Since its publication in 1985 Paul David's "Economics of 'QWERTY"' has provided a paradigm case for the understanding and application of path-dependent processes in economics, some of which have been identified as yielding sub-optimal outcomes. The accuracy and relevance of this case, and this...

Increasing attention has been given in recent years to the valuation of reliability in the supply of electricity. It is peculiar in the use of the terms that the value of reliability is equivalent to the cost of unreliability. In attempting to identify and measure this cost, researchers have...

What do we mean when we say action is possible in disequilibrium? If we adopt Hayek's approach to equilibrium, we must mean that we can act in a world where the plans that motivate and define those actions are not mutually compatible. This is hardly controversial. After all, the market process...

Part one of this paper considers the question of property rights in general and asks how such rights can be justified, contrasting Consequentialist with other approaches and concludes that it is impossible to avoid a broadly Consequentialist approach. Part two considers the question of...

This paper critically considers the neoclassical social-cost approach to problems of pollution. This traditional approach, when subjected to close scrutiny, is found to be seriously wanting in applicability and consistency. A less ambitious alternative based on notions of strict liability is...