This paper introduces the concept of a steepest ascent tariff reform for a small open economy. By construction, it is locally optimal in that it yields the highest gain in utility of any feasible tariff reform vector of the same length. Accordingly, it provides a convenient benchmark for the evaluation of the welfare effectiveness of other tariff reform proposals. We develop the properties of t...

.................................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 4 Is there a need for reform? ...............................................................

E. H. Moore’s Retiring Address as AMS president took place in 1902. Moore had a firm commitment to both teaching and research, but the theme of his address centered on mathematics education. On the role of the AMS in education he said: “Do you not feel with me that the AMS, as the organic representative of the highest interests of mathematics in this country, should be directly related with the...

The reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) has become an integral part of most macroeconomic stabilisation programmes implemented worldwide in recent years. The main instruments used to reform these enterprises have been divestiture and workforce downsizing. In Latin America, in particular, the pursuit of fiscal consolidation has added another important dimension to public enterprise reform. ...

The publication of a new article by “Authoritative Personage” on May 9, 2016, threw into the open two unresolved issues of Chinese policy: Who is making economic reform policy? What is the mix between reform and growth? These two unresolved issues lie behind the enormous difficulty policy-makers have had in coming up with a coherent reform strategy lately. This difficulty is most manifest in th...

The last twenty years has seen an extensive and exhausting debate on how to improve the institutions of African states. But progress has been patchy at best. Many of the problems arise from a ‘partial-reform equilibrium’; initial reforms are undertaken, but then strong resistance is encountered, and reform is not completed. Consequently, although donors may be heartened to find governments spea...

All reform countries in Central and Eastern Europe require a rapid and comprehensive restructuring of their public pension schemes for macroand microeconomic reasons. The paper argues that pension reform, economic restructuring, and the growth options for these countries are closely related, and that by pursuing a reform which is at least partially directed towards private and funded pensions, ...

despite the serious confrontation of iranian seminaries and religious communities against a flood of western modernistic ideas and institutions, the modernistic tendencies increased in qom seminary, during the leadership of ayatollah boroujerdi. modernists often sought reforms in organization, educational programs and propagation system of seminaries and offered various reform projects to ayato...

In several European countries, including Norway, polices to increase patient choice of hospital provider have remained high on the political agenda. The main reason behind the interest in hospital choice reforms in Norway has been the belief that increasing choice can remedy the persistent problem of long waiting times for elective hospital care. Prior to the 2013 General Election, the Conserva...