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The omnipresence of plastic particles in marine ecosystems, a.k.a. Marine Plastic Pollution (MPP) constitutes a major environmental and socioeconomic threat. In the last decade, the realization of the severity of the MPP problem by international organizations, governments and policy makers worldwide, has triggered the publication of a large number of review papers studying the current state of the art of MPP, from a plethora of different perspectives. This study attempts to classify the existing review efforts, by conducting a systematic analysis of review papers on MPP, published from 2000 to 2019. A sample of 114 review studies, retrieved from the SCOPUS database, are classified based on a number of carefully selected coding criteria and processed in order to produce a set of meaningful descriptive statistics and visualizations. Ultimately, the objective of this paper is to synthesize the different perspectives on MPP, assess the research progress and highlight future research directions. • There has been an explosion of scientific interest in MPP since 2018. • The most popular subjects are microplastics and environmental impacts of MPP. • The majority of reviews are qualitative. • There is a lack of meta-analyses and systematic reviews. • Total citations have roughly tripled from 2010 to 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transition from "separation of two rights" to "separation of three rights" in Chinese homestead was reviewed. • There is pronounced synergy between the number of published academic papers and policies. • Typical cases for the separation of three rights need to be conducted in combination with the latest reform strategies. • It needs to build a research framework based on a comprehensive perspective. Rural to urban migration under China's rapid urbanization has created inefficient use of rural homestead land. To address these issues, there is increasing interest in rural homestead system reform in China. Although several reforms have been implemented in pilot areas, reviews of the related accumulated literature are rare. The objectives of this study are the following: (i) to discuss the research transition from the "separation of two rights" to the "separation of three rights" in homestead management and (ii) draw conclusions on current research conditions, hot topics, and trends. This study provides a reference for further and deeper rural homestead system reform in China and regions worldwide. We collected and sorted 640 research papers on the topic of the separation of three rights in homestead (hereinafter referred to as STRH) or the homestead land use rights from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to visualize and map knowledge domains. The results show that: (1) From the study of the homestead land use rights to the study of the STRH, there is pronounced synergy between national policies and the number of published papers. The STRH has become a popular research field since 2018. (2) Most researchers are experts and scholars engaged in the study of agricultural economics, civil and commercial law, administrative law, or local legal systems. (3) Current and future studies on the STRH are and will be conducted in terms of the definition of concepts and connotations, confirmation of rights and registration, implementation paths, rural homestead system reform, rural revitalization strategy, reform challenges and countermeasures, risk control, and overall planning. (4) The studies on the STRH have integrity, and show characteristics of inheritance between it and studies on the homestead land use rights. (5) Studies on typical cases for the STRH should be conducted in combination with the latest strategic requirements such as rural land system reform, rural revitalization strategy, and integrated urban and rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive case study of Mumbai (Bombay), India was undertaken to investigate the economic, social and environmental impact of international trade of waste paper for recycling purposes between industrialized and developing countries. Analysis of a Western approach vis-a-vis informal policy for waste paper recovery concludes that employment is maximum under informal policy measure and public response playsan important role in maintaining environmental quality. The study further shows that income inequality is more under informal policy, andwithout policy public cost will increase continuously in the future.The net present value of the informal policy is found to be higher than that for the formal policy. Econometric study on input substitution in the Indian paper industry suggests limited substitution possibilities between domestic and imported waste paper. Results from a static material balance flow model indicate that environmental impacts are less with increased trade and economically the paper sector in India benefits from free trade. Based upon the results of the study, somepolicy recommendations have been made that may enhance the efficiency of waste paper recycling in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to propose a methodological framework to explore how urban planning policies, such as the construction of highways, and other major events, such as opening/closure of major plants, affect the spatial distribution of residential and economic activities within a specific location over time. To do so, the paper proposes to use statistics related to the spatial distribution of individual buildings based on centrographic analysis, and to explore the statistical relations between the changes that occur over time with a vector autoregressive (VAR) model. From a land use policy perspective, this framework allows to investigate the causal impact of public action and other events on the local spatial distribution of the activities to see if (and how) it shapes spatial footprints and the distribution of residential and economic activities. The framework is applied to a small Canadian city case but can easily be implemented to any other cases. • A two-step model is developed to investigate causal relations à la Granger of spatial distribution of activities. • The methodological framework is based on a micro-economic perspective. • Construction of a highway have a causal influence on the spatial distribution of residential and economic activities. • Closure of a major plant (paper mill) had an impact on the evolution of the spatial distribution of residential activities on the evolution of the spatial distribution of residential activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and EPD-like demands have been gaining importance, particularly due to the release of Product Environmental Footprint by the European Union (EU). EPDs could be demanded in international trade, potentially creating a technical trade barrier for emerging economy countries. Thus, those countries should evaluate their readiness to successfully meet this demand. In this sense, this paper aims to analyse and propose strategies for EPD promotion in Brazil. Brazil's situation regarding life cycle assessment (LCA) and EPD development was analysed considering its business, academic, public policy and consumers contexts. In addition, an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) was elaborated based on interviews with EPD stakeholders in the country. These allowed some strategies to be proposed considering the principle of connecting strengths and opportunities, compensating for weaknesses and neutralizing threats. The results showed that Brazil has a technical and institutional context that enables EPD growth due to the initial stage of LCA database, EPD programs, stakeholders' engagement, and availability of experts. However, in general, these aspects aren't in an adequate level for successful EPD promotion. There is still a large path for EPD understanding and life cycle data availability. Besides, financial and technical restriction, especially considering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), present structural barriers. Nevertheless, by promoting EPD, Brazil could have gains in terms of credibility, access to global markets and environmental awareness. The opposite could happen if the country doesn't seize these opportunities. Furthermore, to influence Product Category Rule (PCR) definitions was said to be a key opportunity to avoid rules that disregard Brazilian singularities. Strategies for EPD promotion should focus on sensitizing and engaging different stakeholders in strategic sectors (civil construction, paper and pulp, coffee, ingredients derived from soya and livestock), enhancing technical capacities and life cycle data generation, and strengthening EPD programs to boost the Brazilian internal market and PCR development. Brazilian institutions should be encouraged to follow international discussions on EPD and internalize them, fostering sustainable production and consumption in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Energy Council was still reluctant to step forward, the EU Spring Council of government leaders (Brussels, 23 and 24 March) made a remarkable leap towards a really sustainable policy. The European Commission already senses strong support from the highest levels. Rolf de Vos of GreenPrices.com analyses a political change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental governance approaches are critical for carbon reduction and energy security. Using the data from government work reports and public search, this paper investigates the impact of government policies and public awareness on carbon emissions. The 'top-down' administrative regulation is found to have more effective in promoting carbon reduction in cities than 'bottom-up' public awareness, and this carbon reduction effect is more pronounced in central, western and lower levels of economic development cities. The findings suggest that regions with higher economic development tend to exhibit greater dependency on carbon, posing challenges in achieving prompt reductions in carbon emissions through governmental policies and public awareness. Additional discoveries indicate that 'top-down' administrative regulation exhibits a certain sustainability, mainly through industrial structure adjustments. This aspect proves beneficial for enhancing the city's developmental path and quality in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyzed a risk-sharing mechanism that can be used in urban bus public service contracts (PSC) to deal with demand uncertainty in the upcoming years. This mechanism is similar to a collar option: an MRG (Minimum Revenue Guarantee) combined with a revenue cap. We applied this mechanism to a case study, the Lisbon Metro Area bus contracts. We compared the chosen model (a gross cost contract) with a simulated scenario modeled as a collar option. To develop this scenario, we model the flexibilities applying Real options Analysis and the project uncertainty as a Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM). The calculations were performed using Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that, compared to the gross cost, the collar option model allows the private operator to benefit from a potential demand increase. In the case of a downturn, the loss is shared between the two sides, reducing the contract cost borne by the government. Furthermore, from a public policy perspective, contrary to the gross cost model, this model may incentivize the private partner to improve service quality as a strategy to increase demand and, consequently, revenues. In addition, if demand evolves in a different trend, the financial rebalance is made automatically, reducing litigation costs for both sides. • The application of real option analysis to bus public service contracts is still emerging. • Modelling risk-sharing in urban bus operations is crucial for maintaining the long-term financial sustainability. • The collar option model allows the private operator to benefit from a potential demand increase. • Contract financial rebalance is made automatically by exercising a collar option, reducing litigation costs for all parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines monetary and fiscal policies to prevent consumers' present bias by implementing a benchmark exponential discounting allocation in a hyperbolic discounting economy. We analyze classical money-in-the-utility-function models and establish that a monetary policy alone cannot curb behavioral mistakes. Instead, it needs to be combined with either a consumption tax or capital tax. If the government uses consumption (capital) tax, the monetary policy should be more expansionary (contractionary) compared to the benchmark exponential discounting economy. In the calibration, we confirm that a paternalistic policy intervention generates significant welfare gains based on both true (long-run) and choice (short-run) utility. • This paper examines monetary and fiscal policies to correct consumers' present bias. • Paternalistic policies aim to achieve an exponential discounting allocation. • Coordination of monetary and fiscal policies is crucial to curb behavioral mistakes. • When employing consumption (capital) tax, an expansionary (contractionary) monetary policy is required. • Policy interventions lead to substantial welfare gains by addressing undersaving concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plastic pollution is a global concern with adverse consequences on the environment. • Ban policies has recently drawn the attention of governments to regulate plastic. • We analyze consistency of stated and revealed preferences for plastic bag ban. • Inconsistencies reduced with regulation experience and pro-environmental behavior. This paper exploits individual-level data before the implementation of a national policy to understand the factors driving avoidance of plastic consumption and explore potential inconsistencies between revealed and stated preferences for a plastic bag ban policy. We estimate a bivariate ordered probit model that allows us to account for a potential correlation between these types of preferences. The data reveals that while 71% of respondents take a reusable bag for shopping, only 58% of the sample state to strongly agree with prohibiting plastic bags. We find that gender, age, environmental concerns, environmental efforts, participation in environmental causes and pro-environmental behavior determine avoidance of plastic consumption, but no effects are found for being in favor of the prohibition. We also find inconsistencies decrease for individuals demonstrating higher pro-environmental behavior in related domains. This indicates waste management policies may benefit from local grounded knowledge from related environmental initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic systems can reduce carbon emissions by harnessing green energy from the sunlight, however, tremendous end-of-life solar panels may pose a threat to the local environment in the coming decades. What's worse, fewer regulations have been mandated to deal with the disposal of solar waste. To address this issue, this paper investigates a game-based, government-subsidized solar recycling model, and extends the model to a dynamic system. By analyzing the equilibrium outcomes, optimal decisions are revealed for all stakeholders. More importantly, we find regulatory subsidies can benefit all members of the solar recycling chain. Furthermore, when confronted with low-quality solar panels with a high degradation rate, we suggest that the government announces a low R&D subsidy rate. Even so, the level of the manufacturer's R&D efforts is still high, which leads to more R&D subsidies provided by the government. Based on an analysis of the dynamic system, it's better to be extremely careful when the government enacts the subsidy policy. Otherwise, the profits of all the chain members may be hurt due to the bifurcation and chaos phenomena. • A government-subsidized solar recycling model has been studied. • The impacts of subsidy and risk aversion on optimal strategies are revealed. • When facing low-quality panels with a high degradation rate, the governor should provide a low R&D subsidy rate. • A dynamic system is investigated to understand decision making process in long-term operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the responses of credit and business cycle to various policy actions of the Government of Indonesia during the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, the paper addresses two key questions (1) How do the credit and business cycle behave during the COVID-19 crisis in Indonesia? (2) Do the central bank and government policy responses effectively stabilize the credit and business cycle? Using the concordance Index and DCC-GARCH methodology, we found that the COVID-19 crisis increased Indonesia's credit and business cycle co-movements. Similarly, using the mixed data sampling regression technique, our findings suggest fiscal policy measures and government support help the business cycle revival during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the monetary policy transmission is weak during the pandemic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the role of the Korean government's National R&D Program over three decades for fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) development. The R&D programs had started far before FCEV was considered feasible. We call this as a national pursuit, since the R&D programs has been participated by not only car manufacturers but also various research institutions, including universities, in Korea's national innovation system. The Korean government has implemented a series of National R&D Programs throughout many stages, from selection of technology, building infrastructure and legislations, demonstration, and subsidizing mass-produced FCEVs. The authors analyzed all the government R&D programs from 1989 to 2021 to show the evolutionary changes in contexts and contents of the programs that have reflected varying expectations, government's industrial strategy, and the maturity of technologies through periods. This paper claims that Korea's FCEV development has been regarded as a long-run national industrial strategy, and the development has been persistently pursued in a national innovation systemic manner, such as combining public R&D sector with industries and strong institutional and organizational supports by government. • South Korea's National R&D Programs have been at the center of the FCEV development. • The role of government is crucial in the early phase of novel technology development. • Visions for supporting the National R&D Programs have been elaborated along with technological advances. • R&D networks between large firms, universities, and GRIs formed through National R&D Programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A global database and analysis of 160 public policies on plastic carrier bags. • There has been a rapid spread of public policies, tripling in numbers since 2010. • Policies are dominated by bans (56%) and pricing mechanisms (32%). • Individual policies have reduced consumption, but global picture remains unclear. • Resistance to such policies occur, foremost in the USA. The plastic carrier bag epitomises many of the features that have transformed plastics into a material that defines our contemporary modern culture. The versatility, durability, strength and low cost have made it into an indispensable companion for consumers. In parallel with plastic becoming an increasingly contested material, the plastic carrier bag has emerged as a controversial object in many jurisdictions. This paper explores where, how and to what extent public authorities in different cases across the globe regulate plastic carrier bags. The number of public policies on plastic carrier bags has more than tripled since 2010, and they are now found on all continents, ranging from the municipal to the intergovernmental level. They mainly come in the form of either bans or levies, with the former being predominant. There have been many examples of policies leading to reduced consumption of plastic carrier bags, however this paper also identifies key challenges, including resistance towards plastic carrier bag regulations, uncertainty in measuring the effects, and the undesired side-effects. Far from being a simple issue, public policies on plastic carrier bags highlight the complexity of governing plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Participating in research and teaching activities of universities, and then providing valuable information and policy suggestions are an important task of academic librarians. This paper demonstrates systematically in practice that how academic librarians can involve and contribute in the research activities of universities. Our demonstration is launched through comparative studies of research productivities and research impacts among universities. These universities are divided into two counterparts. One is the Chinese universities which aim to construct the world-class mathematics discipline, and the other is the university which already owns the world-class mathematics discipline. During these comparative studies, we demonstrate in practice that how to seek the research question, how to collect and process the data, how to design the research methods, how to analyze the data, and how to propose policy suggestions. Contributions of this paper are twofold. The first aspect is a systematic demonstration in practice. This demonstration shows to academic librarians that how to involve and contribute in the research activities of universities. The academic librarianship thus can be strengthened, as it provides a way for us academic librarians to promote our roles in teaching and research activities of universities. The second aspect is to gain insights in the research productivities and research impacts of Chinese universities which aim to construct the world-class mathematics discipline. During this process, we design a bibliometric indicator for evaluating the research impacts of universities based on academic papers, launch comparative studies with the university that already owns the world-class mathematics discipline, and propose policy suggestions for China to scientifically achieve its goal. This also provides references for other countries to launch similar studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Population-level monitoring of children's development informs research and policy. • Caregiver-reported household surveys, such as the ECDI2030, can play this role. • Results from two national samples support the use of the ECDI2030 for monitoring. • Findings also suggest more research is needed on social and emotional development. • Recommendations are made for ensuring the quality of data from caregiver surveys. Population-level monitoring of early childhood development (ECD) can inform research and guide national policy. One approach to population-level monitoring is through the design of surveys that (a) are feasible and cost-effective to implement at scale, (b) yield well-validated summaries of children's holistic development, and (c) can ideally support comparisons across national and cultural contexts. The Early Childhood Development Index 2030 (ECDI2030) is a caregiver-reported household survey designed to achieve these goals for children aged 24-59 months. This paper describes how the ECDI2030 was developed and provides initial results on its reliability, concurrent validity, and gender equity in nationally representative samples from Mexico (N = 1641) and Palestine (N = 1099). Overall, the results support the use of the ECDI2030 for population-level monitoring, but also suggest that the conceptualization of social-emotional development warrants further attention from researchers. Recommendations are made about statistical analyses that can be undertaken to ensure the quality of data collected from ECD assessments in international settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long period of the 20th Century, industrialization was seen as the quickest and more effective path for progress and productive diversification, influencing the choice of public policies adopted by Latin American governments since the inter-war period up until the debt crisis and the lost decade of the 1980s. Using a long-term macroeconomic database for the period 1913–2013 and 11 Latin American countries, complemented with a dataset of exports by product for the same countries and years, a positive relationship between industrialization and economic growth was found, both for the long run and for episodes of acceleration and deceleration. This correlation seems to be stronger for large than for small economies, reflecting the importance of the size of the domestic market in order to take advantages of economies of scale in the process of industrialization. Three economic channels that may explain this positive correlation are empirically tested. The first one is the contribution of manufacturing to the different components of productivity growth (within- and shift-effects), for which a shift-share decomposition was estimated, both for the long-run, for subperiods and for acceleration and deceleration episodes. The second channel is the contribution of industrialization to gross capital accumulation, where a positive relationship was found between the change in the share of employment in manufacture with the rate of growth of physical capital. Finally, the learning-by-doing hypothesis is tested using the skill-level composition of manufacturing exports, finding a positive relationship between cumulative manufacturing production and the share of mid- and high-skill products in the exports' matrix. The main contributions of the paper are twofold: the empirical identification of the mechanisms through which industrialization can promote economic development, and the extension of the analysis of Latin American economies to the first half of the 20th Century, which is scarce in the literature because of lack of reliable data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'objectif de cet article est de proposer un état des lieux de la recherche sur les auteurs de violences conjugales en France en lien avec l'évolution des politiques publiques. La lutte contre les violences conjugales en France s'est particulièrement développée depuis une dizaine d'années, devenant Grande Cause du premier quinquennat (2017–2022) du Président de la République. Après le « Grenelle de lutte contre les violences conjugales » en 2019, une des mesures prises a concerné la création de Centres de prises en charge des auteurs de violences conjugales (CPCA). L'objectif premier des CPCA déployés en 2020 et 2021 sur l'ensemble du territoire national est de favoriser la prévention du passage à l'acte et de la récidive. Au regard de l'expérience internationale où ce type de prise en charge existe depuis les années 1980, cela pose la question de la structuration des pratiques et celle de procédures d'évaluation systématique des risques de violence. Parallèlement à l'amélioration des pratiques de prises en charge des auteurs de violences conjugales, un état des lieux de la recherche concernant les auteurs de violences conjugales en France est réalisé. Les recherches scientifiques en psychiatrie et en sciences humaines et sociales sont rares, qu'il s'agisse des recherches en sociologie, en droit, dans le milieu pénitentiaire ou dans le domaine médico-psychologique. The aim of this paper is to report on the current state of research into the perpetrators of intimate partner violence in France in relation to changes in public policy. In France, 22% of women aged 15–49 who are married or are in a relationship have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by their intimate partner. If we also take into account psychological violence, this figure rises to almost 60%. The fight against intimate partner violence has been gathering more and more impetus in France over the last ten years. The first Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) was adopted in 2011, and the first country-specific recommendations were made in 2015. Intimate partner violence became a major undertaking of the first five-year term (2017–2022) of the French President of the Republic. In September 2019, his government launched the "Grenelle" of fighting against intimate partner violence, which aimed to identify improvements in the implementation of previous initiatives and to transform professional practices. Included among the measures taken after the "Grenelle", was the creation of Centers for perpetrators of intimate partner violence ("Centres de prise en charge des auteurs de violences conjugale": CPCA), and their implementation in 2020–2021 marked a real turning point, at a time when the care of perpetrators had previously received little attention from public policy in France. Other measures will follow, notably those recently introduced in order to better deal with family violence in the courts. Evaluation of these policies shows that there is still considerable room for improvement, but there is currently momentum for further progress, with a clear desire displayed for public authorities to step up their efforts. The primary objective of the CPCA is to stop intimate partner violence and reoffending from happening again. However, they were set up without any standards having been established, e.g. in terms of theoretical references or intervention approaches, as is the case in other countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada) where the adoption of standards of practice has been gradual over 20 or 30 years. The lack of systematic risk assessment procedures for intimate partner violence in France can also be noted. In the same vein, this work provides an overview of research into the perpetrators of intimate partner violence in France. It reports on national statistical and demographic surveys, and on research in sociology, law, prison administration and the medical-psychological field. Scientific research focusing on the perpetrators of intimate partner in France is rare in psychiatry and the humanities and social sciences. Finally, a research project entitled "A portrait of practices with perpetrators of intimate partner violence and their impact: a case study of 7 to 8 centers which take care of them" funded by the French Ministry for gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities (2023–2024), is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open innovation (OI) has been implemented to develop competitive advantages based on the management of innovation with external players. As such, it is expected that the generalized adoption of OI practices needs to be nurtured by governmental public policies in order to enhance OI-based ecosystems. The role of open innovation ecosystems is known by the importance of multiple synergies among players/stakeholders, which are expected to be supported by regulations and funding to consolidate firms' innovation results. This paper analyzes the role of regulations and funding on firms' innovation performance using the double-hurdle estimation procedure. The results show that, in the first tier, inbound knowledge flows positively affect performance, and, in the second tier, public funds further reinforce innovation performance and fiscal and security regulations. In contrast, as regulations are perceived as barriers, they fail to impact innovation performance. With this paper, we manage to shed light on the importance of public policy funds in the support of thriving OI-based ecosystems as enhancers of firms' innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation is currently an important community concern in developing countries like Bangladesh. The conceptualization of adaptation within the government system matters for the promotion of activities such as employment generation for local communities. The lesser the gap between government policy and the local community's needs for adaptation the more effective outcomes are for ensuring policy success and promoting sustainable community livelihoods or vice versa. This interface between policy and community is important for climate change adaptation which is explored in this paper along with the findings of the research project, DEltas, vulnerability and climate change: Migration and Adaptation (DECCMA) conducted during 2014–2018 in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, and the United Kingdom. The data from Bangladesh was collected from 1384 survey respondents, 19 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 3 workshops, and 43 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The findings of the paper show that government adaptation activities mainly reflect the Reactive Approach of Limited Action (RALA) perspective rather than the Proactive Approach To Adaptation (PATA). The RALA perspective is characterized by piecemeal and top-down approaches to adaptation which fail to recognize a community conceptualization of climate change, policy perspectives for coping with local concerns, and governance approaches for effective adaptation. In response, the government needs to focus on the PATA in policy, programs, and projects with the governance approach implemented from the bottom-up or, in other words, from the local perspective. Community participation in decision-making processes is characteristic of this bottom-up governance model. Local community participation, consultation, and representation are essential parts of PATA in adaptation policy formulation and execution, providing important lessons for Bangladesh. • Adaptation to climate change is a high policy priority for developing countries such as Bangladesh. • The conceptualization of adaptation in government policy matters for community sustainability. • The top-down, centralised Reactive Approach of Limited Action (RALA) causes further concern for effective adaptation policy. • A Proactive Approach to Adaptation (PATA) is better for community sustainability. • Community participation and representation within governance approaches can expedite a PATA approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's residential tiered electricity pricing has been implemented for over a decade without a timely update. Past researches reveal the significant energy-saving effect of public policy cognition. This paper traces the relationship leveraging data from two surveys conducted in 2019 and 2023. We find that residents with some policy knowledge rose by one-third. However, policy cognition does not appear to lead to usage reductions. One crucial explanation is that changes in payment modes lower the salience of electricity bills, resulting in pronounced price misperceptions. This paper documents the role of adequate information feedback in enhancing the nonlinear tariff effect. • No clear evidence show that public IBP cognition reduce electricity usage. • People aware of the policy may still have obvious price misperceptions. • Changes in payment mode lower the salience of electricity bills. • Residents pay via utilities' application receive immediate and complete feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the initial phase of the "National Alien Services" program (LVV in its Dutch acronym), intended to shelter undocumented people in the Netherlands from 2019 to 2022. The programme established a national network of guidance and reception facilities for undocumented migrants in five major Dutch cities to put previous urban-level initiatives on a more uniform basis. This paper analyzes the implementation of the LVV in Amsterdam, shedding light on the emergence of a new hierarchy among irregular migrants based on whether they are regarded as deserving or undeserving to access these facilities. As we show through the voices of civil society, migrants, and local policy makers, this new "hierarchy of deservingness" has de facto shrunk the spaces for autonomy of local reception practices – thus reducing the number of undocumented migrants who can access shelter – and those spaces created by migrants' squatting movement in the city. By addressing the intersection of migration, reception, and urban policies through the lens of "deservingness", this paper supplements the theoretical debate by providing insights into how different actors negotiate hierarchies of deservingness at the crossroads of local and national governance levels, and how these dynamics interact with migrants' claim-making. • The research object: This article documents the initial phase of the so-called 'LVV program', which aimed to provide assistance to undocumented individuals in the Netherlands between 2019 and 2022. • The case study: The article focuses on the implementation of the program in Amsterdam and its implications for the diverse population of undocumented people in the city. • The main argument: The deportation logic that has inspired national migration policies in the last decade has infiltrated the management of undocumented individuals at the local level. This infiltration has had adverse effects on the capacity of local authorities and civil society to provide shelter for undocumented migrants and on the public support of undocumented migrants' movement in the city. • Methodological originality: The article uses a combination of ethnographic research and in-depth interviews with migrants, civil society and various policy interlocutors to examine the LVV implementation and its implications. • Theoretical Advancement: The article introduces the notion of "hierachy of deservingness" to examine how national and local authorities, in spite of tensions among them, deal with irregular migrants and manage their access to services. By distinguishing irregular migrants who are "deserving" of assistance from the "undeserving" ones, we show how authorities enrol a minority into state-led circuits of reception and define the other majority as expellable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the potential of a Green Infrastructure Policy Assessment Tool (GIPAT) by assessing national planning guidance across all four devolved UK nations. National planning guidance is a key material consideration to the formulation and implementation of green infrastructure (GI) policies in statutory development plans and decision-making. Hitherto, there has been a lack of holistic assessments of GI policy in spatial planning with most attention on specific developments. GIPAT was informed by three GI initiatives; - Building with Nature, Central Scotland Green Network and Mainstreaming GI, supported by a global academic literature to address key multifunctional and mainstreaming components within 26 assessment criteria. The tool assessed, with justification, how well national guidance met the assessment criteria, together with the strength of policy wording. The results reveal a significant weakness in policy wording across all countries highlighting GI vulnerability. In terms of coverage, biodiversity and ecological networks generally score well but there are deficiencies in stewardship, blue infrastructure and mainstreaming demanding greater policy attention. There are important implications for development plan policy(ies) highlighting the need for greater integration of grey, blue and GI and improved mainstreaming as illuminated through exemplar policies. We recommend the use of Green Blue Infrastructure (GBI) to address the blue deficiency. The paper concludes with a discussion about GIPAT's wider transferability and the need for greater research into how policies are translated into development plans and decision-making. • A policy analysis tool has been co designed to assess UK national policy for green infrastructure. • National Planning Policy across the UK devolved nations endorses green and blue infrastructure as a multifunctional asset. • Policy wording for green infrastructure highlights significant vulnerability when compared with other policy priorities. • Major differences are shown across devolved nations in green infrastructure performance using the tool. • Green infrastructure needs improved mainstreaming and stewardship components moving away from a single policy focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a study of the behaviour of already debt-ridden local governments in response to the Made in China 2025 policy, this paper explores whether local governments prioritized State interests over local interests, when their financial involvement was required. Deploying a panel data analysis for more than 280 prefectural-level cities, this paper finds that, despite having been subject to an "Administrative Subcontract" arrangement under which the Central Government appoints top local officials, local economic/debt interests were prioritized over national policy implementation under fiscal decentralization. Instead of promoting infrastructure development, the Made in China 2025 policy provided an opportunity for local governments to raise capital via Local Government Financing Vehicles (LGFV) primarily for debt refinancing, despite the State's numerous attempts to control the growth of local government/LGFV debt. Some policy implications concerning i) the effectiveness of national policy implementation on local levels under "Administrative Subcontract" and ii) the debt situations of prefectural-level Chinese cities and their effects on China's economy in general are then discussed. • National policy required local government investment under fiscal decentralization. • Local leadership faced with dilemma between career prospects and mounting debt. • Prefectural-level cities prioritized local interests over State interests. • The Made in China 2025 policy triggered further accumulation of local debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the recent experience of community water finance in Colombia, this paper contributes to a diversification of the literature on the financialisation of water and the commons governance by focusing on the perspective of grassroots organisations. It highlights the inclusion and exclusion mechanisms of water access in the rural Colombian context. As water communities continue to seek autonomy from state agencies and private providers and to affirm their own management model, the paper examines the ambivalent effects of finance and the use of the credit as a political instrument. In a context of public policies that pressurise communities to adopt water management and financing strategies based on profitability and efficiency, the paper considers how access to credit from local financial institutions contributes to this quest for autonomy. It highlights how the effects of these new financial practices are starting to bring about social change within communities, such as the redefinition of leaders' roles, or the transformation of relations with the state. The paper concludes by demonstrating how, in adopting entrepreneurial forms of management, the community water organisations assume the risks associated with the market-based model and thus expose themselves to significant change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, the ongoing development of transportation and communication technologies has produced growing possibilities for the mobility of people, ideas, objects, and knowledge. In China, government policies, including economic reforms and targeted migration strategies, have resulted in the relocation of millions of people within and between urban and rural areas. Recently, however, there has been an important 'mobility shift' from the production-focused migration of peasants and factory workers to more diverse forms of consumption-focused mobility. This appears to be something different from traditional forms of tourism, but more research is needed. In particular, it is important to consider who these individuals are, what motivates them, and whether they are leaving the urban for the rural or constructing hybrid spaces, mobilities, and lifestyles. This paper examines the nature of urban-rural mobilities in China through the case of China's Rural Tourism Makers (RTMs). Drawing on fieldwork in four RTMs' Model Bases, including 131 interviews and participant observation, it demonstrates how mobilities are being practiced 'on the ground'. The paper argues that the binaries between production and consumption and between urban and rural break down as RTMs are both middle-class consumers and creative-class producers who continually move between urban and rural for personal and professional reasons. In so doing, the paper nuances our understanding of mobilities within China, the practices and locational choices of creatives, and post-productivist theorizations of rurality. • This paper addresses urban-rural mobility in China by studying Rural Tourism Makers (RTMs) as newcomers to rural China. • RTMs are both middle-class consumers and creative-class producers. • Creativity for RTMs is both a means of generating income and a means of consuming the rural. • RTMs represent a new form of urban-rural mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have been viewed as being more deeply embedded in the fabric of places and the social relations of their food systems than conventional food networks, and have been regarded as 'spaces of hope' for addressing sustainability challenges associated with global food systems. This paper argues that embeddedness, however, is contingent and shifting rather than an intrinsic quality, and is shaped by the cultures of production, trade, and consumption in particular places. This paper evaluates challenges that emerging AFNs in Guangzhou, China, are confronting relating to their embeddedness in place. The paper is underpinned by research involving interviews and focus groups with key food system actors and stakeholders in Guangzhou, including government officials, organic farmers, retailers, and non-governmental organizations. It demonstrates that AFNs in Guangzhou achieve only 'fragmentary embeddedness' in local cultures and systems of production, retail, and consumption. Despite strong social relationships established by a few successful farms and their loyal consumer groups, AFNs more broadly have struggled to embed themselves in the social and cultural fabric of the city and its commercial foodscapes. In terms of territorial embeddedness, the association of AFNs with western values, which do not always translate into Guangzhou's production and retail systems, can limit their embeddedness and scaling up in this context. The split between 'new' farmers (i.e., educated and urban-rooted producers 'returning to the land') and common farmers (i.e., local peasants) further exacerbates the difficulty of integrating AFNs in rural communities. Regarding social embeddedness, AFNs struggle to meet local consumer preferences regarding food appearances, quality, and taste, and therefore consumer trust in them is limited. In terms of institutional embeddedness, AFNs lack government policy support, despite the alignment of their missions with national strategies. More efforts are needed to deepen the embeddedness of AFNs in Guangzhou's food system and cultures if they are to respond effectively to China's food crisis and wider sustainability issues. • The embeddedness of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) is not given, but rather is constantly generated and changing. • AFNs in Guangzhou achieve only 'fragmentary embeddedness' in local cultures and systems of production, retail, and consumption. • The split between 'new' farmers and common farmers exacerbates the difficulty of integrating AFNs in rural communities. • Different food values between AFN initiators and general consumers limit the mutual trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern electricity networks may face inertia shortages based on increasing inverter-based renewable energy penetration, along with the (often concurrent) decommissioning of aging synchronous thermal generators. In the South African network, the market share of coal generation is projected to decrease significantly based on the country's energy policy, primarily to be replaced by wind and solar PV. In this paper the inertia adequacy on the future South African network is evaluated, and the viability of converting retired synchronous generators to synchronous condensers is assessed based on sufficiency of inertia support provided and economic viability. It is found that by 2030, the South African network will have insufficient inertia for a significant portion of the year. However, significant improvements in Rate of Change of Frequency and frequency nadir are observed when incorporating inertia from converted synchronous condensers during multiple-contingency trip events. Finally, the conversion of synchronous generators to synchronous condensers is found to be the least-cost solution when compared to the installation of new synchronous condensers or of large-scale battery systems. The contributions made in this paper highlight the importance of considering network inertia in establishing a national energy policy, while also informing solutions to future inertia constraints. • The future South African electricity network will face significant inertial shortages by 2030. • Converting retired synchronous generators to synchronous condensers will significantly reduce inertia shortages. • The conversion of retired synchronous generators to synchronous condensers is cost-effective as an inertia support mechanism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sappi Saiccor mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Province, is a global pulp producer. It is also a major emitter of noxious substances in the heavily polluted and historically marginalised South Durban area. Taking a qualitative, narrative approach, this paper examines Saiccor's legacy of contamination, community opposition to the mill, and responses of state actors responsible for governing industrial risk. Through a conceptual framework combining theories around participatory environmental governance, legitimacy and state capture, the article explores the extent to which measures deployed by/on behalf of the Sappi Saiccor mill to engage with local residents and activists can be considered legitimate. The paper argues that prevalent corporate instrumentalism and a lack of political will continue to undermine the legitimacy of community engagement processes, which remain characterised by mistrust. It concludes the South African state cannot be relied upon to support genuinely inclusive, deliberative, empowering and reflexive governance practices. It is therefore left to organised civil society to force discourse beyond hegemonic, ecologically-modernised, technocentric ideals, and to bring issues of power, agency, and social justice to the fore of public and policy debate. The way might then be paved for strong political leadership committed to transparent, equitable environmental governance processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a network-based investigation of the gendered nature of work in the screen sector. Using nine years of Australian film and television production data, we explore how the networks of project-based collaboration might explain the disparities in the career trajectories of men and women. Our analysis finds that projects with men as directors tend to reproduce familiar teams to the exclusion of women, while projects led by women in key creative roles tend to make more space for women. Moreover, we find that there is a significant number of men who only work with men (regardless of whether they have worked with them before), but no corresponding group of women who only work with women. Our findings bear on proposed equity interventions, especially government policies designed to encourage women to enter the industry. Ultimately, even accounting for the statistical domination of men in the network, we argue that inequities in the organisation of the screen sector appear to be driven much more by the closed network behaviours of men than they are by the positioning or behaviour of women. • Men's clear dominance in camera departments is most pronounced in higher-level roles. • We analyse gender inequities in the sector's networks of project-based collaboration. • Projects led by women in key creative roles tend to make more space for women. • Homophilous collaboration tendencies are displayed by many more men than women. • Gender equity policy ought to target the closed, exclusive collaboration behaviours of men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a thorough analysis of an oligopolistic market for a vaccine, characterized by negative (demand-side) network externalities, which stem from the free-riding behavior of individuals engaged in a vaccination game. We investigate industry viability in terms of a standard natural Cournot-type learning process for network industries and show that viability tends to favor monopoly or competition among few suppliers. We confirm that market performance is highly inefficient, due to the combination of three imperfections: market power, network effects and a health externality (i.e., contagion). We investigate the extent of these imperfections. Finally, we devise a two-part government subsidy scheme for producers and consumers that may restore social efficiency in such markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the pension effect on poverty reduction in rural China, considering the influences of potential substitution income, including earned and transfer income from older adults and children, respectively. The study created a counterfactual group to impute potential substitution income from the income distribution perspective. We find that when substitution income is not considered, pension effect on poverty reduction may be overestimated. Comparing the two types of substitution income, earned income is found to have a larger effect than that of transfer income from children, and it is significantly more for the middle- and high-income groups. The substitution relationship between pensions and earned income has increased in China in recent years. • To investigate the pension effects on poverty reduction. • To investigate the pension effects on income distribution. • Develop a method to calculate the imputed substitution income. • Pension effect may be overestimated when not considering substitution income. • The effect of earned income is larger than that of the transfer income in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Hong Kong's smart city development as the case study, this paper aims to discover the influence of public trust on citizens' perception of Hong Kong's smart city performance in an international dimension, comparing with the smart city ranking by research agencies. Our central investigation further focuses on the association of public trust and digital trust, using COVID19 contact tracing app as an example. This paper uses data from a Hong Kong-based territory-wide survey in 2021 to conduct the analysis. The result suggests a positive relationship between public trust, subjective perception and digital trust, and supports that public acceptability is a cornerstone of an effective public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at a viable response to failed privatisation in Dar es Salaam in the wake of aborted privatisation in 2005. The city's experience highlights the inherent failings and the implicit assumptions that are central to the privatisation model. Set against an illustration of the global political economy of water supply privatisation as well as the specific political economy of that in Dar es Salaam, the paper reviews the evidence base for an alternative mechanism for strengthening water supply governance, the public-public partnership (PuP), through which technical and managerial expertise is mobilised among public and not-for-profit providers. This model is observed in Dar es Salaam at different scales, from CBOs and mitaa at the local level, to a contract arrangement between asset holder (DAWASA) and operator (DAWASCO), up to international partnerships with other public water utilities, governments, and NGOs. At these scales, PuPs have been able to channel investment in pro-poor access, knowledge exchange and capacity development, and to build public trust. Despite gains, issues such as the predominance of commercial normativity remained and undermined some of the core principles of PuPs. In 2018, the PuP contract was ended, and national policy once again targets private sector expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nature policy may be integrated through Local Environmental Governance Organisations. • Two separate movements drive nature recovery: local initiatives and government policy. • Natural Cambridgeshire brings stakeholders together but needs secure core funding. • Central government should adopt a framework to support local environmental governance. There are demands on land to provide a variety of ecosystem services alongside agricultural products. In the absence of markets, delivery is generally overseen through separate agencies. However, synergies and trade-offs amongst ecosystem services and variation across space lead to different priorities and opportunities in different areas. This creates a complex challenge for governance and implies a need to devolve decision-making. The objective of this paper is to explore the devolution of decision-making through the introduction of Local Environmental Governance Organisations (LEGO). A LEGO would assemble evidence on natural capital and co-ordinate stakeholders to identify local priorities. It would search for synergies and collaborative partnerships and raise funds to support priority actions. The paper first sets out a theoretical framework to identify the elements required for local governance. It then proposes two alternatives: a 'national park' approach for areas of higher environmental quality and a 'local nature partnership' approach elsewhere. The paper then provides a case study of Natural Cambridgeshire, a local nature partnership in England, as a potential LEGO, assessing the extent to which it meets the requirements identified. It has already done much to develop a stakeholder community and has begun to establish priorities for nature enhancement. However, it lacks programmes and long term funding that can incentivise the necessary actions or a forum that can bring together partners for Nature-based Solutions at scale. Central government would need to establish a framework for the operation of a system of LEGOs. It would also continue to support national standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accelerate the realization of the "carbon neutrality and carbon peaking" (dual carbon) goal, the "Opinions on Financial Support for Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Peaking" (the "Opinions") advocates the comprehensive adoption of tax incentives, government procurement and market-diversified investment measures to support the green low-carbon innovation transformation of key industries. Taking China's strategic new energy vehicle (NEV) industry from 2009 to 2021 as a sample, this paper empirically investigates the innovation effect of the measures in the "Opinions" on listed NEV enterprises. The results show that: (1) Both "supply-side" tax incentives and "demand-side" government procurement encourage NEV enterprises to innovate independently, jointly and efficiently, and the "supply-side" tax incentives have a stronger innovation effect. At the same time, compared with joint innovation, government policies are more conducive to independent innovation of NEV enterprise. (2) Market venture capital also encourages NEV enterprises to innovate. Government policy signals to the market can attract venture capital, and the "demand side" government procurement signal effect is stronger. (3) Tax incentives and venture capital, government procurement and venture capital have played an innovative synergistic effect on NEV enterprises. (4) There is an innovation failure in the combination of tax incentives and government procurement, but the innovation effect appears after the introduction of market venture capital. This paper not only supports the effectiveness of the innovative measures in the "Opinions", but also recognizes the continuation of the vehicle purchase tax exemption policy for NEVs. • "Opinions" measures encourage NEV to innovate independently, jointly and efficiently. • "Supply-side" tax incentives have a stronger innovation effect. • "Demand side" government procurement has a stronger signal effect. • Government policy and venture capital play an innovative synergistic effect. • There is an innovation failure in policy mix before venture capital intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore how the social harm approach can be adapted within drug policy scholarship. Since the mid-2000s, a group of critical criminologists have moved beyond the concept of crime and criminology, towards the study of social harm. This turn proceeds decades of research that highlights the inequities within the criminal legal system, the formation of laws that protect the privileged and punish the disadvantaged, and the systemic challenge of the effectiveness of retribution and punishment at addressing harm in the community. The purpose of this paper is to first identify parallels between the social harm approach and critical drug scholarship, and second to advocate for the adoption of a social harm lens in drug policy scholarship. In the paper, we draw out the similarities between social harm and drug policy literatures, as well as outline what the study of social harm can bring to an analysis of drug policy. This includes a discussion on the ontology of drug crime, the myth of drug crime and the ineffective use of the crime control system in response to drug use. The paper then discusses how these conversations in critical criminology and critical drugs scholarship can be brought together to inform future drug policy research. This reflection details the link between social harm and the impingement of human flourishing, explores the role of decolonizing drug policy, advocates for the centralization of lived experience within the research process and outlines how this might align with harm reduction approaches. We conclude by arguing that the social harm approach challenges the idea that neutrality is the goal in drug policy and explicitly seeks to expand new avenues in activist research and social justice approaches to policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassroots Innovations (GRIs) mostly represent incremental changes that are supported by local values and culture. In this respect, government efforts to promote and strengthen GRIs movements should take into consideration customised and targeted policy instruments that are different from the traditional innovation and development agendas. Based on this principle – and in the context of three Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines – this paper attempts to investigate the current public policy contexts and common instrumental mechanisms for public interventions supporting GRIs. The governing context alluding to policy support is elaborated to provide a taxonomy of GRIs policy measures germane to political-governance windows. The findings show that Malaysia has explicit policy support for GRIs, whereas innovators in Thailand and the Philippines indirectly benefit from broader inclusive development and innovation policies. There are three scenarios of instrumental mechanisms supporting GRIs – these show the differences in approaches adopted by national governments in terms of their perception of GRIs, modes of intervention and outcome expectations. This paper also highlights several policy concerns useful for future endeavours regarding public interventions on GRIs and rural development. • Enrich GRIs literature with evidence- and rural context-based insights useful for policymakers. • Governance and institutional arrangements for GRIs. • An elaborative mechanism supporting those who are stateless, informal or illegal migrants. • Criticisms in justifying intervention and salient concerns for policy supporting GRIs. • A taxonomy to GRIs policy measures germane to political-governing windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of climate patterns and associated risks is relevant to making planning and resource management decisions at the urban scale. However, available scientific climate information is often poorly suited to decision-making needs. New ways of producing knowledge, both about the climate and urban decision-making, are required to address this disconnect. Transdisciplinarity aims to span the boundaries between scientific research, policymaking and practice to tackle complex problems, including those of urban sustainability and climate change. This paper focuses on the role that intermediaries play in spanning disciplinary, organizational and sectoral boundaries to facilitate collaborative problem-solving and mutual learning to connect knowledge with action. It presents empirical findings of how embedded researchers facilitate the co-production of knowledge on climate-sensitive urban public policy and planning decisions based on the experiences of seven embedded researchers operating in six Southern African cities – Lusaka (Zambia), Maputo (Mozambique), Windhoek (Namibia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Durban and Cape Town (South Africa). Data from the activities, outputs and experiences of these embedded researchers, documented in monthly reports during their tenure in the period 2015 to 2019, were coded for four aspects of transdisciplinary boundary spanning identified in existing literature, namely: trust-based relationships; collaborative agenda-setting and combining different knowledges; promoting reflexivity and innovation; and navigating multiple accountabilities. The analysis reveals that embedded researchers play a key role in supporting other researchers better understand and navigate the policy and practice domain. It also highlights the challenges that embedded researcher face when transitioning out of the role. The paper concludes that creating the inter-organizational agreements to co-host an embedded researcher, and allocating finances, time, intellectual and emotional support to the embedded researchers to effectively span boundaries, can be an effective way to promote the transdisciplinary collaboration needed to tackle climate risks in cities. Furthermore, it suggests that having embedded researchers operating within a cohort of peers, enhances their reflexivity, learning and thereby effectiveness as intermediaries. • Embedded researchers (ERs) make research and policy processes more legible. • A cohort approach enhances learning to navigate multiple accountabilities. • Trust and mutual understanding underpin climate-sensitive decision-making. • Career-pathing for ERs remains a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is the largest public-works based rural livelihood programme in the world. One of the important policy objectives of the Scheme is to curb rural out-migration by guaranteeing demand-driven employment opportunities for 100 days in a year in rural areas. This paper uses a large sample survey-based nationally representative data set and different probability models to investigate how MGNREGS influences individuals' seasonal rural out-migration decisions. The results reveal that contrary to the policy objective, participation , the extent of participation and earnings from the Scheme increases an individual's propensity to out-migrate. However, the Scheme serves broader and equally critical socio-economic goals of empowerment through income security and positive network effects. MGNREGS, on the one hand, significantly drives the decisions of aspirational migration of rural individuals, particularly females and the relatively advantaged. On the other, it curbs distress migration of the relatively disadvantaged by providing them with basic livelihood opportunities within the rural areas. Based on the findings, the paper draws several policy implications and discusses key policy imperatives towards expanding the scale and scope of the public-works Scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• When individuals send anti-epidemic signals, the government will adopt restrictive policies under budget surplus or balance. • When individuals send freedom signals, the government chooses not to implement restrictive policies. • When governments choose not to impose restrictions, the epidemic development depends on its properties. • When the government chooses to implement restrictive policies, the epidemic development depends on how strict the policies are. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic imposes serious short-term and long-term health costs on populations. Restrictive government policy measures decrease the risks of infection, but produce similarly serious social, mental health, and economic problems. Citizens have varying preferences about the desirability of restrictive policies, and governments are thus forced to navigate this tension in making pandemic policy. This paper analyses the situation facing government using a game-theoretic epidemiological model. We classify individuals into health-centered individuals and freedom-centered individuals to capture the heterogeneous preferences of citizens. We first use the extended Susceptible-Exposed-Asymptomatic-Infectious-Recovered (SEAIR) model (adding individual preferences) and the signaling game model (adding government) to analyze the strategic situation against the backdrop of a realistic model of COVID-19 infection. We find the following: 1. There exists two pooling equilibria. When health-centered and freedom-centered individuals send anti-epidemic signals, the government will adopt strict restrictive policies under budget surplus or balance. When health-centered and freedom-centered individuals send freedom signals, the government chooses not to implement restrictive policies. 2. When governments choose not to impose restrictions, the extinction of an epidemic depends on whether it has a high infection transmission rate; when the government chooses to implement non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), whether an epidemic will disappear depends on how strict the government's restrictions are. Based on the existing literature, we add individual preferences and put the government into the game as a player. Our research extends the current form of combining epidemiology and game theory. By using both we get a more realistic understanding of the spread of the virus and combine that with a richer understanding of the strategic social dynamics enabled by game theoretic analysis. Our findings have important implications for public management and government decision-making in the context of COVID-19 and for potential future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the emergence and implementation of a specific policy option in a national plan aiming to reduce pesticide consumption: the substitution of biological substances for chemicals. I argue that substitution is a singular method of handling the removal of pesticides and analyze the political consequences of this approach. Empirically, this work is based on a three-year qualitative investigation (2015–2018) into the French policy plan for pesticide use reduction (Ecophyto). Drawing on the literature on categories and classifications, I show that making substitution a viable policy option relies primarily on categorization processes and on the establishment of clear distinctions. By shedding light on the specific type of administrative and technical intervention substitution as a policy option requires, the aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the political dimension of transitions. • Substitution is not only a complex sociotechnical process but also as a specific course of action in policymaking. • Making substitution a viable policy option relies primarily on categorization processes. • The establishment of such boundaries and categories is a political activity involving various actors. • As substitution relies on boundaries, this policy option is weakened when the practices of field actors challenge them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The article criticizes the so-called Ricardian Equivalence (RE), which is at the heart of the mainstream approach to the problem of the public debt. • The article criticizes and rejects two basic features of the RE: i) the view of the economic role of the state as merely 'parasitic'; ii) the unwarranted extension of the micro-economic analysis of debts to the macro-economic level. • A different approach to the public debt problem is suggested. The state is not seen as a mere parasite. The government, by restructuring its expenditure, can contribute to raise the economy's rate of growth and ensure a stable and sustainable ratio of the public debt to GDP. The paper criticizes the so-called Ricardian Equivalence (RE) and its implications for the analysis of the problem of the public debt. The RE hinges on a view of the economic role of the state as merely parasitic and on an unwarranted extension of the micro-economic analysis of debts to the macro-economic level. The RE is at the heart of the mainstream approach to the public debt and the policies that indicate the running of primary surpluses as the only way to stabilize its ratio to GDP. The paper suggests a different 'non-Ricardian' approach in which the state is not a mere parasite. The government, by restructuring its expenditure, can contribute to raise the economy's rate of growth and ensure a stable and sustainable ratio of the public debt to GDP, without necessarily running primary surpluses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-1980s, Australia has resettled thousands of African refugees. This paper focuses on the racialization of youth violence and the damage it sustains on refugee-background young Africans. The discussion proceeds in two interrelated stages. In the first stage, to understand the representation of African youth in the public sphere, the paper reviews the relevant literature, media headlines, and political commentaries. In so doing, it establishes that the continual framing of African youth as dangerous and violence-prone by conservative politicians and media outlets amounts to racial moral panic. In the second stage, guided by narrative research methodology, a small group of young Africans were invited to reflect on their everyday life under racialized frames. Accounts of the youth are presented under four themes: the presumption of guilt, emotional ill-being, opportunity hoarding, and the permanence of otherness. It is argued that, if left unaddressed, the racialization of youth violence can diminish the integration outcomes of African youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandatory childhood vaccination is becoming an increasingly important policy intervention for governments trying to address low vaccination rates. Mandates require vaccination for a certain purpose, most commonly related to school entry for children. However, the discussion surrounding the extent and impact of mandatory vaccination programmes for babies and children have largely been limited to high-income countries. While many recent publications discuss the issue, they have not been inclusive of low- and middle-income countries. This paper thus presents a comprehensive and updatable database of mandatory childhood vaccination policies worldwide, covering 149 countries. The list indicates whether a country has a mandatory vaccination policy and the strictness of the mandate on a scale ranging across three levels of mandatory, mandatory for school entry or recommended. It draws on extensive desk-based research analysing a variety of sources, supplemented by consultations with experts from various health authorities. The paper provides an overview of the state of mandatory childhood vaccination across different World Health Organization (WHO) regions and with country case studies, setting out the general trends and issues, and engages with a discussion about why, how, and where mandatory vaccination is put in place. Our findings show in-country variation in vaccination policy and a variation between vaccination in policy compared to in practice. We observe, particularly for high-income countries, that the occurrence of recent outbreaks is a major factor for the introduction of mandatory vaccination. Also, many low- and middle- income countries have resorted to mandatory vaccination policies because of a lack of other policy options yet still have lower than targeted vaccination rates due to problems with vaccine supply, delivery, and access. Offering comparisons between countries will provide a useful tool for government decision-makers considering the merits of mandatory vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of HSR development can be attributed to strong policy support from the Chinese government, whose policies have various effects on HSR development due to several complex factors. This paper investigates HSR policies launched by the Chinese government based on policy text analysis. To put forward proposals for the development of HSR in China, we trace the evolution of HSR policies, compare the policy tools, and identify the prospects for HSR policy. The main results are as follows: (1) The progress of HSR development in China can be grouped into five major phases: preliminary planning, technology improvement, large-scale construction, stagnation, and going global; (2) based on our policy keywords analysis, we identify the core policy themes of HSR, which include technology development, financial support, engineering projects, and safety system; (3) regulatory policy tools are most often used, followed by information tools and economic tools. Furthermore, we investigate different types of policy tools that can be used in the four HSR policy themes; and (4) this paper proposes that future HSR policy should coordinate with other policies to construct a modern transport system, use integrated policy tools, stimulate demand-side policy, and build a policy system supporting global development. • China's HSR development is grouped into five phases. • This study identifies the core policy themes of HSR, which includes technology development, financial support, engineering projects, and safety system. • Government tends to use regulatory tools to develop HSR, which are used to mostly in combination with information policy tools. • Based on an analysis of policy keyword, this study evaluates the prospects for HSR policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are very popular for analyzing a wide range of policy issues. CGE applications vary from estimating the welfare impact of tax reform and alternative energy policies to the effect of foreign trade reforms, labour markets and employment. CGE models are commonly developed at the country level; however, modified versions of CGE, so called Regional CGE (RCGE) models, can be used at subnational disaggregation to examine impacts studied at the national counterparts on a specific region. RCGE models have grown in popularity as an alternative to the Input-Output (I-O) models, which are regularly used for regional analysis. RCGE models can provide comprehensive information, which make them more desirable analytical models for many researchers. Yet, RCGE models have not yet become a "go-to" for governmental policy practitioners when they are developing regional public policies. This paper reviews the current state of regional CGE models, describes their features, contributions and limitations and surveys some applications of the main three classes of RCGE models: region-specific, bottom-up, and top-down models. This paper concludes that the applications of RCGE are quite variable and flexible, with a new and more complex type of application to be developed with the advancement of computation economics. The paper offers recommendations on the micro, meso and macro conditions that are necessary to increase policy practitioners' utilization of RCGE models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]