Suchergebnisse

AbstractEconomic ties between countries are likely to influence the alignment of their international policies. This paper investigates whether countries' historical economic ties with the United States and their expectation of changes in future economic flows had a role in their decision to join the US-led coalition in Iraq from 2003 onwards. We use data on 115 countries over the period 2003–2009 to estimate panel random effects probit models of war coalition participation. We measure the intensity of economic ties with three variables: bilateral trade flows between the partner country and the US as well as FDI and aid flows from the US to the partner country. Our results suggest that both good trade relations prior to the conflict and the prospects of their further improvements increase the willingness of countries to join the coalition. In spite of the anecdotal evidence, we find no empirical evidence that the dependence on American FDI or aid affected countries' decision on Iraq war participation.

AbstractSince 2003, Turkey's pension policy has been increasingly based on facilitation of individual savings administered by private pension funds. The introduction of private pensions is expected to reinforce inequalities as a result of socio‐demographic features and pension system design. This article evaluates voluntary individual pension system with a perspective on pension equality. Monthly contributions to pension accounts are explored on the basis of socio‐economic and demographic characteristics of the customers of a currently operating pension company. Findings reveal that differences in people's saving capacities have become a source for pension inequality. Furthermore, state subsidies, which increase in proportion to individual contributions, strengthen unequal distributional dynamics. Pension privatization harms social solidarity as it intensifies existing social inequalities.