Suchergebnisse

Empirical research suggests that the cognitively able are politically more influential than the less able, by being more likely to vote and to assume leadership positions. This study asks whether this pattern matters for public policy by investigating what role a person's cognitive ability plays in determining his preferences for redistribution of income among citizens in society. To answer this question, we use a unique Swedish data set that matches responses to a tailor-made questionnaire to administrative tax records and to military enlistment records for men, with the latter containing a measure of cognitive ability. On a scale of 0 to 100 percent redistribution, a one-standard-deviation increase in cognitive ability reduces the willingness to redistribute by 5 percentage points, or by the same amount as a $35,000 increase in mean annual income. We find support for two channels mediating this economically strong and statistically significant relation. First, higher ability is associated with higher income. Second, ability is positively correlated with the view that economic success is the result of effort, rather than luck. Both these factors are, in turn, related to lower demand for redistribution ; Financial support for this project is gratefully acknowledged from: the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation (http://ragnarsoderbergsstiftelse.se/, grant number: E56-10), Kungliga VetenskapsAkademin (http://www.kva.se/, grant number: FOA10H-172) and the Lab for Economics Applications and Policy at Harvard (http://leap.fas.harvard.edu/, grant number: 370 31890 017599 619701 0012 50963). Publication of this article was funded in part by the George Mason University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

We estimate a spatial model of liquor demand to analyze the impact of government-controlled retailing on entry patterns. In the absence of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, the state would have roughly 2.5 times the current number of stores, higher consumer surplus, and lower payments to liquor store employees. With just over half the number of stores that would maximize welfare, the government system is instead best rationalized as profit maximization with profit sharing. Government operation mitigates, but does not eliminate, free entry's bias against rural consumers. We find only limited evidence of political influence on entry. (JEL D42, D72, L11, L12, L43, L81)

We use data from highway procurement auctions subject to California's Small Business Preference program to study the effect of bid preferences on auction outcomes. Our analysis is based on an estimated model of firms' bidding and participation decisions, which allows us to evaluate the effects of current and alternative policy designs. We show that incorporating participation responses significantly alters the assessment of preferential treatment policies. (JEL D44, H76, R42)

Obwohl die Maske das Gesicht bedeckt, ist sie dennoch vorwiegend ein Mittel menschlicher Kommunikation. Das Katalogbuch will europäischen 'Maskengebrauch' zwischen Repräsentation, Spott und Schutz thematisieren. Gezeigt werden neben Fasnachtsmasken etwa Künstlermasken, historische Theater-, Gesellschafts- und Schandmasken aber auch Masken aus Arbeit, Film, Sport, Medizin bis hin zu Objekten aus der Asservatenkammer der Karlsruher Staatsanwaltschaft. Als Ergänzung werden verschiedene Kostümensembles präsentiert. Über 150 Objekte beschreiben etwa 2000 Jahre Umgang mit Masken und Kostümen in Mitteleuropa, beginnend mit einer Theatermaske aus dem römischen Ladenburg bis zu heutigen Halloween-Masken, die als Saisonware in jeder Fußgängerzone zu finden sind.