• I. Gilboa, A. W. Postlewaite, D. Schmeidler — Probability and Uncertainty in Economic Modeling

• М. Levin, I. Sheveleva — Institutional Aspects of the International Diamond Market’s Organization and Functioning
• O. Kolennikova — Russian Defense Enterprises and the State: In Search of Effective Interaction
• N. Rozanova — Competitive Interactions in the IT Industry: World Practice and Russia

• I. Bashmakov — Low-Carbon Russia: Prospects after the Crisis

• I. Buzdalov — The Swap as a Reflection of Social and Economic Lameness of Agrarian Policy
• A. Golubev — Post-crisis Development of Russian Agriculture

• L. Zevin — The Vector of Russia's External Economic Policy
• V. Belkin, V. Storozhenko — Residential Construction as a Factor of Demographic Dynamics

• Klinova M. V. The State and Private Capital in Search of Pragmatic Interaction
• Economics in Russia. Studies in Intellectual History / V. Barnett, J. Zweynert (eds.)

Abstracts

The paper presents an economic theory of corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on the Coase theorem and analyzes economic, social, political and institutional factors that could affect comparative advantages of CSR over government regulation. Discussion of the Russian CSR model stresses the importance of protection of property rights and social capital for efficient implementation of the CSR idea and cautions against excessive involvement of government in CSR processes.

The article deals with key tendencies in the development of Russia’s market of mergers and acquisitions in the first decade of the 21st century. Quantitative parameters are analyzed by using available in the open access data bases for the years 2003—2008 taking into consideration new tendencies relating to 2008 financial crisis. An active role of the state played in the market of corporate control represents an important factor. Special attention is given to issues of development of Russia’s system of legal norms regulating the market of mergers and acquisitions.

The article considers the paradigm of subjective probability and expected utility theory with respect to their applications in the theory of decision-making. Advantages and shortcomings of Savage’s axiomatic in the subjective probability theory are analyzed, the models of beliefs formation are considered. The authors propose a new approach to the analysis of decision-making — a multiple priors model, where an agent attributes to each event not a single probability, but a range of probabilities.

The article analyzes the institutional and structural heterogeneity of international diamond market. Two market levels are considered: diamond primary supply (by mining companies) and the level of rough diamonds resales and polished diamonds manufacturing. It is shown that on the primary diamond market level the oligopoly structure has been established, and the secondary rough diamond market level is competitive. On the primary market level contractual commitments are enforced by “block booking sales”; on the level of rough diamonds resales and polished diamonds manufacturing — by social and ethnic homogeneous groups and networks as well as by reputation.

The article summarizes the results of twenty years’ reforming of the Russian defense-industrial complex. The analysis is based on the data of the monitoring of Russian defense enterprises, conducted in 1995—2007. The main output of reforms: the effective economic mechanism of the sector’s development has not been created, defense enterprises have remained not fully reformed. The state, as a basic owner, has hampered their inclusion in market processes. Real management has been passed into the hands of directors of the enterprises, but their possibilities are limited due to the absence of industrial policy and the accurate military doctrine. So they share the opinion that it is necessary to continue reforms in the sector.

The article analyzes a model of vertical product differentiation applied to IT area which demonstrates that IT market is a natural oligopoly, the number of applications, the degree of compatibility in basic IT product modifications, the level of network effect being the main criteria of vertical product differentiation. Characteristics of IT products and types of competition in IT sphere are analyzed as well as the situation on the Russian IT market.

On the eve of the worldwide negotiations of a new climate agreement in December 2009 in Copenhagen it is important to clearly understand what Russia can do to mitigate energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the medium (until 2020) and in the long term (until 2050). The paper investigates this issue using modeling tools and scenario approach. It concludes that transition to the “Low-Carbon Russia” scenarios must be accomplished in 2020—2030 or sooner, not only to mitigate emissions, but to block potential energy shortages and its costliness which can hinder economic growth.

The article considers the necessity of forming normal economic and social conditions for sustainable development of agriculture and vital activity of Russian peasantry. The harmful consequences of the so called swap, i.e. unjustified fiscal confiscation of the income produced in the sector in favor of the state and other subjects, are analyzed. In the framework of the concept of agrarian protectionism and in order to provide agrarian development priority the measures aimed at overcoming these consequences and corresponding changes in the agrarian and general state economic policy are suggested.

Possible scenarios of post-crisis development of Russian agriculture: inertial, intensive-technocratic, natural-innovative, are examined at the article. Dull imitation of the west type of agricultural production development, aimed at large-scale use of chemicals and other factors of intensification, is shown to be inappropriate. The possibility of native agriculture keeping based on technologies close to natural ways of foodstuffs` production is analyzed. The notion of rent income from products manufacture in natural conditions is introduced.