1999-2000 Fact Sheet

This is the archive of Boston University's fact sheet for 1999-2000

World Commodity Prices 1999-2000

The decline of most world commodity prices came to an end in recent months. The aggregate dollar price level was 15 per cent lower in the first quarter of 1999 compared to a year previously, and since autumn 1997 it even decreased by about 30 per cent. Oil prices fell particularly sharply, but quotations began to pick up strongly in March in anticipation of further production cuts. The price index for non-energy commodities, on the other hand, decreased only slightly since last October, although prices for food items - oilseeds, sugar and tropical beverages - sank again markedly this year. The decline in industrial commodity prices largely came to a standstill in the final months of last year, but there has as yet been no recovery. This is primarily due to a subdued demand from processors of industrial commodities following the slowdown of world economic growth. In the case of several commodities, weak prices are fostered by abundant supplies. Commodities continue to be available in ample global supply, whereas raw materials demand, in spite of an expected stabilisation of the situation in Asia's emerging economies and the start of recovery in Japan, will expand only slowly. As a consequence only a small increase in commodity prices is expected in the forecast period.Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade,

Media effects and Russian elections, 1999-2000

The Russian parliamentary and presidential elections of December 1999 and March 2000 appeared to have been won in large part through the partisan use of (particularly state) television. According to the evidence of a spring 2001 national survey, television was the main source of political information for the supporters of all parties and candidates. However, state television (which had been most supportive of the Kremlin) was much more likely to be favoured by the supporters of the pro-regime Unity party; while commercial television (which had provided a more even-handed coverage of the elections) was more popular and respected among the supporters of anti-Kremlin parties and candidates and less popular among supporters of Vladimir Putin. Regression analysis that takes account of reciprocal causation between media source and vote choice indicates that these were not spurious associations. The findings suggest that the state itself may exercise a disproportionate influence upon the electoral process in newly established systems in which social structures and political allegiances remain fluid

West Cheshire College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 94/96 and 36/00)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1995-96 and 1999-2000

Cleveland College of Art and Design: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 48/96 and 94/00)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1995-96 and 1999-2000

Crawley College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 56/95 and 21/00)

Comprises two Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) inspection reports for the periods 1994-1995 and 1999-2000