Income inequality in the digital era. WP C.S.D.L.E. "Massimo D'Antona", N. 9, 2002

[From the Introduction]. The changes in the employment relationship have been accompanied by a marked deterioration in income distribution.... The growing gap between rich and poor stands as a persistent reminder that current economic arrangements are not moving in the direction of economic justice. The dramatic extent of inequality offends our sense of decency and undermines social cohesion. In recent years, many economists have analyzed the trends in income distribution in order to isolate the causes of the current trends. In this paper I review the existing evidence and theories about the causes of rising income inequality. I suggest that the changing nature of the employment relationship is contributing to, or perhaps even driving, rising income inequality. The following chapter presents and evaluates several policy proposals for redressing inequality or ameliorating its effects

Policy Challenges in International Migration

[Excerpt] Immigration is a leading policy concern for many countries around the world, including the United States. Members of Congress have for several years had immigration policy as one of their main legislative issues. Yet, determining an optimal immigration policy has grown increasingly complex as economic, cultural, and security pressures all compete for political consideration. In an effort to tackle some of this complexity, this report serves as a broad overview of the standard theory of international migration and offers a brief synopsis of the major immigration-related policy challenges potentially involved in the legislative debates in Congress. The overview examines several possible issues for Congress as it considers new legislation on immigration reform, including (1) how new immigration legislation might affect migratory behavior and (2) the possible effects of increased or decreased migration on related policy issues. In addressing these issues, this report lays out a basic theoretical foundation for migration, as well as the mitigating role of laws and regulations on migratory behavior. With the exception of certain trafficking circumstances, all migration is based on a decision-making process by the individual migrant (or in some cases by the migrant’s household). The decision-making elements are commonly referred to as “push/pull” factors. Essentially, while some factors appeal to potential migrants to “pull” them toward another country, other circumstances tend to “push” them away from their place of residence. If the perceived benefits of these push/pull factors outweigh the perceived cost, an individual is expected to migrate. Despite there being several possible motivations to migrate, the range of choices available for an individual to migrate are limited. Limitations occur in part because of the constraints placed on human behavior by institutions—or “rules of the game”—such as laws, regulations, or even cultural expectations. Policy makers can actively modify a number of institutions to both deter some forms of migration and facilitate others, thereby mitigating the impact of push/pull factors to the policy maker’s advantage. Consequently, institutional manipulation plays a key role in addressing numerous immigration-related policy challenges, because it can be used to facilitate the migration of some potential migrants and deter the migration of others. The increasingly global migration of individuals has created both challenges and opportunities for advanced industrial countries. Despite the idiosyncrasies and unique policies of certain countries, a string of commonalities underlies the pressures all open economies face. Several of the themes partially mirror debates and efforts occurring in the United States. Perhaps most prominent of these is integration, that is, efforts to peaceably adjust society to accommodate any new demographic dynamics. A second recurring theme is the alleged burden placed by some immigrants on the state, including acts of violence, threats to security, crime, and supposed net non-contributors to the welfare state. A final theme concerns how international migration may provide numerous benefits, including alleviating labor shortages, addressing an aging society, and otherwise providing cultural diversity. This report will not be updated

The Cowl - v.24 - n.12 - Feb 21, 1962

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 24, Number 12 - Feb 21, 1962. 8 pages

The Cowl - v.82 - n.16 - Feb 8, 2018

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 82, Number 16 - February 8, 2018. 28 pages

Stepping Stone or Stumbling Block: Incrementalism and National Climate Change Legislation

This Article examines the effects of incremental domestic legislation on international negotiations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Mitigating the effects of climate change is a global public good, which, ultimately, only an international agreement can provide. The common presumption (justified or not) is that national legislation is a step forward to an international agreement. This Article analyzes how national legislation can create a demand for international action but can also preempt or frustrate international efforts. The crucial issue, which has been largely ignored thus far, is how incremental steps at the domestic level alter international negotiations. This paper identifies four mechanisms that support the intuitive idea that national legislation will have positive effects: (1) allocating economic resources, (2) providing leadership in international negotiations, (3) creating a demand for a uniform standard, and (4) cultivating public opinion. This Article demonstrates that, on closer examination, each of these mechanisms could hinder international efforts to create a comprehensive agreement. This is by no means an argument against all efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions at the national level. Instead, this Article calls for a more careful analysis the dynamic political impact of domestic proposals

The Role and Problems of Small Business

Jordens befolkning ökar i snabb takt och stadsodlingar kan vara ett sätt att förse den ökande populationen med mat. Hur byggnadsintegrerade stadsodlingar, med fokus på tak, kan kopplas till hållbarhet undersöks i denna rapport. Den nuvarande situationen i Afrika och Nordamerika undersöks och frågeställningen som besvaras är: Hur skiljer sig prioriteringen av olika dimensioner av hållbarhet vid olika förutsättningar för urbana byggnadsintegrerade odlingar i Afrika och Nordamerika? Vilka aspekter av hållbarhet som kopplas till byggnadsintegrerade stadsodlingar bestäms till ekologiska, sociala och ekonomiska. Stadsodlingar kan också delas in i fyra olika verksamhetsplaner, av vilka institutionella odlingar, kommersiella odlingar och community farms analyseras. Resultatet visar att Afrika och Nordamerika har olika förutsättningar för att stadsodling ska vara en hållbar lösning. Afrika består idag av 1.1 miljarder människor vilket beräknas stiga till 2.4 miljarder år 2050. Klimatet är torrt på de flesta platser och en stor del av befolkningen lever i fattigdom och svält. Nordamerika har ett tempererat klimat med fyra årstider, och befolkningen kommer att ligga på en stabil nivå fram till år 2050. Nordamerika räknas som ett mer utvecklat land, vilket innebär att de ekonomiska förutsättningarna här är större än de är i Afrika. Det finns en större andel stora odlingar i Nordamerika jämfört med Afrika, där odlingarna är mindre till ytan. Det finns också fler exempel på byggnadsintegrerad stadsodling i Nordamerika än i Afrika. Slutsatserna blir att byggnadsintegrerade stadsodlingar har bättre potential att utvecklas i Nordamerika då de kräver en stor investeringskostnad vid anläggning. För att byggnadsintegrerade stadsodlingar ska bli en mer hållbar och utbredd lösning både i Afrika och Nordamerika krävs att anläggningskostnaderna sänks med hjälp av nya tekniker. Community farms och institutionella odlingar prioriterar social hållbarhet medan kommersiella odlingar främst satsar på ekologisk och ekonomisk hållbarhet. Stadsodlingar är och har möjlighet att bli en allt viktigare del i matförsörjningen i städer. Då städerna förtätas minskar tillgänglig odlingsyta och andra lösningar måste användas. Byggnadsintegrerad stadsodling är en hållbar lösning både ekologiskt och socialt, och kan även kostnaderna för en byggnadsintegrerad odling minska kan dessa odlingar vara till stor hjälp för att minska svält och fattigdom. The world population is increasing at a rapid pace and city farms may be a way to provide food to the growing population. How building integrated urban farms, with a focus on roofs, can be linked to sustainability, is examined in this report. The current situation in Africa and North America are examined and the question to be answered is: How does the priority of the dimensions of sustainability vary at different conditions for urban building integrated farms in Africa and North America? The aspects of sustainability linked to building integrated urban farms are determined to be ecological, social and economic. Urban farms can also be divided into four different business types, of which institutional farms, commercial farms and community farms are analyzed. The results show that Africa and North America differ in possibilities for urban farming to be sustainable. Africa currently consists of 1.1 billion people, and this is expected to rise to 2.4 billion in 2050. Climate is dry in most places and a large part of the population lives in poverty and starvation. North America has a colder climate with four seasons, and the population will remain stable until 2050. North America is classified as a more developed area, which means that the economics in this area also are more developed than they are in Africa. There are more large-sized farms in North America than in Africa, and there are also more examples in North America. The conclusions are that building integrated urban cultures have a better potential to develop in North America since they require a large investment expense. For building integrated urban farms to be a more sustainable solution both in Africa and North America requirements are that construction costs need to be lowered. Community farms and institutional cultures prioritize social sustainability while commercial plantations mainly focus on ecological and economic sustainability. Urban farming is and may become an increasingly important part of the food supply in cities. When the cities densify it reduces available spaces for cultivation and other solutions must be used. These types of farms are sustainable solution both economic and social. If the cost of a building integrated farm can reduce these farms may help to reduce hunger and poverty.

A Copyright Right of Publicity

This Article identifies a striking asymmetry in the law’s disparate treatment of publicity-rights holders and copyright holders. State-law publicity rights generally protect individuals from unauthorized use of their name and likeness by others. Publicity-claim liability, however, is limited by the First Amendment’s protection for expressive speech embodying a “transformative use” of the publicity-rights holder’s identity. This Article examines for the first time a further limitation imposed by copyright law: when a publicity-rights holder’s identity is transformatively depicted in a copyrighted work without consent, the author’s copyright can produce the peculiar result of enjoining the publicity-rights holder from using or engaging in speech about her own depiction. This Article offers novel contributions to the literature on copyright overreach and: (1) identifies a legal asymmetry produced in the interplay of publicity rights, copyright law, and the First Amendment; (2) examines the burdens on constitutionally protected speech, autonomy, and liberty interests of publicity-rights holders when copyright law prevents or constrains use of their own depiction; and (3) outlines a framework for recognizing a “copyright right of publicity” to exempt the publicity-rights holder’s use from copyright infringement liability. Notably, this Article contributes uniquely to the literature by revealing new insights gained from an exclusive first-hand perspective of an internationally recognized celebrity whose persona was prominently depicted without prior notice or consent in a wide-release feature film

The Cowl - v.30 - n.19 - May 08, 1968

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 30, Number 19 - May 08, 1968. 10 pages