purpose of this paper is that universities play a vital role in this effort, and research teams need to use the synergistic effect of various educational methods to improve the quality and efficiency of personnel training. For these teams, a powerful evaluation mechanism is very important to improve their innovation ability and the overall level of talents they cultivate. The policy of “selecting the best through public bidding” not only meets the multi-dimensional evaluation needs of contemporary research, but also conforms to the current atmosphere of evaluating scientific and technological talents.Design/methodology/approachNonetheless, since its adoption, several challenges have emerged, including flawed project management systems, a mismatch between listed needs and actual core technological needs and a low rate of conversion of scientific achievements into practical outcomes. These issues are often traced back to overly simplistic evaluation methods for research teams. This paper reviews the literature on the “Open Bidding for Selecting the Best Candidates” policy and related evaluation mechanisms for research teams, identifying methodological shortcomings, a gap in exploring team collaboration and an oversight in team selection criteria.FindingsIt proposes a theoretical framework for the evaluation and selection mechanisms of research teams under the “Open Bidding for Selecting the Best Candidates” model, offering a solid foundation for further in-depth studies in this area.Originality/valueResearch progress on the Evaluation Mechanism of Scientific Research Teams in the Digital Economy Era from the Perspective of “Open Bidding for Selecting the Best Candidates.”

Disposing of single use: Evaluating the effectiveness of Berkeley’s anti-single use disposable foodware ordinance

Single use disposable (SUD) foodware is an increasingly large waste problem in the United States. One strategy to combat this rising problem is through targeted policy mechanisms. In recent years, many local and state jurisdictions have implemented anti-SUD foodware policies, aimed at banning or charging extra for the specific material and/or foodware types. In 2019, the City of Berkeley, California, passed a comprehensive anti-SUD foodware Ordinance, featuring numerous policy mechanisms to reduce SUD foodware, to foster more sustainable practices among food vendors, and be a model for other jurisdictions. Over the 4 years (2019–2022), we collected observational survey data based on the policy’s mechanisms to assess prepared food vendors’ compliance with the Ordinance and thus its effectiveness. The COVID-19 lockdown slowed adoption and implementation of the Ordinance and our data reflect this. In 2020—the second year of data collection—compliance decreased for 5 of the 8 policy mechanisms, rebounding in 3 of them 2 years later. This article ends with recommendations for actions the City can take to increase vendor compliance with, and thus effectiveness of, the policy. This study also contributes to current research discussions on waste, plastics and sustainability, and provides valuable insight into policy implementation processes on the ground.

Research on Innovative Development of Urban Low-carbon Technology and Green Economy

This paper focuses on analyzing the effects and mechanisms of green fiscal expenditure policies on low-carbon technology innovation. This section selects pilot cities with comprehensive demonstration of energy conservation and emission reduction fiscal policies as typical green fiscal expenditure policies from the city level, focusing on green fiscal expenditure.On this basis, this paper conducts econometric model analysis on the estimated coefficients of the benchmark regression, confirms the robustness of the benchmark regression results, and finds through heterogeneity analysis that the effect of the demonstration policy in promoting low-carbon technology innovation is more significant in non-resource-based cities and non-old industrial base cities.

The mechanism of legal relations in the context of modern legal policy P. P. Serkov. Legal relationship (theory and practice of modern legal policy): in 2 parts. Moscow: Norma, 2023. Part 1: legal doctrine and legal policy measures. – 872 pp.; Part 2: generalization of legal experiences of ascent to man, society And the state. – 672 pp.

The multidimensional nature of law, designed to act as the main social regulator and the importance of legal policy for the progressive development and functioning of the legal system, which is increasing in the context of modern challenges to national security, determines the theoretical and practical significance of research on the phenomenon of legal policy. The peer-reviewed monograph provides a scientific substantiation of the systemic relationship between the mechanism of legal relations and legal policy. The author of the monograph comprehensively and from original positions examines the essence of legal policy, the problems associated with its scientific knowledge and implementation, and identifies its patterns.

The impact of green credit policy on total factor productivity of enterprises

The application of China's “Green Credit Guidelines” in 2012 is used in this article as a quasi-natural experiment, and panel data from Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2021 is considered. To empirically examine the impact mechanism of green credit policy on company total factor productivity (TFP), the study uses a difference-in-differences model. It concludes that the green credit program significantly positively impacts corporate total factor productivity. Implementing the green credit policy can enhance corporate total factor productivity, and this conclusion holds after various identification assumption tests and robustness checks. The intrinsic mechanism indicates that corporate social responsibility and corporate R&D investment play an indirect role in the process of green credit policy affecting corporate total factor productivity, i.e., implementing green credit policy can improve corporate total factor productivity by promoting the fulfillment of social responsibility and increasing R&D investment. The heterogeneous effect shows that green credit policy has a significant effect on the total factor productivity of large-scale enterprises and state-owned enterprises. In contrast, its impact on TFP for small-scale and private enterprises is not significant.

Tax policy transformation in Georgia: Assessing the effectiveness of general state tax amendments on economic sustainability and business growth (2017-2021)

This research aims to determine the role of 2017-2021 general state tax amendments in terms of economic development and improvement of the business environment in Georgia. The following factors were used To evaluate the effectiveness of the tax burden: How the tax system is adjusted to the payer, whether it contributes to economic progress, and what the scope of taxes is. Tax policy experts were interviewed and asked to discuss tax policy reform objectives, options, and mechanisms. The interviews were semi-structured, supported by a briefing document and a topical guide, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The efficiency of implemented changes for the EU Association Agreement was also evaluated. Compared to Georgian tax policy, EU tax policy is more liberal. The research revealed opportunities, future perspectives, and the significance of tax reforms and their positive effect on businesses. Based on in-depth interview findings, a detailed analysis of the financial sector is offered.

Paying for School Finance Reforms: How States Raise Revenues to Fund Increases in Elementary-Secondary Education Expenditures

This study investigates how individual states raise revenue to pay for elementary-secondary education spending following school finance reforms (SFRs). We identify states that increased and sustained education expenditures after reform, search for legislative statutes that appropriated more education spending, and assess how policymakers funded the SFRs. Our results show that state legislatures increase investments in education by increasing tax revenue streams, such as sales and excise taxes, and by taking over property tax collections. Considering these results, we discuss that increased state investment in education should be accompanied by a policy mechanism to distribute state aid equitably to districts. Moreover, policymakers should consider local voters’ preferences when implementing SFR policies, as tax increases may reduce local fiscal effort for education.

Evaluating the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry: Mechanisms and threshold effects

As the world's largest manufacturing country, the rapid growth of China's manufacturing industry has historically relied on factor input. To achieve high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, China must accelerate the transformation from extensive factor input to innovation. The purpose of this study is to further explore the impact mechanisms of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. It selected data from 30 provinces and cities in China spanning from 2011 to 2021 for the study. Initially, it established a benchmark regression model to verify the positive impact of technological development policies on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Subsequently, a mediation effect model was used to analyze the role of high-tech industry development in mediating this impact, and a moderation effect model was applied to study the moderating effect of the level of infrastructure informatization. Additionally, taking the industrial structure as a threshold variable, a panel threshold effect model was employed to explore the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. It was found that enhancing the level of high-tech industries further facilitates the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry through technological development policy. The level of infrastructure informatization positively moderates the impact of technological development policy on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Moreover, the industrial structure exhibits a threshold effect in this impact.

Boosting green technology innovation in China's construction industry: The power of energy-consuming rights trading policy

Despite the energy-consuming rights trading (ECRT) as a policy practice to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the existing literature has not yet clearly revealed how it affects green technology innovation in the construction industry. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2010 to 2021, this paper empirically examines the impact and mechanism of the pilot ECRT policy on green technology innovation in the construction industry using the difference-in-differences (DID) method. The study shows that the ECRT policy significantly enhances green technology innovation in the construction industry in the pilot areas. Specifically, the level of green technological innovation in the construction industry in the pilot areas increased by 23.2 % after the implementation of the ECRT policy. Further mechanistic tests show that the ECRT policy promotes green technological innovation in the construction industry by increasing research and development (R&D) investment and upgrading the industrial structure. This paper assesses for the first time the impact of the ECRT policy on green technology innovation from the construction industry's perspective, providing a new perspective for assessing the impact of market-based environmental regulation. This paper is also highly significant for the government to enhance its policies on energy saving and pollution reduction.

Controlled Grazing as a Pathway for Enhancing Investment in Multipurpose Trees and Welfare

AbstractIn Africa, rangeland ecosystems have been exploited due to heavy and unsustainable grazing. Policy and institutional mechanisms such as integrating silvopastoral systems with sustainable grazing practices have been devised to mitigate the negative effects. In this study, we investigated whether the uptake of sustainable grazing management in the form of controlled grazing spurs investment in multipurpose trees (MPTs) and enhances income. Using instrumental variable regression, we find that controlled grazing increases not only the propensity to plant MPTs but also the number of tree species. More importantly, IV and treatment effect results indicate that controlled grazing enhances income from MPTs.

Policy and market mechanisms for promoting sustainable energy transition: role of government and private sector

Policy and market mechanisms for promoting sustainable energy transition: role of government and private sector

Universal Background Checks, Permit Requirements, and Firearm Homicide Rates

A loophole in US gun policy is that people can purchase guns from private sellers without going through any background check. Some states have addressed this loophole by requiring universal background checks for all gun sales, either at the point of sale or through a permit system; however, most studies on the effectiveness of universal background checks have not analyzed these 2 policy mechanisms separately. To assess the association of point-of-sale background check law and gun permit law, separately, with firearm homicide rates from 1976 through 2022 using the same methods and model specification. This cross-sectional study used a difference-in-differences, fixed-effects regression model to evaluate firearm laws and firearm homicide rates in 48 states from 1976 through 2022. Data were obtained for 48 states except New Hampshire and Vermont and were analyzed in January 2024. Implementation of either the law requiring a universal background check at point of sale for all firearms without a permit or the laws combining universal background checks and a state permit requirement for all gun purchasers. Annual, state-specific rates of firearm homicide per 100 000 people. From 1976 through 2022, 12 states adopted the universal background check laws without permitting requirements and 7 states implemented gun permit laws covering all firearms. The mean (SD) firearm homicide rate was 4.3 (0.1) per 100 000 people. Universal background checks for all firearms alone (without a state permitting system) were not associated with overall homicide rates (percentage change, 1.3%; 95% CI, -6.9% to 10.4%) or firearm homicide rates (percentage change, 3.7%; 95% CI, -5.3% to 13.6%). A law requiring a permit for the purchase of all firearms was associated with significantly lower overall homicide rates (percentage change, -15.4%; 95% CI, -28.5% to -0.01%) and firearm homicide rates (percentage change, -18.3%; 95% CI, -32.0% to -1.9%). This cross-sectional study found that universal background checks alone were not associated with firearm homicide rates, but a permit requirement for the purchase and possession of firearms was associated with substantially reduced rates of firearm homicide. The findings suggest that combining universal background checks and permit-to-purchase requirements is an effective strategy for firearm-related fatality reduction.

How to crack the impossible triangle of new energy coupled system——Evidence from China

This paper employs a four-dimensional coupled dynamic system and combines actual data from China to analyze the intrinsic connections and dynamic changes among new energy, economy, carbon emissions, and energy storage. The study reveals that new energy development faces an impossible triangle dilemma, wherein energy reliability, economy, and low carbon are difficult to achieve simultaneously. Although economic growth promotes new energy utilization, new energy development may inhibit economy at the initial stage. The development of new energy can effectively reduce carbon intensity. There exists a conflict between economic growth and carbon reduction, and a part of economic growth needs to be sacrificed to realize carbon emissions reduction. Further research indicates that market mechanism and government regulation are crucial for solving the energy trilemma, requiring coordinated efforts to achieve the optimal solution for energy, economy, and environmental goals. It is recommended to dynamically adjust the policy and market mechanism intensity based on the new energy industry's development stage. Increase government subsidies in the early stages and gradually transition to market dominance in the mid-term while improving market mechanism. In the field of energy storage, guide its participation in the electricity market to achieve scale development.

Industrial Policy Orientation and Mechanism Construction for Data Sharing and Utilization in the Internet of Things (IoT) Era

Industrial Policy Orientation and Mechanism Construction for Data Sharing and Utilization in the Internet of Things (IoT) Era

Intended and implemented spatial policy - A ‘fuzzy effect’ case study

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of local territorially targeted policy by identifying an implementation gap between intended and implemented development (in a case in Eastern Poland, a ‘post-communist’ transition economy). The systemic conceptual matrix integrates an interplay of intended, actualised and implemented spatial policies with institutional framework in the context of a struggle for control of building development (including communal investment), and threats for public interest. The matrix applies the conformance and performance criteria in analysing the gap. The work identifies the ‘vicious circle’ (implementation gap's mechanisms) of spatial policies and land use planning that leads to an increase in urban sprawl. A ‘deficit’ of public interest consists the key issue of spatial policy that results in ‘fuzzy effect’, which includes scattering of communal investments. Decreasing urban sprawl is not about refining technical land use plans but requires a shift from land use planning to strategic public interest spatial planning.

Wealth-related inequalities in self-reported health status in the United States and 14 high-income countries.

To examine wealth-related inequalities in self-reported health status among older population in the United States and 14 European countries. We used secondary individual-level data from Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2011 and 2019. In this cross-sectional study, we used two waves from HRS (wave 10 and 14) and SHARE (wave 4 and 8) to compare wealth-related health inequality across countries, age groups, and birth cohorts. We estimated Wagstaff concentration indices to measure these inequalities across three age groups (50-59, 60-69, 70-79) and two birth cohorts (1942-1947, 1948-1953) in the US and 14 European countries. We performed secondary analysis of survey data. Focusing on older population, we found evidence of wealth-related inequalities in self-reported health status across several high-income countries, with the US demonstrating higher levels of inequality than its European counterparts. The magnitude of these inequalities with respect to wealth remained unchanged over the study period across all countries. Our findings also suggest that wealth-related health inequalities differ at different stages of workforce engagement, especially in the United States. This could be explained either by potential redistributive effects of retirement or by uneven survivor effect, as less wealthy may drop out of the observations at a greater rate partly due to their poorer health. Wealth-related inequalities in self-reported health status are strong and persistent across countries. Our results suggest that there is meaningful variation across high-income countries in health-wealth dynamics that merits further investigation to better understand whether certain health or welfare systems are more equitable. They also highlight the need to consider social policy and wealth redistribution mechanisms as strategies for improving population health among the less wealthy, in the United States and elsewhere.