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Policy Differences (policy + difference)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting60%

Selected Abstracts

Adopting Lead-Free Electronics: Policy Differences and Knowledge Gaps

JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
Julie M. Schoenung
For more than a decade, the use of lead (Pb) in electronics has been controversial: Indeed, its toxic effects are well documented, whereas relatively little is known about proposed alternative materials. As the quantity of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) increases, legislative initiatives and corporate marketing strategies are driving a reduction in the use of some toxic substances in electronics. This article argues that the primacy of legislation over engineering and economics may result in selecting undesirable replacement materials for Pb because of overlooked knowledge gaps. These gaps include the need for: assessments of the effects of changes in policy on the flow of e-waste across state and national boundaries; further reliability testing of alternative solder alloys; further toxicology and environmental impact studies for high environmental loading of the alternative solders (and their metal components); improved risk assessment methodologies that can capture complexities such as changes in waste management practices, in electronic product design, and in rate of product obsolescence; carefully executed allocation methods when evaluating the impact of raw material extraction; and in-depth risk assessment of alternative end-of-life (EOL) options. The resulting environmental and human health consequences may be exacerbated by policy differences across political boundaries. To address this conundrum, legislation and policies dealing with Pb in electronics are first reviewed. A discussion of the current state of knowledge on alternative solder materials relative to product design, environmental performance, and risk assessment follows. Previous studies are reviewed, and consistent with their results, this analysis finds that there is great uncertainty in the trade-offs between Pb-based solders and proposed replacements. Bridging policy and knowledge gaps will require increased international cooperation on materials use, product market coverage, and e-waste EOL management. [source]

Why is the rate of single-parenthood lower in Canada than in the U.S.?

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2009
A dynamic equilibrium analysis of welfare policies
Restricting aid to single mothers, for instance, has the potential to distort behaviour along three demographic margins: marriage, fertility, and divorce. We contrast the Canadian and the U.S. policies within an equilibrium model of household formation and human capital investment on children. Policy differences we consider are eligibility, dependence of transfers on the number of children, and generosity of transfers. Our simulations indicate that the policy differences can account for the higher rate of single-parenthood in the U.S. They also show that Canadian welfare policy is more effective for fostering human capital accumulation among children from poor families. Interestingly, a majority of agents in our benchmark economy prefers a welfare system that targets single mothers (as the U.S. system does), yet (unlike the U.S. system) does not make transfers dependent on the number of children. Une question critique dans le design des politiques sociales est à savoir s'il faut cibler l'aide selon la composition du ménage, comme on le fait aux Etats-Unis dans le cadre du programme Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) ou s'en remettre exclusivement à une enquête sur les ressources disponibles. Limiter l'aide aux mères monoparentales, par exemple, peut influencer le comportement à la marge selon trois axes démographiques: mariage, fécondité, divorce. On compare les politiques canadienne et américaine dans le cadre d'un modèle d'équilibre de formation des ménages et d'investissement en capital humain dans les enfants. Les différences dans les politiques portent sur l'éligibilité, la dépendance des transferts sur le nombre d'enfants, et la générosité des transferts. Les simulations indiquent que les différences dans les politiques peuvent expliquer le plus haut taux de monoparentalité aux Etats-Unis. On montre aussi que la politique canadienne est plus effective pour encourager l'accumulation du capital humain dans les enfants des familles pauvres. On note qu'une majorité des agents dans l'économie de référence préfère une politique qui cible les mères monoparentales (comme on le fait aux Etats-Unis) mais qui (contrairement à ce qui se fait aux Etats-Unis) ne rend pas les transferts dépendants du nombre d'enfants. [source]

COMPETITION AND REGULATION IN THE U.K. ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY (WITH A BRIEF LOOK AT CALIFORNIA)

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 4 2001
Stephen C. Littlechild
In this article, the U.K.'s Director General of Electricity Supply from 1989 to 1998 assesses the effects of deregulation and competition on the U.K. electricity industry after about a decade. Expansion of existing competitors, new entry, and further restructuring have reduced the aggregate share of the largest two generation companies from nearly 80% to 26%. Efficiency has improved and wholesale prices have fallen after an initial increase. Voluntary bilateral contracts markets are about to replace the mandatory "Pool," with centralised control limited to physically balancing the system and settling contract imbalances. Retail supply competition has been active for large industrial customers since the beginning, and 80% of them now buy from another supplier. The market for residential customers opened in early 1999, and already nearly a quarter of them have chosen another supplier. Incentive price controls on transmission and distribution have stimulated increased efficiency and significantly reduced use-of-system charges. Overall, prices for all classes of customers have fallen by 25,35% in real terms since privatisation, and quality of service has improved. California has adopted a policy that is similar in many respects, but with very different results. The problems there have stemmed partly from less favourable demand and supply conditions, but also from significant policy differences, including barriers to building new capacity, obstacles to the use of long-term supply (or hedging) contracts, retail price controls at untenable levels, and the requirement that (after a transition period) utilities pass through wholesale spot prices directly to their customers. Changes in such policies will eventually enable both producers and consumers in California to benefit from competition. [source]

Adopting Lead-Free Electronics: Policy Differences and Knowledge Gaps

JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
Julie M. Schoenung
For more than a decade, the use of lead (Pb) in electronics has been controversial: Indeed, its toxic effects are well documented, whereas relatively little is known about proposed alternative materials. As the quantity of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) increases, legislative initiatives and corporate marketing strategies are driving a reduction in the use of some toxic substances in electronics. This article argues that the primacy of legislation over engineering and economics may result in selecting undesirable replacement materials for Pb because of overlooked knowledge gaps. These gaps include the need for: assessments of the effects of changes in policy on the flow of e-waste across state and national boundaries; further reliability testing of alternative solder alloys; further toxicology and environmental impact studies for high environmental loading of the alternative solders (and their metal components); improved risk assessment methodologies that can capture complexities such as changes in waste management practices, in electronic product design, and in rate of product obsolescence; carefully executed allocation methods when evaluating the impact of raw material extraction; and in-depth risk assessment of alternative end-of-life (EOL) options. The resulting environmental and human health consequences may be exacerbated by policy differences across political boundaries. To address this conundrum, legislation and policies dealing with Pb in electronics are first reviewed. A discussion of the current state of knowledge on alternative solder materials relative to product design, environmental performance, and risk assessment follows. Previous studies are reviewed, and consistent with their results, this analysis finds that there is great uncertainty in the trade-offs between Pb-based solders and proposed replacements. Bridging policy and knowledge gaps will require increased international cooperation on materials use, product market coverage, and e-waste EOL management. [source]

Why is the rate of single-parenthood lower in Canada than in the U.S.?

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2009
A dynamic equilibrium analysis of welfare policies
Restricting aid to single mothers, for instance, has the potential to distort behaviour along three demographic margins: marriage, fertility, and divorce. We contrast the Canadian and the U.S. policies within an equilibrium model of household formation and human capital investment on children. Policy differences we consider are eligibility, dependence of transfers on the number of children, and generosity of transfers. Our simulations indicate that the policy differences can account for the higher rate of single-parenthood in the U.S. They also show that Canadian welfare policy is more effective for fostering human capital accumulation among children from poor families. Interestingly, a majority of agents in our benchmark economy prefers a welfare system that targets single mothers (as the U.S. system does), yet (unlike the U.S. system) does not make transfers dependent on the number of children. Une question critique dans le design des politiques sociales est à savoir s'il faut cibler l'aide selon la composition du ménage, comme on le fait aux Etats-Unis dans le cadre du programme Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) ou s'en remettre exclusivement à une enquête sur les ressources disponibles. Limiter l'aide aux mères monoparentales, par exemple, peut influencer le comportement à la marge selon trois axes démographiques: mariage, fécondité, divorce. On compare les politiques canadienne et américaine dans le cadre d'un modèle d'équilibre de formation des ménages et d'investissement en capital humain dans les enfants. Les différences dans les politiques portent sur l'éligibilité, la dépendance des transferts sur le nombre d'enfants, et la générosité des transferts. Les simulations indiquent que les différences dans les politiques peuvent expliquer le plus haut taux de monoparentalité aux Etats-Unis. On montre aussi que la politique canadienne est plus effective pour encourager l'accumulation du capital humain dans les enfants des familles pauvres. On note qu'une majorité des agents dans l'économie de référence préfère une politique qui cible les mères monoparentales (comme on le fait aux Etats-Unis) mais qui (contrairement à ce qui se fait aux Etats-Unis) ne rend pas les transferts dépendants du nombre d'enfants. [source]