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2008

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Institution
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Articles 31 - 34 of 34

Full-Text Articles in Other Economics

Can Manipulators Mislead Prediction Market Observers?, Ryan Oprea, David Porter, Chris Hibbert, Robin Hanson, Dorina Tila Jan 2008

Can Manipulators Mislead Prediction Market Observers?, Ryan Oprea, David Porter, Chris Hibbert, Robin Hanson, Dorina Tila

ESI Working Papers

We study experimental markets where privately informed traders exchange simple assets, and where uninformed third parties are asked to forecast the values of these assets, guided only by market prices. Although prices only partially aggregate information, they signicantly improve the forecasts of third parties. In a second treatment, a portion of traders are given preferences over the forecasts made by observers. Although we find evidence that these traders attempt to manipulate prices in order to influence the beliefs of observers, we find no evidence that observers make less accurate forecasts as a result.


Who Should Own The Air?: A Closer Look At Smoking Bans, Stacy Mcmullen Jan 2008

Who Should Own The Air?: A Closer Look At Smoking Bans, Stacy Mcmullen

Honors Program Theses

Smoking bans result from public health concerns. There are well over 70,000 articles in peer-reviewed journals that link smoking with various health problems [Chaloupka et al. 2004-2005, 2]. There are also a number of states currently debating statewide bans. Are statewide smoking bans the answer to the tobacco problem or are they simply an example of excessive paternalism? The purpose of this paper is to examine the two sides of the argument and determine whether policymakers should implement smoking bans. It will show that, in the end, nonsmokers should own the air, and smoking bans should be implemented to protect …


Adam Smith And Consumerism's Role In Happiness: Modern Society Reexamined, Michael Busch Jan 2008

Adam Smith And Consumerism's Role In Happiness: Modern Society Reexamined, Michael Busch

Honors Program Theses

In modern America, consumerism has encouraged people to seek happiness through constantly expansion of their material standard of living. Consumerism has led to a growth of status consumption and .want-creation, both of which increase consumption without contributing to happiness. Adam Smith observed that lasting happiness is found in tranquility as opposed to consumption. In their quest for more consumption, people have forgotten about the three virtues Smith observed that best provide for a tranquil lifestyle and overall social well-being. Applying the virtues to modern society may decrease overall consumption but will lead to a more satisfied life.


Microcredit In Developing Countries: Evaluating Programs For Poverty Alleviation, Kelly Sue Nessa Jan 2008

Microcredit In Developing Countries: Evaluating Programs For Poverty Alleviation, Kelly Sue Nessa

Honors Program Theses

There is no question that poverty is a devastating problem in our world today; the UN estimates 34,000 children and 16,000 adults die each day from hunger or preventable diseases with poverty-related causes, totaling more than 18 million a year (Riddell, 2007). One way that poverty is exacerbated is through the inaccessibility of credit to the poor (Todaro, 2006). Microcredit/microfinance has become a popular way of addressing this problem, and this affects a great percentage of the world population that is impoverished. Therefore, a true evaluation of the benefits and downfalls of this economic tool should be addressed. The purpose …