it is well-established that for a considerable period the united kingdom has spent proportionally less of its gross domestic product (gdp) on health-related services than almost any other comparable country. average european spending on health (as a % of gdp) in the period 1980 to 2013 has been 19% higher than the united kingdom, indicating that comparable countries give far greater fiscal prio...

The choice of free parameters in network models is subjective, since it depends on what topological properties are being monitored. However, we show that the maximum likelihood (ML) principle indicates a unique, statistically rigorous parameter choice, associated with a well-defined topological feature. We then find that, if the ML condition is incompatible with the built-in parameter choice, n...

Core indicators are, simply put, the ways we come to understand the inputs and outcomes of a program or project that we may or may not be able to observe directly. In Chapter 1, we identify a variety of factors that can impact program outcomes. In this chapter, we concentrate on those indicators that are most relevant and immediate to ICT-supported educational programs and projects, what we ter...

HOW BIG A ROLE THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD play in the economy is always a central issue in political debates. But measuring the size of government is not simple. People often use shorthand measures, such as the ratio of spending to gross domestic product (GDP) or of tax revenues to GDP. But those measures leave out important aspects of government action. For example, they do not capture the ways gov...

China’s economy is going through a major transition, characterized by a slower growth rate, a structural shift to the tertiary (service) sector, and industrial deleveraging—a process to reduce overcapacity that has built up in key industrial sectors over the past decades. Given the uncertainties that China is facing during its current economic transition, it is important to examine whether futu...

In 1997 health spending in the United States increased just 4.8 percent to $1.1 trillion. As a share of gross domestic product (GDP), national health expenditures (NHE) absorbed 13.5 percent of the country's output in 1997--a share that has remained relatively constant for 5 years. Despite the relative stability in recent years, signs of changing trends are emerging.

As a result of advancing globalization and economic activities that go beyond national borders, gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) are becoming dissociated. The two are the same to the extent that they measure (gross) added value generated during a specific period (e.g., one year). A difference between them is, generally speaking, the former focuses on whether economi...

There are obvious economic predictors of ability and willingness to invest in environmental sustainability. Yet, given that environmental decisions represent trade-offs between present sacrifices and uncertain future benefits, psychological factors may also play a role in country-level environmental behavior. Gott's principle suggests that citizens may use perceptions of their country's age to ...

The Asian financial crisis quickly led to marked contractions in gross domestic product (GDP) and employment in the affected economies. GDP shrinkages in 1998 ranged from nearly 14 percent in Indonesia to 0.5 percent in the Philippines. In turn, these have resulted in adverse social consequences. Although there are signs that the worst of the financial crisis is over and the crisis economies ar...

The algal blooming in the inland lakes has become a critically important issue for its impacts not only on local natural and social environments, but also on global human community. However, the occurrences of blooming on larger spatial scale and longer time scale have rarely been studied. As the third largest freshwater lake in China, Lake Taihu has drawn increasing attention from both public ...