Wordage

While thumbing a ride through the dictionary, I came across some \u27age\u27 words. Age is defined as the amount of time a person has lived and is also a stage of life; a time span. If I were a lexicographer, this is how I would define many of them

Disturbing Verbing and Pre-verbing

Humorous commentary on the English language trend of creating verbs out of nouns which he calls verbing.

Deflationary Language

In the following recessionary story, numbers and letters deflate instead of inflate, and any word that has a comparative element is changed to its lower or lesser counterpart

THE DYNAMICS OF REINTRODUCING, SUPPLEMENTING AND CONTROLLING ENDANGERED PREDATOR POPULATIONS

A dynamic model is developed to analyze the reintroduction of endangered predators. Non-convexities and the conditions under which reintroduction is sub-optimal are studied. Following reintroduction, costly population control should be initiated before marginal animals impose net costs, providing an economic interpretation to changes in the sign of the shadow price.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Compensation for Wildlife Damage: Habitat Conversion, Species Preservation and Local Welfare

We study the environmental and economic consequences of introducing a program to compensate peasants of a small economy for the damage caused by wildlife. We show that the widely held belief that compensation induces wildlife conservation may be erroneous. In a partially open economy, compensation can lower the wildlife stock and result in a net welfare loss for local people. In an open economy, compensation can trigger wildlife extinction and also reduce welfare. The conditions leading to a reduction of the wildlife stock are identified and the implications for current and planned compensation programs are discussed.compensation, crop damage, wildlife, endangered species preservation, bushmeat trade

Matching and Challenge Gifts to Charity: Evidence from Laboratory and Natural Field Experiments

This study designs a natural field experiment linked to a controlled laboratory experiment to examine the effectiveness of matching gifts and challenge gifts, two popular strategies used to secure a portion of the $200 billion annually given to charities. We find evidence that challenge gifts positively influence contributions in the field, but matching gifts do not. Methodologically, we find important similarities and dissimilarities between behavior in the lab and the field. Overall, our results have clear implications for fundraisers and provide avenues for future empirical and theoretical work on charitable giving.fundraising, threshold public goods, charitable giving, field experiments

Keep It Down: An Experimental Test of the Truncated k-Double Auction

The introduction of a centralized institution for trading production rights in quota-regulated agricultural sectors can dramatically improve the flow of information among market participants and increase efficiency. On the other hand, prevailing conditions in these small markets can provide sellers with a market advantage, yielding high quota prices that impose important financial costs on quota holders and limit the entry of new producers into the industry. In this paper, we modify the normal allocation rule of the k-double auction (kDA) to counter thin market conditions and to favor buyers who bid low prices. In laboratory experiments, we test the “truncated†kDA (T-kDA) against a regular kDA for its ability to affect buyer and seller behavior and decrease equilibrium prices, and assess how it impacts efficiency. The results show that the T-kDA significantly lowers the equilibrium price and results in moderate efficiency losses. Most importantly, the T-kDA effectively counters the market power of oligopolists when demand far outstrips supply.k-double auction, experimental economics, truncated, efficiency, commodity market, Agribusiness, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Keep it Down: An Experimental Test of the Truncated Uniform Price Auction

The introduction of a centralized institution for trading production rights in quota-regulated agricultural sectors can dramatically improve the flow of information among market pareticipants and increase efficiency. On the other hand, prevailing conditions in these small markets can provide sellers with a market advantage, yielding high quota prices that impose important financial costs on quota holders and limit the entry of new producers into the industry. In this paper, we modify the normal allocation rule of a uniform price auction (UPA) to favor buyers who bid low prices. In laboratory experiments, we test this “Truncated” Uniform Price Auction (T-UPA) against a regular Uniform Price Auction for its ability to decrease equilibrium prices, affect buyer and seller behavior and to assess how it impacts efficiency. The results show that the T-UPA significantly lowers the equilibrium price and results in moderate efficiency losses. Most importantly, the T-UPA effectively counters the market power of oligopolists when demand far outstrips supply. La mise en place d’une enchère centralisée pour l'échange des droits de production dans les secteurs agricoles peut considérablement améliorer le flux d'information parmi les participants au marché, ainsi qu'accroître l'efficacité. Toutefois, les conditions qui règnent dans ces petits marchés peuvent fournir aux vendeurs un avantage de marché, ce qui produit des prix de quotas élevés et limite l'entrée de nouveaux producteurs dans l'industrie. Dans cet article, nous modifions la règle de répartition normale d'une enchère de prix uniforme (UPA) afin de favoriser les acheteurs qui offrent des prix plus faibles. Dans les expériences de laboratoire, nous testons une enchère de prix uniforme «tronquée» (T-UPA) contre une enchère de prix uniforme régulière afin de tester sa capacité de diminuer les prix d'équilibre, d'influencer le comportement de l'acheteur et du vendeur, et d'évaluer son impact sur l'efficacité économique. Les résultats montrent que la T-UPA réduit considérablement le prix d'équilibre et entraîne des pertes d'efficacité modérées. Plus important encore, la T-UPA réussit à contrer le pouvoir de marché des oligopoleurs lorsque la demande dépasse largement l'offre.Auction, uniform, experimental economics, truncated, efficiency, commodity market , Enchère, uniforme, économie expérimentale, tronquée, efficacité, marché de commodité