Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Union formation behavior has undergone vast changes over the past twenty-five years in virtually all Western countries. Key components of the change have been the increase in cohabitational unions and the decline in the marriage rate.... more
Union formation behavior has undergone vast changes over the past twenty-five years in virtually all Western countries. Key components of the change have been the increase in cohabitational unions and the decline in the marriage rate. This paper develops an economic model of cohabitational demand based on the standard theory of consumer choice. Regression analysis of U.S. data aggregated at
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Many studies have shown that some rather personal decisions have been influenced by the generosity of a state’s welfare program. Ozawa (1989), Caudill and Mixon (1993), and Clark and Strauss (1998) have all established a positive... more
Many studies have shown that some rather personal decisions have been influenced by the generosity of a state’s welfare program. Ozawa (1989), Caudill and Mixon (1993), and Clark and Strauss (1998) have all established a positive relationship between the level of financial support to unwed mothers and rates of fertility. Of course, having children is the result of having unprotected sexual relations. Such relations can lead to other outcomes besides the birth of a child. Ressler et al. (2005) and Ressler et al. (2006) found a positive link between the generosity of a state’s welfare payments and contraction rates of HIV and other STDs, respectively. Most important to the current research, Leibowitz et al. (1986) as well as Gohmann and Ohsfeldt (1993) found an inverse relationship between welfare support and rates of abortion. In 1996, President Clinton signed into law the “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act” – commonly referred to as Welfare Reform. Prior to this law, welfare was administered under Aid to Families with Dependent Children or AFDC. The welfare reform law introduced a new program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The most significant difference between the two programs is that under TANF a family can receive assistance for a maximum of five years. No such time limit existed under AFDC. The calculus of optimization for welfare recipients changed in the wake of welfare reform. For example, Ressler et al. (2011) demonstrated that the effect of TANF payments on HIV contraction rates is significantly less than that of AFDC payments. The current research attempts to ascertain whether welfare reform also changed abortion behavior. Using statewide data, we attempt to explain differences in rates of abortion as a function of a myriad of explanatory variables including a dichotomous variable indicating the welfare program (AFDC or TANF) in effect.
Research Interests:
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set... more
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set of objectives, commonly identified as “optimal factor employment.” The long run, on the other hand, is depicted as a very different kind of world, in which the firm pursues a different set of objectives, known as “optimal factor combination.” The purpose of this essay is to bring together familiar diagrammatic tools in a way that allows instructors to integrate short-run and long-run principles of factor employment.
Research Interests:
Many factors affect the supply and demand characteristics of artists' output. This explor- atory study focuses on a "supply-induced" demand effect - the death of the artist and the assurance that, from the perspective of the... more
Many factors affect the supply and demand characteristics of artists' output. This explor- atory study focuses on a "supply-induced" demand effect - the death of the artist and the assurance that, from the perspective of the durable goods monopolist, the output of the artist ends. While not purporting to be a formal test of that proposition, we observe, using U.S. auction data, a clustered rise in artists' values immediately around the time of death and suggest some possible demand-side explanations using a sample of Latin American artists between 1977 and 1996.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between universities which house law schools and appropriations per student. Specifically, it is hypothesized that universities with law schools will have higher state appropriations, other... more
ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between universities which house law schools and appropriations per student. Specifically, it is hypothesized that universities with law schools will have higher state appropriations, other things the same, because these universities are likely to have more alumni in the state legislature. This argument is supported by both Ordinary Least Squares and Two Stage Least Squares analysis.
Research Interests:
Clarke and Strauss (1998), among others, have determined that the magnitude of financial transfers to unwed mothers is positively related to out-of-wedlock fertility rates. Increases in fertility rates must be accompanied by increases in... more
Clarke and Strauss (1998), among others, have determined that the magnitude of financial transfers to unwed mothers is positively related to out-of-wedlock fertility rates. Increases in fertility rates must be accompanied by increases in unprotected sex, and unprotected sex ...
Research Interests:
Economists have contributed a great deal of research, both theoretical and empirical, to the study of marital formation and dissolution. Many empirical examinations of marriage and divorce rates exist based on Becker's seminal... more
Economists have contributed a great deal of research, both theoretical and empirical, to the study of marital formation and dissolution. Many empirical examinations of marriage and divorce rates exist based on Becker's seminal contributions to the literature. All of these divorce studies are single equation models, with female earnings assumed exogenous. As discussed by Becker (1981), however, causality may run
Research Interests:
This paper examines empirically the state‐level impact of capital punishment on multiple murder rates for the period 1995‐1999. In baseline tests—tests employing mixed panel data and using an estimation technique combining aspects of both... more
This paper examines empirically the state‐level impact of capital punishment on multiple murder rates for the period 1995‐1999. In baseline tests—tests employing mixed panel data and using an estimation technique combining aspects of both fixed‐ and random‐effects models—we show that executions reduce the single murder rate and that the use of electrocution reduces the murder rate beyond that resulting from lethal injection. These results are not unique. The unique finding of our analysis is that multiple murders are not deterred by execution in any form, quite possibly because the marginal cost of murders after the first is approximately zero. Finally, we offer a brief historical analysis of how the principle of marginal deterrence has been used and suggest how it might be applied in the matter of multiple murders.
Research Interests:
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set... more
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set of objectives, commonly identified as “optimal factor employment.” The long run, on the other hand, is depicted as a very different kind of world, in which the firm pursues a different set of objectives, known as “optimal factor combination.” The purpose of this essay is to bring together familiar diagrammatic tools in a way that allows instructors to integrate short-run and long-run principles of factor employment.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Previous research has studied the effects of welfare payments under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program on incentives and behavior. By lowering the cost of raising children, states with larger welfare payments have... more
Previous research has studied the effects of welfare payments under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program on incentives and behavior. By lowering the cost of raising children, states with larger welfare payments have higher rates of fertility among poor women, an adverse consequence. In previous papers, we concluded that by lowering the cost of unprotected sexual activity, greater welfare payments are associated with higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The restructuring of the welfare system in 1996 transformed AFDC into time limited assistance with an emphasis on work and personal responsibility. We test whether this program (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF) has succeeded in eliminating the adverse incentive structure existing under AFDC. Using GLS and IV estimation procedures on state data from 1993 through 2002, we find that the effect of TANF payments on heterosexual HIV incidence is significantly less than under AFDC.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study explores how rent seeking in the U.S. casino gambling industry relates to unique issues concerning industry structure. To do so, we apply mathematical and graphical approaches from industrial economics to the history of... more
This study explores how rent seeking in the U.S. casino gambling industry relates to unique issues concerning industry structure. To do so, we apply mathematical and graphical approaches from industrial economics to the history of land-based casino gambling in New Orleans, Louisiana, a history that includes public franchising, successive monopoly, vertical separation and integration, and rent seeking costs. Our conceptual approach highlights how local governments can gain advantages over higher forms of government (e.g., state government) in rent seeking contests.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study describes a straightforward classroom exercise that highlights the general tradeoff between the level of economic freedom and economic performance (measures of a population’s well-being) using the Index of Economic Freedom... more
This study describes a straightforward classroom exercise that highlights the general tradeoff between the level of economic freedom and economic performance (measures of a population’s well-being) using the Index of Economic Freedom (IEF) that is published annually by the Heritage Foundation. The classroom exercise focuses on the relationship between economic freedom and economic performance and is amenable to either group or individual effort by way of a brief writing project or oral presentation. The classroom exercise is tailored to both principles of economics students and those in various upper-level economics courses (e.g., comparative economic systems, public choice, and introduction to econometrics).
Research Interests:
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set... more
The microeconomic theory of production is typically presented to undergraduates in a way that leaves many students with a disjointed view of the subject. The short run is described as one kind of world, in which the firm pursues one set of objectives, commonly identified as “optimal factor employment.” The long run, on the other hand, is depicted as a very different kind of world, in which the firm pursues a different set of objectives, known as “optimal factor combination.” The purpose of this essay is to bring together familiar diagrammatic tools in a way that allows instructors to integrate short-run and long-run principles of factor employment.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between universities which house law schools and appropriations per student. Specifically, it is hypothesized that universities with law schools will have higher state appropriations, other... more
ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between universities which house law schools and appropriations per student. Specifically, it is hypothesized that universities with law schools will have higher state appropriations, other things the same, because these universities are likely to have more alumni in the state legislature. This argument is supported by both Ordinary Least Squares and Two Stage Least Squares analysis.
Research Interests:
Page 1. THE DEMAND FOR CIGARETTE SMUGGLING RICHARD P. SABA, T. RANDOLPH BEARD, ROBERT B. EKELUND, JR., and RAND W. RESSLER* When taxes raise thefull price $a good above that in nearby jurisdictions ...
Research Interests:
All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
Research Interests:
Many studies have shown that some rather personal decisions have been influenced by the generosity of a state’s welfare program. Ozawa (1989), Caudill and Mixon (1993), and Clark and Strauss (1998) have all established a positive... more
Many studies have shown that some rather personal decisions have been influenced by the generosity of a state’s welfare program. Ozawa (1989), Caudill and Mixon (1993), and Clark and Strauss (1998) have all established a positive relationship between the level of financial support to unwed mothers and rates of fertility. Of course, having children is the result of having unprotected sexual relations. Such relations can lead to other outcomes besides the birth of a child. Ressler et al. (2005) and Ressler et al. (2006) found a positive link between the generosity of a state’s welfare payments and contraction rates of HIV and other STDs, respectively. Most important to the current research, Leibowitz et al. (1986) as well as Gohmann and Ohsfeldt (1993) found an inverse relationship between welfare support and rates of abortion. In 1996, President Clinton signed into law the “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act” – commonly referred to as Welfare Reform. Prio...
Research Interests:
Given the paucity of undergraduate textbooks in public choice, instructors often look for innovative approaches and unique examples when teaching undergraduate courses in public choice economics. This essay offers a pedagogical vignette... more
Given the paucity of undergraduate textbooks in public choice, instructors often look for innovative approaches and unique examples when teaching undergraduate courses in public choice economics. This essay offers a pedagogical vignette for undergraduate courses in public choice that deals with the technological development in political information represented by “tweeting.” Twitter offers mobile communications services that some representatives use to boost their stock of political reputation capital.
Research Interests:
The Alchian-Allen “effect” occurs when the fixed cost of purchasing a good is altered. Initially fixed costs imposed on consumers of airline flights due to terrorism were low. Coach airfares increased relative to business and first class... more
The Alchian-Allen “effect” occurs when the fixed cost of purchasing a good is altered. Initially fixed costs imposed on consumers of airline flights due to terrorism were low. Coach airfares increased relative to business and first class fares due to security costs. Since air fares are flexible, the ratio of coach fares to business or first class fares should fall. Using quarterly fare data for the period 1995-2005 from DOT’s Database 1B, analysis shows a significant effect on relative shares of air travel. The sign of the effect is negative indicating that first class declined relative to coach travel
Research Interests:
Previous research has studied the effects of welfare payments under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program on incentives and behavior. By lowering the cost of raising children, states with larger welfare payments have... more
Previous research has studied the effects of welfare payments under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program on incentives and behavior. By lowering the cost of raising children, states with larger welfare payments have higher rates of fertility among poor women, an adverse consequence. In previous papers, we concluded that by lowering the cost of unprotected sexual activity, greater welfare payments are associated with higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The restructuring of the welfare system in 1996 transformed AFDC into time limited assistance with an emphasis on work and personal responsibility. We test whether this program (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF) has succeeded in eliminating the adverse incentive structure existing under AFDC. Using GLS and IV estimation procedures on state data from 1993 through 2002, we find that the effect of TANF payments on heterosexual HIV incidence is significantly less than under AFDC.
Research Interests:
Many factors affect the supply and demand characteristics of artists' output. This explor- atory study focuses on a "supply-induced" demand effect - the death of the artist and the assurance that, from the perspective of the... more
Many factors affect the supply and demand characteristics of artists' output. This explor- atory study focuses on a "supply-induced" demand effect - the death of the artist and the assurance that, from the perspective of the durable goods monopolist, the output of the artist ends. While not purporting to be a formal test of that proposition, we observe, using U.S. auction data, a clustered rise in artists' values immediately around the time of death and suggest some possible demand-side explanations using a sample of Latin American artists between 1977 and 1996.
Economists have long studied the determinants and effects of income transfers. This article examines an indirect effect of welfare payments on participating individuals: an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted disease... more
Economists have long studied the determinants and effects of income transfers. This article examines an indirect effect of welfare payments on participating individuals: an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted disease (<link rid="b4">STD</link>) rates. Copyright 2006 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc..
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the factors affecting COVID-19 mortality.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical model is developed in which the mortality rate per million is the dependent variable, and life expectancy at... more
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the factors affecting COVID-19 mortality.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical model is developed in which the mortality rate per million is the dependent variable, and life expectancy at birth, physician density, education, obesity, proportion of population over the age of 65, urbanization (population density) and per capita income are explanatory variables. Crosscountry data from 184 countries are used to estimate the quantile regression that is employed.FindingsThe estimated results suggest that obesity, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 and urbanization have a positive and statistically significant effect on COVID-19 mortality. Not surprisingly, per capita income has a negative and statistically significant effect on COVID-19 death rate.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on the COVID-19 mortality data from June 2020, which have constantly being changed. What data reveal today may be different after...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Review of Industrial Organization 17: 465470, 2000. © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. ... A Note on Elasticity and Price Dispersions in the ... FRANKLIN G. MIXON, JR.⋆ Department of Economics and... more
Review of Industrial Organization 17: 465470, 2000. © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. ... A Note on Elasticity and Price Dispersions in the ... FRANKLIN G. MIXON, JR.⋆ Department of Economics and International Business, The University of ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... Advertising: Evidence from the US Senate Franklin G. Mixon, Jr.,* Rand W. Ressler,t and M. Troy GibsonJ ... Table 2 also presents versions of Ramsey's RESET, which is a general test for specification errors (Ramsey 1969; Ramsey... more
... Advertising: Evidence from the US Senate Franklin G. Mixon, Jr.,* Rand W. Ressler,t and M. Troy GibsonJ ... Table 2 also presents versions of Ramsey's RESET, which is a general test for specification errors (Ramsey 1969; Ramsey and Gilbert 1972). ...
Research Interests: Economics and Legislation
Research Interests:
... By calculating an athletic success elasticity coefficient, potential 'net' tuition revenue increases for universities can be measured. Upon performing such tests, the monetary aspects of athletic success (within university... more
... By calculating an athletic success elasticity coefficient, potential 'net' tuition revenue increases for universities can be measured. Upon performing such tests, the monetary aspects of athletic success (within university coffers) is added to the continuum of studies that point out the ...