The Role of the State in Economic Transformation: Comparing the Transition Experiences of Russia and China

This paper will examine the transition experiences of Russia and China, with the aim of drawing lessons about the relative effectiveness of the neoliberal and the state directed transition strategies. Section 2 considers Russia=s economic transition since 1992, which has been guided by the neoliberal strategy. Section 3 examines China=s economic experience since 1978, when it began a transition based on a different approach from the neoliberal one. Section 4 considers why, in countries that successfully pursue a state directed strategy, such as China, pressure builds up over time to shift to a neoliberal strategy. Section 5 offers concluding comments.

Demonstration and validation of Kernel Density Estimation for spatial meta-analyses in cognitive neuroscience using simulated data

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Convergence of semantics and emotional expression within the IFG pars orbitalis" (Belyk et al., 2017) [1]. The research article reports a spatial meta-analysis of brain imaging experiments on the perception of semantic compared to emotional communicative signals in humans. This Data in Brief article demonstrates and validates the use of Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) as a novel statistical approach to neuroimaging data. First, we performed a side-by-side comparison of KDE with a previously published meta-analysis that applied activation likelihood estimation, which is the predominant approach to meta-analyses in cognitive neuroscience. Second, we analyzed data simulated with known spatial properties to test the sensitivity of KDE to varying degrees of spatial separation. KDE successfully detected true spatial differences in simulated data and displayed few false positives when no true differences were present. R code to simulate and analyze these data is made publicly available to facilitate the further evaluation of KDE for neuroimaging data and its dissemination to cognitive neuroscientists

The Role of the State in Economic Transformation: Comparing the Transition Experiences of Russia and China

This paper compares two radically different approaches to transforming an economic system based on central planning and state property into a capitalist system, the neoliberal transition strategy and the state directed transition strategy. Russias transition since 1992 is examined as an example of the neoliberal approach, while Chinas transition since 1978 is analyzed as an example of the state directed approach. The primary explanation for Chinas economically superior transition performance is located in the advantages of the state directed transition strategy. However, contradictions in a state directed transition strategy are identified which tend to promote an eventual shift toward a neoliberal strategy. JEL Categories: P27, P21, P5

Developed economies are not suffering from the consequences of a financial crash, but from a structural crisis of neoliberal capitalism

Several economies across the world, most notably in the Eurozone, continue to show only weak signs of recovery from the financial crisis which began in 2008. David M. Kotz argues that developed economies are not merely suffering from the consequences of a financial crash or a severe recession, but from a structural crisis of ‘neoliberal capitalism’. Drawing on ‘social structure of accumulation’ theory, he writes that similar crises have occurred at other points throughout modern history and that the only route to returning to growth is to facilitate the emergence of a new institutional form of capitalism

The Role of the State in Economic Transformation: Comparing the Transition Experiences of Russia and China

This paper compares two radically different approaches to transforming an economic system based on central planning and state property into a capitalist system, the neoliberal transition strategy and the state directed transition strategy. Russia’s transition since 1992 is examined as an example of the neoliberal approach, while China’s transition since 1978 is analyzed as an example of the state directed approach. The primary explanation for China’s economically superior transition performance is located in the advantages of the state directed transition strategy. However, contradictions in a state directed transition strategy are identified which tend to promote an eventual shift toward a neoliberal strategy. JEL Categories: P27, P21, P52transition, neoliberalism, state, Russia, China

Characteristics of Vehicular Traffic Flow at a Roundabout

We construct a stochastic cellular automata model for the description of vehicular traffic at a roundabout designed at the intersection of two perpendicular streets. The vehicular traffic is controlled by a self-organized scheme in which traffic lights are absent. This controlling method incorporates a yield-at-entry strategy for the approaching vehicles to the circulating traffic flow in the roundabout. Vehicular dynamics is simulated within the framework of the probabilistic cellular automata and the delay experienced by the traffic at each individual street is evaluated for specified time intervals. We discuss the impact of the geometrical properties of the roundabout on the total delay. We compare our results with traffic-light signalisation schemes, and obtain the critical traffic volume over which the intersection is optimally controlled through traffic light signalisation schemes.Comment: 10 pages, 17 eps figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:cond-mat/040107

How to debunk misinformation? An experimental online study investigating text structures and headline formats

Objectives Misinformation is a crucial problem, particularly online, and the success of debunking messages has so far been limited. In this study, we experimentally test how debunking text structure (truth sandwich vs. bottom-heavy) and headline format (statement vs. questions) affect the belief in misinformation across topics of the safety of COVID vaccines and GMO foods. Design Experimental online study. Methods A representative German sample of 4906 participants were randomly assigned to reading one of eight debunking messages in the experimentally varied formats and subsequently rated the acceptance of this message and the agreement to misinformation statements about the mentioned topics and an unrefuted control myth. Results While the debunking messages specifically decreased the belief in the targeted myth, these beliefs and the acceptance of the debunking message were unaffected by the text structures and headline formats. Yet, they were less successful when addressing individuals with strong pre-existing, incongruent attitudes and distrust in science. Conclusions The risk of backfire effects in debunking misinformation is low. Text structure and headline format are of relatively little importance for the effectiveness of debunking messages. Instead, writers may need to pay attention to the text being comprehensive, trustworthy and persuasive to maximize effectiveness.publishe