Restructuring of the Financial Industry: The Disappearance of Locally Owned Traditional Financial Services in Rural America

Restructuring in the financial services industry has altered the relationship between small business owners and capital. In the past small businesses have relied on relational, or soft data, lending from locally owned banks for capital. The proliferation of absentee‐owned local branch networks brought standardized practices, thus eliminating the autonomy of local loan officers to utilize soft data in loan decisions. In this article we examine the changes in the percentage of traditional financial services that are locally owned in three county types: metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore. We utilize the Longitudinal Business Database at the U.S. Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies. We examine changes in local ownership of traditional financial services between 1976 and 2007. We find that the rate of decline of local ownership has been greatest in the noncore (most rural) counties. We also explore to what extent these patterns are related to the emergence of alternative financial services during the same period. We find that such alternative services are growing in all three county types, but at rates not significantly different than the population growth for these county types. We supplement our analysis with data from qualitative interviews with small business owners throughout rural Texas. We conclude with a discussion of implications and plans for future research.     

审美现代性之对话：文学作品的功能之一

萨特认为作家是一个独立个体，其职责是揭露现实真相，其目的是赢得“身后名”，而读者需要全身心阅读作品，并能够再创造。要想达成作家与读者的对话，作品需要一个“召唤结构”来吸引读者阅读，需要包含真、善等普遍性话题，需要是作家和读者建立相互信任的场所。作品所达成的对话有助于：消除东西方文化的隔阂，激发思想自由和现实自由，以及建构一个和谐的人类共同体。     

迪尔凯姆和韦伯关于"社会"解释范式之比较

在以往的研究中,大多数学者都是从迪尔凯姆和韦伯解释社会所依赖的路径和视角之不同来看待他们在方法论上的差异.而笔者认为,尽管迪尔凯姆和韦伯在社会学的整体方法论上迥然不同而导致各自解释"社会"的范式也有明显差异,但他们终因"社会学"的学术范畴走到一起.因此,本文拟在分析二者差异的基础上进一步探讨沟通二者的桥梁,为避免新时期社会学方法论走向两个极端提供一种理论上的思考.     

在文本与实践之间——法律移植之困境再论

当前我国法制建设在制度移植与重生方面面临着一种困境，即法制建设究竟是应该整理传统以利用本土资源并进而实现传统的创造性转化，还是应该以西方制度演化史所积淀的现代法制模式为榜样进行整体或局部的法律移植，学界对此亦存在相当的论争。然而值得怀疑的是，这些不同角度的理论进路究竟在多大程度上能给当前的困境提供一种出路，甚而有学者以为当前的制度变革本就无解。     

贵州社会管理创新:经验、问题与出路

近年来,贵州社会管理创新取得了一些成效,其主要经验是强化中国共产党在社会管理创新中的领导地位,发挥政府在社会管理创新中的主导作用,创新内容要关注民生。尽管如此,贵州社会管理创新还存在社会矛盾化解机制不健全、基层政府社会管理力量薄弱、社会组织培育机制不健全等问题,应通过完善源头治理机制、改革基层社会管理体制、优化社会组织培育机制等途径来解决。     

基于声誉约束的合谋防范机制研究

防范招投标过程中的合谋,建立和培养科学合理的招投标机制是一个重要的研究课题。通过将KMRW声誉理论引入招投标的机制设计,分析了在不完全信息的情况下,招标人和投标人在重复博弈中的行为策略。结果表明,声誉因素对于市场参与者而言是一个很强的约束,即使是"坏"的投标人在长期博弈中也有不进行合谋的激励。在声誉约束机制的诱导下,企业将选择合规的经营行为,从而在宏观层面上体现出更强的社会责任感与企业伦理观。     

中国商品流通现代化的模糊综合评价研究

完善了商品流通现代化指标体系,并运用模糊综合法将商品流通现代化指标转换成了指数。研究发现商品流通现代化水平与其区域位置、总体经济实力密切相关,且受到产业结构的影响。同时,通过基于指数的聚类分析得到如下结论:"率先发展型区域"要抓住历史机遇,培养创新型人才,保持领先地位;"积极追赶型区域"要发挥地理优势,打破省之间、行业和部门之间、所有制之间的界限,积极参与各种区域经济合作;"流通欠发达型区域"要进一步推进和实施西部大开发战略,推进物流现代化。     

Least squares estimation of varying‐coefficient hazard regression with application to breast cancer dose‐intensity data

To enhance modeling flexibility, the authors propose a nonparametric hazard regression model, for which the ordinary and weighted least squares estimation and inference procedures are studied. The proposed model does not assume any parametric specifications on the covariate effects, which is suitable for exploring the nonlinear interactions between covariates, time and some exposure variable. The authors propose the local ordinary and weighted least squares estimators for the varying‐coefficient functions and establish the corresponding asymptotic normality properties. Simulation studies are conducted to empirically examine the finite‐sample performance of the new methods, and a real data example from a recent breast cancer study is used as an illustration. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 37: 659–674; 2009 © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada     

受限制的市场化:近代浙南五谷会研究

浙南石仓的五谷会是典型的近代乡村会社组织,它由多名会首出资发起组成,以宗教崇拜集会为主要形式,并以此为背景展开借贷活动。五谷会具有清代传统会社的基本特点,但在近代石仓萧条的经济形势下,也出现了新的变化。五谷会会内借贷的实际利率上升趋势明显,会首与会众两相分离并显示出"营业性"的某些特点,这些面向均反映了一种"市场化"的趋势。但与此同时,这种市场化又受到了多重因素的制约:会内仍有着特殊的利率优惠,会首并不存在很大的逐利空间,会众仍普遍以当地的宗族网络作为入会借贷的信用凭借。在这个意义上,五谷会仍未丧失其互助性民间组织的基本特征。