We investigate whether religion acts as a deterrent to the types of mortgage misrepresentation that played a significant role in the recent housing boom and bust. Using a large sample of mortgages originated from 2000 to 2007, we provide evidence that local religious adherence (religiosity) is...

The inelastic supply of land suggests that taxation of land might be neutral. Feldstein (1977) suggests otherwise, in that taxation reduces risk, and this may raise demand among risk-averse lenders. We simulate the effect of this demand increase and find that the impact in the aggregate is...

The subsidization of homeownership is justified on efficiency grounds only to the extent that it provides benefits to people other than the homeowner. We use the clustered neighborhoods subsample in the American Housing Survey to measure that benefit in the form of higher housing prices in...

This paper argues that learning is a natural social process that leads to the construction of meaning, which involves the creation of experiences of coherence, purpose, identity and competence. Learning that yields a coherent social context, a worthy or compelling purpose, a strong, integrated...