Why are Russians more trusting of government than New Zealanders? Maybe they do not trust the interviewer?
12 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
New study indicates there are 8 Conservative Social Psychologists
11 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of education, politics - USA, Public Choice
Source: New Study Indicates Existence of Eight Conservative Social Psychologists | HeterodoxAcademy.org.
Source: New Study Indicates Existence of Eight Conservative Social Psychologists | HeterodoxAcademy.org.
Source: New Study Indicates Existence of Eight Conservative Social Psychologists | HeterodoxAcademy.org.
HT: Rafe Champion
Gun share prices skyrocket
07 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, financial economics, politics - USA, Public Choice Tags: gun control
@LordAshcroft on @UKIP and the 2015 election
07 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, Public Choice
Lord Ashcroft has written a fascinating review of the unexpected 2015 general election result in the UK based on his polling and focus group work. I will start my summary of it with UKIP because that party is the most interesting way to illustrate his analytical approach.
UKIP increased its vote from 3% in 2010 British general election to 12% in 2015. UKIP won 1 seat and came second in 120.
UKIP was initially seen as a threat to the Tory party. What will make the Tory party rather conflicted in winning those votes back is as many Tory voters vote UKIP as Tory voters vote for the Liberal Democrats. The Tories cannot win both blocs back.
UKIP voters have more of an attitude rather than a series of policies despite their preoccupation with immigration as Ashcroft explains:
It was true that those who were drawn to the party were more preoccupied than most with immigration, and would complain about issues such as Britain’s contribution to the EU or the international aid budget.
But their overarching view was that Britain was changing for the worse. They were pessimistic, even fearful, and did not think mainstream politicians were willing or able to keep their promises or change things for the better.
Surprisingly, European Union membership is not a top three priority for most UKIP voters. They are grumpy about the country they grew up in fading into their past to be replaced by political correctness and identity politics.
Not surprisingly UKIP voters are attracted to it because the party would ‘say things that need to be said but others are scared to say’. Nigel Farage was regarded by UKIP voters as entertaining and straight talking but a little too interested in the limelight.
Ashcroft has as fascinating way of cutting past social acceptability bias in responses of focus groups by asking them to think about a political party or leader as a car or house. In the case of UKIP, this is what they thought:
If UKIP were a house, it would have ‘a wrought-iron fence all round to keep everyone out’. The ageing residents would spend their time ‘talking about how things were in their day’ and would not get on with their neighbours ‘because they are a different colour’. The timer on the stereo would be set to play the national anthem every day at noon.
Surprisingly few UKIP voters have illusions about the competence or good sense of UKIP. They were voting for UKIP as a protest. They are voting UKIP because they wanted to give it a voice which they can build on and become more competent and sensible.
Source: FLOWCHART: Should You Vote Ukip?
Why taxi drivers are suddenly getting nicer?
07 Jan 2016 1 Comment
in applied price theory, economics of regulation, rentseeking, transport economics Tags: creative destruction, taxi regulation, Uber
Where I live, taxis suddenly starting texting to say they are five minutes away or outside.
Source: Why taxi drivers are suddenly getting nicer – The Washington Post
Jason Furman on residential housing supply, NIMBYism, and economic growth
05 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, environmental economics, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, land use planning, RMA, zoning
The recession in jobs in the global warming industry
04 Jan 2016 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, rentseeking
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. A lot of jobs depends upon climate alarmism, far fewer than on climate scepticism.
Source: “climate change” Job Trends | Indeed.com.
Few jobs in economics depend upon climate alarmism because bureaucracies and politicians do not like the answers that economists give on the cost of global warming so they pre-emptively do not fund the research.
Whose voting base has succumbed to unthinking populists?
31 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, income redistribution, international economics, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: 2016 presidential election
Singapore Spring
29 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic history, growth miracles, Public Choice Tags: Asian Tigers, Singapore
Places in the world where governments have lost control
28 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, Public Choice Tags: anarchy, lawless regio lawless regionn, no-go areas
@Greenpeace why are German and Danish power prices so high?
24 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic history, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: Big Solar, Big Wind, bootleggers and baptists, climate alarmism, Denmark, Germany, green rent seeking, power prices, solar power, wind power
Voter turnout rates among the less educated have collapsed since the 1970s
23 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of media and culture, politics - USA, Public Choice Tags: expressive voting, rational ignorance, voter demographics, voter turnout
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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