Consumption Patterns of Chinese Children

In the ten-year period from 1990 to 1999, children's consumption has increased dramatically in proportion to family income. In 85% of urban families, children's average consumption is equal to one third or more of the family's income. Resources are being directed to children's food and dietary supplements, toys, travel, computers and other electronic equipment, and educational resources. Children perceive that they have a significant influence on the family's financial decision-making. Problems related to children's consumption include indulgence in unnecessary or harmful purchases, and conspicuous consumption that cannot be sustained by the family's income. While some child-focused spending is viewed as enriching development, other expenditures may harm the family's economic well-being and foster an overly materialistic outlook among children.     

Constituents’ economic interests and senator support for spending limitations

Peltzman [Peltzman, S., 1984. Constituent interest and congressional voting. Journal of Law and Economics 27, 181–210] argues that if constituents’ economic interests have well-defined “winners and losers” and are appropriately measured, then constituents’ economic interests, and not legislator ideology, are the most important determinates of legislator voting. We test Peltzman's theory by examining senatorial voting on three mandated spending limitation bills. We find, consistent with Peltzman's theory, that the ratio of federal spending in a senator's state to federal taxes paid by that state, and not a senator's personal ideology, matters on legislation where there are well-defined economic “winners and losers.” This is particularly important because unlike other constituents’ economic interest measures that only impact a fraction of the constituency, the ratio of federal spending to federal taxes in a state represents the economic interests of all the constituents in a state.     

Group Benefit and Protection of Pediatric Research Subjects: Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger and the Lead Abatement Study

The Maryland Court of Appeals in Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute was sharply critical of the lead abatement study conducted by this Institute, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University. Grimes ruled that investigators might, given the facts of the case, have a special relationship with subjects, thereby creating a duty of care that could, if breached, give rise to an action in negligence. This ruling has implications for pediatric research practices and long-standing disputes among informed people of good will about what pediatric studies should be permitted.     

美国联邦文官培训的方式方法及其历史演变

多种多样的培训方式方法,不仅是美国联邦文官培训制度的一个最基本的特征,而且是美国保持政府官员高素质与政府行政工作高效率的一个重要手段。本论文从历史学、政治学与公共管理学相结合的角度来研究美国联邦文官培训的方式方法及其历史演变,旨在揭示美国文官培训制度的基本特征及其形成这一特征的经济、政治、文化与社会原因。     

Origins of the epithet ‘government by public relations’: Revisiting Bruce Catton's War Lords of Washington, 1948

While it might make public relations professionals and faculty cringe, the term ‘government by public relations’ is a negative one, implying that governmental decision-making is guided by appearances rather than on the merits. This tag line is a relatively common American put-down of politicians and senior civil servants. This article examines the origins of the term, locating its usage in the WWII memoirs of Bruce Catton, then a government public information officer and later a renowned popular historian of the American Civil War. Catton's use of the term, his 1948 book War Lords of Washington, and his philosophy of government public information are examined in more detail to give context to the phrase ‘government by public relations.’     

A Bayesian sequential design with binary outcome

Several researchers have proposed solutions to control type I error rate in sequential designs. The use of Bayesian sequential design becomes more common; however, these designs are subject to inflation of the type I error rate. We propose a Bayesian sequential design for binary outcome using an alpha‐spending function to control the overall type I error rate. Algorithms are presented for calculating critical values and power for the proposed designs. We also propose a new stopping rule for futility. Sensitivity analysis is implemented for assessing the effects of varying the parameters of the prior distribution and maximum total sample size on critical values. Alpha‐spending functions are compared using power and actual sample size through simulations. Further simulations show that, when total sample size is fixed, the proposed design has greater power than the traditional Bayesian sequential design, which sets equal stopping bounds at all interim analyses. We also find that the proposed design with the new stopping for futility rule results in greater power and can stop earlier with a smaller actual sample size, compared with the traditional stopping rule for futility when all other conditions are held constant. Finally, we apply the proposed method to a real data set and compare the results with traditional designs.     

从美联储看金融的本质——读《金融的本质——伯南克四讲美联储》

原美联储主席伯南克的《金融的本质——伯南克四讲美联储》揭示了美联储运作背后的金融的本质。从金融稳定、通胀和泡沫、监管缺失、后遗症显现等角度看金融本质,对我国金融业的发展有重要的启发意义。要深刻理解央行监管职责的重大意义,考虑金融监管的逆周期性,应对某些经济泡沫化问题,加快推进金融的市场化改革进程。     

Accountability in research using persons with mental illness

Although medical research involving the use of persons with mental illness is critically important, in order for the research to be ethical and legal there are certain considerations and restrictions which should be immediately readdressed in order to insure that the welfare of these vulnerable research subjects is protected, and their best interests are assured. A brief historical examination of medical research codes, guidelines, recommendations and Federal Regulations reveals the various considerations and restrictions on informed consent and accountability applicable to the use of persons with mental illness in medical research. Several concerns are raised about how these considerations and restrictions have been interpreted, and specific recommendations are offered to improve them immediately by means of representation from consumers and/or their families, and organizations, e.g., NAMI members.     

近代中国与日本政府消费支出变动的宏观分析

近代中国和日本政府消费支出的总体发展趋势是在较低水平基础上,保持了一种持续、稳定和快速的增长态势,且呈现出阶段性的变动特征和周期性波动。由于中日两国在政府消费支出总量和结构的变动上存在显著差异,其对两国近代经济发展的贡献力不尽相同。     

联邦德国与第二次柏林危机前期美苏谈判中的德美关系

第二次柏林危机是冷战时期东西方在欧洲的一次正面交锋，这次危机的核心问题是德国和柏林问题。为使危机得到缓解，艾森豪威尔政府领导西方阵营与苏联进行了一系列谈判。在谈判过程中，联邦德国作为危机的利益攸关方，对艾森豪威尔政府的谈判政策表现出了充分的不信任。这种不信任反映了在冷战背景下，作为超级大国的盟友的不安全感。