Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: János Kornai Title: Obory společenských věd: odluka nebo spolupráce? Title: Disciplines of social sciences: separation or cooperation? Abstract: The author addresses the question of interdisciplinary studies based on his own experience. His negative experiences are confirmed by the results of a quantitative survey demonstrating that the proportion of citations from other disciplines is very low in four examined fields (economics, law, political science and sociology). But the overall picture is colored by positive examples: the theory of rational choice and game theory have broken the bounds of economics. Also multivariable regression analyses of time series of a large number of countries are not confined to economic phenomena. The spread of interdisciplinary studies is also shown in the way system paradigm has become a widely applied general approach. The author ends with three proposals: let us have a minimum conversancy with other disciplines, support interdisciplinary work, and promote the emergence of a new type of "social scientist". Keywords: interdisciplinary studies, new type of social scienctist, play theory, the theory of rational choice, extra-disciplinary descriptive form, system paradigm, soft data Classification-JEL: A11, A12, A2 Pages: 5-16 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=627.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/627 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:627:p:5-16 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jaromír Šindel Author-Name: Stanislav Šaroch Title: Politická ekonomie kursové politiky ve střední a východní evropě - odvětvový přístup Title: The political economy of exchange rate policy in central and east european countries - sector approach Abstract: The article solves the incentives to the different exchange rate arrangement choice during the transformation and integration period in the Central and East European countries. It follows with the analysis of the industry structure in these economies. It is discussed the existence of its direct and indirect channel of influencing the exchange rate politics. Article solves the hypothesis of interest group formation in regard to the exchange rate policy (the euro adoption) and the intergovernmental bargaining and the bargaining within the economy. The industry analysis results confirm the set hypothesis, in which the heterogeneity of industry structure explains the heterogeneous approach to the exchange rate politics during the transformation process in monitored economies. Finally, the redistributive change of Hungarian exchange rate policy is discussed in connection with the change of subsidies flow within the political cycle. Keywords: transition economies, exchange rate policy, compensation, sector approach Classification-JEL: D790, E420, L160 Pages: 17-39 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=628.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/628 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:628:p:17-39 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Filip Novotný Title: Daňová optimalizace nadnárodních společností prostřednictvím vnitřních cen: přehled hlavních teoretických východisek a možných makroekonomických dopadů Title: Tax optimization of multinational firms through transfer pricing: a survey of main theoretical foundations and potential macroeconomic impacts Abstract: If taxes are the same across countries and no tariffs are imposed on international trade, the optimal strategy of a multinational firm is to set transfer prices at marginal costs of its affiliated firms. But in reality we observe trade tariffs and tax differences among countries which lead multinational firms to deviate transfer prices from marginal costs. Multinationals use transfer prices in order to increase profits in affiliates which are located in low tax countries at the expense of affiliates which are located in high tax countries. I demonstrate on a sample of EU countries that the lower the tax rate in a country the higher the profitability of foreign direct investment in that country. As some studies suggest the gross value added and export prices are artificially overvalued in low tax countries and artificially undervalued in high tax countries. Keywords: foreign trade, imperfect competition, marginal costs, multinational firm, tax optimization, transfer pricing Classification-JEL: F12, F23, L11 Pages: 40-53 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=629.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/629 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:629:p:40-53 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Tomáš Cahlík Author-Name: Jiří Hlaváček Author-Name: Jana Marková Title: Školné či dotace? (simulace s modely systému vysokých škol) Title: Tuitions or subsidies? (simulations with models of the university system) Abstract: The impact of different financing alternatives on two simple models of the university system is analysed in this paper. Both models are agent - based, the reason is that we analyse a system of heterogeneous universities instead of a representative university. Models differ in the rules for the decision-making of universities. In the first - optimising model - each university in each period maximalizes the probability of survival, control variables are the income of universities and the salary of teachers. In the second model we implicitly assume constrained rationality or shortage of relevant information and each university in each period reacts according to simple rules on the difference between the number of applicants and its capacity. Basic result is that the behaviour of models in different situations differs with the financing alternatives and it would be an oversimplification to generalize that some of the financing alternative is always the best. Keywords: agent-based approach, financing in the educational sector, maximalization of survival probability, procedural rationality Classification-JEL: C61, D0, H52, I21 Pages: 54-66 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=630.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/630 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:630:p:54-66 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Eva Cihelková Author-Name: Pavel Hnát Title: Budoucnost Evropské unie v kontextu nového regionalismu Title: Future of the European Union within the new regionalism context Abstract: Future of the European Union and its future directions should be the most important subject of the European Studies, which combine studies of Economy, Political Science, International Relations and other disciplines to study the European Integration Process in its complexity. This applies especially today, when the EU faces a huge amount of internal and external pressures. In stead, the European Studies, often focus on studying and analysing the current stage of European Integration Process and its historical development; they take it as it is, and as if its future depended only on the interaction between particular levels of it multi-level governance. Debate on Europe's future is, thus, rather simplified at the academic level, and a public discussion about the future of "our" European Integration thus often lacks important academic stimuli. The cause of this situation might be seen in seeking for the strong theoretical instrument, which could embrace the European Integration Process in its broadness and complexity and, simultaneously, connect it with the development of Global (or Gloablized) Economy and Society. In this paper, the authors will try to outline and emphasize that International (or Global, if the effects of globalisation should be especially stressed) Political Economy and its views on the theory of Regionalism might be the proper theoretical instrument to deepen the European Studies by the issues of EU's future in Global Economy. Their research of New Regionalism and especially of its current wave done so far, namely suggests that in spite of its marked specificity, the European Union can be examined in the New Regionalism perspective and that this analysis can bring valuable outcomes for the EU's future. Explanations of the current wave of regionalism offered by the Global Political Economy, together with the empirical study of regionalism, especially bring a systemic approach to the Global Economic Order, to the balance between market and state as well as to the political aspects of economic processes; all these are necessary for the EU's future directions' research. Keywords: European Union, globalization, regionalism, new regionalism Classification-JEL: F01, F02, F15, F23, F53 Pages: 67-79 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=631.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/631 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:631:p:67-79 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: David Marek Title: Penzijní reforma v ČR: konverze ke kombinovanému systému s ohledem na limity fiskální politiky Title: Pension reform in the Czech republic: a switch to mixed system with regard for limits of fiscal policy Abstract: The Czech Republic is going to face ageing of its population. It will affect the economy in many ways. The pension system is one of them. This paper provides a view on possibilities how to insure long-term stability of the pension system in the Czech Republic using a mix of pay-as-you-go and fully funded system. Simulations are based on OLG model, long-term demographic forecast and limits of fiscal policy stemming from the necessity to fulfill Maastricht criteria and The Stability and Growth Pact. Those obligations creates a frontier for plausible solutions. Results suggest that it is possible to find a solution for mixed system providing more favorable conditions than purely parametric changes of PAYG. Taking into account fiscal limits, the contribution rate to the FF pillar would be similar to the rates in other CEE countries where pension reform already started. Keywords: pension system, fiscal policy, social security, funded pillar, pay-as-you-go, public pensions, overlapping-generations model, ageing population Classification-JEL: E17, G23, H55 Pages: 80-101 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=632.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/632 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:632:p:80-101 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jan Kubíček Title: Proč přechod průběžného penzijního systému na fondový nijak nesouvisí s demografickým vývojem? Title: Why a switch from payg to funded pension system has no link to demographic development? Abstract: The paper deals with a wide-spread myth that a switch from a PAYG to a funded pension system might solve adverse consequences of the population aging. It is shown, that under additional assumptions the pension debt (which is created during the process of the switch) is exactly equal to the value of assets that the pension funds accumulate. These additional assumptions are following: government imposes additional taxes, which are equal to the difference between the contributions to the former PAYG system and the contributions to the pension funds. Therefore workers contribute less to the pension funds but if the additional taxes are taken into account, they continue paying the same amount. It is shown, that if the additional taxes were permanently lower than what is supposed, the pension debt would grow beyond any limits. The other additional assumption made is that the interest rate paid by government from its pension debt is the same as the interest rate reached by the funds. If this assumption is relaxed, the qualitative conclusions do not change. Hence, demographic development cannot be used as an argument in favour of a switch of the pension system. Keywords: pension reform, social security, pension funds Classification-JEL: G18, G23, H55 Pages: 102-122 Volume: 2008 Issue: 1 Year: 2008 File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/download.php?jnl=polek&pdf=633.pdf File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/polek/633 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpol:v:2008:y:2008:i:1:id:633:p:102-122