Compare(12)

Author: Edited by Wu Jinglian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Comparative is an academic platform for readers interested in comparative institutional analysis. Standing at the forefront of theory, it selectively introduces experiences and lessons from other countries, theories and practices of transition economies, and the development of comparative studies. At the same time, it provides targeted introductions to the design of economic reform plans, policy recommendations, and reviews by domestic and international academic circles on China's economic reforms. This issue of Comparative covers a wide range of topics, including economic theoretical research, government governance, law and economics, media industry themes, and bank reforms. Particularly noteworthy is a set of articles on the media. These focus on the supervisory role of the media over the government, society, and economy, emphasizing its importance in information transparency and public right to know: The Role of Media in Corporate Governance by Deeg and Zingales, and Media Capture and Government Accountability by Besley and Prat. The articles also explore the relationship between media property rights and political economy, the content of government regulation of the media, and the problems arising from the media industry's own capture: The Social Costs of Media Rent-Seeking by Hossain, and Who Owns the Media? by Acemoglu and Shleifer, among others. This issue also includes many excellent articles. In The Goal of Scientific Research: Market Competition or Understanding the World, Xu Chenggang repeatedly argues why idealism must take root among some young people, encouraging and nurturing their curiosity, interest in exploration, critical spirit, and fostering a value system of "understanding the world rather than market value." This issue of the "Reform Forum" features International Experiences and Implications of Government-Controlled Commercial Bank Governance by Hu Zilu, who points out that "China's fragile banking system is the biggest hidden concern for China's macroeconomic and financial stability." The "Frontier" section presents a new work by Nobel laureate in Economics Robert Lucas, The Central Problem of Macroeconomics.