This paper discusses the issue of Poland’s future economic performance in the case of either adopting the euro or remaining outside the eurozone. The author claims that irrevocable fixing of the exchange rate deeply affects the economy. On the one hand, it allows for the microeconomic gains that, if fully exploited, may lead to faster growth and modernization. One the other hand, it brings about multiple risks, including challenges related to the adjustment to external shocks in the absence of monetary policy tools, as well as a risk of “the Southern eurozone countries’ trap”, namely excessive debt caused by easy access to inexpensive capital. Nevertheless, the key factor determining final outcome is the efficiency of functioning of the Polish economy, its economic policy, and institutions.
The article examines the causes behind a credibility crisis that has hit a group of euro-zone countries collectively referred to as PIIGS: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. The author discusses the economic policy being pursued in these countries in response to the crisis. The credibility crisis is generally being attributed to high public finance deficits and significant levels of public debt in the PIIGS countries. But this interpretation fails to consider the fact that various other countries are also struggling with high deficits and public debts. In addition to problems related to their public finances, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain, are also suffering from an imbalance of payments. The high current-account deficits in these countries reflect unbalanced public finance-sector budgets and excessive private sector spending. The balance-of-payments aspect of the credibility crisis besetting PIIGS countries is obscured by these countries’ membership of the euro zone. This diagnosis is the starting point for asking a question about an economic policy aimed at addressing the imbalance-of-payments problem experienced by PIIGS countries. The widely recommended “consolidation” of public finances is hardly an optimal measure, according to Koronowski; nor can it be applied on a satisfactory scale, the author says. The best option would be to use an appropriate exchange rate policy, Koronowski says, because of the asymmetrical nature of the difficulties being experienced by these countries, including the balance-of-payments aspect of the crisis. However, such a policy is missing in euro-zone countries. In the absence of adequate national economic policies, the EU’s policy towards the PIIGS countries boils down to either explicit or implicit assistance granted by the European Central Bank, the European Commission and member states. According to Koronowski, this violates the underpinnings of the euro zone, undermines the credibility of the European Central Bank, ignores the principle of democratic control over public finances, and ultimately fails to effectively resolve the problem.
The article focuses on the European Union’s Stability and Growth Pact in the context of the experience of the latest financial crisis. The starting point for the discussion is a look at the basic assumptions of the Stability and Growth Pact. Subsequently the author evaluates the agreement in the form in which it was adopted before the latest crisis. The article closes with conclusions resulting from the financial crisis for the future of the Stability and Growth Pact. The latest crisis has upset the balance in the public finance sector and renewed debate about the Stability and Growth Pact, Lubiński says. According to critics, the Stability and Growth Pact, which was expected to guarantee stability in the eurozone, has largely failed to live up to expectations. The international debate has featured many arguments for and against the Stability and Growth Pact. At the same time, some earlier proposals for changes have been revived and new proposals have been made. The latter are not always realistic for political reasons, according to Lubiński. The global financial crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the existing system and highlighted the need to strengthen implementation and coordination efforts and take additional preventive and remedial measures, the author says. The crisis has shown that a comprehensive system for resolving crises needs to be developed, according to Lubiński.The proposed measures call for far-reaching modifications that would in practice mean a departure from the Stability and Growth Pact. Some argue that the Stability and Growth Pact is only a slogan and an unrealistic scenario for the European Union-one that could lead to completely different results than those originally assumed.
The paper examines the latest trends in theoretical research into possible interactions between institutional change and economic policy in the process of growth. Even though the article focuses on changes in the theoretical approach to economic growth and development, the author analyzes these issues in combination with actual economic processes. New trends and processes that have taken place over the past decade or so have led to radical changes in economic theory. This is primarily because the previously used and recommended tools were inefficient. The author describes past experiences that defy traditional interpretation and call for a more adequate approach. The article shows that institutional change is seen as an important factor not only in development economics, but also in empirical studies of economic growth conducted as part of mainstream economics. The author’s analysis of the current stage of research shows that, contrary to expectations, the differences between economic policy and institutional change are still unclear; they are mostly intuitive and arbitrary in nature, and the terms themselves are either imprecise or, in some cases, left completely undefined. This means that researchers have insufficiently examined the complementariness, substitutability and relative autonomy of institutions with regard to economic policy, the author concludes. Consequently, in the coming years, those conducting research into economic growth should analyze the role of institutions and economic policy with greater precision, Wojtyna says.
The article looks at the lack of socio-economic cohesion in the post-World War Two Polish economy from both a regional and European point of view. The author traces the sources of this lack to the defective mechanisms of economic, social and regional policies based on a centrally coordinated strategy until system transformation occurred, and then on autonomous processes until the country’s entrance to the EU. Transition to mixed policy based on economic competition, in which cohesion in the economic, social and territorial spheres is supported by open methods of coordination cultivated on the EU, national, regional, and sub-regional levels, has numerous weaknesses. It is not enough to treat socio-economic cohesion as a process of eliminating disproportions in regional development. It becomes possible only as a result of the harmonisation of development of all spheres of human existence and demands the specifics of local material resources, human and social capital all be respected.
This interdisciplinary study is based on historical and economic me-thods of research as well as on archive material and theories of bureau-cracy and rent-seeking. It focuses on functional analysis of state bureaucracy in the context of the political and socio-economic system of inter-war Czechoslovakia. The study formulates the main difficulty with the profession: the bu-reau¬cratisation of state administration during this period. The study demonstrates how bureaucracy leads to the formation of a specific social group connected by a social network and pursuing the same goal – to participate on redistribution of public resources and to increase the prestige of their department or agency. This interdisciplinary study is based on both: on one hand on historical and economic method of research and on other hand on archive material and theory of bureaucracy and theory of rent-seeking. The study is aimed on functional analyse of bureaucratic state in the frame of political and socio-economic system of Czechoslovakia in the interwar period.
Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski acted as deputy prime minister and minister of treasury between October 13, 1935 to September 1939, directing the state economy and treasury matters. Kwiatkowski’s economic policy of the period 1935–1939 can be called a policy of careful mechanism of „giving impetus” to economy. This was achieved specifically in government’s investment policies compliant with government budget balance and investment initiatives, the construction of The Central Industrial District, the development of Warsaw Industrial Region and the investment in Communication Ministry.
The purpose of this article is to identify potential sources of failure of the development of economics and new institutional economics in solving problems of economic development, and to present arguments that development economists use the simplified concept of institutions. For this reason they recommend economic policies that do not include the complexity of the process of institutional change. The first part of the article is devoted to outline the current state of research on economic development in the new institutional economics. The elements of the institutional theory of economic change are presented here. The second part presents the impact of the new institutional economics on dominant discourse on economic development, and how the development consensus has evolved. The new consensus has strong institutional character, but in fact, this institutional analysis is quite different from the analysis of the new institutional economics. The third part of the article shows how development economists use institutional analysis in their research. Most of them use the simplified concept of institutions. The economics policy, that they recommend, assumes that institutions could be easily changed, if the local specificities were taken into account. Policy makers want clear guidelines that they could use in practice. New institutional economists often indicate that the process of economic development is complex and, therefore, economic policy would probably not be effective. Moreover there is no workable general theory of institutions available to us. Therefore, it seems that in the case of solving problems of economic development, we should devote less attention to the general theory, and focus more on institutional microanalysis. In this way, it may be easier to create guidelines for a successful economic policy.
A universal basic income is fi nancial income agreed to all members of society without the need to provide work. The right to this income and its level are universal and independent of the size and structure of the household. In addition, a universal income is paid regardless of the income of the citizens from other sources. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of a universal basic income, with a particular emphasis on the origin and re-sults of introducing this instrument. In the text, research methods are used based on literature studies in macroeconomics and economic policies as well as statistical and descriptive methods based on the data published by international economic institutions (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank).
The economic crisis is forcing us to revise many of the tenets of neoclassical economic theory. Gradually, 'mainstream economics' is being fleshed out with several elements of economic heterodoxy. Hence, much more so than previously, economic theories are 'absorbing' the findings of other social sciences. Revision in the area of theory has hitherto had little impact on economic policy. Indeed, when something new appears, such as 'new industrial policy' for instance, it is usually an attempt to breathe life into old concepts that have been abandoned in practice. The aim of this paper is to consider the foundations of economic policy in the context of current theoretical research and current economic challenges.
“Gazeta Wyborcza”, founded in 1989, still remains the most important opinion making daily paper in Poland. In its articles it represents liberal opinions concerning social and economic policy. Although “Gazeta Wyborcza” was the main medial oppo-nent of PiS (the largest oppositional party in Poland in the period discussed in this arti-cle), it also criticised the then governing PO-PSL coalition, especially with respect to its economic policy. This critical approach was in general inspired by liberal doctrine. The main subjects of the criticism concerning the economic policy of the PO-PSL coalition in the years 2007–2015 included a lack of support of Poland’s accession to the Euro Zone, slow privatisation, maintaining the position of privileged groups in the society (farmers, miners), lack of restructurisation of the coal mining industry as well as the reduction and transfer of superannuation funds from the so-called second pillar of the pension system to ZUS.
The rapid economic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe, modelled on Western economies and based, in some aspects, on neoliberal principles, has found the region's countries to a bigger (Eastern European countries) or lesser (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary) degree unprepared. The resulting economic recession, especially in Russia, has had an adverse effect on mutual trade between Poland and Russia. In order to improve economic relations with Russia and increase the trade volume, Poland, remaining within the bounds of EU standards and regulations, needs to adapt the commodity structure of Polish exports to the needs of the Russian market.
W artykule przedstawiono koncepcję kwestii rolnej i ewolucję poglądów na temat jej źródeł i sposobów rozwiązywania. Jedno z pierwotnych i ważniejszych ujęć tego problemu można odnaleźć w pracach Aleksandra Czajanowa oraz Władysława Grabskiego, a także innych współczesnych im autorów. Zwracali oni uwagę na ograniczenia w zakresie przemian strukturalnych w rolnictwie i specyfikę relacji popytowo-podażowych dotyczących produktów rolnych. Wychodząc od ich koncepcji, można przejść do obecnej interpretacji kwestii agrarnej, obejmującej znaczenie dóbr publicznych i procesów globalizacji oraz liberalizacji gospodarek poszczególnych krajów w warunkach istniejących barier strukturalnych w rolnictwie. W opracowaniu wykazano zmiany zachodzące w zakresie podejścia do kwestii rolnej i sposobów jej rozwiązywania ze względu na uwarunkowania instytucjonalne, m.in. Wspólną Politykę Rolną. Podkreślono też uniwersalność kwestii rolnej, wynikającą z roli poszczególnych czynników produkcji zaangażowanych w rolnictwie, a także charakteru indywidualnych gospodarstw rolnych jako podmiotów gospodarczych. Wykazano związki pomiędzy zmianami zachodzącymi w relacjach popytowo-podażowych w sektorze rolnym a oddziaływaniem mechanizmu rynkowego i tego skutki. Wyeksponowany został problem kształtowania optimum społecznego, a także transferu i retransferu nadwyżki ekonomicznej wytworzonej w rolnictwie dla jego zrównoważonego rozwoju.
EN
In the article we presented the modern approach of the agrarian question. One characterized changes going down in relations demand-of supply as result of the influence of the market mechanism in the agriculture conditioned the globalization. In the article we presented the concept of the agrarian question. Her original conception can be found in works of Aleksander Czajanow and Władysław Grabski and also other modern them authors. They paid the attention to restrictions within the range structural transformations in the agriculture and the specificity of the relation of demand-supply concerning agricultural products. Going out from their approach of mentioned problems one can pass to the present interpretation of the agrarian matter including the meaning of public goods and processes of the globalization and the liberalization of economies of individual countries conditioned existing still structural barriers in this area of the economy. In the elaboration one showed changes happening within the range approaches to the agricultural matter and manners of her resolution in the institutional system for example CAP. One underlined the universality of seizing of the specificity of the agricultural production resulting both from the part of individual productive factors involved to her producing, and also from itself character of farms as economic subjects. In the elaboration one characterized changes happening in relations demand-of supply as result of the influence of the market mechanism in the agriculture. One discussed foundations and conditionings of the concept of the agricultural matter. We presented the meaning of public goods and external effects and market inefficiencies related to the agriculture in the formation of the social optimum one presented premises for the transfer and the retransfer of the economic surplus as the instrumentarium of the regulation of the social optimum and the achievement higher-level equilibriums of the social system.
RU
В статье представлена концепция аграрного вопроса и эволюция взглядов на его истоки и способы его решения. Один из первых подходов к этой проблеме можно найти в трудах Александра Чаянова и Владислава Грабского. Они обращали внимание на ограничения структурных преобразований в сельском хозяйстве и специфику отношений спроса и предложения в отношении сельскохозяйственных продуктов. Исходя из их концепции, можно перейти к нынешней интерпретации аграрного вопроса, охватывающей значение публичных благ и процессов глобализации, а также либерализации экономик отдельных стран в условиях существующих структурных барьеров в сельском хозяйстве. В статье представлены изменения в подходе к проблематике сельского хозяйства, связанные, в частности, с Общей аграрной политикой ЕС. Подчеркивается также универсальный характер аграрного вопроса, вытекающий из специфики сельскохозяйственного производства и особого характера индивидуальных сельскохозяйственных хозяйств в качестве экономических субъектов. Указываются связи между изменениями, происходящими в отношениях спроса и предложения в аграрном секторе и воздействием рыночного механизма. Подчеркивается проблема формирования социального оптимума, а также значение трансферта и ретрансферта излишек сельхозпродукции для его уравновешенного развития.
The paper analyzes possible policy and institutional responses to underconsumption (deficient consumption spending that leads to depressed economic activity). Underconsumption is an effect of a specific market failure; uncoordinated rational microeconomic decisions to keep labour costs low result in sub-optimal macroeconomic outcomes. Traditionally, any manifestations of demand constraints have been corrected with expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. These methods have ceased to be effective and viable. Alternative measures aimed directly to change income distribution are considered. Such measures (progressive income tax, stronger labour unions) would rather not gain acceptance of entrepreneurs even though in principle they should boost business activity. Non-confrontational solutions are beyond the reach of economic policy but good apprehension of the problem at hand in the democratic debate might lead to a better compromise with respect to social distribution of incomes.
The paper takes stock of the economic policy balance sheet of the era Angela Merkel. It analyzes to what extent the positive economic indicators of her chancellorship is related to principles of economic policy Ludwig Erhard stood for and explains Merkel’s economic policy choices from a public choice perspective. The study shows that economic policy under Angela Merkel has drifted increasingly away from the legacy of Ludwig Erhard’s free market policy towards socially and ecologically motivated interventionism. It is contended that Germany’s current positive economic development is, therefore, actually the result of the labour market reforms of the previous chancellor Gerhard Schröder and the undervalued euro. The paper argues that Angela Merkel’s policy choices have been favoured by the incentives structure of the political system and the prevalence of the widespread belief of the population in the need and good of market regulations and redistribution. Yet, because of their stifling effects on economic dynamism these policies make Germany increasingly ill-equipped to tackle urgent economic challenges.
The article focuses on Polish socio-economic coherency in the European and regional context during post WWII period. The author argues that the source of this incoherency are faulty mechanisms, its economic, social and regional policies which were before the transformation based on central coordination of strategies and later, prior to Polish membership in the EU, due to autonomic processes. Much of the weaknesses after accession of Polan to the EU have been due to mixed policies practiced. This has been based on competitive harmony in which economic, social and territorial coherence that is augmented by open coordination methods at union, national, regional and sub-regional levels. It is not sufficient applying socio-economic coherence to processes of eliminating disproportions existing in regional development. Their practical utility requires taking cognizance of the specificity of local material, human and social capital resources. The key issue of socio-economic coherence is harmonizing the development of all aspects of human living.
There was a wide ranging debate in the 1950s and 1960s in the developing countries about the role of the state in their economy when these countries attained independence, with developing their economies and eradicating poverty and backwardness being seen as their key priority. In the post-World War II peri-od, the all-pervasive ‘laissez-faire’ model of development was rejected, because during the pre-war period such policies had failed to resolve the economic crisis. Therefore, Keynesian interventionist economic policies were adopted in most of those countries. This is a theoretical paper, which is based on a review of published papers in the field of economic policies, especially about the debate on the role of the state and market. In this study, a wide range of data sources are presented, which in-cludes statistics generated by a number of organisations that are not agencies of a particular government. This is useful since data are compiled by a wide range of organisation such as IMF, World Bank and WTO. Secondary data would help our study to answer the research questions. There seems to be greater potential for examining statistical data produced by various organisations that are relatively independent of the national government. The study finds that more than two decades of pursuing neoliberal policies has reduced the progressive aspects of the state sector. The on-going crisis in terms of high unemployment, poverty and inequality provides an opportunity to critically reflect on past performance and on the desirability of reviving the role of the state sector in a way that will contribute to human development.
The paper deals with problems of economic security. It provides a clear definition ofinternal and external factors of economic security which are based on the given economic environmentand have a direct impact on national security. Based on a clear identification of thesefactors, the aim of this paper is to determine the requirements for a modern safety-oriented economicpolicy, since it is obvious that due to current events in the world, new demands which are necessaryto be considered in order to maintain economic security are placed on the economic policy.
The article presents the evolution of perspectives on basic production factors and the government’s regulatory solutions (economic policies) for supporting the economic modernisation process. The first section discusses the concept of economic modernisation while the second and third look at methods of modernisation that have grown out of the theories of economic development from both mainstream and non-mainstream economics. This overview of theory on economic development suggests that theory from both sources should be considered during the creation of economic modernisation strategies.
Over the past forty years, stock exchanges have undergone a number of transformations (legal, organizational and technological). They resulted both from general external conditions (including technological progress) as well as were the expression of various economic (structural) policies. Two of which seem to be basic. The first implemented in France, based on optimal centralization of stock exchange trading. The second one, implemented in Germany and Spain, expressing the concept of a complementary and effective combination of the potentials of the main trading floor and regional exchanges. Promisingly, especially in this latter dimension of experience together with the Edinburgh ‘stock market experiment’ that has just begun, they may reveal yet another not yet fully recognized characteristic of the stock market - the institutional exemplification of the market economy.
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