John P. Tuman

The Determinants of Japanese Official Development Assistance in Africa: A Pooled Time Series Analysis

This study seeks to explain the variation in Japanese official development assistance (ODA) in 35 African countries for the period of 1979 and 1998. It tests for the effects of several new variables not examined previously in the quantitative aid literature on Africa, including human rights, democracy, and varied U.S. strategic and economic interests. The findings suggest that humanitarian interests, as measured by poverty, human rights, democracy, and food insecurity, figure prominently in Japanese aid decisions. In addition, we find that Japans trade with recipient countries and some U.S. security interests have shaped the pattern of Japanese ODA in Africa, although U.S. economic reform initiatives and oil exports were found to have little effect. While previous studies have emphasized the importance of Japanese national economic interests as determinants of ODA disbursements, our results suggest that humanitarian concern and certain U.S. strategic interests are also important in understanding Japanese aid decisions in Africa.

The Disbursement Pattern of Japanese Foreign Aid: A Reappraisal

Three perspectives on the determinants of Japans official development assistance (ODA) program are often represented as distinct, valid explanations of the aid program. Yet few studies have attempted to simultaneously test the hypotheses generated from all three perspectives in a global study of Japanese aid flows. This study seeks to improve the understanding of the Japanese ODA program by addressing some of the gaps in the existing literature. Providing a comprehensive analysis, the article investigates the effects of different political and economic variables on Japanese aid disbursement in eighty-six countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East from 1979 to 2002. The findings of the study make several contributions to the literature. First, the results provide strong support for the claim that humanitarian concerns, as measured by poverty and human rights conditions in recipient countries, are important determinants of aid allocation. Second, although much of the previous literature has hypothesized that Japans aid program seeks to promote Japans economic interests, little empirical support for this view is found in the present study. Likewise, the disbursement pattern of ODA was associated with only a limited number of US security interests; US economic interests are shown to have no effect on ODA.

Explaining Japanese aid policy in Latin America: A test of competing theories

This article attempts to explain the variation in Japanese official development assistance in eighteen Latin American countries for the period 1979 to 1993. The findings suggest that recipient need and some Japanese economic interests have influenced disbursements in the region. The study does not provide support for theories that claim that U.S. strategic and economic interests are important determinants of Japanese ODA decisions.

Texas and the International Economy

IN RECENT YEARS, policymakers in U.S. states have become more prominent in international economic policy. In 1959 North Carolina established the first state trade mission to Western Europe. By 1987 governors from 43 states and territories had traveled to 36 different countries to promote trade and investment. Virtually all states now provide information to businesses on export opportunities and assistance to businesses seeking contacts abroad. Many have trade offices abroad and have entered into cooperative agreements with foreign governments. As Fry notes, “Several hundred such agreements have been signed with foreign governments, ranging from economic development and cultural pacts with Chinese provinces to Great Lakes water standards with Canadian provinces” (1990, 279).1 In addition, all states compete to attract foreign direct investment and tourism (Fry 1990, 283–286; Kotabe 1993). Global interdependence draws new actors into the international arena, adding new voices and issues to a scene traditionally the province of heads of state. While increased state involvement in foreign affairs results from a number of different factors, including interdependence, devolution, and reduced federal assistance, most of the shift is being driven Texas and the International Economy

Organized labor under military rule: the Nigerian labor movement, 1985–1992

This article examines the recent evolution of state-labor relations in Nigeria. The research indicates that the present military regime has maintained neocorporatist relations within the labor movement in order to limit union demands concerning political reform and economic restructuring. In addition, the study claims that the relative exclusion of organized labor from the reform process has undermined union support for the regime’s program of political liberalization.

Transforming the Latin American automobile industry : unions, workers, and the politics of restructuring

A general overview of the entire problem of evil from a philosophical perspective. Avoiding excessive technical and formal philosophical language, it includes many user-friendly features including interesting examples, a glossary of key terms, as well as sources for further study.

Foreign Aid Disbursement and Recipient Voting Behavior in an International Organization: The Case of Japan and the International Whaling Commission

This study examines the relationship between Japanese foreign aid disbursement and recipient state membership and voting in the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Focusing on 104 countries for the period 1994 to 2005, we investigate whether Japan gives higher levels of aid to IWC members that vote with Japan. The effects of the independent variables are estimated with a linear mixed regression model that adjusts for country level random intercepts. Controlling for other possible influences on ODA disbursements, and employing different measures of dyadic voting similarity, the study finds Japanese aid concentrates in members of the IWC that are microstates. The findings of the paper also indicate that microstate members of the IWC who align their votes with Japan are more likely to receive Japanese ODA. By demonstrating that Japan’s strategy is focused on microstates, the study provides a more refined understanding of the mechanisms Japan employs to end the IWC’s moratorium on commercial whaling. Similar to the findings of previous research, we find that Japanese aid responds both to narrow sectoral interests and broader humanitarian goals.

Comparing Modes of Privatisation: A Study of the Telecommunications Sectors in Argentina and Mexico, 1990-2000

This article examines the variation in the post-privatisation pattern of labour and employment relations in the telecommunications sectors of Argentina and Mexico. The findings suggest that the initial mode of privatisation - negotiated vs. imposed reform - shaped changes in employment, subcontracting and work rules in the period following privatisation. The research also suggests, however, that negotiated reform is more likely to emerge only when certain political incentives are present.

The economic determinants of electoral volatility in Africa

Democratic performance and party system institutionalization (PSI) are thought to be integrally linked. Electoral volatility is an important dimension of PSI and has thus been the focus of many studies. Despite the attention given to electoral volatility, its determinants remain elusive. We examine the determinants of electoral volatility in 35 African countries from 1972 to 2010. This study extends the prior literature by analyzing the effects of two previously unexamined variables, foreign aid and structural adjustment, on electoral volatility. Our results indicate that electoral volatility is lower when foreign aid is high, while structural adjustment programs are associated with increased volatility. Our findings contribute to the research on the political economy of aid, illustrating the impact of these economic practices on election outcomes. Political institutions and social demography also appear to affect volatility. Based on our analysis, the party systems of Africa generally do not appear to be institutionalizing.