Contemporary Economic Policy articles from July 2006

Contemporary Economic Policy archives from July 2006

Hungary's eurozone entry date: what do the markets think and what if they change their minds?
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION In the middle of 2004, 10 countries--most of them from the Central and East European region--joined the European Union. All of the new member states are required to adopt the euro in the future. Before introducing the euro,...

Alcohol advertising in magazines: do beer, wine, and spirits ads target youth?
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION In 2003, the alcohol beverage industry spent more than $1.6 billion on advertising in measured media outlets, including $394 million on ads placed in magazines. Industry critics allege that these activities intentionally...

Advertising restrictions and cigarette smoking: evidence from myopic and rational addiction models.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION As the leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States, cigarette smoking imposes a tremendous cost on society. Sloan et al. (2004) estimate that each year smoking causes approximately 400,000 deaths and $104...

Mergers, capital gains, and productivity: evidence from U.S. telecommunications mergers.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION In 1997, Bell Atlantic submitted a petition to the New York Public Service Commission seeking approval of (technically, nonintervention in) the proposed Bell Atlantic--Nynex merger. (1) Among the arguments in favor of the...

Welfare analysis of privatization in a mixed market with bargaining.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION Ever since 1980 there has been a wave of privatization by public enterprises sweeping over the whole world. The main motivation behind this move is to enhance the efficiency of public enterprises that have undergone poor...

Creation of a separate telecom regulatory agency: a duration analysis of its time pattern.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION Privatization of state-owned telecom enterprises and the introduction of effective competition in the provision of telecom services have long been key principles in telecom sector reform. However it was not until the World...

Efficiency analysis of the Turkish banking sector in precrisis and crisis period: a DEA approach.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION Over the last quarter of the twentieth century, both developed and developing countries have experienced severe banking crisis (Chile, Argentina, and Mexico, 1980s; Sweden, 1990s; Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Philippines, and...

The effects of government-mandated family leave on employer family leave policies.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION In 1993, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Twice vetoed by President George H. W. Bush, the FMLA allows eligible employees 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave from work...

Self-employment with Chinese characteristics: the forgotten engine of rural China's growth.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION Since China initiated its economic reforms in the late 1970s, off-farm employment in rural areas has grown rapidly (de Brauw et al. 2002). The expansion of off-farm employment has increased rural welfare by raising incomes...

Economic and institutional determinants of foreign direct investment in Chile: a time-series analysis, 1960-2001.
July 1, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION During the decade of the 1990s, foreign direct investment (FDI) undertaken by transnational corporations (TNCs) became one of the leading factors in promoting the process of economic globalization. Between 1985 and 1990...