Harmen Verbruggen was Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the VU University Amsterdam until 2014. He is past director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the same university. In 1994, he was appointed Professor of International Environmental Economics. His major field of specialization is the interplay between development economics, international economic relations and environmental studies. His research interests cover the interrelationships between environment and international trade, the international coordination of environmental policies, environmental policy instruments and clean technology. He has also worked on issues regarding indicators for economic growth.
@article{Graafland2021,
title = {Free-Market, Perfect Market and Welfare State Perspectives on “Good” Markets: an Empirical Test},
author = {Johan Graafland and Harmen Verbruggen},
url = {https://www.moralmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/Graafland-Verbruggen2021_Article_Free-MarketPerfectMarketAndWel.pdf},
doi = {10.1007/s11482-021-09946-2},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-20},
journal = {Applied Research in Quality of Life},
abstract = {This study explores the relationship between human development and market institutions and tests the performance of three alternative economic perspectives that each assign a different role to governments. In the free-market perspective, the principal task of the government is to protect property rights. In the perfect-market perspective, the government has the additional responsibility of correcting market failures. The welfare-state perspective posits that the state must actively adopt welfare-state policies across a broad range of fields. Based on a sample of 34 OECD countries plus Russia across a time frame spanning 1990 to 2018, the results demonstrate that economic freedom and small size of government do not significantly affect human development as measured by the Human Development Index. Hence, we find no support for the free-market ideal. Conversely, it is found that human development is positively related to governmental interventions that aim to reduce externalities (public expenditure on education and environmental regulation). These results support the perfect-market perspective. With respect to the welfare-state perspective, the findings are mixed. On the one hand, we found that (some) labor market regulations (particularly hiring and firing regulations, hours regulations and mandated cost of worker dismissal) have a negative impact upon human development. On the other hand, human development is shown to be positively affected by governmental intervention seeking to reduce gender stratification in the labor market.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This study explores the relationship between human development and market institutions and tests the performance of three alternative economic perspectives that each assign a different role to governments. In the free-market perspective, the principal task of the government is to protect property rights. In the perfect-market perspective, the government has the additional responsibility of correcting market failures. The welfare-state perspective posits that the state must actively adopt welfare-state policies across a broad range of fields. Based on a sample of 34 OECD countries plus Russia across a time frame spanning 1990 to 2018, the results demonstrate that economic freedom and small size of government do not significantly affect human development as measured by the Human Development Index. Hence, we find no support for the free-market ideal. Conversely, it is found that human development is positively related to governmental interventions that aim to reduce externalities (public expenditure on education and environmental regulation). These results support the perfect-market perspective. With respect to the welfare-state perspective, the findings are mixed. On the one hand, we found that (some) labor market regulations (particularly hiring and firing regulations, hours regulations and mandated cost of worker dismissal) have a negative impact upon human development. On the other hand, human development is shown to be positively affected by governmental intervention seeking to reduce gender stratification in the labor market.
@article{Verbruggen2017,
title = {Vrijhandelsverdragen en duurzaamheid: een stap vooruit},
author = {Harmen Verbruggen},
url = {https://www.tijdschriftcdv.nl/inhoud/?jaar=2017&nummer=3},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-10-01},
journal = {Christen Democratische Verkenningen},
volume = {2017},
number = {3 / herfst},
pages = {123-130},
abstract = {Vrijhandelsverdragen bieden een mogelijkheid om de spanning tussen milieu en handel te overwinnen, of om de verhouding daartussen in ieder geval beter te laten zijn dan onder het traditionele wto-regime. Wel dienen de onderhandelingen voor vrijhandelsverdragen gebaseerd te zijn op het algemeen maatschappelijk belang. Lobbygroepen voor sectorale belangen en grote multinationale ondernemingen
horen in de onderhandelingen niet de boventoon te voeren. Dat dit toch gebeurd zou zijn, is een verwijt dat nogal eens opklinkt bij de publieke en politieke beoordeling van een vrijhandelsverdrag. Om dit te ondervangen is het raadzaam om de transparantie rondom het onderhandelingsproces te vergroten en meer openheid te verschaffen.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Vrijhandelsverdragen bieden een mogelijkheid om de spanning tussen milieu en handel te overwinnen, of om de verhouding daartussen in ieder geval beter te laten zijn dan onder het traditionele wto-regime. Wel dienen de onderhandelingen voor vrijhandelsverdragen gebaseerd te zijn op het algemeen maatschappelijk belang. Lobbygroepen voor sectorale belangen en grote multinationale ondernemingen horen in de onderhandelingen niet de boventoon te voeren. Dat dit toch gebeurd zou zijn, is een verwijt dat nogal eens opklinkt bij de publieke en politieke beoordeling van een vrijhandelsverdrag. Om dit te ondervangen is het raadzaam om de transparantie rondom het onderhandelingsproces te vergroten en meer openheid te verschaffen.
