Author: Igor Pelipas, BEROC. Generally speaking, inflation persistence can be defined as the speed at which inflation returns to its equilibrium level after a shock. Since 1995, the dynamics of inflation in Belarus is affected by the various internal and external shocks, which, in turn, cause the structural breaks in the corresponding historical data. The [...]
April 16, 2012
Property Rights and Internal Migration
Paul Castañeda Dower and Andrei Markevich, CEFIR Russia currently faces an important policy challenge related to relatively high levels of regional inequality. Regional imbalances that persist, especially in unemployment, reflect inefficiency and may lead to political instability. National capital and labor markets should work to correct these imbalances. This policy brief focuses on the labor [...]
March 26, 2012
The Effect of Municipal Strategic Planning on Urban Growth in Ukraine
Authors: Denys Nizalov and Olena Nizalova, KEI. In a downturn, the pressure is especially high on governments to produce sensible and effective development strategies to generate needed jobs and increased earnings. A large number of economic development tools were used in the past by local and national governments around the world, designed to facilitate regional and [...]
March 19, 2012
Do Economic Sanctions Work?
Author: Maria Perrotta, SITE. Analysts have interpreted the recent openings in Myanmar and North Korea as the finally successful result of years of international pressure and economic sanctions. At the same time, debate is hot on the scope for similar measures in Iran, Syria and, closer to us, Belarus and Hungary. Does economics have anything [...]
March 12, 2012
Presidential Elections in Russia: Massive Vote Fraud Ensures that Legitimacy is in Doubt, but the Policy Direction is not
Author: Konstantin Sonin, CEFIR. The March 4th, 2012, elections formally returned Vladimir Putin, the paramount leader of Russia since 1999, to the presidency. Despite Draconian restrictions on entry, financing, campaigning by other candidates, Putin’s dominance of TV, blatant use of state employees and funds to his own advantage, and significant vote fraud, the victory was [...]
February 27, 2012
Inflation Expectations and Probable Trap for Macro Stabilization
Author: Dmitry Kruk, BEROC. As of today, a majority of the negative consequences of the deep Belarusian currency crisis of 2011 seem to have been realized. Hence, the Belarusian economy is now ‘purified’ from main macroeconomic distortions and has a chance for sustainable long-term growth. Nevertheless, there are signals that some nominal and real inertia may [...]
February 20, 2012
Is Regional Policy Effective in the Long Run? Learning from Soviet History
Author: Tatiana Mikhailova, NES Regional inequality has been a pressing issue in many countries, and also between the countries of the European Union. Unequal economic development, where some regions develop successfully and prosper while other regions stagnate, is often viewed as a source of social instability and economic inefficiency. Many kinds of regional policy have [...]
February 13, 2012
Who Needs a Safety Net?
Author: Norberto Pignatti, ISET. One definition of safety net found on the internet is the following: “a net placed to catch an acrobat or similar performer in case of a fall”. This brings to my mind the thrilling performances I saw at the circus when I was a child and I have to admit in [...]
February 6, 2012
The Distributional Impact of Austerity Measures in Latvia
Author: Olga Rastrigina and Anna Zasova, BICEPS. For a country of its size, Latvia was mentioned in the last decade’s macroeconomic discourse remarkably often: first, for its exceptional growth up to 2007, then – for a dramatic GDP contraction in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and for the so-called “internal devaluation” policy that [...]
January 30, 2012
Can the Baby- and Woman-Friendly Maternity Wards Save Lives?
Author: Olena Nizalova, KEI. Improving the health and well-being of mothers, infants and children has been an important public-health goal for many countries, which is reflected in the Millennium Development Goals (4 and 5), set by the United Nations. The well-being and health of mothers, infants and children determine future population health and thus public [...]
April 23, 2012
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