Is There a Winning Formula for Union Organizing?

Between 1995 and 2004, Kate Bronfenbrenner wrote several studies arguing that union organizing would be more successful if certain tactics were used. Bronfenbrenner’s methodology seemed unassailable and her opinions were influential among union leaders, but organizing outcomes did not improve. To understand why, this study asked highly successful union organizers for their views. Their responses point to an entirely different conceptualization of the organizing process. Rather than follow a certain recipe, respondents saw their first priority as building relationships of trust with workers. Then, organizers and workers together could develop tactics tailored to the particular situation. If organizing success most requires relation-building skills and creativity, then it is more important for unions to hire the right organizers than to employ a given tactical formula.     

Is There a Natural Rate of Crime?

Studies in the economics of crime literature have reached mixed conclusions on the deterrence hypothesis. One explanation that has been offered for the failure to find evidence of a deterrent effect in the long run is the natural rate of crime. This article applies univariate unit root tests to crime series for the United Kingdom and United States and panel unit roots to crime rates for a panel of G7 countries to examine whether there is a natural rate of crime. Our main finding is that when we allow for two structural breaks in the univariate unit root test and a structural break in the panel data unit root test, there is strong evidence of a natural rate of crime. The policy implications of our findings is that governments should focus on altering the economic and social structural profile that determines crime in the long run rather than increasing expenditure on law enforcement that will at best reduce crime rates in the short run.     

Introduction to “The Dual-Agency Problem of Labor Union Pension Fund Shareholder Activism”

Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal -     

Introduction to “Breaking New Ground: Social Movement Theory and the Cincinnati Union Co-ops”

Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal -     

Is there a third way to EMU for the EU accession countries?

The actual mainstream view of academics emphasizes the so-called “two-corner solution” with either completely fixed or independently floating exchange rates. We will argue in this paper that the requirements for fixed rates are rather too restrictive to be successful. On the other hand, the advantage of an independent float is only valid for small open economies under the assumption of exchange rate movements closely related to movements in the fundamentals. We suggest as a “third way”, a strategy of flexible exchange rate targeting where central banks simultaneously manage interest rates and exchange rates in a way that guarantees both the achievement of domestic macroeconomic objectives and an equilibrium on the international financial markets.     

Is there a case for higher inflation targets?

In recent years several observers have suggested that higher inflation targets might be economically beneficial. We examine the case for this, but find it unconvincing. There has been a large fall in the risk premia embedded in government bond yields over the past 25 years. Higher inflation targets would risk reversing some of these gains. We also doubt that higher inflation targets would yield the additional policy flexibility that is sometimes claimed. Nevertheless, we do detect a shift by central banks over recent years towards more tolerance of inflation risks at the margin – as seen in the adoption of ‘forward guidance’ and more ‘flexible’ inflation targeting.     

Challenging The Spirit Level: Is There Really a Relationship between Inequality and Obesity?

This paper examines the proposition, set out in The Spirit Level, that inequality is associated with high levels of obesity. It reviews existing literature and uses British Household Panel Survey data to study how district‐level and regional‐level income inequality is related to obesity in the UK. This is likely to be the first study of its type that uses individual‐level data that is representative of the UK population. We find little evidence to support policies that reduce income inequality with the aim of reducing obesity levels in the UK.     

Is entrepreneurship a virtue?

Entrepreneurship is rarely (if ever) discussed by virtue ethicists. And economists analysing entrepreneurship have rarely described it as a virtue. Entrepreneurship is indeed a virtue and the entrepreneur can be seen as the creative counterpart of Aristotle's ‘Magnificent Man’, the virtuous possessor of wealth. But entrepreneurship is also a virtue for anyone who is economically active. By reviewing analyses of entrepreneurship by economists such as Cantillon, Schumpeter, Knight, Baumol, Kirzner and Casson, particular features of entrepreneurial practice are identified from which characteristic virtues (and vices) are isolated and analysed. The characteristic features of the vicious Entrepreneur (or crooked businessman) are also described.