BANK PANICS, SUSPENSIONS, AND GEOGRAPHY: SOME NOTES ON THE "CONTAGION OF FEAR" IN BANKING

Recent attempts to understand bank panics tend to emphasize informational asymmetries or the possibilities of multiple equilibria. Such approaches stand in contrast to historical research that emphasizes legal factors influencing the organization of the banking system. This paper constructs a model of a banking system operating under regulations similar to those in effect under the National Banking System and in which information is complete. In all other respects the model resembles that of Diamond and Dybvig [1983]. The results indicate that, given the regulatory environment, it would have been surprising if suspensions of convertibility had not recurred periodically.     

An Evaluation of Hispanic Population Estimates*

Objective. Estimates of the Hispanic population have traditionally been based on historical trends, ratios, or some variant of the cohort‐component method. In this article, we describe and test a methodology in which estimates of the Hispanic population are based on symptomatic indicators of population change such as births, deaths, and school enrollments. Methods. Using a variety of techniques, we develop Hispanic population estimates for counties in Florida. We evaluate the accuracy of those estimates by comparing them with 2000 Census counts. Results. Hispanic population estimates have larger errors than estimates of total population; errors vary considerably by population size and growth rate; some techniques perform better than others in places with particular population characteristics; and averages often perform better than individual techniques. Conclusions. In many circumstances, symptomatic data series can provide more accurate estimates of the Hispanic population than more commonly used techniques.     

Book reviews/Comptes rendus

Lisa Gilad, Ginger and Salt: Yemeni Jewish Women in an Israeli Town. Boulder D.W. Attwood and B.S. Baviskar (eds.), Who Shares? Co-operatives and Rural Development Francis Robinson (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and The Maldives Richard C. Davis (ed.), Rupert's Land: A Cultural Tapestry Tom Bottomore and Robert J. Brym (eds.), The Capitalist Class: An International Study Raymond Murphy, Social Closure: A theory of Monopolization and Exclusion Richard Flacks, Making History. Kevin D. Carriere and Richard V. Ericson, Crime Stoppers: A Study in the Organization of Community Policing. Dany Lacombe, Ideology and Public Policy: The Case Against Pornography Robert J. Brym with Bonnie J. Fox, From Culture to Power: The Sociology of English Canada. Barry Wellman and S.D. Berkowitz (eds.), Social Structures: a network approach John Van Willigen, Barbara Rylko-Bauer, and Ann Mcelroy (eds.), Making Our Research Useful Grahame Clark, Prehistory at Cambridge and beyond Theresa R. Richardson, The Century of the Child: The Mental Hygiene Movement and Social Policy in the United States and Canada Anne Edwards, Regulation and Repression: The Study of Social Control Michael V. Angrosino, Documents of Interaction: Biography, Autobiography, and Life History in Social Science Perspective Michael Hechter, Principles of Group Solidarity Partrick Kierans, Glenn Drover and David Williams, Welfare and Worker Participation Mary Mccannery Gergen (ed.), Feminist Thought and the Structure of Knowledge Richard V. Ericson, Patricia M. Baranek and Janet B.L. Chan, Visualizing Deviance: A Study of New Organizations Sheila Allen and Carol Wolkowitz, Homeworking: Myths and Realities Calvin W. Redekop and Samuel J. Steiner (eds.), Mennonite Identity: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Robert A. Stebbins, Canadian Football: The View From The Helmet Anne Innis Dagg and Patricia J. Thompson, MisEducation: Women & Canadian Universities Cyril H. Levitt and William Shaffir, The Riots at Christie Pits