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Two computer programs that simulate the multiplier and accelerator processes are described. The simulations can be used in college-level economics classes or by pupils using their own personal computers at home. Very little knowledge of programing is required to implement the simulations. (Author/RM)

A team of authors from the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research network explores the main empirical features of the global economic integration of Eurasia through an analysis of the (shifting) position of that macroregion's key cities. More specifically, they examine the gateway roles played by key cities in four major subregions--China, the former Eastern Bloc (FEB, i.e., Central and Eastern Europe), former Soviet Union (FSU), and India--in the channeling of transnational flows of capital, goods, knowledge, and people in 2000-2008, focusing on the globalization of firms in the financial and business service sectors. Although cities in the four subregions share a common recent history of transition from closed and state-centered to open and market-based economies, the study reveals the persistence of distinctive geographical idiosyncrasies in their connections across the globe. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F020, F200, O180, P300. 4 figures, 3 tables, 1 appendix, 39 references. Key words: advanced producer services, world city network, former Soviet Union, former Eastern Bloc, China, India, cities, economic integration, GaWC. DOI: 10.2747/1539-7216.51.3.385

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2009.00857.x Byline: PETER J. TAYLOR (1), DAVID M. EVANS (1), MICHAEL HOYLER (1), BEN DERUDDER (2), KATHY PAIN (1) Keywords: advanced producer services; city region; connectivity; fuzzy clustering; interlocking network; polycentricity; United Kingdom Abstract: Abstract Cities and city regions are back on the research agenda in the UK. Taking the world city literature as a guide, this article uses advanced producer service firms to study contemporary inter-city relations in the UK space economy. We employ an interlocking network model, initially developed for global scale analysis, to assess signs that recent globalization is effecting a revival outside the London region, and to identify leading urban areas in the UK national economy. Two different analyses are presented: a connectivity analysis, which indicates how well cities and towns are linked into the UK space economy, and a fuzzy clustering analysis, which classifies the cities and towns in order to search out hierarchical and regional tendencies. From these findings, we identify two distinctive polycentric city-regional processes in contemporary Britain: a Jacobs-style polycentric mega-city regional process out of London, which creates new important service centres and reaches selected smaller cities and towns; and a polycentric multi-city regional process beyond London, which mainly enhances the service capacities of selected larger cities. A concluding section considers the implications of the two processes for spatial planning in the UK. Resume Les villes et regions urbaines reviennent en force dans la recherche britannique. Oriente par les publications sur les villes mondiales, ce travail utilise les entreprises de services avances a la production pour etudier les relations contemporaines entre villes dans l'economie spatiale britannique. A l'aide d'un modele de maillage, mis au point a l'origine pour une analyse a l'echelon mondial, nous mesurons les signes indiquant que la recente mondialisation provoque une relance hors de la region de Londres et nous identifions les zones urbaines dominantes de l'economie nationale. Sont presentees deux analyses differentes: une analyse de la connectivite, montrant dans quelle mesure les villes et grandes villes sont reliees au sein de l'economie spatiale britannique, et une analyse des groupements flous qui classe villes et grandes villes afin de trouver les tendances hierarchiques et regionales. A partir de ces resultats, sont identifies deux processus distincts de region urbaine polycentrique dans la Grande-Bretagne contemporaine: un processus de mega-region urbaine polycentrique, proche de la description de Jacobs, a la peripherie de Londres, qui cree de nouveaux centres de services importants et atteint certaines villes et grandes villes plus petites; un processus de multi-region urbaine polycentrique au-dela de Londres, qui renforce principalement les capacites de services de certaines grandes villes. La conclusion etudie les implications des deux processus sur l'amenagement spatial au Royaume-Uni. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Geography, Loughborough University, UK (2)Department of Geography, Ghent University, Belgium Article note: Peter J. Taylor (P.J.Taylor@lboro.ac.uk), David M. Evans (D.M.Evans@lboro.ac.uk), Michael Hoyler (M.Hoyler@lboro.ac.uk), Kathy Pain (K.Pain@lboro.ac.uk) Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK, and Ben Derudder (Ben.Derudder@Ugent.be), Department of Geography, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B9000 Gent, Belgium.

This paper discusses two well-known market-based social change initiatives, Fair Trade coffee and Forest Stewardship Council certification, which harness market forces to pursue social and environmental objectives. A serious challenge for both is to operate in the conventional market without undermining their original objectives. A global commodity chain analysis approach is combined with insights from economic sociology embeddedness theory to explore the social, cultural and organizational factors shaping the initiatives' governance structures. Both initiatives are seen to move along opposite organizational trajectories, but lace similar pressures from conventional market logics, practices and dominant actors. A preliminary framework is proposed for comparative assessment, focusing on distribution of benefits, how conventional market institutions may be questioned, and how internal governance manages diverse stakeholder interests and influence. Key word--Latin America, Mexico, Fair Trade, FSC, coffee, community forestry

The pesticide industry's Global Safe Use campaign has reportedly produced a dramatic decline in pesticide-related health and environmental problems in Guatemala. This paper challenges this claim, reanalyzing existing data and further evaluating claims of the campaign's efficacy. The paper argues that the campaign's strategy inadequately links knowledge with structural constraints on behavior. It also suffers from the industry's contradictory definitions of the pesticide problem both as public perception and as a serious health and environmental threat. The paper suggests an approach common to the field of Industrial Hygiene be applied to reducing pesticide hazards. The paper concludes by locating the Safe Use campaign within larger struggles to re-regulate globalizing economic spaces.

Byline: Judy Day (1), Peter Taylor (2) Abstract: The model of managerial incentives used in Positive Accounting Theory sees debt contracts as important in accounting choices in firms. The paper argues that agency theory and costly contracting theory imply a much wider role for debt contracts as corporate governance mechanisms for controlling relationships between lenders and firms. We analyse the creditor's problem in providing debt to the firm in terms of anticipated agency costs. This analysis leads to a consideration of contracting solutions involving the choice of debt contract terms providing credit protections which are efficient in agency cost and contracting cost terms. The model of debt contracts accepted in the literature is based upon US research, both theoretical and empirical, and thus reflects US institutional experience. This model involves detailed bonding and monitoring terms focusing upon financial and other covenants and implies customisation of such terms to meet creditors' contracting requirements. The paper reviews evidence on the applicability of this model in practice and concludes that, despite broad similarities, institutional biases are present if the model is applied to countries other than the US. We examine evidence on UK debt contracting practices, in particular contract form and content, types of covenant, lenders' perceptions of the role of covenants as control mechanisms, and the issue of standardisation versus customisation. The paper identifies important differences in debt contracting in the UK, for example in types of covenants and the role perceived for them by creditors and identifies standardisation in contract terms as being more common than often implied by other research. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Accounting and Finance, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, U.K (2) Manchester School of Accounting and Finance, Manchester, U.K Article History: Registration Date: 14/10/2004

Packaged tour operators practice mixed strategy pricing in response to consumers' adoption of mixed strategies in choosing a product when the products have very little differentiation and information is vague. A simple model was developed to show the sequence of actions and the properties of variances. Analysis of brochure data for the summer seasons of 1982 and 1995 showed that operators use mixed strategies when setting brochure prices., Introduction The expansion and intense competition that has been experienced in the UK package tour industry over the last couple of decades has led many to consider the industry's products [...]

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) is responsible for evaluating the changes in revenue that arise from tax reform proposals. In early 1996, JCT started a modeling project which involved nine simulations of the impact of generic tax restructuring proposals. One of the project's objectives is to review the timing and quality of macroeconomic effects information to determine its importance in policy and budget debates.

The effect of corporate strategy on financial decisions in Australian firms was examined to understand corporate capital structure in Australia, whose economy is characterized by loose corporate debt management. The results showed that corporate strategy significantly affects capital structure, especially of the more diversified firms. Cash flow, profit, growth rate and earnings risk level are also important internal influences on capital structure.

Mastering Space is part of a rapidly growing literature reacting against what may be termed 'globalization fatalism.' This is Margaret Thatcher's TINA (there is no alternative) of 1980s Britain writ [...]

This volume of 17 essays is intended to supplement existing political geography texts by showing the student how the application of geographic concepts and ideas can inform current international issues. [...]

In a short preface, the editor informs us that all the authors are of Celtic origin and that this gives the volume 'a certain flavour'. Either this is too subtle [...]

The article discusses empirical research investigating the connectivity of Chinese cities in the world city network (WCN) in 2010. Topics include an overview of the WCN, which is a regional approach developed by research institute the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) to understand cities in relation to globalization, the role of business services firms in city network formation, and the significance of the uneven integration of Chinese cities in the WCN.

This is an empirical quantitative study that uses urban demographic data to identify economic change in cities. Unlike previous demographic studies, a strong theoretical framework is provided for the analysis. The research is designed and interpreted through Jacobs's theory of the city as economic process within the framework of Wallerstein's modem world-system. This is the first time Jacobs's theory has been subject to systematic inquiry over big time and big space. We create an inventory of 184 examples of Jacobs's "explosive growth" from 1500 to 2005 within the modern world-system. These results are interpreted in terms of systemic hegemonic cycles with first Dutch, and then British, and finally U.S. cities dominating the inventory lists. It is found that Dutch, British and U.S. city growth spurts are front-loaded in their respective hegemonic cycles: this is strong evidence of hegemony being created and initially sustained through and by these dynamic cities. This study makes a direct contribution to developing world-systems analysis, and in a short conclusion future research on ways of contributing to Jacobs's theory of the city are discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the role of development studies institutions and power relations in a globalized world. It notes that the changing nature of the global knowledge economy must be considered in any attempt to study the role of such institutions either globally or within specific local contexts. Challenges facing research organizations in the South are cited, including problems of staff recruitment and retention. Also outlined are measures that could be taken to address such issues.

A number of recent contributions to the literature have modelled social learning and adaptation in an economic context. Understanding the processes driving these models is important in order to explain and predict the behaviour of the economy. In this paper, we analyze the economic applications for a class of adaptive learning models with bounded rational agents. The dynamics of these economies can be thought of as arising from discrete-time Markov chains. In particular, conditions for uniqueness of equilibria, convergence and stability in the economic systems follow from the accessibility and communication structures of these Markov chains. We establish a correspondence between absorbing states of the Markov chains and economic equilibria, whether stable or unstable, and develop theorems giving conditions for absorption and recurrence. Furthermore, we develop practical applications of these theorems using a cobweb model. We use a genetic algorithm, operating under election, as an example of a well known adaptive learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the expansion of economic life in cities. The expansion of cities results in the creation of dynamic, complex and diverse economies. Five forces of economic growth produce diverse city economies. These forces include the following: enlarged city markets, increased numbers and kinds of jobs, transplants of city work, new uses for technology and growth of city capital. When these forces operate singly and do not compensate each other, they produce simple economic regions, instead of producing complex economies.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the European Union body dedicated to providing sound, independent information on the environment. It is a major information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy in Europe, and also for the general public. In line with its mandate, the EEA has developed — focused around a set of policy relevant questions — a set of indicators to assess progress in Europe in integrating environmental considerations into the energy sector. Each question is answered through one or more indicators describing the development of the sector in Europe, implications for the environment and links to policy actions. The indicators cover not only the current situation, but also trends and prospects and, most importantly, point to the conditions for change that are needed for progress towards a more sustainable energy policy that benefits the environment. The results of the most recent assessment are presented in this article and show that in many areas of environmental integration there have been some successes, but overall progress to date has been insufficient. Substantial additional action will therefore be required in the future if the European Union is going to move towards a more environmentally sustainable energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates several software for use by economists. Design of the Simulation Program for Indirect Taxation; Features of TAXMOD, a software used to model personal tax and benefit systems; Performance capabilities of TAXBEN, a program used to illustrate the effects of changes in family finances on direct tax systems.

Evaluates several computer software and related material available for use by the economists. "Running the British Economy 1987"; "Macmod"; "Ready Reckoner"; "Chancellor One"; "Chancellor Two."

Co-locating electricity storage with demand has significant potential to increase consumption of locally-generated electricity, defer infrastructure investments, and contribute to the task of balancing supply and demand on the wider network. In the UK, unlike domestic consumers, large enterprises are already incentivised to reduce peak demand through exposure to time- and demand-dependent network charges. This paper considers the potential of electricity storage to reduce the bills of large enterprises, focusing on Lancaster University as a case study. Through analysis of Lancaster University's recent demand and generation data and current and future charges, it is shown that recent widening of red distribution charge time bands has reduced the value of electricity storage to enterprises, and that in 2015 an enterprise such as Lancaster University could have expected electricity storage to deliver annual savings of around £27 per kWh of storage capacity, by reducing network charges. An analysis of these charges around Great Britain shows that the opportunity for storage to provide savings to enterprises is greatest in the south-west (at least £70/kWh.yr in 2017) and lowest in the north of Scotland (at least £20/kWh.yr). Whether investment in storage provides positive value to enterprises is shown to be strongly dependent upon location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a response to Polèse's rebuttal. The author presents his summary positions for taking the debate forward including the complexity of the idea of the cities, treating the cities as the transhistorical social objects and necessity of the states for the management of the economic activity. It also includes Jacobs' ideas that are hard to refute for the information is limited and the implication of the city complexity in Jacobs import-shifting over export-led economic growth.