bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational Outcome in Adult ADHD: Impact of Symptom Profile, Comorbid Psychiatric Problems, and Treatment
Authors: Halmøy Anne , Fasmer Ole Bernt , Gillberg Christopher , Haavik Jan
Published: April 2009

Objective: To determine the effects of symptom profile, comorbid psychiatric problems, and treatment on occupational outcome in adult ADHD patients. Method: Adult ADHD patients ( N = 414) responded to questionnaires rating past and present symptoms of ADHD, comorbid conditions, treatment history, and work status. Results: Of the patients, 24% reported being in work, compared to 79% in a population-based control group ( N = 359). Combined subtype of ADHD, substance abuse, and a reported history of depression or anxiety were correlated with being out of work. Current and past medical treatment of ADHD was correlated with being in work. Logistic regression analyses showed that stimulant therapy during childhood was the strongest predictor for being in work as adults (odds ratio = 3.2, p = .014). Conclusion: Early recognition and treatment of ADHD is a strong predictor of being in work as an adult, independently of comorbidity, substance abuse, and current treatment. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 13(2) 175-187)
The Dubious Ethics of Debt Default
Authors: Brennan Geoffrey , Eusepi Giuseppe
Published: April 2009

This article is an engagement with a piece of Buchanan’s on the ethics of debt default, in which Buchanan proved to be surprisingly sympathetic to debt default as an option. Debt default is a current period transfer from bondholders to taxpayers at large. Default cannot then serve to improve, in aggregate, the lot of the generation whose bequest receipts may have been diminished by the use of debt financing. Current generations of taxpayers may have a legitimate complaint against past generations of voters/taxpayers who used debt financing (and reduced their net bequests thereby), but that past generation is beyond the grave and cannot provide recompense.
The Ramsey Rule Reconsidered
Authors: Holcombe Randall G.
Published: April 2009

The Ramsey rule for optimal excise taxation suggests that goods should be taxed in inverse proportion to their elasticities of demand. This analysis shows that when the political process that determines tax rates is taken into account, the Ramsey rule may not be superior to a fiscal constitution that specifies that all goods are taxed at the same rate. The information necessary to set taxes in conformance with the Ramsey rule is not directly observable, which will lead to rent-seeking activities as interest groups try to influence the political determination of tax rates they face. Furthermore, incentives in the political process work against setting taxes according to the Ramsey rule. Building on Buchanan’s work on optimal taxation and the nature of the fiscal constitution, the Ramsey rule should be reconsidered as a guide to optimal excise tax policy.
Old or New Public Finance? A Plea for the Tried and True
Authors: Backhaus Jürgen G.
Published: April 2009

The traditional discipline of public finance had originally been the core of political economy. Over the past three decades, however, it has been redefined by leading scholars as the new public finance or public economics. At the same time, economics as a scholarly discipline has experienced a precipitous decline in relevance, and this has prompted many university administrators to abolish programs in public finance. Recent awards of the Nobel Prize in economics went to James M. Buchanan and William Vickrey, both innovative professors of traditional public finance. Although not ignoring the accomplishments of the new public finance, this article focuses on the traditional message of public finance as a discipline that allows scholars to communicate with policy makers. The canons of taxation and the emphasis on focusing on the social question are identified as the main tenets of public finance proper.
Explaining the Evolution of Government Size in the Canadian Provinces
Authors: Petry François , Imbeau Louis , Crête Jean , Clavet Michel
Published: April 2009

Using time-series and time-series cross-section data from the 10 Canadian provinces, the authors test several competing explanations of government growth. Multivariate analyses reveal that the results are sensitive to how government size is measured. The authors find strong empirical support for the intergovernmental grants, the bureau voting, and the electoral budget cycle explanations irrespective of the measure of government size used. The party control explanation, the fiscal supply explanation, and part of Wagner's law give superior results when they are evaluated using real (adjusted) measures of government size than when they are evaluated using nominal (unadjusted) measures. The authors find virtually no support for the personal income part of Wagner's law.
Irreversible Investment Decisions Under Uncertainty with Tax Holidays
Authors: Jou Jyh-Bang
Published: April 2009

This article investigates how a corporate tax holiday affects a firm's incentive to invest when irreversibility interacts with uncertainty. The firm has a monopoly right to exercise a single, discrete, infinitely lived project. After exercising the project, at each instant, the firm receives one unit of output while incurring a fixed amount of operating and maintenance costs. The firm can temporarily and costlessly both shut down and resume its operation. A more generous tax incentive (i.e., a longer tax holiday or a lower corporate tax rate) will discourage a firm's incentive to invest if the firm's value from delaying investment is increased by more than its value of investing immediately. This is more likely to happen if capital assets either are shortlived or yield a return that is very volatile.
The Income Redistribution Effects of Texas State Lottery Games
Authors: Price Donald I. , Novak E. Shawn
Published: April 2009

This study examines the regressivity of three lottery games in the state of Texas using data from 195 of the state’s 254 counties. The income distribution effects are examined using Suits indices and multiple-regression analyses. The findings, by each technique, show that all three lottery games are regressive and that the most regressive of the games are the instant games, the games with the smallest but most immediate payoffs. The findings of the multiple-regression analyses indicate that the instant games are the only ones that show a significantly positive relationship between the size of the minority population and purchases. Furthermore, the results show that the instant games are the only games in which a significantly negative relationship was found between the percentage of college graduates and purchases. Finally, all games were found to be complementary to all other goods.
Omitted-Variables Bias when Using State Tax Rates to Estimate the Tax Price Effect on Itemized Deductions
Authors: Long James E.
Published: April 2009

The use of state tax rates to provide a source of variation in the tax price of deductible goods and services may lead to biased estimates if other important state characteristics are not held constant. Omitting public welfare expenditures and religious membership is found to have little effect on the estimated price elasticity of charitable contributions. In contrast, the sensitivity of interest deductions to tax rate (price) changes is overstated when state differences in housing market characteristics are ignored.
The Effect of Personal Property Taxes on Consumer Vehicle-Purchasing Decisions: A Partitioned Price/Mental Accounting Theory Analysis
Authors: Ott Richard L. , Andrus David M.
Published: April 2009

There has been concern over the impact of vehicle personal property taxes (VPPT) on a consumer's decision to replace a vehicle. Economic models suggest that income and demographic factors have an impact on the number of vehicles owned and that the level of taxation has only a modest impact. However, lower rates for VPPT are associated with a higher percentage of new car registrations. This exploratory study uses a different methodology in analyzing the impact of VPPT on the purchasing decision. Partitioned pricing and mental accounting theories provide a framework for analysis. A questionnaire was mailed to vehicle owners in high VPPT states (HS) and low VPPT states (LS). The perceived relative importance of VPPT on the purchasing decision is examined by comparing VPPT with other factors. Perceptions of the impact of VPPT on vehicle-purchasing decisions are also analyzed. Finally, a comparison is made between the HS and LS. Results suggest that VPPT have less effect on the purchase of a replacement vehicle than other factors. Although respondents opined that VPPT were too high, they had little effect on their decision to purchase a vehicle. However, respondents from HS were more sensitive to VPPT than those from LS.
The Impact of Structural Budget Deficits on Commercial Bank Interest Rates: Reply
Authors: Cebula Richard J.
Published: April 2009

This study examines the impact of the structural budget deficit on the cost of funds at commercial banks. The cost of funds is measured as an ex ante real interest rate. The results of an instrumental variables estimate in first differences indicate that the structural deficit exercises a positive impact on the ex ante real commercial bank cost of funds.
On the Incentive Effects of Municipal Tax Credits
Authors: Cyrenne Philippe , Fenton Robert
Published: April 2009

This article analyzes a specific municipal tax credit program that has been adopted by the city ofWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The program allows 50% of the net private investment in eligible conservation work on a historic building to be designated as a nonrefundable tax credit against future municipal tax liabilities (property, business, amusement) on the structure and land on which it is situated. In the article, the authors show how an investor's expected tax liability affects the amount of expenditure undertaken. Specifically, the proposal introduces a nonlinear subsidy schedule that limits the total amount an investor's tax liability can be reduced. The authors conclude that the program is quite general and can be used by local governments to encourage spending in other areas, for example, energy conservation or general housing renewal.
Redistribution through the Income Tax: The Vertical and Horizontal Effects of Noncompliance and Tax Evasion
Authors: Bishop John A. , Formby John P. , Lambert Peter
Published: April 2009

This article uses the unique Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program (TCMP) micro data to study the equity effects of noncompliance. The authors access 4 years of TCMP data: 1979, 1982, 1985, and 1988. The TCMP data allows the authors to observe income and taxes before and after a tax audit. To generate a range of scalar estimates of the redistributive impact of more complete compliance, the authors employ the family of extended Gini and concentration coefficients. They find that the vertical equity effects of noncompliance are very small or negative; however, there is a considerable amount of horizontal inequity generated by noncompliance, and in this sense more complete auditing of tax returns could improve the fairness of the tax system.
Specific Excise Taxation in a Unionized Differentiated Duopoly
Authors: Santoni Michele
Published: April 2009

This article considers the incidence and welfare effects of a specific excise tax in a unionized duopoly model with differentiated products, linear demand and cost curves, and wage bargaining. The article allows for both Cournot and Bertrand competition. The article shows that unionization lowers the degree of undershifting of the tax on the producer's net price, the marginal increase in the consumer's price, and the employment loss. The excess burden of an equal revenue tax is higher with a unionized labor market and higher with Cournot than Bertrand competition. Unionization increases the optimal output subsidy with wage bargaining.
Municipal Bonds and Tax Arbitrage: A Cointegration Analysis
Authors: Kim H. Youn , Lee Junsoo , Lile Stephen E. , Ramsey James R.
Published: April 2009

This article presents a new, cointegration approach to test a tax arbitrage opportunity in holding municipal bonds. Noticing that the variables of interest are nonstationary, two alternative cointegration tests are used to examine the relationship that may exist (1) between the yield on municipal bonds and the after-tax yield on corporate bonds and (2) between the explicit tax rate on corporate bonds and the implicit tax rate on municipal bonds. Previous studies do not take into account the time-series properties of the variables involved, assuming tacitly that they are stationary. Weekly bond yield data together with New Jersey and federal income tax rates are used, and various unit root and cointegration tests are employed to test for stationarity and for cointegration between the variables. The evidence fails to support the tax arbitrage hypothesis.
Using the Psid to Study the Effects of School Spending
Authors: Wilson Kathryn
Published: April 2009

Many studies have examined the effects of school spending on educational attainment, and the results have been mixed. Unfortunately, most of these studies have had limited information about the family and neighborhood characteristics that may affect a student's educational attainment. This articles uses a unique data set that adds school-level data from the Common Core of Data to the rich source of family and neighborhood information of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. It is found that school spending is positively related to the likelihood a student will graduate from high school and attend college and to the student's years of schooling. In addition, the results for high school graduation are sensitive to the inclusion of variables often not available in previous studies, suggesting that omitted-variables bias may result in studies concluding that money does not matter when, indeed, school spending is important.
Measuring Price Elasticity of Aggregate Demand in Greece: 1961-1995
Authors: Apergis Nicholas , Eleftheriou Sophia
Published: April 2009

The goal of this article is to measure the price elasticity of aggregate demand in Greece over the period 1961 to 1995 to assess various economic policy steps undertaken by Greek fiscal policy makers to satisfy the budget-cut criterion set by the Maastricht Treaty.
Do Demographic Changes Affect Fiscal Developments?
Authors: Hondroyiannis George , Papapetrou Evangelia
Published: April 2009

This article analyzes the effects of demographic changes (low fertility rates and a high old-age dependency ratio) on fiscal developments (debt, expenditure, tax revenues, social security expenditure, and social welfare revenues to GDP ratios) in Greece over the period 1960 to 1995. The empirical evidence suggests that there is a long-run relationship between each fiscal variable and the two demographic variables. The estimation results show that in the long-run the double-aging process-an increase in the old-age dependency ratio and a decrease in the fertility rate-will increase the size of public debt and total expenditure while decreasing total tax revenues. Similar results are obtained for the social security budget. Using vector error correction model estimation, the results support the proposition that the double-aging process is responsible for the deterioration of fiscal development. The results have important policy implications because the adoption of suitable policies should help improve budget developments, facilitating the real convergence of the Greek economy.
Tax Audit Uncertainty and the Work-Versus-Leisure Decision
Authors: Horowitz Ira , Horowitz Ann R.
Published: April 2009

The possibility of being audited provides an incentive for the more larcenous among us to accurately report taxable income when underreporting income carries a penalty. It seems safe to assume that by increasing either the likelihood of an income tax audit or the penalty for underreporting taxable income, the tax authority can reduce the extent to which conscious cheating takes place. That seemingly safe assumption, however, becomes much less so when the linkage between posttax income and the work-versus-leisure decision is taken into account. This article explores the ubiquitous and confounding effects on both reported income and work effort for non-risk-preferring taxpayers of changes in the audit probability, the sanction rate, the tax rate, and taxpayer wealth. It is shown that contrary to intuition and popular wisdom, raising the audit probability or the sanction rate will not necessarily lead to higher reported incomes, and neither increases in the tax rate nor greater taxpayer wealth will necessarily encourage increased leisure.
Simplification and Decentralization of the Income Tax
Authors: Badenes Nuria , López-Laborda Julio , Onrubia Jorge , Ruiz-Huerta Jesús
Published: April 2009

This article presents a new type of welfare-improving tax reform model aimed at simultaneously achieving simplification and decentralization of the personal income tax. This model is based on the results of Pfähler and Dardanoni and Lambert and comprises two elements. The first one is the transformation of the income tax into an equal-yield flat tax. The second one is a reduction of the central taxation in proportion to posttax income in order to vacate a space that may be utilized by subcentral jurisdictions through a surcharge applied on the central tax liability. The theoretical proposal is illustrated with a microsimulation exercise on the Spanish personal income tax.
Implicit Finance in Gambling Expenditures: Australian Evidence on Socioeconomic and Demographic Tax Incidence
Authors: Worthington Andrew C.
Published: April 2009

This article examines two issues. First, it evaluates the statistical significance of a number of socioeconomic and demographic variables on the level of gambling-type expenditures in New South Wales, Australia. Factors analyzed include household income, family composition, welfare status, gender, age, occupation, and ethnicity. Second, the study examines the incidence of gambling-type expenditures, and hence taxation, on New South Wales’ households. The study confirms similar findings overseas on the income regressivity of gambling expenditures. All other things being equal, Lotto and Instant Lotto are the most regressive of the major gambling products in their incidence on Australian households, and they are certainly more regressive than comparable North American instruments.
Shadow Prices of Missouri Public Conservation Land
Authors: Färe Rolf , Grosskopf Shawna , Weber William L.
Published: April 2009

The directional distance function provides a complete characterization of the production technology and, when differentiable, can be used to derive shadow prices for nonmarket outputs. A quadratic functional form and the linear programming least absolute deviations method is used to implement the model and to estimate shadow prices and total value for the nonmarket characteristics of Missouri conservation land.
Specific Inputs, Value-Added, and Production Linkages in Tax-Incidence Theory
Authors: Bhatia Kul B.
Published: April 2009

Factors of production that cannot be moved from one activity to another due to their intrinsic nature, location preferences, mobility restrictions, or licensing requirements were featured prominently in the tax literature of the 1970s. Immobile factors, however, often produce inputs for other sectors. Several examples of this type that enhance and enrich some well-known existing models are presented. The value-adding process and cross-sector connections are explicitly specified. The new tax-incidence results often resemble those in mobile-factors-only (mfo) models in spite of one or more sector-specific inputs. Numerical examples, based on stylized U.S. data, illustrate the results and highlight the difficulties that arise in defining equivalent specifications. Goods mobility offsets some effects of factor immobility, but the computed tax elasticities are rarely the same as in mfo models. The Marshallian short-run/long-run distinction, blurred somewhat by production linkages, does not disappear.
Who Pays the Ticket Tax?
Authors: Alm James , Kaempfer William H.
Published: April 2009

Since 1971, the City of Boulder, Colorado, has imposed a tax of 5% on the price of admission to all public events, including movies, concerts, and theatrical performances. However, the city has recently been sued by theater owners on the grounds that the theater owners bear the burden of the tax and that this burden represents an unconstitutional infringement on the theater owners’ freedom of speech. The claim by owners that they bear the burden of the tax goes directly to the issue of the incidence of the tax; that is, who bears the burden of the ticket tax? In this article, the incidence of the ticket tax under various scenarios is examined. The authors conclude that it is extremely unlikely that the true burden of the ticket tax falls on theater owners. Instead, it is found that consumers are almost certain to bear the burden of the tax. More generally, the authors conclude that most excise taxes should be viewed as falling on consumers despite claims by interested or disinterested parties to the contrary.
Merit Want Status and Motivation: The Knight Meets the Self-Loving Butcher, Brewer, and Baker
Authors: Jones Philip , Cullis John
Published: April 2009

When governments intervene in response to the presence of irrationality, merit wants are provided by reference to experts. Neoclassical microeconomic theory says little about why, when, or how such intervention is required. However, literature in experimental economics identifies anomalous behavior that is irrational by reference to predicted behavior of homo economicus but that is, nevertheless, systematic. This literature informs public finance theory. Government action, difficult to explain by reference to the preferences of homo economicus , can be rationalized by reference to a broader perspective of individual behavior. Although public finance discussion of merit wants has focused on demand, a more general analysis recognizes a rationale for merit want status with respect to supply considerations. Governments have an incentive to describe some public sector goods as merit wants when this affects willingness to supply labor.
A Regional Approach to Income Tax Reform
Authors: Cubel Maria , Lambert Peter J.
Published: April 2009

Is it better to have a national income tax or a set of income taxes, different in the different regions? In this article, the authors conduct marginal analysis to determine dominance conditions on the configuration of income distributions in the regions under which small and related new regional taxes are superior to an across-the-board alternative without regard to domicile. Three cases, of lump-sum, proportional, and progressive taxes, are considered. An illustrative application to Spain confirms that the dominance tests can be successful and yields findings that may be of interest in their own right.
Why the United States does Not Have Universal Health Insurance: A Public Finance and Public Choice Perspective
Authors: Pauly Mark V.
Published: April 2009

This article examines possible reasons based on public choice, voting, and constitutional theory to explain why the United States does not have universal health insurance. It is argued that, compared to countries that have adopted such institutional structures, the current high levels of medical insurance costs and the high proportion of the population insured in the United States help to explain why closing the gap in coverage has not occurred. An interest group model is used to explain why the political equilibrium appears to remain the status quo.
Rent Seeking and Fixed-Share Pools in Government
Authors: Faith Roger L.
Published: April 2009

A fixed-share pool is a given amount of resources to be divided among a given number of claimants in which a claimant’s share of the pool is fixed exogenously. Consequently, rent seeking to increase one’s share of the pool is effectively eliminated. However, if claimants have sharing rights to more than one pool, rent seeking in the form of transferring resources from a pool where one has a small share to a pool where one has a large share will generally occur. A game-theoretic analysis of this type of rent seeking is discussed and then applied to a number of governmental settings.
Risk-Averse Taxpayers and the Allocation of Tax Enforcement Effort: Law Enforcement or Leviathan? Some Empirical Evidence
Authors: Congleton Roger D.
Published: April 2009

Agencies charged with collecting taxes and enforcing the tax code generally use information provided by taxpayers to decide whether to subject individual returns to a variety of review procedures. One consequence of such conditional screening is the creation of incentives for strategic income reporting by individuals who wish to avoid the inconvenience and penalties associated with audits. Because taxpayers differ with respect to risk aversion, individuals in identical fiscal circumstances tend to report different income levels and pay different taxes. In turn, a tax agency may allocate its enforcement effort in a manner that systematically takes account of differences in taxpayer risk aversion. Three models are developed and tested in this article. Empirical evidence suggests that risk aversion affects both taxpayer behavior and the allocation of audit efforts by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States, although not in the manner predicted by the Leviathan model.
Application of The els Model: Optimal Tax Rate and Public Good Proportion
Authors: Yunker James A.
Published: April 2009

The purpose of this research is to apply an innovative economic model dubbed the els model to a fundamental question in public finance: (1)How much should the government take and (2) of this amount, how much should be devoted to provision of a pure public good (the remainder going to income redistribution)? The els model adds to the traditional two primary factors supplied by the household (labor and saving) a third primary factor: capital management effort. Capital management effort is a very general concept embracing any and all active behavior whose purpose it is to augment the rate of return received on the household's capital assets. An illustrative insight gained from the exercise is that regardless of the nature of capital property income (whether it is a return to saving or a return to capital management effort), a higher level of inequality in capital wealth ownership justifies a higher level of progressivity in the tax system.
Excise Tax Evasion, Tax Revenue, and Welfare
Authors: Cremer Helmuth , Gahvari Firouz
Published: April 2009

This article investigates how tax evasion changes the relationship between tax rate, tax revenue, and welfare at the margin. It gives expressions for the marginal tax revenue, the marginal welfare loss, and the marginal cost of public funds and shows that tax evasion may reduce as well as increase the magnitudes of these measures. However, when the taxed good is perfectly inelastic in demand, tax evasion causes marginal cost of public funds to increase and exceed one (its value in the absence of evasion).
The Market Provision of Addiction Control Services
Authors: Goff Brian L. , Tollison Robert D.
Published: April 2009

This article is about addiction control. Using the economic theory of labor market tournaments, the authors derive the positive characteristics of an addiction control tournament and compare the effectiveness of a tournament versus self-constraining methods of addiction control. The authors also consider the socially optimal implementation of tournaments and the role of public policy in developing the addiction control marketplace.
International Public Transfers and Convergence in the European Union
Authors: Pereira Alfredo M.
Published: April 2009

This article investigates the effects of international public transfer programs from the European Union (EU) on the investment and growth paths of the recipient economies-Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain—and, ultimately, on the convergence of these economies to EU standards of living. Numerical simulation results based on endogenous growth models of the recipient economies suggest that the absolute gains induced by the transfer programs, as measured by the evolution of gross domestic product per capita, are substantial for Greece and Portugal and more modest for Ireland and Spain. In terms of the relative gains (i.e., of the convergence to EU standards), Greece, Portugal, and Spain greatly improve their status quo gains through the transfer programs, but Ireland's status quo gains do not seem to improve noticeably. The most striking aspect of the simulation results, however, is how far the recipient economies will still be from the EU standards even after the EU transfer programs. This suggests that these administrative programs, although useful, have a limited scope, and greater progress in achieving convergence needs to come from structural market reforms.
Preference Structures and the Excess Burden of Income Taxes in Brazil
Authors: Ribeiro Eduardo Pontual , Leuthold Jane H.
Published: April 2009

The objective of this article is to estimate the excess burden associated with the personal income tax in Brazil. The study is based on a one-period utility maximization model of labor supply for urban prime-age male employees. The authors develop a sensitivity analysis based on two different specifications of preferences. Using an estimation procedure that considers the nonlinearity of the budget constraint, constraints on the choice of work hours, and possible measurement error, the authors find that the choice of functional form influences the results dramatically. Nonnested tests indicate that a linear expenditure system is more appropriate than the popular linear labor supply specification used in most labor supply studies. The results suggest that for the selected population subgroup, the deadweight loss of the personal income tax in Brazil is small.
Fiscal Federalism, Collusion, and Government Size: Evidence from the States
Authors: Shadbegian Ronald J.
Published: April 2009

This study uses a state-level panel data set (1979-1992), encompassing all levels of government, to test the applicability of three theories concerning government size-the Wallis and Brennan/Buchanan versions of the decentralization hypothesis and the Brennan/Buchanan collusion hypothesis-to determine which one or ones should be used when modeling the public sector in the United States. The results indicate that as fiscal decentralization increases, state and local public expenditures increase and federal government expenditures decrease, as theorized by Wallis, whereas total government spending decreases, as predicted by Brennan and Buchanan. It is also shown that collusion among the different levels of government leads to an increase in overall government spending and an increase in spending at each individual level of government-evidence supporting the Brennan/Buchanan collusion hypothesis. Thus, this study shows that collusion among the different levels of government weakens the disciplining power of fiscal federalism. Therefore, fiscal decentralization alone may not act as a binding constraint on Leviathan type governments. Accordingly, it is concluded that each theory contributes to the explanation of public sector size, implying that each should be taken into consideration when modeling the public sector in the United States.
Samuelsonian and Weisbrodian Public Goods
Authors: Holtmann Alphonse G.
Published: April 2009

Pure public goods, as defined by Paul Samuelson, are well understood. However, Burton Weisbrod argues that a substantial number of private goods have public good attributes. Among the goods mentioned by Weisbrod are visits to a park or hospital. These goods have two important attributes: uncertainty in consumption and substantial time and other costs associated with changing capacity to produce them. The question is: How do these public-type goods differ from Samuelsonian public goods? The analysis is based on a social welfare function whose arguments are the individual utilities of the members of society. Each member of society is assumed to gain utility from a private good for which he or she has an uncertain demand and from another private good. Individual endowments can be used to produce the private good or the capacity to enjoy the good for which demand is uncertain. Capacity, once produced, is available to all. Under these conditions, Weisbrodian public goods differ from Samuelsonian public goods and from pure private goods. It is shown, however, that a discriminating monopoly may provide the efficient level of capacity.
Compensation Schemes and Human Capital Attainment in Congress: Is There an Adverse Selection of Legislator Attributes?
Authors: Mixon Franklin G. , Wilkinson James B.
Published: April 2009

This study examines the role that compensation plays in the self-selection process of legislator attributes in the U.S. Congress. The statistical results from the 104th Congress suggest that human capital levels of senators are significantly different from those of representatives, and this result is likely due to adverse selection because of the disparity in compensation schemes across the two chambers of the Congress. Such a result has potentially significant consequences given the constitutional provisions that place taxation authority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the fact that House members sponsor vastly larger amounts of spending legislation (and total legislation) than senators. Although much future work is needed to be done, this study lays a foundation for public choice scholars to ponder.
The Irreversible Output Effects of Severance Taxes on Oil
Authors: Brandly Mark , Barnett A. H.
Published: April 2009

This article explains why the output effect of a severance tax on oil is not generally reversed when the tax is removed. It is shown that this severance-tax-induced irreversibility in supply has important implications for both the interpretation and estimation of the supply of oil. Specifically, severance taxes cause a path dependence in supply that makes the concept of a supply curve for oil ambiguous. The authors provide estimates for the case of Kansas that indicate that the magnitude of the irreversible effects of severance taxes is large.
Constituency Size and Government Spending
Authors: Thornton Mark , Ulrich Marc
Published: April 2009

In the economic model of government, the size of the legislature is a variable whose effect on government spending is not predictable a priori. The authors show that an alternative measure, constituency size, defined as the number of constituents per legislator, is positively related to state government spending. This suggests that increases in constituency size over time may account for the increase in the size of government. The size of the legislature could be manipulated to control constituency size and thereby provide an effective check on government spending.
The Random Coefficient Approach for Estimating Tax Revenue Stability and Growth
Authors: Otsuka Yasuji , Braun Bradley M.
Published: April 2009

The issue of tax revenue stability and growth has been of concern to policy makers and economists for many years. One important focus of the literature is the optimal tax portfolio, which assumes that revenue variance is entirely unpredictable. However, as evidenced by Fox and Campbell, some revenue variance arising from changes in economic conditions is predictable. The purpose of this study is to revisit Fox and Campbell's work. They studied revenue growth and stability with a fixed coefficient model (FCM). This study uses a random coefficient model (RCM). The RC Mapproach appears to provide improved estimates and confirms the conclusions of their earlier work. The response of short-run elasticities to the business cycle appears both strong and variable across commodities, and no single commodity dominates revenue growth or stability. Although this study supports the design of an optimal tax portfolio, it emphasizes the need to explicitly model for economic conditions and to continually adjust the tax portfolio. However, given the political and budgetary process, these adjustments may not be feasible.
Psychological Impact of Predictive Testing for Colonic Cancer
Authors: Reeve Jeanne , Owens R. Glynn , Winship Ingrid M.
Published: April 2009

Advances in DNA technology have facilitated presymptomatic testing for an inherited predisposition to a number of autosomal dominant cancer syndromes. While testing is generally undertaken with informed consent and within a counselling protocol, there is still much to be learned about the psychological impact of DNA testing in a predictive setting. In this study, patients’ experiences were recorded using in-depth interview techniques following earlier testing for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer which was coordinated through an hereditary cancer registry. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed consistent issues pertaining to identity as well as emotional responses to previous preventative strategies and ongoing cancer screening options.
Effects of Incentive Items on Participation in a Randomized Chemoprevention Trial
Authors: Bowen Deborah , Thornquist Mark , Goodman Gary , Omenn Gilbert S. , Anderson Karen , Barnett Matt , Valanis Barbara
Published: April 2009

Behavioral research has an important role in increasing and maintaining participation in disease prevention trials, both in interventions and in follow-up visits. We conducted a randomized experiment among participants in the lung cancer chemoprevention trial, CARET (Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial) to test the effects of providing two incentives on retention. The items used for this study were a Certificate of Appreciation and one of two lapel pins, provided in a 2 2 design. Providing incentives, whether alone or in combination, had no statistically significant effect on retention by the two-year follow-up point. The successful implementation of this randomized incentive study has two implications for future research: (1) study of behavioral interventions and issues is feasible in the context of large controlled trials of disease end-points; and (2) such study is necessary to determine whether selected incentives can increase retention.
Dieting and Cognitive Style
Authors: Tiggemann Marika
Published: April 2009

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dieting and global cognitive style in a non-clinical sample. Questionnaires were administered to 218 Australian undergraduate students. Dieting was operationalized in two ways: self-reported current dieting behaviour; and scores on dietary restraint. It was found that current, but not past, dieters had more dysfunctional cognitive attitudes, confirming the necessity of distinguishing between current and past dieting behaviour. The Concern for Dieting subscale of dietary restraint was also related to a dysfunctional cognitive style, even after level of depressed mood was statistically controlled. In particular, the dysfunctional attitude of Dichotomous Thinking was implicated. Taken together, the findings imply that dieters do not have an enduring maladaptive cognitive style, but rather that current dieting concerns and behaviour are associated with poorer cognitive functioning.
Body Dissatisfaction Within Couples
Authors: Ogden Jane , Taylor Clare
Published: April 2009

Nineteen heterosexual couples completed questionnaires concerning their own and their partner's body size. Although women reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction, both men and women reported being dissatisfied with their body parts. Further, the results showed comparability within couples for ratings of the male partner's body size but consistent differences for ratings of the female partner's body size. In addition, both partners reported most dissatisfaction with the female partner's body size. It is suggested that a sexual partner's beliefs may play a greater role in the development of men's body dissatisfaction and that the female body may have become a legitimate source of criticism for both men and women. The implications for the social context on self-perception are discussed.
The Role of Stress and Mood in Sickle Cell Disease Pain
Authors: Porter Laura S. , Gil Karen M. , Carson James W. , Anthony Kelly K. , Ready Jawana
Published: April 2009

The role of stress and mood in the onset and course of sickle cell disease (SCD) pain was examined using a daily diary design. Fifteen adults with SCD completed daily diaries about their pain, stress, mood, and health care and medication use for an average of 94 days. Multilevel random effects models indicated that stress was significantly and positively related to same-day pain ratings. Stress remained a significant predictor of pain after omitting stressors related to SCD. Mood also showed significant associations with same-day pain in the expected directions. In addition, stress and mood were associated with health care and medication use during painful episodes. Finally, painful episodes were preceded by increases in stress 2 days previously, suggesting that stress may play a role in the onset of SCD pain.
A Pragmatic Basis for Judging Models and Theories in Health Psychology: The Axiomatic Method
Authors: Smedslund Geir
Published: April 2009

Psychology and its subfield of health psychology suffer from a lack of standardized terminology and a unified theoretical framework for the prediction and explanation of health behaviour. Hence, it is difficult to establish whether a given theory is logically consistent and to compare different theories. Science involves both empirical and conceptual issues. It is asserted that psychology has overemphasized the former and underemphasized the latter. Empirical psychology needs an explicit, shared conceptual system in order to develop its theories. An example of an axiomatic method ( Psycho-Logic; see e.g. J. Smedslund. Psychological Inquiry 1991a; 2: 325–338) is applied to show how the Health Belief Model,the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory all conform to the a priori conditions of acting. One implication is that studies of the predictive power of theories stated as definitional truths only assess auxiliary hypotheses, i.e. the extent to which the measuring instruments are reliable and valid. On the other hand, the introduction of logic into health psychology can facilitate genuine empirical studies by helping to avoid so-called ‘pseudoempirical’ work (Smedslund, J. In Smith, Harré & Van Langenhove (Eds.) Rethinking psychology, 1995). Systems such as Psycho-Logic can also enhance conceptual integration by using logic to explicate and demonstrate intuitive relations. Implications for practitioners are discussed briefly.
Psycho-Logic: A ‘Conceptual Toolbox’ and ‘Mind Sharpener’ for Health Psychologists: A Response to Commentaries
Authors: Smedslund Geir
Published: April 2009

This is a reply to K. Glanz, J. Maddock, J. O. Prochaska, D. Seedhouse, and H. Stam on the target article entitled: ‘A pragmatic basis for judging models and theories in health psychology: the axiomatic method’. I defend the claim that one should only test hypotheses that are empirical and avoid testing hypotheses that are necessarily true because of conceptual relations and logic. I argue that the axiomatic system Psycho-Logic (PL) should be added to the other methods which form the health psychologist's methodological ‘toolbox’.
Researcher Knows Best?
Authors: Danoff-Burg Sharon , Ayala Jennifer , Revenson Tracey A.
Published: April 2009

Missing from recent critiques of coping measurement are data demonstrating whether concepts used by researchers are understood by study participants. We asked 101 rheumatoid arthritis patients to complete a structured coping checklist and provide descriptions of their coping for each item checked. Trained researchers coded these open-ended descriptions using the original checklist categories. In general, patients' descriptions of their coping matched researcherderived definitions; however, patients were less likely to interpret cognitive and affective coping strategies in the manner intended by researchers. Patients' descriptions often crossed multiple categories, suggesting complex patterns not captured by most data analytic techniques. Whether they assess coping through structured measures or not, researchers must find ways to examine the multiple meanings and combinations of strategies that constitute the coping process. Keywords
Problematic and Positive Support in Relation to Depression in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Riemsma Robert P. , Taal Erik , Wiegman Oene , Rasker Johannes J. , Bruyn George A.W. , Van Paassen Henk C.
Published: April 2009

This study focuses on the associations of both positive and problematic aspects of social support with depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In a hierarchical multiple regression analysis we found that stressors such as functional limitations and pain are strongly related to depression. Positive and problematic support each explain an additional significant portion of the variance in depression. More positive support is associated with fewer feelings of depression and more problematic support is associated with more feelings of depression. An interaction effect between positive and problematic social support indicates that the negative aspects of problematic support may be partly diminished by positive support (buffering effect). Patients receiving more problematic support and less positive support experience the most feelings of depression.
The Effect of Prescribed and Preferred Intensity Exercise on Psychological Affect and the Influence of Baseline Measures of Affect
Authors: Parfitt Gaynor , Rose Elaine A. , Markland David
Published: April 2009

This study compared the effects of 20 minutes of treadmill exercise at a prescribed intensity exercise (65% VO2max) and a preferred intensity exercise on psychological affect and exercise enjoyment in aerobically fit individuals. Affect was measured before exercise, at 5-minute intervals during exercise and 5 minutes post-exercise. Heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and enjoyment were also measured during each session. Results indicated that there was no difference in psychological affect or enjoyment between the two exercise sessions, although work rate was higher in the preferred condition. However, pre-exercise values of affect played an influential role in the affective response to exercise. These results suggest that allowing fit individuals to select their own exercise intensity may be more beneficial physiologically and psychologically.
Parents' Constructions of the ‘Problem’ during Assessment and Diagnosis of their Child for an Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Avdi Evrinomy , Griffin Christine , Brough Susan
Published: April 2009

The majority of studies on the effects of a diagnosis of learning disability in the family have employed traditional ‘loss’ and ‘stress reaction’ paradigms. In contrast to this approach, the current analysis employed a form of discourse analysis to explore the ways in which parents represented the ‘problem’ during the process of assessment of their child for an autistic spectrum disorder. The analysis suggested that parents employed three main discourses in their talk about the ‘problem’, which were termed the discourse of normal development, the medical discourse and the discourse of disability. The ways in which these discourses were used in constructing the ‘problem’, their relationship to each other and the discursive work underlying the diagnosis are discussed. Although this study focused on the specific case of autism, it is suggested that the findings could inform thinking around the complex ways in which medical diagnosis is constructed by families and extend our understanding of this important aspect of health care practice.