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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Political Contributions And Insurance, Bryan Engelhardt, Justin Svec
Political Contributions And Insurance, Bryan Engelhardt, Justin Svec
Economics Department Working Papers
We propose a mechanism that eliminates the incentive for risk-averse agents to influence government policy via political contributions. The mechanism requires the government to create a political insurance exchange where agents can insure against the outcome of a government decision and firms selling insurance announce and commit to a price of insurance and their political contributions. If the exchange contains actuarially fair priced insurance, then the agent fully insures and neither the firm nor agent lobbies the government. The exchange is better than contribution limits because it is welfare-enhancing, more fair, and does not restrict speech.
The Role Of Expectations: An Application To Internal Migration, Robert Baumann, Justin Svec, Francis Sanzari
The Role Of Expectations: An Application To Internal Migration, Robert Baumann, Justin Svec, Francis Sanzari
Economics Department Working Papers
This paper examines the impact of unemployment on migration. In a theoretical model, we show that unemployment, per se, does not affect migration. Rather, migration only occurs when unemployment shocks force residents to update their expectations of the area's unemployment rate. Once these expectations change, migration reallocates labor to bring the economy back to equilibrium. To test this theory, we devise an empirical strategy using state level data in the U.S. from 2000 to 2010, we find strong empirical evidence that unemployment shocks outside of expectations have a far greater impact on migration than unemployment shocks that are within expectations.
A Model Of Tradeable Capital Tax Permits, Timothy P. Hubbard, Justin Svec
A Model Of Tradeable Capital Tax Permits, Timothy P. Hubbard, Justin Svec
Economics Department Working Papers
Standard models of horizontal strategic capital tax competition predict that, in a Nash equilibrium, tax rates are inefficiently low due to externalities - capital infl ow to one state corresponds to capital out ow for another state. Researchers often suggest that the federal government impose Pigouvian taxes to correct for these effects and achieve efficiency. We propose an alternative incentive-based regulation: tradeable capital tax permits. Under this system, the federal government would require a state to hold a permit if it wanted to reduce its capital income tax rate from some pre-determined benchmark. These permits would be tradeable across states. …
Assessing The Infrastructure Impact Of Mega-Events In Emerging Economies, Victor Matheson
Assessing The Infrastructure Impact Of Mega-Events In Emerging Economies, Victor Matheson
Economics Department Working Papers
Developing countries that host mega-events such as the Olympic Games and World Cup invest enormous sums in stadiums and collateral infrastructure projects. The rapid investment in long-lasting physical stocks raises questions of equity and efficiency for national taxpayers and event attendees. This paper reviews several cases of historical and recent mega-events to assess the infrastructure costs, returns on infrastructure investments, and impacts of the events on urban development patterns. It will highlight cases where mega-event investments contributed to long-term economic growth.
Potential Effects Of The Affordable Care Act On The Award Of Life Care Expenses, Joshua Congdon-Hohman, Victor Matheson
Potential Effects Of The Affordable Care Act On The Award Of Life Care Expenses, Joshua Congdon-Hohman, Victor Matheson
Economics Department Working Papers
Plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits are entitled to compensation for future medical expenses. We argue that the “guaranteed issue” and “individual mandate” requirements of the recently passed Affordable Care Act (ACA) will allow victims to address their health needs through the purchase of a simple health insurance plan rather than direct compensation for an itemized list of health care needs. As such, damage awards for health expenditures should be capped at a maximum of $5,950 per year. Furthermore, the role of a life care planner should evolve into determining which life care expenses are covered under covered by the minimum …