ATM Surcharges and the Expansion of Consumer Choice

Since the imposition of surcharges for the use of automatic teller machines became widespread in 1996, the number of ATMs has increased significantly. That increase has benefited consumers greatly by making bank transactions more easily accessible. Critics of surcharges claim that banks are not passing cost savings generated by large ATM networks on to consumers. Such claims are false; operating ATMs is expensive and forces banks to use their own resources to meet consumer demand for ATMs. And surcharges are not anti-competitive; the banking industry remains competitive. Surcharges have created a new area of competition among banks as they try to meet consumer needs for fast and easy access to banks. Consumers who do not want to pay surcharges have plenty of options for accessing their bank accounts without paying a fee. A ban on ATM surcharges, as proposed by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), would serve only to deny an important timesaving option to consumers who are willing to pay for the convenience of ATMs

The state of the State in Geography : A Review Essay

Au cours des dernières années un certain courant s'est manifesté en géographie quant au rôle que joue l'État dans les sociétés avancées de type capitaliste. Dans cet article, l'auteur fait l'historique de la question, il présente les plus récents développements sur la théorie de l'État dans les autres disciplines, et il propose quatre voies susceptibles de jeter les bases d'une approche géographique du rôle de l'État dans la société capitaliste. Ces quatre voies se résument à connaître la fonction de l'État en regard : des flux de capitaux, des corporations, du capital associé aux classes sociales, et enfin, des politiques fiscales.In the past recent years, some economic and political geographers have focused their attention upon the role of the state in the capitalist society. In this article, the author makes a historical review of the main contributions of geographers as to this aspect, he presents the most recent developments of the theory of state stemming from other disciplines, and he proposes four possible ways of interpreting the function of the state in a developed society: that is, the relations of state to circuits of capital, to corporations, to capital and classes and, finally, to fiscal policies

Reviews

Obra ressenyada: Andrew D. COHEN. Strategies in learning and using a second language. Harlow, Essex: Longman, 1998

Reviews

Michael McCARTHY, Discourse analysis for language teacher

What is a model, why people don't trust them, and why they should

It is easier to make one�s way in the world if one has some sort of expectation of the world�s future behaviour. Even when facing a very complex problem, we are rarely in a state of full ignorance: some expectations of system behaviour and the level of risk arising from uncertainty are usually available and it is on the basis of these expectations that most decisions are taken. Humans use models, which are mental or formal representations of reality, to generate these expectations, employing an ability that is shared more or less by all forms of life. Whether it is a tree responding to shortening day length by dropping its leaves and preparing its metabolism for the winter ahead or a naked Pleistocene ape storing food in advance of winter for the same reasons, both are using models. This view leads to two outcomes. The first is that predictions, seen as an expectation of ranges of future behaviours, are not just desirable, but necessary for decision-making. The often-asked question �do models provide reliable predictions?� then shifts to �given a certain problem, what type of models provide the most useful and reliable prediction?� The second outcome is that modelling is no longer a scientist�s activity but is instead a social process. Different types of models can be employed to ensure that all available information is included in model building and that model results are understood, trusted and acted upon

Child Poverty Dynamics in Seven Nations

Der vorliegende Beitrag vergleicht die Armutsdynamik bei Kindern mithilfe von Paneldaten aus sieben Ländern: USA, Großbritannien, Deutschland, Irland, Spanien, Ungarn und Russland. Neben der Verwendung von Standard- Definitionen zur Erfassung relativer Armut, werden die Übergänge in und aus dem untersten Einkommensquintil bei Kindern untersucht. In den sieben untersuchten Ländern zeigt sich eine signifikante (aber keine völlige) Übereinstimmung in den Mustern von Einkommensmobilität und Armutsdynamik. Die Ausnahme ist Russland, wo der ökonomische Wandel zu einem wesentlich höheren Mobilitätsgrad geführt hat. Interessanterweise weisen die USA - das Land mit dem höchsten Anteil relativer Armut unter den reichen Ländern - eine Mobilitätsrate auf, die unter der der anderen Nationen liegt. This paper compares child poverty dynamics cross-nationally using panel data from seven nations: the USA, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Hungary and Russia. As well as using standard relative poverty definitions the paper examines flows into and out of the poorest fifth of the children's income distribution. We find significant (but not total) uniformity in patterns of income mobility and poverty dynamics across the seven countries. The key exception is Russia, where the economic transition has led to a much higher degree of mobility. Interestingly, the USA, which has the highest level of relative poverty among the rich nations, has a mobility rate which, if anything, is less than that of the other nations.