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In theory, not-for-profit organizations will be characterized by higher production costs per unit of output than for-profit producers of otherwise-identical goods/services, since profit maximization implies cost minimization per unit of output; breaking even does not imply cost minimization and, indeed, may imply inflated costs. We explore the empirical validity of this hypothesis in the context of higher education. Using 1996 data, we estimate multiproduct cost functions for 1,450 public, 1,316 private, not-for-profit, and 176 private, for-profit institutions of higher education in the United States. We fail to find a statistically significant difference between for-profit and not-for-profit private providers, but do find a statistically significant difference between private, not-for-profit institutions and public institutions.

We investigate empirically the importance of a conjectured linkage between economic conditions and increasing party divergence with respect to national-level environmental policy in the US. Using data from 1970-2008, we find that increases in the rate of unemployment are associated with increases in divergence between the two parties with respect to voting on environmental legislation; a result that is consistent for both the House and Senate. We also report evidence of a positive relationship between party divergence on environmental legislation and real per capita income (inflation) in the House (Senate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which analyzes the impact of tree shade on electricity consumption in the U.S. The study was administered by comparing the electricity consumption of two identical buildings with the same temperature and located in different shade conditions using regression model. The study reveals that shade from trees helps lower inside temperature and power consumption since trees serves as a natural complement to artificial air-conditioning.

We examine the impact of hunting and fishing on rankings in NatureServe’s 2005 “at-risk” list using 24,291 observations on individual vertebrate animal species for 47 states (we omit Alaska, Hawaii, and Missouri). We use 1) a probit analysis of the binary “at-risk” designation and 2) an ordered probit analysis of the five categories of endangerment. We control for species type (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and turtles), population density, farming area, forest cover, coastline existence, endemism, and per capita income. We find that states with higher hunting and fishing participation (or higher per capita expenditures) have fewer “at-risk” species. States with larger per capita big game spending have fewer “at-risk” non–big game species. States with larger wildlife agency budgets have fewer endangered species.( JEL Q57) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed data for 39 states to identify factors that influence sales of wildlife-related specialty license plates. Wildlife plate sales were not statistically influenced by specialty plate price, the number of other specialty plates available, or the requirement to display two plates. There was some evidence that sales of wildlife plates are positively related to per capita income. In addition, sales of wildlife plates appeared to be influenced positively by the percent of individuals who engage in wildlife-related recreation. We failed to observe strong ethnicity impacts on sales of wildlife plates, but did find consistent evidence that wildlife plate sales were related negatively to the percentage of the population in the 18-24 age range. Finally, there was evidence that sales of wildlife plates are significantly higher in the South than elsewhere in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine the impact of environmental and political variables on two measures of species imperilment across 49 U.S. states: the fraction of all species in a state identified by NatureServe as being "at-risk" of extinction, and the fraction of species in a state listed under the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (FWS) Endangered Species Act (ESA). A highly significant determinant of both measures is the fraction of species endemic to the state. Population growth increases the at-risk measure, hut not the ESA listings. There is a significant concern for plant imperilment by NatureServe, but not by the FWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the costs of regulation are borne by individuals outside of their political jurisdiction, an elected politician arguably will vote in favor of socially costly regulations because from his/her narrow perspective even small marginal benefits outweigh zero marginal costs. Our empirical analysis of the environmental voting records of U.S. Senators from 1991 to 2002 reveals a pronounced tendency for Senators to vote against (in favor of) environmental bills that impose costs in their (other) states. The straightforward implication is that elected politicians overgraze the regulatory pasture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a public choice analysis of endangered species listings in the U.S. Listing under the Endangered Species Act; Political consideration in the listing

Assesses whether students who transfer into undergraduate forestry programs perform better as well as students who enter these programs as freshmen. Assessment of a bachelor of science graduates at Auburn University's forestry program in Alabama; Advice for recruitment efforts to consider applicants' entrance tests.

Focuses on specific political and economic structures in the U.S. and Brazil that promoted or restricted the establishment of domestic mercantilism in those economies. Economic history of the nations; Relative factor endowments; Role of institutions in economic conditions.

Presents information on a study which examined the evidence of 'home grown-ness' in politics using precinct-level data from the 1998 election for the third congressional district in Alabama. Mechanisms used by voters to minimize the expected agency costs associated with representative government; Information on the 1998 election for the third congressional district in Alabama; Model, data and findings; Conclusions.

Investigates the intergenerational wealth transfer among politicians in the U.S. Mitigation of the structure of politics against occupational following; Legacy of the restrictions of sons on electoral jurisdictions; Impact of politician father on the political career of the son.

Presents a reply on the comment made by professor Otis W. Gilley on economics departments ranking in the U.S. made by the author. Variance of productivity in graduates; Derivation of faculty productivity; Type of criticism applicable to the rankings of economics departments; Fact that noneconomics department graduates as well as economics department graduates are well schooled enough to subsequently produce publishable research.

Looks at the first attempts to empirically verify and quantify the alleged social waste due to rent-seeking in the U.S. Overview of the theoretical trade-off between investment in socially unproductive rent-seeking and socially productive profit-seeking behavior; Evidence of rent-seeking and economic well-being; Factors that constitute measures of real economic activity over time in the economy.

Analyzes the geographic distribution of federal funds in the U.S. for fiscal year 1981. Categories of information collected by the U.S. House Information Services on federal expenditures; Potential explanations for the observed inequality in the flow of federal funds; Statistical relationship between the dollar amount of federal funds spent in each specific congressional district.

Provides information on the public funds reduction measures implemented by officers in the U.S. as of 1984. Authority of administrative agency heads in deciding on employee layoffs; Agencies which show increases in employment during budgetary reductions; Comparison of reduction measures between 1982 and 1984.

It has been observed from various experiences of many academic colleagues that transfer students who take micro and macro "Principles of Economics," from community colleges perform worse in upper-division economics classes than students who take the principles courses at the four-year institution. By state law many, if not most, of the four-year state colleges and universities in the United States are required to admit transfer students from community colleges in their state, without requiring that they take the Standard Achievement Test, which is a normal requirement of non-transfer applicants. If there were a quality-of-instruction difference between community colleges and four-year colleges and universities, students would be well advised to adjust accordingly in their decision to attend one type of educational institution or the other. In addition, the registrars of four-year colleges and universities might want to reconsider the policy of accepting transfer credit from community colleges. Obviously, these are significant implications that should not be acted upon unless and until our findings are substantiated by subsequent researchers.

Potential purchasers "demand" advertising as one means of reducing the time-price of consumption; sellers respond by "supplying'' advertising qua information. This simple theory, as presented by Ehrlich and Fisher (1982) and Nelson (1974) implies that advertising behavior of sellers can be predicted based upon characteristics of buyers. In this paper I find that signalling in the Yellow Pages occurs to a greater extent in the relatively mobile Washington, D.C area than in the more stable Baltimore, MD area where consumers develop alternative sources of product/vendor-related information. Also, high-price, infrequently purchased items are signalled more heavily than low-price, frequently purchased items [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details resource expenditures on nonexchange, noncharity transfer activity in the United States in 1985 Expenditures designed to facilitate and inhibit nonexchange transfers, executed privately or through the state, are reported The numbers indicate that individuals plausibly invested nearly a trillion dollars in transfer activity that year Nominal GNP in 1985 was just over $4 trillion, which includes numerous transfer-related resource investments that arguably should be subtracted out Transfer activity thus apparently constitutes a much larger fraction of all economic activity conducted on the United States than previously recognized [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the concept of occupational inheritance in U.S. agriculture. Result of an examination of inter- and intragenerational occupational mobility in the U.S. farming sector in 1962; Ways in which human capital skills required for survival in any occupation may be acquired; Key issues in occupational inheritance in farming.

The article responds to an article in the current 2007 issue which is critical of the authors' earlier publication in the journal. The authors agree that populations of most states are growing, that cities are sprawling, and that species around growing cities may be imperiled by urban population growth and expansion. To do an actual experiment using cities with a control would be unrealistic. The statistical findings of the authors was that there was no evidence that spatial-distribution aspects of sprawl are ecologically relevant, but that human population growth was the primary cause of species imperilment in the U.S.

Replies to comments of Michael L. Marlow on a paper which examined the success of U.S. President Ronald Reagan at decreasing the size and scope of the federal Leviathon. Argument presented by Marlow concerning actual and proposed budget reductions; Failure of Marlow to come to grips with the response of agency heads to reductions in budget allocations.

The authors reflect on the suggestion to make the idea of sustainability actualized in the U.S. They cite the United Nations Brundtland Commission Report which says that development is sustainable if it meets the demand of the present without jeopardizing the need of the future generation. They mention that sacrifice is needed for sustainability to be realized. They note that sustainability means to decrease the usage of timber, petroleum and other natural resources.

The article analyzes the responses of respondents to a public opinion poll about the implications of attitudes about children learning to hunt for game management. The poll reveals that the changing deer population dynamics combined with changing patterns of human hunting may create conditions that make management of deer populations in the U.S. by the traditional means of public sector licensing of citizen hunters increasingly ineffective in a number of states. Factors that contribute to the decline population of hunters in the country are mentioned.

The article focuses on a study that estimated a multi-product cost function for public institutions of higher education in the U.S. in relation to the provision of extension services. It discovered evidence of significant economies of scale with respect to the provision of such services. The report recommends the shifting of the provision of extension services from the largest institutions to smaller ones to improve cost-effectiveness.

Using the Environmental Scorecard ratings of Congressmen and Senators published annually by the League of Conservation Voters, we explore empirically whether political support for pro-environment legislation, aggregated across each legislative body, is sensitive over time to changing economic conditions — that is, whether there is a political trade-off between economic conditions and the environment. Using LCV scorecard ratings from 1970 to 2008, we find evidence, consistent across both the House and Senate, that political support for the environment is related to per capita income, but this general tendency can be decomposed into sharp differences by party. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]