Politická ekonomie, 2007 (vol. 55), issue 5
Přímé zahraniční investice v české ekonomice: rizika duality a role trhu práce
Foreign direct investments in the czech republic: selected macroeconomic issues
Eva Zamrazilová
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):579-602 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.614 
The paper deals with the relationships between the inflow of FDI in the Czech economy and the Czech labour market. First part is focused on general issues related to the FDI inflows and to the analysis of the penetration of the foreign controlled companies into domestic economy. Special attendance is devoted to the scope and developments of the duality in the Czech economy, in particular in its key segment - manufacturing industry. The findings indicate gradual and differentiated diminishing of the scope of duality in the Czech manufacturing. The necessary conditions for positive spillovers of FDI into the domestic economy have been outlined, with...
Struktura výroby, vnitroodvětvový obchod a jejich relevance pro teorii optimálních měnových oblastí
Structure of production, intraindustry trade and their relevance for the optimum currency areas theory
Miroslav Kollár
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):603-624 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.615
This paper deals with the recent empirical phenomenon of intraindustry trade, i.e. trade in similar goods between similar countries. It treats this phenomenon from the point of view of the theory of structure of production, highlighting the importance of sequential nature of production and heterogeneity and specificity of factors of production, as developed by Carl Menger, Eugen von Boehm-Bawerk and their followers of the so-called Austrian school of economics. Simple theory of production structure, along the lines of Austrian economics, is presented and a useful tool for the analysis of intraindustry trade is developed. In the following discussion...
Dodatečné zdanění nejistých osobních příjmů v důsledku daňové progrese
The penalty on risky personal income due to tax rate progression
Jan Vlachý
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):625-636 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.616
This paper analyzes the tax penalty on volatile personal income under progressive tax rates. The phenomenon may have an effect on long-term entrepreneurial decisions as well as risky occupational choice. An options-based model is used to estimate the expected effective rate due from tax-payers at different income levels and volatilities under the current Czech legislation. A comparison is made to the system which has been in place until 2005, as well as to the Slovak flat-rate schedule. The model shows that volatile incomes incur a substantial penalty of up to 2 percentage points on the effective rate peaking just below the official income statistics...
Konkurenceschopnost regionů a možnosti jejího hodnocení
Competitiveness of regions and possibilities of its evaluation
Milan Viturka
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):637-658 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.617
Contribution presents results which were acquired by means of application of original method of regional competitiveness evaluation. This method was verified on the example of 14 Czech regions (kraje) and one consists of three steps: evaluation of business environment quality (16 factors concerning of business, labour, infrastructural, regional and local, price and environmental prerequisites for enterprise), evaluation of human resources utilization (based on information about unemployment level and share of so-called sensitive industries, that are threatened by strong competition) and evaluation of innovative potential (based on information about...
Ekonomie náboženství - je hypotéza sekularizace opodstatněná?
Economics of religion - is the secularization hypothesis tenable?
Marek Loužek
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):659-680 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.618
The article is concerned with the economics of religion. The first chapter is introduction into the economics of religion by Adam Smith. The second chapter asks the question whether the secularization hypothesis is tenable. The third chapter analyzes the allocation of time and church attendance and investments into religious capital. The forth chapter examines religious market in perfect or imperfect competition. The fifth chapter summarizes empirical research. The sixth chapter brings conclusions.
Efektivnost obecních obchodních společností při poskytování služeb
The effectiveness of the municipal firms in providing the services
Jan Pavel
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):681-693 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.619
The paper is dealing with the problem of so called "municipal" firms. I define them as the firms, which are based on commercial law but are owned by municipalities. The municipal firms are often used for providing services in the Czech Republic. However, this type of firm is connected with a lot of problems (transparency, effectiveness). The paper is divided into five main parts. I discuss the theoretical problems, which are connected with the municipal firm in the first part. I especially focus on the question, what is the main factor of increasing the effectiveness - if the change in the ownership or the competition pressure. The second part describes...
Komplexní systémy v teoriích F. A. Hayeka a H. A. Simona
Complex systems in the theories of F. A. Hayek and H. A . Simon
Julie Chytilová, Natálie Reichlová
Politická ekonomie 2007, 55(5):694-707 | DOI: 10.18267/j.polek.620
The aim of this paper is to introduce roots of multi-agent approaches in economic theory. From the beginning, the opinion that economic system should be investigated on the basis of comprehension to its basic units was expressed by many scientists. Friedrich A. Hayek and Herbert A. Simon are two important scientists who may be designated as predecessors of multi-agent modeling. They incorporated similar principles as applied by multi-agent system approaches into their works before it was possible to deal with these principles through artificial intelligence. This paper links ideas of Hayek and Simon with multi-agent modeling, common principles and...