The potato's contribution to population and urbanization: evidence from a historical experiment

We exploit regional variation in suitability for cultivating potatoes, together with time variation arising from their introduction to the Old World from the Americas, to estimate the impact of potatoes on Old World population and urbanization. Our results show that the introduction of the potato was responsible for a significant portion of the increase in population and urbanization observed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. According to our most conservative estimates, the introduction of the potato accounts for approximately one-quarter of the growth in Old World population and urbanization between 1700 and 1900. Additional evidence from within-country comparisons of city populations and adult heights also confirms the cross-country findings.     

Tracking the technological composition of industries with algorithmic patent concordances

ABSTRACT

Patents are a useful proxy for innovation, technological change, and diffusion. However, fully exploiting patent data for economic analyses requires linking patents to measures of economic activity, which has proven to be difficult. We construct probabilistic linkages between the U.S. Patent Classification (USPC) system and Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system and industry and product classifications including the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), Harmonized System (HS) and Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). We use these concordances to evaluate the persistence of technology-industry relationships over time by generating linkages over different years of patent data. We find strong persistence in technology usage within industries and, until recently, relatively little change in the technology composition of industries over time. As the technology composition of industries becomes more stable, we find evidence of increased specialization. Finally, we show that industries that exhibit changing technology composition also show shifting occupational composition.     

Economic Freedom and Migration Flows between U.S. States

A modified gravity model is estimated using a cross section of data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau survey of 2000 in order to analyze the impact of economic freedom on gross migration flows among the lower 48 states. Spatial econometric methods are utilized in order to capture spatial effects not detected by distance. In addition, the Economic Freedom of North America Index is decomposed to determine the individual impact of various policies. Results show that states with higher relative economic freedom experience greater migration inflow through its direct impact on income and employment growth. In aggregate, the findings indicate that individuals migrate toward states with relatively higher government consumption expenditures, relatively lower tax burdens, and states with more freedom with respect to labor decisions in the form of less restrictive minimum wages, less concentration of unions, and less dependence on public employment.     

Managing heritage attractions: marketing challenges at sensitive historical sites

Historical sites now feature strongly as sites of visitation. However, such sites are often connected with historical events, which are sensitive to visitors and thus highly contentious when utilised in the development of tourism. The paper, from the perspective of the visitor, examines some of the critical issues that generally determine the nature of visitation at sensitive historical sites. The issues identified are the visitor's emotional state at the site, prior expectations of the site and what is to be learnt and perception of site presentation and interpretation. They also include the primary visitor objective to learn about the site, the ease with which access to the site can be obtained and the existence of social experiences between relevant visitor groups that may be extended to the site. The issues identified place significant challenges on how marketers communicate with potential visitors and other stakeholders of the site and require the marketing function to take cognisance of the different emotional states of visitors. Similarly, the nature of the packaging of the site, the channels of visitor access to be encouraged and how pricing is to be used as a marketing tool in a way that it is appropriate for the different groups of visitors to the site, all present unique marketing challenges. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.