Support for Income Maintenance Benefits: Attitudes of a Group of Non-Recipients Toward Three Benefits

This paper compares attitudes of a small sample of people not in receipt of income support benefit recipients in the Melbourne metropolitan area towards three benefits: the aged pension, unemployment and sole parent benefits. From 159 responses to telephone interviews, attitudes are analysed as to availability of benefit by family support, availability on the basis of need, amount of benefit level, and on a self—interest dimension including preparedness to pay additional tax to increase benefit and expected future use of benefit by the respondent. Results indicated strong support for aged pension and weak support for unemployment benefit. Self—interest factors coupled with age and gender characteristics influenced responses. Further research into the relationship between present and future expectations regarding pension/benefit costs and benefits is indicated.     

Suppressing Asset Price Inflation: The Confederate Experience, 1861–1865

Confederate asset price stabilization policies appear to have increased the velocity of circulation and counterproductively channeled inflationary pressures into other areas of the economy. Three successive monetary reforms encouraged holders of Treasury notes to exchange these notes for bonds by imposing deadlines on their convertibility. We show that Confederate funding acts aimed at precipitating the conversion of currency into bonds did temporarily suppress currency depreciation. These acts also triggered upsurges in commodity prices, however, because note holders rushed to spend the currency before their exchange rights were reduced.     

Dynamic allocation as a balancing act

The CPMP Points to Consider on Adjustment for Baseline Covariates recently came into operation. As well as providing sound guidance, this document states a strong position against dynamic allocation. This paper reviews the most important issues involved and aims to stimulate interest in further investigating alternative allocation methods in clinical trials. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

POLITICAL ECONOMY AND THE SOCIAL MARGINAL COST OF PUBLIC FUNDS: THE CASE OF THE MELTZER‐RICHARD ECONOMY

In previous studies on the social marginal cost of public funds (SMCF), the existing tax system has been assumed to be either arbitrary or optimal. This note explores another possibility: the existing tax system itself represents a political equilibrium. Our exploration proceeds in Meltzer and Richard’s (1981) political economy of redistributive taxation. An interesting feature of our finding is that the degree of income inequality as measured by the ratio of mean to median income can play an important role in estimating the SMCF and judging whether the level of redistribution is excessive or inadequate. (JEL D61, D72, H21)     

Effects on students of teacher training in use of a drug education curriculum

The study reported here examines the effects of differential teacher training in use of a drug education curriculum on students' knowledge levels, problem-solving and coping skills, attitudes towards planned decision making, behavioral intentions and tobacco and alcohol use. An experimental design was used to compare the effects of exposure to teachers who had either intensive staff development, in-service training or no training. The findings indicate a statistically significant difference between groups of students on the intention to drink alcohol. Students whose teachers had intensive staff development were less likely to intend to take a drink if offered than students whose teachers had in-service or no training. Possible reasons for a lack of significant results on other variables are the confounding influences of school, classroom and teacher effects.