Since the 1990s, neo-institutionalists have posited that “institutions matter”. However, they overlook one important issue: the ways institutions change also matters. Numerous academic studies have identified “good” and “bad” institutions, but little has been written about effective methods of transforming “bad” institutions so that they enhance economic performance. To fill this gap, this book reframes the approach of neo-institutional economics to analyze institutions’ role and evolution, focusing on the interaction between the household registration (hukou) system evolution and economic transformation.
The authors apply an endogenous and dynamic perspective. First, the theory of endogenous institutional change illustrates how the drivers of hukou system evolution differ in the pre-reform and reform eras. Second, the theory of adaptive efficiency evaluates the evolution of the system’s institutional efficiency. Finally, the authors were able to test the impact of the hukou reform on urban economic growth by examining local experimentation, helping explain the current “stickiness” of the system.
At the heart of hukou reform lies the question of how to deal with the link between hukou and welfare provision. This book will offer policymakers a better understanding of institutional change in dynamic economic contexts, helping them enhance economic performance.
The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia and the East Asian Institute (EAI) at the National University of Singapore Forge Academic Partnership
The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia at the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and the East Asian Institute (EAI) at the National University of Singapore, are delighted to announce a new academic collaboration.
This past semester, the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia engaged in conversations and research on topics ranging from Indonesia’s election to US-Taiwan relations with the goal of continuing to develop policy solutions to the region’s most pressing concerns.
Understanding the next phase of US-China relations
From the potential for revived tariffs to the implications for global collaboration, Rajawali Director Tony Saich examines the key dynamics shaping what could be a pivotal era in US-China relations.
The Determining Elements of the New Great Power Competition: Unpacking the Race for Technological Supremacy
In his latest occasional paper, Ronen Medzini, Rajawali Fellow, explains that while the US and China are not strangers to the “great power” competition, technology supremacy has superseded ideology as what lies at the crux of these dynamics. He goes on to examine critical technologies, their key attributes, and their impacts on national security, commerce, and society while exploring strategies for achieving technological superiority.
In his latest occasional paper, Dan Murphy explores whether partnering with these universities is advisable given the national security implications. Murphy argues that while caution is warranted, American universities should not shy away from all potential collaborations with the Seven Sons.
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