Economics Commons^™

Compensatory Restoration In A Random Utility Model Of Recreation Demand, George R. Parsons, Ami K. Kang

George Parsons

Natural Resource Damage Assessment cases often call for compensation in non-monetary or restoration equivalent terms. In this paper we present an approach that uses a conventional economic model, a travel-cost random utility model of site choice, to determine compensatory restoration equivalents for hypothetical beach closures on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Our focus is on closures of beaches on the Padre Island National Seashore and compensation for day-trip users. We use a mixed logit site choice model in our application with revealed preference data. Using the random utility model we identify restoration projects (changes in beach characteristics) that pass a …

Effects Of Information About Invasive Species On Risk Perception And Seafood Demand By Gender And Race, Timothy C. Haab, John C. Whitehead, George R. Parsons, Jamie Price

George Parsons

In this paper we consider the effects of negative and positive risk information on perceived seafood risks and seafood consumption by gender and race. The data is from a Mid-Atlantic survey of coastal seafood consumers. We elicit risk perceptions in three risk scenarios with a dichotomous choice with a follow-up question format. We elicit continuous revealed and stated preference seafood consumption in nine risk and price scenarios. Analysis in four gender and race categories indicates that demographic groups respond to the positive and negative information in different ways. Communication of risk information as risk mitigation policy is a challenge.

Measuring The Recreational Use Value Of Migratory Shorebirds: A Stated Preference Study Of Birdwatching On The Delaware Bay, Kelley H. Myers, George R. Parsons, Peter E T Edwards

George Parsons

In this article we estimate the recreational use value of household trips to view shorebirds during the annual horseshoe crab/shorebird migration on the Delaware Bay. We use contingent valuation to estimate the value of day and overnight trips separately and use a discrete choice question followed by a payment-card question to generate our valuation data. Our best estimates for the value of a day trip is about $66 - $90/household and for an overnight trip is about $200 - $425/household (2008$). Our data are from the 2008 season, and our average household size is 1.66. For some context, estimates from …

Fiscal Decentralization And Fiscal Consolidations In Emerging Market Economies, John Thornton

John Thornton

Results using event study analysis based on a data panel of expenditure and revenue developments in emerging market economies during 1972–2001 indicate that subnational governments supported fiscal consolidation efforts by cutting their capital expenditure and increasing their revenues.

Government Size And The Stability Of Output: Evidence From Emerging Market Economies, John Thornton

John Thornton

Fata ́ s and Mihov (2001a, b) reported a negative and statistically significant relation between government size and output variability in a cross-section of 20 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and concluded that large governments stabilize output. This conclusion does not appear to be valid for Emerging Market Economies (EMEs). Results from cross-section and combined cross-section and time series regressions for a sample of 21 EMEs for the period 1970 to 2001 indicate that the relation between government size and output volatility is statistically significant and positive.

Who Chooses To Adopt Fiscal Responsibility Laws? Evidence From Emerging Market Economies, John Thornton

John Thornton

In recent years, at least 10 emerging market economies have sought to anchor their fiscal frameworks in fiscal responsibility laws. Key factors in the decision appear to include a prior improvement in fiscal discipline, particularly in the context of a federal fiscal system, substantial ethnic fractionalization and vulnerability to adverse shocks, such as real exchange rate volatility and inflation.

Fiscal Sustainability In A Panel Of Asian Countries, John Thornton

John Thornton

Panel cointegration techniques indicate that government revenue (REV) and expenditure (EXP) in a panel of five Asian economies for the period 1974 to 2001 were nonstationary and cointegrated series. However, the cointegration coefficient was significantly less than unity, indicating ‘weak’ fiscal sustainability and the likelihood that policy measures would be needed to put the public finances on a more sustainable basis

The Effects Of The 1996 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement On The Industrial Users Of Lumber: An Event Study, Nisha Malhotra, Sumeet Gulati

Nisha Malhotra

In this article, we analyze whether the Softwood Lumber Agreement between the United States and Canada imposed significant economic costs on industries that use softwood lumber in the United States. To ascertain this impact, we use an event study. Our event study analyzes variations in the stock prices of lumber-using firms listed at the major stock markets in the United States. We find that the news of events leading to the Softwood Lumber Agreement had significant negative impacts on the stock prices of industries using softwood lumber. The average reduction of stock prices for our sample of firms was approximately …

Black Tuesday And Graying The Legitimacy Line For Governmental Intervention: When Tomorrow Is Just A Future Yesterday, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

Black Tuesday in October 1929 marked a major crisis in American history. As we face current economic woes, it is appropriate to recall not only the event but also reflect on how it altered the legal landscape and the change it precipitated in the acceptance of governmental intervention into the marketplace. Perceived or real crises can cause us to dance between free markets and regulatory power. Much like the events of 1929, current financial concerns have led to new, unprecedented governmental intervention into the private sector. This Article seeks caution, on the basis of history, arguing that fear and crisis …

Lessons Of The Alaska Dividend, Karl Widerquist

Karl Widerquist

At a time when progressive social policies are under attack across the industrialized world, the Alaska Dividend continues to be extremely popular. It distributes a yearly dividend to every man, woman, and child in Alaska without any conditions whatsoever. It has helped Alaska maintain one of the lowest poverty rates in the United States. It has helped Alaska become the most economically equal of all 50 states. And it has helped Alaska become the only U.S. state in which equality has risen rather than fallen over the last 20 years. Certainly Alaska is doing something right. As newsletter editor for …

Book Review: The Street Porter And The Philosopher: Conversations On Analytical Egalitarianism, Karl Widerquist

Karl Widerquist

No abstract provided.

What Drives Food Import Refusals?, Kathy Baylis, Andrea Martens, Lia Nogueira

Kathy Baylis

No abstract provided.

Trade Diversion From Tomato Suspension Agreement, Kathy Baylis, Jeffrey M. Perloff

Kathy Baylis

: Trade barriers can cause output to be diverted to other countries and into other products. We study the effect of a voluntary price restraint (VPR) on Mexican tomatoes entering the United States. The diversion caused by the VPR is statistically and economically significant – representing over four-fifths of the direct effects of the trade barrier. When the VPR was binding, Mexico exported more tomatoes to Canada, the United States cut back on exports while Canada increased their exports to the United States. The VPR also diverted fresh tomatoes in Mexico into paste production, which was then exported to the …

(Re)Scaling Gender And Globalization: Livelihood Strategies In Accra, Ghana, Ann M. Oberhauser

Ann Oberhauser

Salud Y Felicidad En Uruguay, Maximo Rossi, Todd Jewell, Mariana Gerstenblüth

Maximo Rossi

In this paper we study the relationship between individual happiness and self reported health status, using the Religion, Health and Young Emancipation ISSP survey for Uruguay in 2008. Probit estimates suggests that health status has the highest correlation with happiness. In order to control for the observed heterogeneity of this variable, we estimate using matching methods. Results show that reporting a good health rises the probability of being happy between 18 an 29 percentage points. Previous literature support this findings.

Employee Voice And Intent To Leave: An Empirical Evidence Of Pakistani Banking Sector, Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Muhammad Asghar Ali, Muhammad Irfan Chani, Hashim Khan, Kashif Ur Rehman

Muhammad Irfan Chani

A Note On Causal Relationship Between Fdi And Savings In Bangladesh, Mohammad Salahuddin, Muhammad Shahbaz Shahbaz, Muhammad Irfan Chani

Muhammad Irfan Chani

This paper aims to investigate the causal relationship between foreign direct investment and gross domestic savings in Bangladesh over a period of 1985-2007. In doing so, Johansen cointegration technique and error correction methods are employed to examine the long run and short run relationship between foreign direct investment and gross domestic savings. To determine the direction of causality, we used innovation accounting approach. Results suggest that there exist bi-directional causal relationship between foreign direct investment and gross domestic savings but the movement is stronger from domestic savings to foreign direct investment. The result also implies complimentary relationship between them and …

Comment On Casey Mulligan: Keynes In Both Fresh And Salt Water, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

Casey Mulligan suggested in The Economists' Voice that this recession was caused by "something [that] made real wages high and employment low." This coincides with his own view of the causes of the Great Depression. The similarity inevitably brings back General-Theory-Keynes, according to Da Silva, and justifies the suspicion of some salt water economists that Mulligan is blaming both downturns on laziness.

The Future Of Economics Is Scientific, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

No abstract provided.

Biological Characteristics Modulating Investor Overconfidence, Marcia L. Zindel, Emilio Menezes, Raul Matsushita, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

Applying a standard questionnaire (Lichtenstein and Fischhoff 1977) to a sample of 44 professional investors, we sought for explicit correlations between selected biological characteristics of the investors and the cognitive bias known as overconfidence. We found that both male and female investors showed overconfidence above the subjective probability of 0.7 and underconfidence below this threshold. But the sexes seemed to behave differently when they were totally uncertain of their answers. Experienced and inexperienced investors were overconfident whenever they were 70 percent (or above) confident of their answers. Despite that, experienced investors were relatively more calibrated. Of those who were highly …