Principles For Policymakers Research Articles

Проблема войны в политической философии Ф. Бэкона

The article brings the analysis of Bacons’ ideas on war and political violence in general. Military activities of a state and military foundations of statecraft were of a particular interest for Bacon both from legal & bureaucratic and philosophical perspective. Both perspectives merged in his writings on colonization of Virginia and Ireland, military affairs with Spain, legal issues of union of England and Scotland and on the principles of policy-making. Bacon believed violence – organized, well-armed and successful – was a mighty factor uniting communities into a state. No one state in the world had been able to emerge without an oppression of the ruled by those who rule. The later stages of a state-building required something except mere force – a set of common habits and laws and a consent to be governed as well. The pursuit of common interest requires nowadays the use of an armed force. The reason for it is the contest between the rival states. The balance of powers, the colonial policy, the control of lands and populations are never available for a state lacking military power. Although a successful colonization, a proper use of lands and an effective government could never be achieved by such a means. These goals require a legitimate rule based upon a common consent, a respect for the law and a peaceful labor. A conquered population should be naturalized rather than forced to recognize a new government. A wise ruler will use armed force moderately even for such purposes like suppression of seditions and wrong religions. Analyzing war from a pragmatic, Machiavellian perspective, Bacon had escaped the aestheticisation of martial virtue and art of waging wars typical for Machiavelli.

Which policy mixes are best for decarbonising passenger cars? Simulating interactions among taxes, subsidies and regulations for the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, China, and India

Reducing transport emissions, in particular CO2 emissions from passenger vehicles, is a key element in mitigating the risk of climate change. Conventional welfare economics recommends the use of comprehensive pricing of carbon emissions, which may not necessarily be the most effective approach in transport systems. This paper uses an evolutionary technology diffusion model to simulate the impact of climate policies on passenger car emissions in the US, UK, Japan, China and India up to 2050, seeking to understand policy interaction. We analyse six commonly seen policy instruments and explore systematically the impact of combining each of these policies by developing 63 scenarios for the US, the UK, China, Japan, and India. We assess both the policies’ effectiveness in achieving emissions reductions and their cost-effectiveness in doing so. We show how the diffusion dynamics of the system can lead to interaction of policy levers, generating synergies in some cases (combined effectiveness more than the sum of its parts), andmutual impediment effects in others (combined effectiveness less than the sum of its parts). The paper identifies particular combinations of regulatory, procurement and fiscal policies that are particularly effective at generating rapid change without needing the use of very high fuel taxes or carbon pricing. Notably, combining electric vehicle mandates with taxes and regulations on combustion vehicles is highly effective, as it simultaneously improves the availability of low-carbon options while penalising high carbon options.Simple principles for policymaking can be inferred.

Logistics service triad for household waste: consumers as co-producers of sustainability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the sustainability of waste supply chains regarding the energy efficiency of first-mile waste collection systems and quality of waste. Roles of actors in the waste service triad are considered, particularly focusing on households. Design/methodology/approach Primary data are collected from respondents including municipality officers, waste service providers (WSPs) and households through brainstorming sessions, semi-structured interviews, site visits and a focus group. Secondary data are collected from official reports for validation. Findings Findings reveal tension between the energy efficiency of waste collection logistics and the quality of waste collected. Households are co-producers of logistic services providing important inputs in the form of sorting and moving waste and raw materials into new cycles of goods circulating in logistics systems. Other actors in the logistics service triad are the municipality as regulator and the WSP acting as a reverse-logistics service provider. Practical implications This study provides principles for policymakers and practitioners to evaluate the energy efficiency of waste management options, considering the quality of waste. Also, “logistics services” and “quality of waste” as concepts might provoke new thoughts on how to involve the consumer in resource recovery. Originality/value Few studies have focused on the end-consumer’s role in waste supply chains. By considering waste as a resource and the consumer as the supplier of this input, this study provides a new way to think about logistics services for waste collection.

Movements of the future: environmental change, its affect on migration and policy responses

ABSTRACTAs temperatures and sea levels rise, among other issues, environmental change is becoming an increasingly important driver of both internal and external migration across the globe. The loss of livelihood that these changes engender, and will increasingly cause in the coming decades, is forcing larger and larger numbers of individuals and groups to seek opportunities in other areas. As this phenomenon becomes more prevalent, it is imperative that communities, governments, NGOs, and other interested parties put in place policies to mitigate and adapt. This paper looks at the intersection of environmental change and migration. More specifically, it discusses the changing climate and environment and then looks at how this will, and already is, affecting migration patterns around the world. It then will provide a number of guiding principles for policymakers, academics, and others to think about when dealing with this issue.

Kaushik Basu: Understanding the economic principles of policymaking in India

Kaushik Basu: Understanding the economic principles of policymaking in India

Maximizing Child Development: Three Principles for Policy-makers

The policy note advances three inter-related principles to guide policy-makers and agents in international development organizations to prioritize their actions. These principles are drawn from findings from two Early Childhood Development (ECD) reports recently completed by the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group—one on the World Bank support for ECD and the other a systematic review of the sustained effects of early childhood interventions. The principles are: Support the Early Development of Children, Starting from Birth; Support Parents Through Existing Services; Make Resources Available to Meet Needs of the Most Vulnerable. These principles imply a new emphasis on development beyond survival with effective, evidence-informed interventions. The policy implications also mean starting with what exists in services in health and protection for vulnerable families and augmenting these with parenting support and education components so that children’s risks are reduced and more poor children will be ready to enter primary school at the appropriate age and to persist through schooling and thrive in the labor market.

Germ Cells from Stem Cells

In April 2008, outside of Cambridge, England, The Hinxton Group convened an international consortium to discuss an exciting new area of research that has emerged over the last few years: the production of germ cells from pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Although functional eggs or sperm have not yet been produced in vitro from either embryonic stem (ES) cells or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, progress has been tantalizing. This research opens new opportunities for studies on the development of germ cells and prospects for clinical applications. The goal of the Hinxton Group was to provide conceptual framework and guiding principles for policy makers, and to this end, ‘‘A Consensus Statement: Science, Ethics and Policy Challenges of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Gametes’’ emerged after three days of discussion and debate. This statement, reproduced here verbatim, should stimulate interest and discussion throughout the community of reproductive and developmental biologists and provide a framework for societal debate.

Between Development and State: Recasting Korean Dirigisme

This paper offers an alternative understanding and a critique of how Korean development has been interpreted by scholars such as Chalmers Johnson, Alice Amsden, Robert Wade, and Peter Evans. By joining together two areas of discussion - development and the state - often carried on separately and by different professional and academic groups, the present paper provides a new, deeper and more accurate account of Korean dirigisme, or system of state-led development. Developmental state proponents slight the fact that Korean dirigisme harmed equity, democracy, social cohesion, and thus the peoples ability to take the initiative, innovate or form viable civil society. By looking at the way in which the state meddled with the economy as a deliberately selected course, an analytic account can be taken of the dysfunction of developmental statism, which I also term diseased dirigisme. The inequity between the often-bitter deprivations suffered by small firm operators and other ordinary citizens and the sweet gains reaped by a few big business conglomerates, known as chaebol, remains symptomatic of Korea's dirigiste disease. The dominant themes in the current economic discourses are privatisation, marketization, deregulation and the rollback of the welfare state. By linking the state-led and people-centered arguments, however, the paper contributes to fresh discourse about principles of policymaking and state-action to broaden the valuation of development beyond economic efficiency or competitiveness.

Principles of Policymaking in the European Union: An Economic Perspective

How should tasks be divided between the EU and its member states? And what institutional reforms are needed? This paper argues that the single market remains to be better enforced, and this might require further centralisation of tasks. On the other hand, EU meddling with redistribution should be scaled back; this would imply reducing EU intervention in agricultural policy, structural funds and the social charter. EU tasks should instead be expanded outside the first pillar, namely in foreign and defence policies, internal security, immigration. The paper ends by discussing what institutional reforms are needed to accompany this allocation of tasks. (JEL F02 , F3 )

The digital dilemma: intellectual property in the information age

Imagine sending a magazine article to 10 friends-making photocopies, putting them in envelopes, adding postage, and mailing them. Now consider how much easier it is to send that article to those 10 friends as an attachment to e-mail. Or to post the article on your own site on the World Wide Web. The ease of modifying or copying digitized material and the proliferation of computer networking have raised fundamental questions about copyright and patent--intellectual property protections rooted in the U.S. Constitution. Hailed for quick and convenient access to a world of material, the Internet also poses serious economic issues for those who create and market that material. If people can so easily send music on the Internet for free, for example, who will pay for music? This book presents the multiple facets of digitized intellectual property, defining terms, identifying key issues, and exploring alternatives. It follows the complex threads of law, business, incentives to creators, the American tradition of access to information, the international context, and the nature of human behavior. Technology is explored for its ability to transfer content and its potential to protect intellectual property rights. The book proposes research and policy recommendations as well as principles for policymaking.