Calculable Power: A Case Study of IMF Quotas and Voting Rights Reform*

Voting procedure is an important mechanism for public choice in collective bodies such as international organizations. This paper measures and compares IMF member countries’ voting power before the 2008 reform and after the 2010 reform on the basis of datasets on IMF quotas and voting rights distribution provided by IMF. Our study verifies that IMF’s quotas and voting rights reforms do help to reduce the voting power gap among member countries. The 2008 and 2010 reforms produce a greater improvement in emerging members’ voting power under the 70 percent majority rule than the 85 percent rule; the 70 percent majority rule means the United States would lose its absolute veto. Moreover, the paper disproves the underlying assumption that regards a member’s voting power as proportional to its voting rights. Countries with different amounts of voting rights can still have the same voting power.     

Difference-based matrix perturbation method for semi-parametric regression with multicollinearity

This paper addresses the collinearity problems in semi-parametric linear models. Under the difference-based settings, we introduce a new diagnostic, the difference-based variance inflation factor (DVIF), for detecting the presence of multicollinearity in semi-parametric models. The DVIF is then used to device a difference-based matrix perturbation method for solving the problem. The electricities distribution data set is analyzed, and numerical evidences validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Estimation and Inference Procedures for Semiparametric Distribution Models with Varying Linear‐Index

More flexible semiparametric linear‐index regression models are proposed to describe the conditional distribution. Such a model formulation captures varying effects of covariates over the support of a response variable in distribution, offers an alternative perspective on dimension reduction and covers a lot of widely used parametric and semiparameteric regression models. A feasible pseudo likelihood approach, accompanied with a simple and easily implemented algorithm, is further developed for the mixed case with both varying and invariant coefficients. By justifying some theoretical properties on Banach spaces, the uniform consistency and asymptotic Gaussian process of the proposed estimator are also established in this article. In addition, under the monotonicity of distribution in linear‐index, we develop an alternative approach based on maximizing a varying accuracy measure. By virtue of the asymptotic recursion relation for the estimators, some of the achievements in this direction include showing the convergence of the iterative computation procedure and establishing the large sample properties of the resulting estimator. It is noticeable that our theoretical framework is very helpful in constructing confidence bands for the parameters of interest and tests for the hypotheses of various qualitative structures in distribution. Generally, the developed estimation and inference procedures perform quite satisfactorily in the conducted simulations and are demonstrated to be useful in reanalysing data from the Boston house price study and the World Values Survey.     

VIF-based adaptive matrix perturbation method for heteroskedasticity-robust covariance estimators in the presence of multicollinearity

In this study, we investigate linear regression having both heteroskedasticity and collinearity problems. We discuss the properties related to the perturbation method. Important observations are summarized as theorems. We then prove the main result that states the heteroskedasticity-robust variances can be improved and that the resulting bias is minimized by using the matrix perturbation method. We analyze a practical example for validation of the method.     

Single-stage sampling procedure of the t best populations under heteroscedasticity

Given k( ? 3) independent normal populations with unknown means and unknown and unequal variances, a single-stage sampling procedure to select the best t out of k populations is proposed and the procedure is completely independent of the unknown means and the unknown variances. For various combinations of k and probability requirement, tables of procedure parameters are provided for practitioners.     

Semi-non parametric smooth isotonic regression

We propose a new method for smooth isotonic regression analysis. Unlike most existing methods for isotonic regression, the proposed method is akin to parametric regression without order restriction. To account for smoothness and isotonicity simultaneously, we exploit the flexible class of semi-non parametric densities to model isotonic regression functions. Under this framework, the full range of inference techniques for parametric regression models become applicable for model estimation and model validation in isotonic regression.     

Patriarchal capitalism with Chinese characteristics: gendered discourse of ‘Double Eleven’ shopping festival

In this article we consider the Double Eleven shopping festival as a major discursive site where the hegemony of what we call patriarchal capitalism with Chinese characteristics is articulated. The state, the market, the corporations and the media, both mainstream and social media, all played an important role in building up a national spending spree that is deeply embedded in the current class and gender structure of China. The phenomenon of Double Eleven emerged at a time when state capitalism has been overwriting socialist institutions, while patriarchal ideology being further intensified through consumerism. As a consequence, the intersectionality of class and gender becomes increasingly manifest in the Chinese society. We start with a brief overview of the trajectory of gender politics in China since 1949, with specific focus on how the socialist project of seeking gender equality was gradually replaced by the quest for ‘womanhood’ and ‘femininity’. We then discuss, using both secondary sources and our own analysis of news coverage of Double Eleven, why maintaining a high level of consumer demand is of crucial importance for the Chinese state and what the state’s role has been in configuring the hegemonic gender order. A brief section on ideology and discourse lays out the conceptual framework of our analysis. It is at the intersection of a dissipating socialist ethos, emerging economic stagnation and ascending consumerism that the sexist discourse in relation to Double Eleven proliferates, and this is the analytical focus of our empirical section. We elaborate on the theoretical implications of the empirical analysis before concluding.     

浅谈当代藏族新诗的创作与批评

本文从诗歌批评的角度来研究当代藏族诗歌的创作和发展.鉴于藏族当代诗歌创作与批评相脱节的态势,有必要将创作与批评相结合,创作主体与批评主体相互对话,双向互动进行论述,通过优秀的创作来吸引批评聚焦,通过多元化批评来激励和鞭笞创作,并在文本阐释的基础上突出批评的主体性.     

关照社会性世界的网络化生活——国外新兴网络化行动研究述论

网络化行动研究充分关照社会性世界中人的网络化生活,是一种特殊的文化认识活动,既涵指一种融"虚拟"和"实在"为一体的生存实践——网络化行动,又关涉对网络化生活的自觉反思——网络化行动的研究,同时还指涉以信息通讯技术为工具的思维创造——网络化的行动研究。它以人为本,追求实现文化主体的自主性,借助技术的社会化,满足多元的文化欲求。网络化行动研究蕴含着文化知识论基础,以承认地方性知识为前提,采用行动者网络理论,追求实用主义真理观。传统的东方伦理温情文化,为网络化行动研究引入东方及我国并获得创新性发展提供了沃土。     

大卫·李嘉图的货币理论及黄金的历史使命

在西方国家量化宽松的货币政策背景下,一种呼唤金本位回归的声音日趋强烈。这在理念上与200年前大卫.李嘉图的货币理论和"金价论战"有着某种联系。尽管李嘉图混淆了纸币和贵金属货币以及银行券的不同属性和流通规律,然而他的货币理论,尤其是关于纸币发行必须受到约束的观点,至今仍有重大意义。后来西方国家在相当长历史时期内实行的金本位制度,很大程度上就体现了李嘉图的货币思想。今天不可能再回到金本位制度,但黄金的投资保值避险功能将更加明显。