Search results

This paper provides estimates on the determinants of the per capita demand for membership in the United States Chess Federation (USCF) from 1946–1990. The USCF is the principal body in this country which promotes and sponsors chess activities. The empirical results confirm not only hypotheses derived from the law of demand concerning the effects from price, income, taste changes, and efforts by the USCF to increase membership, but also implications from allocation of time decisions concerning work-leisure tradeoffs. ( JEL – ZIO, D12)

Abstract. The effect of intercollegiate athletics on alumni contributions to the academic endowment of an institution is analyzed empirically. Using time series data from a representative National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I university, a contribution function is estimated which incorporates various measures of success in the major sports programs. After controlling for the population of alumni, student enrollment, state appropriations, and per capita income, the results indicate that contributions are positively related to the overall winning percentage of the intercollegiate sports program. Post season play is not found to be a significant determinant of donations to academics while television appearances are positively related to contributions. The results also suggest that sanctions imposed by the NCAA for rules violation may slightly reduce contributions to academics.

Brand-to-generic drug therapeutic substitution effects on patient health is an important health policy issue. State pharmacy drug product selection (DPS) laws allow pharmacists to more easily switch prescriptions from brand-to-generic drugs. This research measures the effects of DPS laws on statin-patient generic-to-branded drug switch-backs, this being a potential indicator of clinical failure from the initial brand-to-generic substitution. Anonymized patient-level data from 2006–2008 were analyzed on statin drug utilization patterns for 397,111 U.S. patients. Logistic regression results on DPS and non-DPS variables show effects on switch-backs in a manner consistent with implications from a principal-agent framework in healthcare. DPS laws should be reviewed to ensure that drugs dispensed by pharmacists are those intended by physicians and in the best health interests of patients.

Qualitative choice models applied to the analysis of a 1983 US Senate roll call vote on a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion reveal that votes were predicted according to their ideological position on this issue. In addition, a senator's religious affiliation exhibited a significant effect on voting, suggesting that senators are significantly influenced by their own beliefs on abortion as well as by their constituents' interests. 1 Table, 42 References. Adapted from the source document.