TESTING FOR CONVERGENCE OF THE EU REGIONAL ECONOMIES

We examine changes in the economic performance of Western European regional economies, in particular, the degree of convergence in their economic performance (as measured by the growth of GDP per capita) since the mid 1970s when the larger European Union was established. Although results of simple model specifications suggest convergence has occurred, a more completely specified model, which includes structural variables, county dummies and an EM dummy, shows no significant convergence across the European Union's regions in the 1980s.     

THE EFFECT OF CONCEALED WEAPONS LAWS: AN EXTREME BOUND ANALYSIS

Lott and Mustard [1997] provide evidence that enactment of concealed handgun ("right-to-carry") laws deters violent crime and induces substitution into property crime. A critique by Black and Nagin [1998] questions the particular model specification used in the empirical analysis. In this paper, we estimate the "model uncertainty" surrounding the model specified by Lott and Mustard using an extreme bound analysis (Leamer [1983]). We find that the deterrence results are robust enough to make them difficult to dismiss as unfounded, particularly those findings about the change in violent crime trends. The substitution effects are not robust with respect to different model specifications. (JEL K42)     

"DON'T KNOW" BOXES IN FACTUAL QUESTIONS IN A MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE: EFFECTS ON LEVEL AND QUALITY OF RESPONSE

This article summarizes the findings of an experiment to evaluatethe effect of "Don't Know" (DK) boxes in a mail questionnaireconsisting of factual questions. In a split-panel test, halfof the respondents received a questionnaire with DK boxes andthe other half received a questionnaire without DK boxes. Theoverall response rates were the same for the two versions. Thequestionnaire version without DK boxes obtained an appreciablyhigher rate of substantive responses for many items. However,there were few large substantive changes in response distributionsbetween the two versions, and there was no appreciable differencein the response error rates.     

A simulation of single-level MRP lot sizing heuristics: an analysis of performance by rule

This paper presents the results of a large-scale computer simulation of 12 of the standard single-level, discrete demand lot sizing heuristics. The authors present the results in 3-D illustrations which depict the performance of these heuristics on 15 individual demand patterns. This information is prefaced by a brief review of the method used to perform the simulation. The performance of each of the 12 heuristics was evaluated for 51 sets of cost parameters for each of 15 different demand patterns. This has resulted in the analysis of 9180 combinations of heuristic, demand pattern, and cost parameters. The authors believe that this, by far, represents the largest digital simulation of single-level lot sizing rules completed to date. During the past two decades, a significant amount of research investigating the economics of lot sizing single-level discrete demand patterns has been conducted. However, many of the conclusions reached by individual research efforts on this subject have differed. At various times a lot sizing heuristic has performed best in one study, only to have findings refuted in a later analysis. Overall, this has led to a certain degree of confusion and mistrust of the heuristics themselves. The authors believe that there are three major reasons why previous research efforts have reached various conclusions. First, previous studies have included only subset of the possible heuristics. Second, previous studies have used different methods of calculating holding costs. Finally, previous studies have used demand patterns so short that a large percentage of transient noise is contained in the performance data.     

Estimating the Basic Reproductive Number in the General Epidemic Model with an Unknown Initial Number of Susceptible Individuals

Abstract. In any epidemic, there may exist an unidentified subpopulation which might be naturally immune or isolated and who will not be involved in the transmission of the disease. Estimation of key parameters, for example, the basic reproductive number, without accounting for this possibility would underestimate the severity of the epidemics. Here, we propose a procedure to estimate the basic reproductive number ( R ₀ ) in an epidemic model with an unknown initial number of susceptibles. The infection process is usually not completely observed, but is reconstructed by a kernel‐smoothing method under a counting process framework. Simulation is used to evaluate the performance of the estimators for major epidemics. We illustrate the procedure using the Abakaliki smallpox data.     

Student Assessment: Where Are We Now?

Summary The assessment of student performance in fieldwork placementsduring social work training has become an issue of increasingconcern to all those connected with social work. This articleoutlines some major problems surrounding the issue, draws outof recent contributions some possible solutions to these problemsand seeks to define areas in which further work needs to bedone.     

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE FEDERALIST SYSTEM: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NPDES INSPECTIONS

This paper examines the consequences of the delegation of regulatory authority to local officials. The study evaluates three hypotheses of the role delegation plays in the implementation of regulatory policy: (1) the federal case, which predicts that delegation has no effect, (2) the state/local model predicts that delegation is, in fact, abdication, and (3) the full impact model predicts that both interests determine how environmental policy is implemented. The results provide evidence that while delegation does not completely remove national policy maker's ability to alter regulatory policy, it does allow local interests to alter national standards. (JEL L51, Q28)     

PUBLIC OPINION AND CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION

The political views of citizens should be reflected in the governmentof a democratic society. Typically, citizens' views are expressedby their elected representatives. We used the Center for PoliticalStudies (CPS) 1986 National Election Study and a mail surveyof the U.S. House of Representatives to look at representationcollectively and dyadically. Collectively, we find some degreeof congruence between leaders and followers. However, thereare significant differences between them on half of the issueitems, with the leaders usually taking more extreme positionsthan the followers. We looked at leaders and followers dyadicallyin 33 districts using Achen's measures of representation. Wefound that the representatives' views are fairly close to thoseof their constituents, that representatives are efficient atpositioning themselves at the mean constituent position, andthat representatives respond to shifts in liberalism/ conservatismin their districts.     

Corporate Citizenship and Managerial Motivation: Implications for Business Legitimacy

In 2000, Business and Society Review published a Special Issue of the journal to explore scholars’ ideas about how the practice of corporate citizenship would evolve in the 21st century. Contributors to the volume predicted a change in business motives for engaging in social initiatives, suggesting that managers would begin to see corporate citizenship as a strategic necessity to preserve organizational legitimacy in the face of changing social values. This article uses data from a study of corporate citizenship practices in over 500 Norwegian companies to explore the validity of the Special Issue predictions. We begin by reviewing the foundations of organizational legitimacy theory and examine recent research documenting the growing importance of corporate citizenship for assessments of business legitimacy. We describe our study methods, present our results, and discuss the implications of our findings in this context.