Library, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Kruunuvuorenkatu 4
FI-00160  Helsinki, FINLAND
tel. +358 9 4327708

FIIA Library weekly article lists 4.-8.8.2014: B- and C-category journals

Issues & studies

Chung-Rou Fang & Wen-Chieh Lee & Ching-Fu Chang

  • The co-movement between oil and agricultural commodity prices: evidence from the emerging market of China

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 50): nro: 2 June s. 111-141

    tallennuspvm: 20140806

      [original abstract:] "Although much empirical research has examined the relationship between oil prices changes and economic activity, it is surprising that little research has been conducted on the relationship between oil price shocks and agricultural markets in large-sized emerging industrial countries. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing this issue in more detail by using weekly data for China covering the period from September 2004 to September 2012. To this end, the Toda-Yamamoto causality approach and impulse response analysis method are applied to identify the long- and short-run interrelationships. Our results are mixed: we infer that the fluctuations in fuel oil prices have a short-term effect on the dynamics of agricultural products in China; however, there are no significant long-term effects. /// keywords: oil price, agricultural commodity prices, BRIC, China, Granger causality"

    Issues & studies

    Jih-wen Lin

  • Resource allocation and the performance of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party in mixed-member majoritarian elections

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 50): nro: 2 June s. 1-38

    tallennuspvm: 20140806

      [original abstract:] "Politics always involves the exchange of resources for votes, but the mechanism differs according to the electoral institution. The principal-agent model identifies two necessary conditions for this exchange to be feasible: (1) the opportunity cost of preferential grants is small, and (2) agents receiving these resources play a vital role in helping the principal to win. These conditions were satisfied in the presidential election of 2004, when swing voters were critical in helping the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to retain the presidency and limited costs were attached to the resources demanded by legislators elected under the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system. After 2004, the president no longer exchanged grants for votes at the national level because swing voters could hardly change the result of presidential elections while the opportunity cost of grants was raised by the plurality-tier of the mixed- member majoritarian (MMM) system. Nevertheless, resource allocation still dominates local politics. After MMM was introduced, DPP legislators elected in DPP-led regions distributed the resources that were helpful to consolidating potential supporters, those campaigning in KMT-administered areas, however, attempted to have swing voters by providing them with extra services - just like what their local heads did. /// keywords: MMM, DPP, KMT, Taiwan elections, resource allocation"

    Issues & studies

    Salmenkari, Taru

  • Encounters between Chinese NGOs and the state: distance, roles and voice

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 50): nro: 2 June s. 143-177

    tallennuspvm: 20140806

      [original abstract:] "Researchers in the field of Chinese studies often assume that the ability of Chinese NGOs to operate freely increases with their distance from the government, and they classify NGOs accordingly. However, this study suggests that in China distance from the state is not a fixed characteristic of an organization nor is increased distance always an advantage. Even unregistered NGOs adopt various strategies that bring them close to the state. Furthermore, contrary to common expectations, independence does not guarantee that an NGO will adopt democratic decision-making structures or increase its contacts with ordinary citizens at the grassroots level. /// keywords: China, civil society, non- governmental organizations, social space, state-society relations"

    Issues & studies

    Batto, Nathan F.

  • Was Taiwan's electoral reform good for women? : SNTV, MMM, gender quotas, and female representation

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 50): nro: 2 June s. 39-76

    tallennuspvm: 20140806

      [original abstract:] "Relative to other countries in the world, Taiwan has consistently elected large numbers of women to political office. This paper argues that women have done well in Taiwan because of the reserved female seat system in SNTV elections and that the 2005 reform from SNTV to MMM did not produce further gains in gender equality. SNTV with reserved seats produces incentives for parties to cultivate large numbers of powerful women in order to ensure that other parties are not able to win cheap or free seats. Empirically, the evidence shows that women win significantly more votes and seats in districts with reserved seats than in those without them. Moreover, winning an SNTV election requires candidates to amass power resources, and the women who survive this arduous test have power that can be used for other political goals. Women elected on party lists do not necessarily accumulate as much power. The new MMM system has arguably not produced more female legislators than the old SNTV system would have, and it has reduced the aggregate power that women in the legislature can wield. /// keywords: SNTV, MMM, reserved seat system, gender quotas, female representation"

    Issues & studies

    Yongwei Chen & Wei-Min Hu & Szulga, Radek

  • The tyranny of numbers revisited and the case of China's manufacturing growth: factor allocation, structural adjustment and productivity dynamics

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 50): nro: 2 June s. 77-109

    tallennuspvm: 20140806

      [original abstract:] "In this paper we adopt the methodology proposed by Olley and Pakes to estimate total factor productivity in Chinese manufacturing factories. The changes in TFP are decomposed both at the sectoral and the industry level using the Bailey-Hulten- Campbell and Syrquin approaches. We find that the nature of growth of Chinese manufacturing has not changed fundamentally during the period, particularly in terms of the high dependence on intermediate inputs. At the inter-industry level, current changes in TFP mainly originate from the increase in the internal TFP mainly originate from the increase in the internal TFPs of different industries. Although the influence of structural adjustment on TFP is positive its value is still low, suggesting that significant potential for improvement in productivity in manufacturing through adjustments in structure still exists. At the intra- industry level, the improvement in TFP in different industries can be mainly attributed to the reallocation of resources and output quotas, which results from enhanced competition. /// keywords: TFP, factors allocation, structure adjustment, manufacturing industry, productivity"

    Ruotuväki

    Immonen, Helena

  • Kiivasta keskustelua puolustuksesta

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 52): nro: 14 s. 4

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      [original ingress:] "Kansalaiskeskustelua puolustuspolitiikasta -paneeli keräsi runsaan yleisön SuomiAreenassa. Ilkka Kanervan mukaan Suomen puolustuskyky rapautuu, jos lisärahoitusta ei saada."

    Ruotuväki

    Immonen, Helena

  • Suomalaista asevelvollisuutta viedään Lähi- itään

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 52): nro: 14 s. 5

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      [original ingress:] "Kansalaiskeskustelua puolustuspolitiikasta -paneeli keräsi runsaan yleisön SuomiAreenassa. Ilkka Kanervan mukaan Suomen puolustuskyky rapautuu, jos lisärahoitusta ei saada."

    Ruotuväki

    Välilä, Joonas

  • Libyan ongelma on heikko hallinto [: Libyan vaikeudet alkoivat arabikeväästä]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 52): nro: 14 s. 6

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -

    interviewed FIIA staff: Creutz, Katja


    Ruotuväki

    Mattila, Hannes

  • Al-Qaidan haastaja

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 52): nro: 14 s. 6

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      [original ingress:] "Syyriassa ja Irakissa laajoja alueita vallannut terroristijärjestö aiheuttaa uhkaa myös länsimaille. Isis on voimistunut Syyrian sisällissodan ja Irakin sunniheimojen avulla."

    Suomen kuvalehti

    Merikallio, Katri

  • Demonisointi ei auta [: ulkomaat: Hamasin terroristileima pitää yllä väkivaltaa]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 98): nro: 32 s. 10-11

    numerus_currens_ -koodi: L242/2014 / tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -

    Suomen kuvalehti

    Merikallio, Katri

  • Hamasin ystävät vähissä [: ulkomaat: Gazan sota on tuonut vanhoja tukijoita takaisin]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 98): nro: 32 s. 11

    numerus_currens_ -koodi: L243/2014 / tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -

    Suomen kuvalehti

    Hamilo, Marko

  • Ydinvoima vihertyy

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 98): nro: 32 s. 16-21

    numerus_currens_ -koodi: L244/2014 / tallennuspvm: 20140808

      [original ingress:] "Neljännen sukupolven voimaloiden on tarkoitus olla huipputurvallisia ja halpoja. Moni toivoo niistä ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttäjää."

    Suomen kuvalehti

    Donner, Jörn

  • Maailman paras maa? [: Jörn Donner etsii vastausta sille, miksi Ruotsi pärjää paremmin kuin Suomi]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. 98): nro: 32 s. 32-39

    numerus_currens_ -koodi: L245/2014 / tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -

    Talouselämä

    Kankare, Matti

  • [Venäjä:] Liikaa hyssyttelyä [: Suomen ja EU:n Venäjä-pakotteet iskevät suomalaisyrityksiin kovemmin kuin Suomen hallitus haluaa myöntää]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. ): nro: 26 s. 6-7

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -

    Talouselämä

    Holtari, Seija

  • [Haastateltavana Lenita Toivakka:] "Venäjän epävarmuus ei saa vallata meitä liikaa" [: hakekaa kasvua Saksasta, Ruotsista ja Norjasta, neuvoo Eurooppa- ja ulkomaankauppaministeri Lenita Toivakka]

  • VUOSI: 2014 (vol. ): nro: 26 s. 8-9

    tallennuspvm: 20140808

      -