Lott (2009) finds that nonvoted ballot rates for down-ballot races are greater than those for presidential races, and newer technologies that reduce nonvoted presidential ballots create even greater rates of nonvoting down-ballot than the same older voting technologies. The conclusion is...

Purpose – In a relatively new and interesting study, a new theory was offered to explain events surrounding the Salem witch trials of 1692. According to the author of that study (Carlson), the behavior of the accusers can be explained by an outbreak of encephalitis. The purpose of this paper...

This study examines beauty and its effect on real estate agents’ wages. We develop a model of beauty and real estate agent wages, performing empirical tests of the theory. We apply Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) methodology to a combined data set that includes multiple listing service data and...

Breton and Wintrobe (1982) develop a non-traditional (modern) model of bureaucratic management that is based on the notion of “vertical trust†– the notion that subordinates “trade services†that advance the goals of the bureau''s leadership in return for various...

We examine the effect of an unannounced information event, Hurricane Katrina, on the liquidity of the residential real estate market in an area proximately located to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Using 2SLS and Weibull techniques applied to a unique MLS data set, we test changes in liquidity in a...

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to determine if banks that solved the Y2K problem early created value for their shareholders. Design/methodology/approach -The method of analysis is an event study. Findings - The primary finding of the analysis is that solving the Y2K problem did not create...

The purpose of the present study is to test the hypothesis alluded to by Tullock, within the context of defensive rent-seeking efforts developed by others (e.g. McChesney). Here, we test the idea that defensive rent seeking efforts (or rent-defending) to maintain the status quo augment offensive...

This study focuses on the effect on real estate prices of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.  Based on previous studies on the effects of water contamination on real estate, it is likely that this oil spill, which was not capped for three months, had a drastic effect on real estate...

Diamonds are generally evaluated on the basis of sensory characteristics, such as carat (weight), colour, clarity and cut. However, given the experience goods nature of diamonds, few consumers grasp how the sensory characteristics of these stones are evaluated by the gemological grading...