The impact of a trade embargo on quality

A trade embargo is a common way to punish a country. The question I ask is what effect does an embargo have on an imperfectly competitive market? I extend the standard quality duopoly model to show that if the embargo is on the high quality good the quality diminishes and causes an ambiguous effect on prices. An embargo on the low quality good raises the quality of the better good and increases both firm's price.punishment

Queuing up for justice : elections and case backlogs

We analyze the impact of prosecutor elections on case backlogs. Previous evidence has shown that re-election pressures result in more cases going to trial. Since trials require time and resources, one can expect an effect on the queue. Two competing theories are developed: one of signaling quality in an asymmetric information environment and one of effort exertion, each of which can explain increased trials before election, but differ in their predictions regarding the impact on backlogs. A district-level, panel data set of caseload flows in North Carolina is analyzed. Evidence is presented that contested re-elections are associated with a decrease in the number of cases handled and an acceleration of the growth of the backlog. This suggests that retention concerns lead to signaling which causes distortions, re-allocating resources from disposing cases to prosecuting cases at trial

Ranked Choice Voting in Mayoral Elections

Numerous cities across the U.S. have recently switched to ranked choice voting in their local mayoral elections. Proponents argue that, by allowing voters to fully express their preferences over the candidates, voter satisfaction and, ultimately, turnout will improve. Opponents are concerned over the number of candidates who enter the race, as it increases the chances of someone only supported by a minority taking office. To date, there has not been an empirical analysis of ranked choice voting’s effects. First, using the Synthetic Control Method on three large U.S. cities who switched relatively recently, I explore the voting rule’s causal impact. I show that the voting rule does not lead to a noticeable change in voter turnout, but does dramatically increase the number of candidates who compete. Second, I explore the public finance consequences comparing budgets of both these three cities to their synthetics and exploiting a panel data set of municipal budgets, which allows me to include additional treated cities. I provide evidence that budget deficits grow after its implementation. Evidence indicates that the increased spending occurs in public welfare programs

Replacement Referees and NFL Betting Markets

Are betting markets efficient? The 2012 labor dispute between the NFL and the referees is used as a quasi-experiment to assess whether the betting markets are able to achieve accurate “prices” in an uncertain environment. More points were scored and underdogs performed relatively better resulting in upsets and closer-than-expected games. Betting markets, though, were unable to anticipate or adjust to this systematic effect even though irregularities in gambling markets were reported before the beginning of the season. Not only were they inefficient, but profitable betting strategies can be identified

From folk culture to modern British

A Folk Art revival is quietly inspiring artists and illustrators, but as De s McCannon discovers, Folk Art means more than drawing owls or men with beards. It has nothing to do with extreme right wing politics. The illustrators currently inspired by Folk Art are not only reshaping their idea of illustration, they are rethinking ideas of natio

Homemakers Alias Families and Consumers

An apple is an apple is an apple—to paraphrase Gertrude Stein in her statement about a rose. Maybe you think an apple is an apple, too. That it\u27s refreshing to eat and gives you good food value for the money. But that\u27s not necessarily the way the HOMEMAKER audience sees it

The Rural Adult: A Portrait of Characteristics, Needs and Styles

Early studies of rural adult learners suggested that most rural adults were interested only in recreational or avocational learning. A recent study which analyzed both regional and national demographic data suggests otherwise. This study provides us with a clearer picture of the learning needs and characteristics of rural adult learners

Leadership and Motivation for Public Goods Contributions

Results from a leader-follower public goods game are presented. An individual, when randomly-selected to make a contribution knowing that others will observe the selection, gives more than one does in the simultaneous-move public goods game. Followers adopt a quasi-matching strategy where they systematically donate less than the leader, but contribute more when the leader does and contribute less when the leader free rides. The net result is increased provision of a public good when contributions are sequential. The results highlight that psychological preferences, rather than solely social preferences, can explain behavior