|
|
State capture as market distortion: Effect of political connections in the Czech Republic
Špolc, Martin ; Vacek, Pavel (advisor) ; Kameníček, Jiří (referee)
Politically connected firms may extract rent which significantly improves their financial performance, but with social costs to others in form of market distortions. The thesis presents the first empirical analysis of personal political connections to government ministers in the Czech Republic. We estimated value of political connections and inspected subsidies and public procurements allocation as channels of rent extraction on firm-level data set of 1993-2015 period. For both approaches, cross-section regressions and dynamic matching on covariates and propensity score, we found that connected firms significantly underperform their similar rivals, but slightly improve their performance over the time of connection to minister in office. Connected firms gain significantly more subsidies which confirms subsidy allocation as a channel of rent extraction. We interpret our results that firms may seek political connections as the last option how to improve their bad financial results and remain on the market. Biased subsidy allocation to connected firms in sectors where firms are dependent on subsidies like agriculture creates market distortions and could lead to significant consumer harm.
|
|
|
White collar revisited - Millsean theory on impact of bureaucratization on social and economic development of western societies
Hampl, Petr ; Vlček, Josef (advisor) ; Matějů, Petr (referee) ; Žák, Milan (referee)
The first part of this thesis sums up ideas, which the author had published in his essays. These ideas are mostly focused on the relationship between the class structure of current western societies and economic policy preferred by the governments. The next part is dedicated to Charles Wright Mills, his sociological method, his contribution to sociology of 50th as well as his heritage for current sociological thinking. Three idea streams, which can be used for supplementing Mills' point of view, are explained: public choice economy (mainly its version of Gordon Tullock), new class theory and theory of business innovation. New typology of business innovation is developed in this part. The core of this thesis consist in discussion of Mills' propositions about the growth of bureaucratic organizations, birth of white collars as a massive social class and its impact on social structure, economic development and political development of western societies. Mills conclusions are looked on in the light of socioeconomic development during 60 years since the first publishing of White collar. They are also compared with key finding of idea streams mentioned above. Theory of impact of growth of big bureaucracy on economic and political development is formulated that specifies and supplement Mills' theory. The...
|
|
|
Rent-seeking in the Czech legal system
Ševčík, Miroslav ; Urban, Jan (advisor) ; Bažantová, Ilona (referee)
Diploma paper "Rentseeking in the Czech legal system" is focused on the analysis of interest groups, their forms, procedures and instruments, which they use for rentseeking activities in the Czech Republic. The first section explains the concept rentseeking, the second part redefines this concept into national environment, the case studies are analyzed in the third part and the fourth is concentrated on specific interest groups in the Czech Republic.
|
|
|
The theory of rent-seeking and the public procurement in the Czech Republic in years 1993 - 2011
Krejčová, Jana ; Zeman, Karel (advisor) ; Krebs, Vojtěch (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to analyze the development of legal and institutional framework of the public procurement in the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2011 and on the basis of this analysis to determine their influence on rent seeking in the public procurement. The main problems of the public procurement in the CR are also discussed in this thesis. The process of awarding and execution of the public procurement is very topical. A hundred of billions from public funds are yearly spent through the public procurement in the CR. Currently, the intense debate about the influence and importance of the public procurement act amendment are taking place. The theoretical part covers the general theory of rent seeking. The basic characteristic together with the economical aspects of the public procurement are also explained here. The analytical part is focused on the development of legal framework of the public procurement from 1993 to 2011. The main accent is put on the defining of the space for rent seeking during awarding, execution and follow-up control of the public procurement. The development of institutional framework of the public procurement arrangements in the CR, namely the activities of the Office for the Protection of Competition, the Supreme Audit Office and the Ministry of Regional Development, are defined in this part. Further, the main problems of the public procurement in the CR together with their possible solutions are described here. The thesis uses the method of comparison of the different public procurement acts which were implemented during the years 1993-2011 including the comparison of the institutional framework in order to detect the positive and negative influence on the rent seeking in the public procurement.
|
|
|
State corporation as a source of political capital
Sedláková, Simona ; Doležalová, Antonie (advisor) ; Jakubec, Ivan (referee)
This thesis deals with the question whether a state public enterprise is the source of political capital in the conception of the theory of rent-seeking on the example of the Czechoslovak state spa. The theoretical part explains the concept of political capital and the concept of rent-seeking theory from the view of Public Choice Theory. The analytical part is concerned with the fate of state spas in Czechoslovakia. The probe into the historical period of the First Republic is examined what happens to these spas, what is their place in the state budget, what is their fulfillment of stated objectives and which characters of rent-seeking in the form of political capital are observed at this state company. Based on this analysis it is concluded that the state spa enterprise is practical example of the theory of rent seeking and the source of political capital.
|
|
|
Interest groups matters in the sphere of smoking regulation
Sahánková, Barbora ; Minárik, Pavol (advisor) ; Ryvolová, Ivana (referee)
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze interest groups functioning in the sphere of smoking regulation. Theoretical part of the thesis contains introduction into interest groups matters, lobbing and rent-seeking, practical part analyses legislative arrangements and ways of regulations of tobacco industry in Czech republic. There are mentioned two dominant groups (tobacco goods producers and producers of preparations for smoking cessation) and examined particular strategies which lead to achieving the group's goals.
|
|
|
Rent seeking in Sugar policy EU
Nováková, Jana ; Munzi, Tomáš (advisor) ; Zajíček, Miroslav (referee)
The aim of my bachelor's work is an analysis of acquiring allowance by agronomists on the land of the European Union, particularly in the sugar politics of EU. In the theoretical part I am going to focus on defining notions of the group of the interest, acquiring allowance from the view of the school of public choice and I will not omit the effective instrument of all interest groups -- lobbing. At the beginning of the analytical part, I intend to describe the history of sugar politics in EU and the Czech Republic. In detail, I will investigate individual options of rent-seeking by agronomists on the distorted European sugar market, which entail consequences of the loss of effectivity and have a considerably negative influence on consumers and developing countries. Partially, I will also touch on the ongoing reform of sugar politics, which has not met the requirements of the European Union so far. In conclusion, on the grounds of the above described analysis, I would like to assess the sugar politics as a whole.
|
|
|
Reforma penzijního systému: v zájmu všech nebo jen některých?
Ságl, Jan ; Kollár, Miroslav (advisor) ; Bartoň, Petr (referee)
The topic of this bachelor's work is the problem of pension reform based on mandatory funded pension system. Right on the beginning is the reader introduced to the options how to realize these reforms. The stress is put on examination of the reform's variety, which is based on mandatory funded pillar. There are presented advantages, which are proposed by majority of financial institutions including World Bank. On the other hand we can see certain economic and political risks mainly in the form of rent seeking. In the second part of this work is as a starting point of the analysis chosen the study of J.E. Stiglitz and P.R. Orszag. This study points out myths about social security systems. The aim of this work is to answer the question, whether the implementation of mandatory funded pillar has a real benefit for all economic subjects or only for some of them. The aim is also to provide some recommendations for incoming pension reform in Czech Republic.
|
|
|
Zájmové skupiny v zemědělství v ČR se zaměřením na producenty vepřového masa
Petraková, Olga ; Minárik, Pavol (advisor) ; Šveňková, Alena (referee)
Bakalářská práce se zabývá zájmovými skupinami v zemědělství na území ČR s analýzou konkrétního příkladu, který se týká chovatelů prasat. Cílem práce je uvedení do problematiky existence zájmových skupin ve vyspělé společnosti, a vysvětlení jejich úspěšnosti při prosazování zájmů. První část práce obsahuje teoretický úvod, a to definici zájmových skupin, možnosti dobývání renty u vlád, a uvedení zemědělce jako konkrétní zájmovou skupinu. Druhá část obsahuje zemědělskou politiku v ČR a EU, jejích instituce a formy finančních toků do zemědělství. Zároveň shrnuje legislativu, způsoby regulace, a dotační programy v zemědělské politice. Hlavní částí práce je analýza zájmové skupiny v ČR, jejich způsoby prosazování zájmů a úspěšnosti při dosahování cílů u vlád.
|
|
|
Ekonomická analýza korupce a lobbyingu
Ptáčková, Alena ; Dostálová, Jiřina (advisor) ; Adamec, Václav (referee)
Práce se zabývá problematikou dobývání renty. Konkrétně vymezuje teoretická východiska dobývání renty a analyzuje jednotlivé způsoby ovlivňování vládních představitelů, převážně lobbying a korupci. Odpovídá na otázku, v čem spočívají neefektivnosti při ovlivňování vládních představitelů zájmovými skupinami a jak je možné tyto činnosti eliminovat nebo minimalizovat jejich negativní dopad na společnost. Analytická část práce vymezuje hlavní příčiny odlišných měr korupce v České republice a na Slovensku na počátku 90. let a porovnává úspěšnost provádění antikorupčních politik v těchto zemích.
|
guest ::
