Role Of Public Sector Research Articles

Governing Boards and Trustees

The six books reviewed refine our knowledge of governing boards and trusteeship in five topical areas: distinguishing characteristics of public and private sector trusteeship; public sector trustee selection and role orientation; trusteeship in multi-campus systems; board self-improvement approaches, and evaluations of board performance. Twelve areas are also identified for further conceptual and methodological examination.

America's future work force: a health and education policy issues handbook

Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments The U.S. Labor Force: Present and Projected Economic, Social, and Fiscal Contexts General Deterrents to Future Labor Force Employability of American Youth Deterrents to Adequate Health Care Public-Private Policy Options for Restructuring the U.S. Health Care System Deterrents to Adequate Education Policy Issues and Alternatives for Restructuring The U.S. Public Education System Public and Private Sector Roles in Preparing America's Future Work Force Appendixes Bibliographical Essay Index

Standard setting in the United States: public and private sector roles

The author examines the evolution of the US standards process and its basis in American political culture. She evaluates the system in the light of the many structural changes taking place in the world economy, and suggests that a new balance must be struck between public and private sector roles.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Access and privacy of distribution land related information

Abstract Introduction Increasing computing power and sophisticated telecommunications technology are making the development of distributed information systems a reality. The use of such a distributed environment provides a new and powerful means of gathering, processing and disseminating a vast array of information products. There are, however, some facets to this environment which are not adequately dealt with by current policies in many jurisdictions. Some of the institutional issues which appear to be floundering in the wake of rapid advances in information technology relate to the ownership of information, the role of the private and public sectors in the distribution of information, the rights of access to information, and information privacy.

Economic growth and stability in China

This paper examines specific maeroeconomic issues relative to China's economic growth with stability. China's relatively high rate of growth in the 1980s came to be challenged by a high rate of inflation in 1988–1989. Two sets of questions are examined here: (i) first, a “trade-off” between growth and stability during the 1980s and deterioration of the terms of the trade-off; and (ii) second, primary causes of fluctuations in China's macroeconomic variables. In the process, we study the central role of China's public sector in money supply and a policy of closer integration of the Chinese economy into the international economy. ( JEL 042, 053)

Revisiting energy policies in Latin America and Africa: A redefinition of public and private sector roles

In spite of vast local energy resources, economic development in Latin America and Africa is not supported by reliable energy supplies, although increasing energy use is inevitable. Oil and electricity are currently delivered through inefficient regulated systems, consuming large shares of scarce capital and foreign exchange. Furthermore, fuelwood is being burned beyond sustainable levels, threatening the environment. Projects to develop adequate energy supplies call for capital which these economies are not generating internally. Lending from external commercial banks, affected by the debt crisis, together with credits from bilateral and multilateral agencies, remains limited. There is a need for a policy reformulation to enhance direct equity financing of energy sector activities. To reduce governments' involvement and to increase the role of private companies, new institutional frameworks together with market based energy price systems must be established. In this context, multilateral agencies could encourage direct investment by making known the results of successful cases of privatization and by introducing innovative guarantee mechanisms.

Standard setting in the United States: Public and private sector roles

Standards are ubiquitous, affecting our lives in a multitude of ways. Because the economic and social stakes in standards are so large, how standards are set is a matter of some concern. The standards development process must be fair to prevent any single interest from dictating the outcome. Equally important is the relationship between the public and private sectors. This article examines the evolution of the U.S. standards process and its basis in American political culture. It evaluates the system in the light of the many structural changes taking place in the world economy, and suggests that a new balance must be struck between public and private sector roles. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Introduction: Immigration and U.S. Integration, Policy Reforms, and Economic Change

The economic and political ramifications of immigration will become increasingly evident in the United States during the coming decade, particularly in view of recent immigration policies that guarantee that the magnitude and diversity of the inflow will continue to grow. This symposium presents research that examines the role of immigrants in industrial restructuring and evaluates the effects of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. The importance of English language skills for economic advancement, and of government‐supported training for refugees, are also examined. Together, this body of research directs our attention to the need for a more active public and private sector role in assisting all U.S. workers prepare for the demands of the labor market of the future.

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HIV seroprevalence among patients admitted to two psychiatric hospitals

The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients admitted to two psychiatric hospitals in New York City. Patients consecutively admitted to an acute psychiatric unit in Manhattan and a large state hospital in Queens were anonymously tested for HIV-1 antibodies from December 1989 through July 1990. Test results were linked to age, gender, ethnicity, and two risk behaviors: male homosexual activity and injection drug use. Blood was obtained from 83.0% of the eligible patients. The prevalence of HIV was 5.5% (25 of 451). Black patients accounted for 38.0% of the patients tested and 76.0% of positive results (N = 19), a rate of 11.1% for this group. The rate of seropositivity was comparable in women and men. Clinicians had charted risk behavior for nine (36.0%) of the 25 HIV-positive patients. Infection control records suggested that clinicians were aware of seven (28.0%) of the positive cases. One in every 18 patients admitted to two public psychiatric hospitals in New York City was HIV positive. Clinical staff largely failed to identify HIV-positive patients. Ethnicity and a history of homosexual activity among men or use of injected drugs were strongly associated with seropositivity. This pattern of infection may be linked to needle sharing and/or sexual activity with partners who have shared needles. Future research should clarify how psychiatric illness affects risk-taking behavior, focus on improving detection by clinicians, and identify effective prevention strategies in this population.

Shocks externos y sector público: hacia una aproximación cuantitativa

It is too much obvious that the Peruvian economy has suffered an erratic evolution. This article stresses the hypothesis that when external shocks occur, they have important effects on the economy and on its public sector. In order to test that hypothesis, the author uses a short term macroeconomic model that takes into account the public sector role and its fiscal policy. Then, the goal of this paper is to provide empirical evidence through the estimation of the external shocks effects and through the estimation of the government alternative responses to alleviate the perverse effects.

Health Care Financing in Korea: Private Market Dilemmas for a Developing Nation

Health insurance in developing nations has tended to widen rather than reduce the gulf between privileged and underprivileged and between urban and rural dwellers. Beneficiaries are typically urban industrial workers with regular jobs and adequate incomes. The case of health insurance implementation and health policy planning in Korea is of particular interest. It illustrates the dilemmas which arise out of a privatized model with decentralized administration and fragmented governmental responsibility in a rapidly industralizing economy. In this respect, Korean health care institutions and financing patterns reflect major influences from Japan, the United States, and Germany. Since 1976, when national health insurance was first implemented in Korea, problems in cost inflation, overspecialization of physicians, underutilization of hospital facilities, and maldistribution of health care resources have emerged. The consequences of waste and poor allocation in a developing nation are more severe than in developed nations and raise questions about the appropriate role of the public sector where conflicts between social welfare and economic objectives arise.

Public policy, federalism, and AIDS.

The AIDS epidemic poses important challenges to the American political system. In the context of AIDS, relationships between the public and private sectors as well as those among federal, state, and local governments have had a significant impact in shaping the nations response to the epidemic. The character of health policy in the United States has in large part been determined by uncertainty regarding the appropriate role of the public sector and by persistent beliefs that the best solutions are private sector ones. Similarly, relationships across levels of government are clouded by concerns about the presumed excesses of centralized (federal) government and the widespread conviction that the most appropriate solutions are state and local ones. AIDS emerged as a public health issue at a point in the early 1980s when a new federal administration was calling for a reduction in public sector and federal responsibility for addressing health and social needs. Since that time, stronger public and federal leadership appears to be developing, and both are essential to forging the policy partnerships between the public and private sectors and across levels of government that are essential to the development of a comprehensive policy response to the AIDS epidemic.

Health Care for Black Americans: The Public Sector Role

Most of the improvement--both absolute and relative--in the health status of black Americans over the past two decades can be traced to major gains in access to health care services. Public payment programs, most notably Medicaid and Medicare, have not only reduced financial barriers, but have also combatted those of racial discrimination. Other federal programs supporting targeted local services have been especially effective in reducing infant mortality. But the redistributive effects have been uneven and unequal across populations; many categorical gaps remain and increasing numbers are potentially without access to essential primary care services.

Assessing Medical Technology Assessment: Past, Present, and Future

Advances in medical technology have contributed both to the quality of health care and to its costs. The marketplace doesn't produce sufficient information to anticipate either real health or economic value. Formal assessment of new technologies for safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and cost has been unimpressively dominated by government. While new agency and institutional arrangements promise greater success, they will require a balance between public and private sector roles in procedures and financial support.

Contract Caterers and Public Sector Catering

The impact of Government moves to put public sector catering out to competitive tender will severely affect some relationships between public sector catering management and staff, a range of employment issues, the skill levels of catering staff and the role of public sector catering management. The employment implications of the contracting‐out exercise in public sector catering in hospitals and schools are assessed.

Nonmarket Resource Allocation in Mantal Health Care

This article examines the public sector's role in the provision of mental health care, concentrating on a financial and economic perspective. A brief history of U.S. public policy toward the mentally ill is provided. The political economy of the mental health care system is then discussed. Four key sets of actors are identified: voters, interest groups, legislatures and elected politicians, and bureaus and public providers. Public policy toward the mentally ill in the United States is the result of the interaction of these groups. We discuss each group's objectives and the nature of the constraints each faces in pursuing its objectives. Using this perspective, the empirical literature on resource utilization by public mental hospitals is reviewed. A research agenda is presented for analyzing public sources of mental health care.

Nonmarket Resource Allocation in Mental Health Care

This article examines the public sector's role in the provision of mental health care, concentrating on a financial and economic perspective. A brief history of U.S. public policy toward the mentally ill is provided. The political economy of the mental health care system is then discussed. Four key sets of actors are identified: voters, interest groups, legislatures and elected politicians, and bureaus and public providers. Public policy toward the mentally ill in the United States is the result of the interaction of these groups. We discuss each group's objectives and the nature of the constraints each faces in pursuing its objectives. Using this perspective, the empirical literature on resource utilization by public mental hospitals is reviewed. A research agenda is presented for analyzing public sources of mental health care.

Building a Cooperative Economy: a Strategy for Community Based Economic Development

central city ghettos and poor rural areas is now beginning to take hold wherever localities have been hit by problems of economic decline. At the same time, increasing interest is being expressed in worker coopera? tives and employee owned businesses as means for stimulating and controlling local economic development efforts.1 The purpose of this article is to outline a strategy for local develop? ment that combines the best features of community based economic development and cooperative ownership. While in comparison to con? ventional businesses, cooperatives have proven to be more efficient and to provide a higher degree of employee satisfaction, they have been plagued historically by problems of initial organization and insufficient supplies of capital. Because of its efficiency advantage, the adoption of the cooperative form of ownership could increase the rate of success for community development efforts, but in order to do so the problems of cooperative ownership must be overcome. What role can the commu? nity movement and the major institution it has fostered, the community development corporation, play in the creation and nurturing of cooper? ation enterprises? Why is a public sector role necessary in the building of a cooperative economy and what should that role be? These are the central issues to be taken up in this article after reviewing the advan? tages of cooperative ownership and the solutions to the problems of cooperative ownership implemented in the Mondragon system of coop? eratives. *0034-6764/84/1201 -339/$ 1.50/0. Recently in Youngstown, Ohio, an attempt was made to combine worker and commu? nity ownership in a proposal to purchase the Campbell plant of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube steel mill. [Zwerdling, 1981, pp. 195-200] The proposal failed because the federal government refused to give needed loan guarantees.

The Role of the Public Sector in Local Development Finance: Evaluating Alternative Institutional Arrangements

This article will develop a framework for the evaluation of alternative economic institutions and apply that framework to various arrangements for financing housing and local economic development. An institution is defined here as a set of property rights or rules for decision making; the framework for analyzing institutions derives from the work of John R. Commons [1924], Vincent Ostrom [1976], and Allan Schmid [1978], and is based on their notion that alternative specifications of property rights or decision rules will affect the nature of the outcomes produced by economic entities. Choice among alternative institutions then requires an evaluation of these outcomes and of the institutional processes themselves against some set of social value criteria. Here we draw upon some of the recent work in the area of institutionalist value theory. The framework is applied to the evaluation of two alternative institutional arrangements for the provision of debt and equity capital for investment in housing and in commercial and industrial enterprises: government regulation of private banks and creation of publicly owned banks. In recent years, a number of new institutions have arisen: the Federal Community Reinvestment Act, state anti-redlining statutes, state development banks and housing finance authorities, and state equity capital funds.