Adequate access to public goods plays an important role in the economic and rural development of any country. For the transition countries, however, providing public goods is particularly problematic owing to several factors associated with the transition process itself, e.g. economic recession and a change in ownership of local public goods. Taking Russia as an example, this study examines the effect of the transition process on rural households' access to public goods. With reference to education and health care, household access to public goods is addressed in terms of community availability and economic access. The analysis is taken a step further, through an examination of the role of informal institutions in public good provision. Multiple regression analysis was used to test for the significance of income as a determinant of private expenditures on public goods. The results indicate that, contrary to expectations, neither income nor informal payments are important determinants of access to public goods. Informal institutions continue to exert a strong influence on the provision of public goods.

Adequate access to public goods plays an important role in the economic and rural development of any country. For the transition countries, however, providing public goods is particularly problematic owing to several factors associated with the transition process itself, e.g. economic recession and a change in ownership of local public goods. Taking Russia as an example, this study examines the effect of the transition process on rural household's access to public goods. With reference to education and health care, household access to public goods is addressed in terms of community availability and economic access. The analysis is taken a step further, through an examination of the role of informal institutions in public good provision. Multiple regression analysis was used to test for the significance of income as a determinant of private expenditures on public goods. The results indicate that, contrary to expectations, neither income nor informal payments are important determinants of access to public goods. Informal institutions continue to exert a strong influence on the provision of public goods.

At publication date, a free ebook version of this title will be available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. Scholarly discussions on economic development in history, specifically those linked to industrialization or modern economic growth, have paid great attention to the formation and development of the market economy as a set of institutions able to augment people’s welfare. The role of specific nonmarket practices for promoting the economic development and welfare has been a distinct concern, typically involving discussion of the state’s economic policies. How have societies tackled those issues that the market did not? To what extent did those solutions reflect the structure of an economy? Public Goods Provision in the Early Modern Economy explores these questions by investigating efforts made for the provision of "public goods" in early modern economies from the perspective of Japanese socioeconomic history during Tokugawa era (1603–1868), and by comparing those cases with others from Europe and China’s economic history. The contributors focus on three areas of inquiry—early modern era welfare policies for the poor, infrastructure, and forest management—to provide both a unique perspective on Japanese public finance at local levels and a vantage point outside of Europe to encourage a more global view of early modern political economies that shaped subsequent modern transformations.

This publication addresses factors that promote or inhibit successful provision of the four key international public goods: financial stability, international trade regime, international diffusion of technological knowledge and global environment. Without these goods, developing countries are unable to compete, prosper or attract capital from abroad. The need for public goods provision is also recognized by the Millennium Development Goals, internationally agreed goals and targets for knowledge, health, governance and environmental public goods. The Report addresses the nature of required policies and institutions using the modern principles of collective action.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Hohenheim, 2008.

In a timely contribution to the international discussion of the post-Kyoto climate regime this study hypothesizes that Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the land use and forestry sector are an efficient instrument for climate change mitigation that contributes to rural development and poverty alleviation at the same time. To this end, the study analyzes socio-economic aspects of a forestry project established under the CDM rules considering an East African case study exemplarily. An agricultural household survey in Tanzania delivered the empirical data for the structural equation model at the center of the analysis. Looking at different farm assets it is shown that the benefits of land use-related climate projects go way beyond pure mitigation. They also have a positive impact on a very broad asset base on which poor farm households depend. Hence, the current CDM only allowing for afforestation and reforestation projects is far too restricted to deliver on its twin objective.

Uganda suffers from a high degree of soil nutrient depletion and its agricultural productivity is either stagnant or declining. This case study identifies factors affecting the adoption or rejection of more sustainable agricultural technologies by Ugandan farmers and proposes some changes to land management policies. Woelcke works at the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of the World Bank. The volume does not contain an index. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).