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Uncertainty, Dangerous Optimism, And Speculation: An Inquiry Into Some Limits Of Democratic Governance, Lynn A. Stout
Uncertainty, Dangerous Optimism, And Speculation: An Inquiry Into Some Limits Of Democratic Governance, Lynn A. Stout
Lynn A. Stout
People are often optimistic. Nearly fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, but one survey found that 100 percent of individuals planning to get married believed they would never get divorced. Most people think they drive better than the average driver, and at one university, ninety-four percent of professors placed themselves in the top fifty percent in terms of teaching skills. We often seem to think we are like the youth of Garrison Keillor’s fictional hometown Lake Wobegon, where “all the children are above average.” This is not always a bad thing. Optimism can be advantageous. Without optimism, Columbus might …
Technology, Transactions Costs, And Investor Welfare: Is A Motley Fool Born Every Minute?, Lynn A. Stout
Technology, Transactions Costs, And Investor Welfare: Is A Motley Fool Born Every Minute?, Lynn A. Stout
Lynn A. Stout
Computer network technology promises to revolutionize the secondary securities market and particularly to reduce dramatically the marginal costs associated with trading corporate equities. Lowering transactions costs usually is presumed to increase trader welfare. Certain unique characteristics of the secondary securities market suggest, however, that reducing the marginal costs associated with trading stocks may have the perverse and counterintuitive effect of decreasing investor welfare. Policymakers should consider this possibility as they respond to the market's rapid evolution.