The puzzle of cooperation in a game of chicken: an experimental study

The objective of this article is to investigate the impact of agent heterogeneity (as regards their attitude towards cooperation) and payoff structure on cooperative behaviour, using an experimental setting with incomplete information. A game of chicken is played considering two types of agents: ‘unconditional cooperators’, who always cooperate, and ‘strategic cooperators’, who do not cooperate unless it is in their interest to do so. Overall, our data show a much higher propensity to cooperate than predicted by theory. They also suggest that agent heterogeneity matters: the higher the proportion of ‘strategic cooperators’ in the population, the higher their probability to cooperate. Finally, our data confirm that higher rewards to cooperation (embedded in the payoff structure) tend to lower defection. Taken together, our results suggest that the subjects might be non-expected utility maximizers, dealing with both outcomes and probabilities in a non-linear manner.     

似与不似的百年困惑 艺术家陈坚访谈录

记:陈老师,你好,今天我们做个谈话,对现代艺术从各自的角度沟通一下,涉及每个人不同的看法,最后试图从您本人的艺术创作实践阐释中国艺术的发展脉象.     

Rational preference: Decision theory as a theory of practical rationality

In general, the technical apparatus of decision theory is well developed. It has loads of theorems, and they can be proved from axioms. Many of the theorems are interesting, and useful both from a philosophical and a practical perspective. But decision theory does not have a well agreed upon interpretation. Its technical terms, in particular, utility and preference do not have a single clear and uncontroversial meaning.How to interpret these terms depends, of course, on what purposes in pursuit of which one wants to put decision theory to use. One might want to use it as a model of economic decision-making, in order to predict the behavior of corporations or of the stock market. In that case, it might be useful to interpret the technical term utility as meaning money profit. Decision theory would then be an empirical theory. I want to look into the question of what utility could mean, if we want decision theory to function as a theory of practical rationality. I want to know whether it makes good sense to think of practical rationality as fully or even partly accounted for by decision theory. I shall lay my cards on the table: I hope it does make good sense to think of it that way. For, I think, if Humeans are right about practical rationality, then decision theory must play a very large part in their account. And I think Humeanism has very strong attractions.     

The impact of tax rates, political partisanship and economic variables on the distribution of state and local tax burdens

This study finds that the effective state and local tax rate for the top 1% of income households as a percentage of the effective state and local tax rate for the bottom 20% of income households in 2002 is significantly influenced by whether a state has a multi-rate income tax, right-to-work laws, the liberalism of a state's electorate, the average tax burden in a state and past tax policy. Democratic Party strength in state government, Republican or Democratic Party institutional control of state government, change in real per capita income, a Democratic Governor and the change in the share of income going to the top 1% of income households are not significant predictors. The empirical results are identical for the top 2-5% of income households to the bottom 20% of income households.     

Breaking down ideas and institutions: the politics of tax policy in the USA and the UK

As the existing comparative policy literature suggests, both ideational and institutional analyses have clear analytical value in their own terms but, under many circumstances, it is the combination of the two perspectives that allows for a full understanding of policy trajectories. In this article we suggest that, to improve our understanding of how ideas and institutions interact to produce change, it is important to break down these two overly broad concepts. This is because beyond general arguments about how ‘ideas’ and ‘institutions’ interact, students of public policy should itemize ‘ideas’ and ‘institutions’ into more focused, and empirically traceable, subcategories while recognizing the changing and contingent nature of their interaction, over time. To illustrate this, we turn to the politics of tax policy in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, tracking developments from the rise of the New Right and an aggressive income tax cutting agenda, personified by President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher, through to the revived debate about the legitimacy of increasing taxes on those earning the highest incomes that emerged in the era of austerity that followed the Great Recession of 2008.     

Reducing the regressivity of indirect taxation in Brazil through a personalized value-added tax

ICMS is a value-added tax and the most important tax in Brazil in terms of revenue. This paper investigates the technical feasibility and impact of a reform to ICMS. The aim of the reform is twofold, on the one hand, to modernize the tax and redress some current flaws in terms of neutrality, simplicity and transparency and, on the other, to reduce its regressivity, increase redistribution, reduce poverty and impact positively on social welfare (without a loss in the tax revenue). A static behavioral microsimulation model was purpose-constructed to study the proposed reform. The new tax simplifies the current system by introducing a single general tax rate and an increased rate for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, without exemptions, combining this with a total or partial refund for the poorest families. The empirical results show that the new tax is superior to the current one, both in terms of efficiency and equity.     

回顾与前瞻:中国共产党的政治纪律建设研究述评

党的政治纪律建设是党的政治建设的重要组成部分,对现阶段政治纪律建设最新成果进行梳理和归纳,有助于把握政治纪律建设规律,为新时代党的建设提供有益参考和理论借鉴。近年来,国内学界围绕政治纪律建设的基本内涵、加强政治纪律建设的主要依据、马克思主义经典作家和党的领导人政治纪律建设思想、党的政治纪律建设的历史经验及加强政治纪律建设的对策建议等问题展开了充分的探讨和研究,产生了一批有影响力的学术成果,为进一步深化政治纪律建设的研究提供了有益的学术积累和理论启迪。当然,这些成果还存在一定的不足和遗憾,政治纪律建设的研究还有可提升的空间。我们可以从深化政治纪律建设基本理论问题研究、政治纪律建设的系统性研究、拓展政治纪律建设的研究视角和研究方法三个方面加大研究的力度。     

回顾与展望:2001年的日本--学术研讨会发言摘登

20 0 1年 1 1月 1 5日 ,中国社会科学院日本研究所与日本学刊杂志社在京联合召开了“日本形势的回顾与展望”学术研讨会。日本研究所副所长、本刊主编高增杰 ,同所研究人员王屏、金熙德、张季风、王伟 ,中国现代国际关系研究所东北亚研究室副主任马俊威 ,外交学院国际经济系主任江瑞平 ,中国国际问题研究所研究员孙承 ,军事科学院外国军事研究部研究员江新凤等专家、学者出席会议并做了精彩发言。现将发言内容摘要刊登如下 ,以飨读者。     

当前财税体制改革的问题和对策

我国目前财税体制中存在着财力不足、债务增长过快、税收制度和财政支出管理滞后于市场经济发展等诸多问题.解决这些问题的途径是深化财税体制改革.财税体制改革的政策取向是建立公共财政体制,完善税制,加快费改税,改革财政支出管理制度,推进财政法制建设,适度举债防范财政风险等.     

Poverty and economic decision making: a review of scarcity theory

Theory and Decision - Poverty is associated with a wide range of counterproductive economic behaviors. Scarcity theory proposes that poverty itself induces a scarcity mindset, which subsequently...     

对政府分配功能和税收分配功能的重新界定

重新界定政府分配功能应明确两点:一是政府分配功能存在于国民收入分配的全过程;二是现实中政府分配功能具有二重性,即积极作用和负面影响。重新界定税收分配功能应明确两点:一是税收分配功能存在于国民收入分配的全过程;二是税收分配功能有多种作用形式。     

智力是什么?--智力观的回溯与前瞻

人类对智力的探究走过了漫长的历史,沿着哲学层面、心理层面、生理层面的路径,逐步从宏观思考走向微观探察,取得了对智力本质日益科学和深入的理解.本文以回顾西方历史上哲学家的智慧观为起点,重点分析当代心理学中智力观的演变与发展,指出拓展智力概念的内涵,对智力从静态描绘到动态评估,从"纯智力"研究转变为文化生态智力研究,以及开展系统化、多元化和跨学科的智力研究,是智力研究领域未来发展的方向.     

世纪之初印度经济发展状况及前景

近年来 ,印度作为一个崛起中的地区大国的国际影响力在增强。其原因主要在于印度本身综合国力的日趋增强。经济是实力的基础。当前印度经济已经发展到了相当的规模。由于在高科技领域特别是信息技术方面的世界领先位置 ,印度经济具有深厚的潜力和广阔的前景。世纪之初 ,客观分析印度经济的现状 ,合理预测其发展前景 ,对于我们更好地分析印度未来走向 ,从战略的高度评价对印关系的重要性 ,有着深远的现实意义。一、印度经济的现状印度是一个人口大国 ,也是一个经济相对落后的国家。印度独立后在较长时期内实行的是尼赫鲁式的“混合所有制基础…     

越南国有企业改革的回眸与前瞻

在越南的经济发展过程中,国有企业发展迅速,它曾在政治、经济、社会生活中发挥了重要作用。但是,经过一段时间的国家扶持和资助,国有企业也暴露出许多缺陷。二十多年改革之后(从1986年以来),越南国有企业仍然处在困境中,不适应社会主义市场经济的要求。国有企业形成现在的局面,其原因是多方面的,而且十分复杂。本文揭示了越南国有企业的弊病及其成因,并且提出了改革国有企业的一些举措。     

空间生产:开拓中国经济未来前景之路

中国经济新常态需要以经济空间的开拓与生产为前提,社会生产的重心从物质生产向空间生产的转移,通过充分发挥社会主义制度的优越性,通过空间生产来消除资本扩张悖论;通过消除两极分化以生产消费空间,克服资本扩张的"经济悖论";通过建立循环经济以生产生态空间,克服资本扩张的"生态悖论";通过进行文化建设以生产文化空间,克服资本扩张的"人的发展悖论"。科技创新是这些空间生产的技术前提,五位一体的建设是空间生产的社会条件。     

尼泊尔—印度水资源争端的缘起及合作前景

尼泊尔与印度的水资源争端是困扰两国关系发展的一个重要因素。印度在处理与尼泊尔关系中的家长作风和利己主义行为、尼泊尔试图平衡印度影响的心理,以及尼泊尔政局动荡等因素是导致尼印水资源合作不畅的主要原因。由于尼印双方水资源争端的历史积怨,以及出于资金或技术方面的考虑,未来的尼印水资源合作有必要引入国际合作机制。     

Fatherhood and immigration: challenging the deficit theory

Most immigration studies focus on the negative consequences of immigration for families and for parenting. Immigration is also viewed as a factor that undermines fathers’ capacity to implement their fathering roles. The impact of immigration on fathers has received very little attention. This paper is based on 54 interviews with immigrant fathers to Canada and Israel. Based on qualitative data, the paper investigates immigrant fathers’ perceptions of fatherhood in the midst of cultural change. This paper challenges the widely held notion that immigration itself is a risk factor for fatherhood. It focuses rather on the systemic barriers and obstacles facing immigrant fathers in their new country and the positive opportunities this change presents. Implications for intervention and policies concerning immigrant families are discussed.