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It is disputed whether energy consumption is necessarily related to economic output. It must at least be recognized that energy consumption per capita has risen with development. In the US, transportation energy consumption per unit of national output is considerably higher than in European nations, due largely to low population densities & to passenger travel. In particular, gasoline use has been limited by excise taxes in Europe, while subsidies for automobiles have been provided by US policies. The residential & commercial sectors of the US economy use more energy than those of the European economies, due to differences in heating & lighting practices. In manufacturing & power generation, the US is a little less efficient than other nations, & its inefficiencies are due to the need to supply its other sectors. The correlation of energy use with economic productivity is not rigid; it is possible that the US could become substantially more efficient by learning from the European countries. 2 Tables. W. H. Stoddard.

Does a disadvantaged candidate always choose an extremist program? When does a less competent candidate have an incentive to move to extreme positions in order to differentiate himself from the more competent candidate? If the answer to these questions were positive, as suggested in recent work (Ansolabehere and Snyder (2000), Aragones and Palfrey (2002), Groseclose (1999), and Aragones and Palfrey (2003)), this would mean that extremist candidates are bad politicians. We consider a two candidates electoral competition over public consumption, with a two dimensional policy space and two dimensions of candidates heterogeneity. In this setting, we show that the conclusion depends on candidates relative competences over the two public goods and distinguish between two types of advantages (an absolute advantage and comparative advantage in providing the two public goods).

The detrimental effects of alcohol consumption have been the subject of numerous research works from various fields, particularly due to its social impact. As part of public policy, alcohol consumption has frequently been included in national and supranational agendas and eliciting many research studies, reports and consumption reduction strategies. World Health Organization statistics-based reports name European countries as having among the highest levels of alcohol consumption and, while the reduction of it is a stated European Union policy-making objective, the conclusions of the studies are not easily discernible, and the practical results achieved so far, not that effective. In a world of abundance, excessive alcohol consumption remains a rather elusive problem of public policy, due to the complexity of its interactions with all of the biological, psychological and social environments. Many studies so far suggest that the right policy may not be complete abstinence, but rather an approach based on a responsible level of consumption.

The costs of smoking are extensive, not only in fiscal terms but also in terms of human suffering. A review of several major public policies reveals that concerted efforts by all levels of government and by the public can have an effect on the rate of consumption of tobacco. Specifically, increases in price through taxation, anti-smoking messages, restrictions on smoking behaviour and increased public pressure are effective in reducing smoking. Serious joint efforts in the area of public policy should be pursued to control the effects of this hazardous practice in Canada.

Consumer critique stretches back almost to the beginning of the consumer society itself, including Veblen's (1899) analysis of consumption for display among the nouveau riche, Adorno and Horkheimer (1944), who argued that consumers are trapped and manipulated by the capitalist system, and Galbraith (1958), who claimed, among other things, that producers create artificial desires that do not contribute to the well-being of consumers (Schor 2007). In recent decades, much of the consumer critique has also incorporated an ecological dimension. Jackson (2009) and others have argued that continued growth in global consumption is incompatible with sustainable development and that changes in values and priorities are required to tackle society's longterm challenges.

The Meanings of Consumption -- An Aspiration for All the World: Championing Individual Freedom of Choice -- The System: Capitalist Consumerism -- Private Choices, Public Problems -- The Shopocalypse -- Consumption, Power, and Liberation -- Shopping Police.

Policymakers often seek to limit energy prices following market shocks, and instead issue public appeals to reduce demand. This article presents new evidence on how price changes and conservation appeals affect energy consumption, using household‐level data from California's energy crisis during 2000 and 2001. The evidence indicates that when policymakers cap energy prices following market shocks, they preclude substantial—and quite rapid—reductions in energy use. The data also reveal that conservation appeals and informational programs can produce sustained reductions in energy demand.

This paper shows that the public provision of private goods may be justified on pure efficiency grounds in an environment where individuals have relative consumption concerns. By providing private goods, governments directly intervene in the consumption structure, and thereby have an instrument to correct for the excessive consumption of positional goods. We identify sufficient conditions when the public provision of private goods is always Pareto-improving, even when (linear) consumption taxes are available. In fact, with the public provision of private goods, there are cases where first-best allocations can be achieved, and a luxury tax on the positional good is redundant.