The (Non-)Effect of Unemployment Benefits:Variations in the effect of unemployment on life-satisfaction between EU countries

A negative effect of unemployment on subjective well-being has been demonstrated in many studies casting substantial doubt about assumptions of decisions of individuals to choose unemployment voluntarily as the utility-maximising option. These studies have been extended to take into account national-level context factors which have been shown to moderate the relationship between unemployment and life-satisfaction. So far most studies focussed mainly on economic indicators, although demographic and cultural differences between countries also affect how unemployment is perceived. An important variable that is not included in the majority of proper multilevel studies is the extent of unemployment benefits. Traditional micro-economic approaches argue that more extensive provisions should reduce the cost of unemployment and therefore reduce the motivation to regain employment—reflected in a reduction of the negative impact of unemployment. This study investigates this claim by using European Values Study data from all European Union countries and Norway as well as harmonised macroeconomic statistics from Eurostat. It finds that the effect of unemployment on life-satisfaction is indeed moderated by economic and demographic national-level factors, but not by unemployment benefits. To what extent unemployment reduces life-satisfaction varies greatly between countries, but appears to not be influenced by the extent of state unemployment provisions

A survey of recent introduction events, spread and mitigation efforts of mynas (Acridotheres sp.) in Spain and Portugal

Un estudio sobre los recientes episodios de introducción, la propagación y las iniciativas de mitigación de los minás (Acridotheres sp.) en España y Portugal El miná común, Acridotheres tristis, está catalogado entre las 100 especies más invasoras del mundo. En el presente artículo combinamos las observaciones ya existentes con un estudio de campo para determinar los procesos de invasión de tres especies de minás en España y Portugal. Los resultados sugieren que hubo al menos 22 introducciones accidentales e independientes desde comienzos de los años 90 en la península ibérica y en tres archipiélagos. Si bien el miná oscuro (A. ginginianus) no ha llegado a establecerse, hay poblaciones reproductoras de miná común en cuatro islas. Las iniciativas de erradicación permitieron eliminar esas poblaciones insulares, pero la especie se mantiene en el estuario del Tajo (Portugal). En esta región existe también una población reproductora de miná crestado (A. cristatellus), que ha crecido exponencialmente en la última década. Es necesario combinar las campañas de erradicación con acciones preventivas, cuyo objetivo sea detener el comercio de estas especies en Europa, para evitar nuevas introducciones accidentales.The common myna Acridotheres tristis is listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. We combined previous records with a field survey to update the extent and fate of myna introductions in Spain and Portugal. Results suggest that there have been at least 22 independent accidental introductions of three myna species throughout the Iberian peninsula and three archipelagos since the early 1990s. While bank mynas (A. ginginianus) did not become established elsewhere, common mynas reached breeding populations on four islands. Eradication efforts allowed the extirpation of these breeding island populations, but common mynas continue to breed in the Tagus Estuary (continental Portugal). In this region, there is also a breeding population of crested mynas (A. cristatellus), which was undergone an exponential population growth in the last decade. To avoid further accidental introductions, eradication campaigns should be combined with preventive actions aiming to stop the trade of these species in Europe.Un estudio sobre los recientes episodios de introducción, la propagación y las iniciativas de mitigación de los minás (Acridotheres sp.) en España y Portugal El miná común, Acridotheres tristis, está catalogado entre las 100 especies más invasoras del mundo. En el presente artículo combinamos las observaciones ya existentes con un estudio de campo para determinar los procesos de invasión de tres especies de minás en España y Portugal. Los resultados sugieren que hubo al menos 22 introducciones accidentales e independientes desde comienzos de los años 90 en la península ibérica y en tres archipiélagos. Si bien el miná oscuro (A. ginginianus) no ha llegado a establecerse, hay poblaciones reproductoras de miná común en cuatro islas. Las iniciativas de erradicación permitieron eliminar esas poblaciones insulares, pero la especie se mantiene en el estuario del Tajo (Portugal). En esta región existe también una población reproductora de miná crestado (A. cristatellus), que ha crecido exponencialmente en la última década. Es necesario combinar las campañas de erradicación con acciones preventivas, cuyo objetivo sea detener el comercio de estas especies en Europa, para evitar nuevas introducciones accidentales

Nominal or Real? The Impact of Regional Price Levels on Satisfaction with Life

According to economic theory, real income, i.e., nominal income adjusted for purchasing power, should be the relevant source of life satisfaction. Previous work, however, has only studied the impact of inflation adjusted nominal income and not taken into account regional differences in purchasing power. Therefore, we use a novel data set to study how regional price levels affect satisfaction with life. The data set comprises about 7 million data points that are used to construct a price level for each of the 428 administrative districts in Germany. We estimate pooled OLS and ordered probit models that include a comprehensive set of individual level, time-varying and time-invariant control variables as well as control variables that capture district heterogeneity other than the price level. Our results show that higher price levels significantly reduce life satisfaction. Furthermore, we find that a higher price level tends to induce a larger loss in life satisfaction than a corresponding decrease in nominal income. A formal test of neutrality of money, however, does not reject neutrality of money. Our results provide an argument in favor of regional indexation of government transfer payments such as social welfare benefits

The Emerging Aversion to Inequality: Evidence from Poland 1992-2005

This paper provides an illustration of the changing tolerance for inequality in a context of radical political and economic transformation and rapid economic growth. We focus on the Polish experience of transition and explore self-declared attitudes of the citizens. Using monthly representative surveys of the population, realized by the Polish poll institute (CBOS) from 1992 to 2005, we identify a structural break in the relation between income inequality and subjective evaluation of well-being. The downturn in the tolerance for inequality (1997) coincides with the increasing distrust of political elites.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64387/1/wp919.pd

Life satisfaction and confidence in national institutions: evidence from South America

A number of South American countries experienced turbulent democratic, political and economic upheaval over the last 40 years in the form of coup d’états in the 1970s, tumultuous elections, and repeated severe economic crises, some of which happened fairly recently. Starting in 2010, a number of court proceedings across the region have made past military coup d’états the focus of national conversations. South American citizens may, therefore, have lost confidence in national institutions that have repeatedly disappointed their trust and expectations; a situation with potentially detrimental effects on their well-being. Using eight waves of the Gallup World Poll collected between 2009 and 2016 across ten South American countries, we investigate to what extent people’s confidence in financial institutions, the honesty of elections, the military, the judicial system, the national government and the police is associated with people’s current and expectation of future life satisfaction. We find that people who report confidence in these six institutions rate their current and expected life satisfaction, on average, to be higher than those who lack these types of institutional confidence, even after controlling for demographic factors and macroeconomic indicators. In addition, we investigate changes over time for all six measures of confidence in institutions as well as for current and expectation of future life satisfaction. Our results suggest that governments’ investments in well-functioning institutions may contribute positively to subjective well-being in a society. However, our analysis is correlational and we thus cannot rule out reverse causality

Catastrophic Health Expenditure Estimates: A Methodological Evaluation and Policy Implication

Evidence-based studies that produce the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and household impoverishment are often used to assess a health system performance and its impact on the well-being of the people. These evidenced-based studies offer rich sources of materials for policy makers to aid the development of policies that will ensure the optimal performance of the health systems. Literature however alludes that the incidence of CHE and household impoverishment are sensitive to the methodology used in their assessment. This poses a challenge as the level of incidence computed may be understated thus undermining urgent policy intervention.  Using the same set of data, this study examined the extent to which the incidence of CHE and household impoverishment are responsive to different methodologies - with particular emphasis on how the definitions and operationalisation of variables affect their values. The study arrived at a difference of 53.42% and 21.80% in the incidence of CHE and Household impoverishment respectively due to differences in the definition and operationalisation of variables. The percentage of poor households increased by 20.57% as the definition of household necessity increased beyond food. Since the results showed wide differences in values computed, the study recommended the need to standardize the system of assessing the incidence of CHE and household impoverishment in Nigeria as a result of consuming health care to ensure comparable results that will ease policy making relating to healthcare financing in Nigeria. Keywords: Catastrophic Health Expenditure, Impoverishment, Methodology, Policy intervention, Nigeri

Cracking down on bribery

Do crackdowns on bribery impact corrupt behavior in the long run? In this paper we observe the long-run impact of a short-term punishment institution (i.e., a crackdown) on bribery behavior in a lab setting. We conduct lab experiments in two countries with cultures that differ in corruption norms, and which experience very different levels of bribery: the US and Pakistan. Bribery is implemented in the laboratory as a repeated three-player sequential game, consisting of a firm, a government official and a citizen. The design contains three phases: pre-crackdown, crackdown, and post-crackdown. Results show that post-crackdown behavior is not significantly different from pre-crackdown behavior in either country. We conclude that short-term crackdowns may impact behavior in the short run, depending on the strength of the existing corruption norms in the country. More importantly, in our setting crackdowns are completely ineffective in the long run, as corrupt behavior rebounds to pre-crackdown levels

Currency Depreciation and Money Demand in Nigeria

Over the years, there has been controversy whether or not currency depreciation induces increased money demand. Previous studies appeared to have concentrated on the effects of currency depreciation on macroeconomic policy, while its relationship with money demand is scantly documented in the literature. This study therefore, explored this relationship and analyses the effects of currency depreciation on money demand in Nigeria. The study adopts ex-post facto research design and used secondary annual time series data from 1986 to 2017, obtained from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin, 2017. The data collected were analysed using line graphs, Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model with inferences drawn at 5% significance level. The results of trend and pattern of currency depreciation and money demand showed a pro-cyclical movement over the period of study relative to policies adopted by the government in the management of its currency exchange rate. Also, the results of the relationship between currency depreciation and money demand showed that currency depreciation (REXRD) (β=-0.003023, t=-0.245760) had negative and insignificant effect on money demand. Therefore, the study concluded that depreciation of the naira against other foreign currencies currency depreciation had no significant influence on changes in money demand in Nigeria over the study periods. It thus recommended that, government should create policies to enhance flow of credit to the real sector and sustained the stability of naira exchange rate. Keywords: Currency Depreciation, Money Demand, Macroeconomic policy, Exchange rate, ARDL

Evaluation of Automated Cataloguing System in Academic Libraries in Oyo State Nigeria

This study investigated automated cataloguing system in academic libraries in selected higher institutions in Oyo State Nigeria. The population of the study covered all the forty one (41) professional and para-professional cataloguers working in the cataloguing section. Total enumeration technique was used for data collection. Questionnaire was distributed to all the cataloguers in the selected institutions. Descriptive statistics was used to analysed the data collected. The result of the study revealed that automated cataloguing system saves time taking to catalogue information materials in the libraries. The result of the study also revealed that the selected institutions did not share resources among themselves. The finding of the study revealed that automated cataloguing system made cataloguing of information materials in the libraries faster. Therefore, the study concluded that automated cataloguing system in institutions’ libraries is a desirable one. Hence, the study recommended that in addition to cataloguing section, all other sections in the libraries be automated and provision of information technology tools needed for effective system be made available in the libraries