In the framework of a dynamic general equilibrium model, this paper studies how vertical externalities affect the development of heavy industry in a developing economy. The model is comprised of an intermediate and a consumer product sector. The production of both types of goods has pecuniary...

The performance of a novel dry-expansion evaporator developed for a wastewater source heat pump (WWSHP) was experimentally tested and the test results are reported. The evaporator is a retrofitted shell and tube heat exchanger where bio-fouling build-up on tube surface can be easily removed from...

When an air source heat pump (ASHP) unit is used for space heating at low ambient temperatures in winter, frost may form on its outdoor coil surface. Since the accumulated frost adversely affects its performance and energy efficiency, periodic defrosting of the outdoor coil is necessary....

In an economy characterized by financial repression, enhancing the legal system may hinder the development of some aspects of the financial sector, especially informal arrangements aiming at circumventing the repression. Using Chinese provincial data in the 1990s, we find that enhanced legal...

While the literature on consumption insurance is growing fast, little research has been conducted on how rural consumption insurance is affected by democracy. In this paper the authors examine how consumption insurance of Chinese rural residents is affected if the local leader is democratically...

This study examines how the economic effects of elections in rural China depend on voter heterogeneity, for which religious fractionalization is taken as a proxy. [BREAD Working No. 366]. URL:[http://ipl.econ.duke.edu/bread/papers/working/366.pdf].

Using a sample of 1185 households in 48 Chinese villages for the period 1987–2002, we study the effects of major health shocks on household income and the role played by village elections in mitigating these effects. Major health shocks are defined by abnormal increases in a household's...

This paper aims to show that culture is an important determinant of the effectiveness of formal democratic institutions, such as elections. We collect new data to document the presence of voluntary and social organizations and the history of electoral reforms in Chinese villages. We use the...

We examine the effects of introducing village elections on public goods expenditures, income distribution and land use in rural China. We construct a large panel data set of village administrative records to document the history of political reforms and economic policies for over two hundred...