A Theory of Vertical Fiscal Imbalance

This paper examines how sequential decision-making by two levels of government can result in vertical fiscal imbalances (VFI). Federal-regional transfers serve to equalize the marginal cost of public funds between regions hit by different shocks. The optimal vertical fiscal gap minimizes the efficiency cost of taxation in the federation as a whole. The analysis shows how the existence of vertical fiscal externalities, leading regional governments to overprovide public goods, can induce the federal government to create a VFI by selecting transfers that differ from the optimal fiscal gap. When the federal government can commit to its policies before regional governments select their level of expenditures, the VFI will generally be negative. In the absence of commitment, the equilibrium transfer is unambiguously larger than the optimal fiscal gap, resulting in a positive VFI. In an intertemporal setting, the VFI has implications for the sharing of debt between the federal and regional governments.vertical fiscal imbalance, federal-regional transfers, commitment, fiscal externalities

Education, Productivity and Economic Growth: A Selective Review of the Evidence

We review a selection of the theoretical and empirical literature on human capital and growth that appear to provide the most relevant insights for policy development in the Canadian context. We first focus on the extension of the neo-classical growth model with the inclusion of human capital in an open economy framework, and discuss its empirical applications to the Canadian economy. We also examine other issues such as the returns to education and the distance from the technological frontier, the microeconomic versus macroeconomic return to education, and the quantity versus quality of education. Although the levels of investment in education and the overall quality of the educational system in Canada are fairly high, we argue that the returns of additional investments in post-secondary education could still be substantial since Canada is relatively close to the technology frontier.Human Capital, Growth, Policy, education, technological frontier, education quality,

Commitment and Matching Contributions to Public Goods

This paper studies multi-stage processes of non-cooperative voluntary provision of public goods. In the first stage, one or more players announce contributions that may be conditional on the subsequent contributions of others. In later stages, players choose their own contributions and fulfill any commitments made in the first stage. Equilibrium contributions are characterized under different assumptions about the commitment ability of players, the number of public goods and whether players commit to matching rates or to discrete quantities. We focus on contribution mechanisms that can emerge and be sustainable without a central authority, and that therefore may be particularly relevant for the provision of international public goods. Efficient levels of public goods can be achieved under some circumstances.voluntary provision, matching contributions, commitment, multiple public goods

The Efficiency of Voluntary Pollution Abatement when Countries can Commit

In this paper, we characterize a mechanism for reducing pollution emissions in which countries, acting non-cooperatively, commit to match each others' abatement levels and may subsequently engage in emissions quota trading. The analysis shows that the mechanism leads to efficient outcomes. The level of emissions is efficient, and if the matching abatements process includes a quota trading stage, the marginal benefits of emissions are also equalized across countries. Given the equilibrium matching rates, the initial allocation of emission quotas (before trading) reflects each country's marginal valuation for lower pollution relative to its marginal benefit from emissions. These results hold for any number of countries, in an environment where countries have different abatement technologies and different benefits from emissions, and even if the emissions of countries are imperfect substitutes in each country's damage function. In a dynamic two-period setting, the mechanism achieves both intra-temporal and inter-temporal efficiency. We extend the model by assuming that countries are voluntarily contributing to an international public good, in addition to undertaking pollution abatements, and find that the level of emissions may be efficient even without any matching abatement commitments, and the marginal benefits of emissions may be equalized across countries even without quota trading.voluntary pollution abatement, matching commitments, emissions quota trading

Usefulness of a patient experience study to adjust psychosocial oncology and spiritual care services according to patients’ needs

Little is known about how cancer patients experience psychosocial and spiritual care services and about what services they feel should be offered in order to help them meet their actual needs. This study’s main goal was to examine how cancer patients experienced the psychosocial oncology and spiritual care (POSC) services they received, in order to adjust the service offer according to their expressed needs and expectancies. A qualitative design approach was used. The study was conducted in two phases: (1) Collection of the patients’ perspective and divulgation of the results to the clinical team and managers; and (2) assessment of the impact of the patient experience study results on the clinical team’s services and managerial decisions. Suggestions for improvement were gathered mainly around the themes of service delivery and information about services. Contrary to what was expected, delays to access service responded to patients’ needs and expectations. According to clinical managers, patients’ perspectives on their services legitimized the maintenance of certain services, and were levers that helped make coherent and targeted changes. They felt the changes they made were patient-driven instead of being driven by staff’s perception of patients’ needs. The fact that results emerged from a fairly large and structured patient experience evaluation had an impact on the motivation of stakeholders to initiate changes. These results suggest that collecting patients’ perspective will likely help clinicians and managers tailor service delivery to meet patients’ needs and expectations and may contribute to set more informative standards regarding access to care delays

Evaluation of hybrid poplar clones under intensive cultivation for biomass production in Qu�bec

Paper presented at the 13th North American Agroforesty Conference, which was held June 19-21, 2013 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.In Poppy, L., Kort, J., Schroeder, B., Pollock, T., and Soolanayakanahally, R., eds. Agroforestry: Innovations in Agriculture. Proceedings, 13th North American Agroforestry Conference, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, June 19-21, 2013.Three experimental plantations were established in 2012 at three sites in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Lac-Saint-Jean regions to promote and demonstrate the short-rotation-intensive-culture (SRIC) hybrid poplar crop concept for biomass production. The general objective of this study was to evaluate already-available material for poplar plantations and new hybrid poplar clones, obtained from breeding at the Direction de la recherche forestire, for SRIC. Many performing clones from different hybrids with Populus maximowiczii, P. nigra, P. trichocarpa, P. deltoides (MxN, MxT, MxD, etc.) are already available for evaluation of their characteristics under various coppicing regimes. The plantations were established in collaboration with regional organizations involved in energy crops like Osons l'Osier and Nutrinor to compare coppicing ability and biomass yield among poplar clones. Preliminary growth results obtained after the first growing season are presented for several clones. Significant clone differences are expected in vigour, yield, and coppice regrowth after repeated rotations. Mechanical harvesting of the crop may also have a strong influence on resprouting and sustainability of the stools over repeated growth cycles.Pierre Perinet (1), Ursule Th�riault (2) and Fran�ois Tremblay (3) ; 1. Minist�re des Ressources naturelles, Direction de la recherche foresti�re, 2700, rue Einstein, Qu�bec, Canada G1P 3W8. 2. Osons l'Osier, 380, Rang 4, L'Isle-Verte, Qu�., Canada G0L 1K0. 3. Agrinova, 640, rue C�t� O., Alma (Qu�.) Canada G8B 7S8.Includes bibliographical references

Black-spruce-lichen woodlands growth and carbon drawdown potentials as revealed by mature stands

The afforestation of widely distributed boreal open woodlands such as lichen woodlands (LWs) could provide both a restoration of the closed-crown forest structure in the boreal forest and a mitigation measure against global warming. By comparing natural, mature stands of LW with their dense counterparts — black-spruce–feathermoss stands as a plantation surrogate — this study aims to validate the long-term LW growth support capacity for a high tree density and their carbon sequestration potential after afforestation. Our results reveal that the site potential of LWs can be either lower or equivalent to that of dense stands. This finding contradicts the paradigm of systematic lower tree growth in LWs. The site potential of LWs can be assessed by dominant tree volume at 50 years. This study also shows that the CBM-CFS3 model can simulate the conservative net carbon balance of afforested LW, and, as such, can help reduce uncertainties regarding the long-term net carbon drawdown of afforested LWs