The Political Economy of Efficiency: Cost-Benefit Analysis, Systems Analysis, and Program Budgeting

Author(s):  
AARON WILDAVSKY
2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (05) ◽  
pp. 1085-1100
Author(s):  
PARKASH CHANDER

This paper studies the political economy of the Southeast Asian haze and discusses the obstacles that, unless overcome, can prevent a permanent and effective solution to the transboundary pollution problem, which originates in Indonesia. Following a cost-benefit analysis of the problem, the paper takes note of the weaknesses in Indonesia’s governance structure, which make it difficult to enforce national policies aimed at curbing the haze problem. The paper also puts forward a number of suggestions for strengthening the current policy regime for tackling the problem.


1973 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Sullivan

The rapidly growing influence of the economic approach to criminology in academic study and in policy-making is indicated in the abridged bibliography that follows this article. The economists have revived the model of the "rational" criminal and have reopened the question of punishment as a deterrent. In these new studies, however, there is a danger of ignoring the long-run social costs of any particular policy or law. In some circumstances it would be "irrational" for an ex-convict not to return to crime. By using methods such as cost-benefit analysis, systems analysis, and program budgeting, economists are striving to develop criteria for an improved allocation of resources in law enforcement. For research purposes, the econo mists assume that all divisions of the criminal justice system have one goal: the protection of society. All other presumed goals, such as deterrence, rehabilitation, prevention, punishment, and the law itself, are treated as alternative programs imple mented to achieve that goal.


1968 ◽  
Vol 72 (685) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Stratton

The terms “cost-effectiveness” and to a lesser degree “cost-benefit” analysis have become familiar words in the technical and national press, the former usually in relation to defence projects—the latter in relation to social projects, such as transport, power generation and building. Indeed, at the time of the last General Election the political correspondent of a national newspaper wrote, “Mr. Heath and Mr. Callaghan, Chancellor of the Exchequer, vied with each other in stressing the importance of cost-effectiveness, which used to be known as getting value for money”. The apparently simple concept of “value for money” raises three important issues: (i) how is “value” of defence and social projects quantified? (ii) what is the “money” involved, i.e. what are all the relevant costs? and (iii) what are the information and decision processes that are used in attempting to obtain “value for money“?


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-284
Author(s):  
Roma Dauphin

This study is comprised of two parts. The first is essentially descriptive and seeks to define with greater precision the nature of the Western world's asbestos fiber needs, account being made currently-known technology and the existence of substitutes. Asbestos ore reserves are then examined with a view to evaluating the constraints conditioning current asbestos fiber production. With the exception of that carried out in the U.S.S.R., this production is highly concentrated in Quebec whose surplus output is exported to every continent at prices that have experienced a staggering increase since 1973 even though international trade in asbestos fibers is conducted via multinational firms. The second part of the study contains a cost-benefit analysis of Quebec's new policy as well as a brief consideration of the political forces that have induced the Government of Quebec to adopt it.


1974 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 298-312
Author(s):  
Peter Self

Increasing use is made of techniques which are supposed to make policy decisions more ‘rational’. Rather little attention, however, has been paid to the relation between these techniques and (a) the logic of choice, (b) the political process, (c) value judgements and assumptions. This short paper will investigate these questions in relation to a particularly fashionable technique, that of cost-benefit analysis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-14
Author(s):  
Leef Dierks

Im vergangenen Jahr kamen weit mehr als 1,1 Mio. Flüchtlinge nach Deutschland. Unstrittig ist, dass diese historisch beispielslose Zuwanderung immense volkswirtschaftliche Kosten von bis zu 55 Mrd. € im Jahre 2022 verursachen wird. Doch in dem Maße, in dem mittelfristig eine Integration der Migranten in den Arbeitsmarkt gelingt, kann mit dieser Entwicklung auch ein erheblicher volkswirtschaftlicher Nutzen einhergehen. Ungeachtet der politischen Dimension der anhaltenden Zuwanderung vermittelt dieser Beitrag eine Einschätzung der Auswirkungen auf die öffentlichen Haushalte. Als problematisch erweist sich dabei insbesondere die eingeschränkte Belastbarkeit bisher vorliegender Daten. Zudem sei darauf verwiesen, dass die sogenannte Flüchtlingskrise sich per se jeglicher Wirtschaftlichkeitsrechnung entzieht. Es handelt sich zunächst um eine humanitäre Herausforderung. Diese ist nur sehr eingeschränkt für eine Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse geeignet. In 2015, more than 1.1m refugees sought shelter in Germany. It is undisputed that this historically unprecedented immigration will incur immense costs; potentially as much €55bn in 2022. To the extent to which migrants can be successfully integrated into the labour market in the medium term, however, economic benefits could materialise. Notwithstanding the political dimension of the ongoing immigration, this contribution assesses the overall impact on public finances. The lack of reliable data proves to be challenging. Further, the refugee crisis first and foremost is a humanitarian challenge. This inevitably raises the question whether the issue is well suited for an economic cost-benefit-analysis. Keywords: zuwanderung, staatshaushalt, migration, hartz iv, fiskalische kosten


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document