The paper explores the relationships among three factors: economic policy, its evaluation, and perceptions of the European Union. It considers Hungary’s recent decade, primarily the years of the recent global financial and economic crisis. The analysis compares Hungary’s economic statistics and attitudes with those of other countries on the EU periphery. The main questions are the following: why and how Hungary has become a eurosceptic country? On what does the image of the EU (created in the population) depend? Is there any link between how the economic policy is being pursued on one hand, and the attitudes towards the EU, on the other? Is the evaluation of the national economy confirmed by the hard facts?

Journal of Economic Litterature (JEL) classifications: O520, Z130, P160

The author examines the role of institutions in technological change on the basis of an understanding of the macroeconomic context of technological progress. The empirical study aims to demonstrate the macroeconomic relationship between economic growth, technological progress and institutions, using data from the member states of the European Union. This paper constructs a statistical model which accommodates the complexity of technological progress and contributes to the analysis of its different aspects. It concludes that the elements of the technological environment and an emphasis on the protection of property rights play an essential role in understanding the effects of technological progress on economic growth.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: O11, O34, O43

This study relies on the results of a representative survey (N=619) of Hungarian consumers carried out in the summer of 2011. The survey was designed to identify the affectiveand normative attitudes that might influence buyers in the formation of their food and convenience retailer preferences in the context of domestic versus international providers. A strong and significant relationship was found between what was termed buyers’ economic nationalism and a preference for domestic stores, particularly as far as shoppers with a higher than average ability to associate retailers’ origins were concerned. In contrast, no
notable relationship was found between other consumer ideologies (such as nationalism, patriotism, cosmopolitanism or ‘straightforward’ consumer ethnocentrism) and preferences for domestic stores. The factor of economic nationalism, however, was proved to interact with the cognitive formation of store preferences, considerably improving the explanatory power of regression models built on perceived store attributes as independent variables.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: M31, Z13, M39

Defining club goods allows an analysis of goods that possess neither pure public goods nor pure private goods characteristics. This is the main significance of the economic theory of clubs. The present paper categorises club good among goods in general on the basis of the relevant literature, and specifies the core elements of a definition of clubs and club goods. Then, by summarizing the most important articles on the subject, this paper delineates fundamental questions and models of club theory. Finally, supporting the relevant practical issues of club theory, this study describes economic fields where the theory has been applied.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: H41, H49

This study introduces a new concept to the analysis of development aid. Aid is regarded as a global public good where donors benefit from the advantages of aid without rivalry and exludability. The public-goodnature of aid is a logical explanation for the deficiencies of the international aid regime, especially the suboptimal supply of aid and the free-riding of donors. The concept of aid as a public good raises the question whether there are any actors who could produce this global public good. The study analyses whether nongovernmental organizations are able to fill this gap in the international aid regime. The model is introduced through a case study: aid in Afghanistan in general, and the activities of the NGO Hungarian Baptist Aid in the country.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: F590, H410

The study analyses how J. Harsányi College became inoperable. J. Harsányi College is an organization that supports young talent at the Economics faculty of J. Selye University. The main object of the research is to help the relaunch of the organization and to raise the interest of the students in work and in the activity of the College. The research ask questions concerning studying, and how to improve the motivation and awareness of students. The author describes the theoretical background of talent management in the first part of the study, and then introduces her proposals on the basis of primary research.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classifications: A29, M12

The article presents research into the economic and socio-cultural impact of the Miskolc Opera festival. It explores how a cultural event – which was created thanks to conscious urban development – can operate in a city with an industrial past and a stagnant economic situation. After the methodology and desk research, the tourist facilities of the city are analyzed. In the following sections of the paper, the results of primary research are presented.

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: Z130