Monthly Archives: November 2012

More Unintended Consequences of Cigarette Taxes

Posted on November 30, 2012 by

We have been talking about drug dealing this week, and today we turn our attention to the smuggling of a legal drug product: cigarettes. Differential state tax rates on cigarettes have unintended consequences, which we have discussed before. “Tobacco Road” … Continue reading →

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The Politics and Economics of Dealing Drugs, Part II

Posted on November 28, 2012 by

Planet Money interviews “Freeway” Rick Ross, a former high-level drug dealer in LA. This interview offers another perspective on the drug business from the one we saw on Monday. The basics: PM: How much of the cost of the drug … Continue reading →

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The Politics and Economics of Dealing Drugs, Part I

Posted on November 26, 2012 by

Jeff Winkler interviews a small-time dealer for his perspective. The basics: How long have you been selling? I started in 2006 and, like most other dealers, started by being a heavy user of the product. I realized that if I … Continue reading →

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Micro-Institutions Everywhere: The Meals We Eat

Posted on November 23, 2012 by

Across the country yesterday, Americans engaged in a massive coordination game. Most people in the US took the opportunity to spend time with friends and family during the one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Expectations about the … Continue reading →

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Could FDR Have Prevented the Cuban Revolution?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by

Santiago de Cuba Nov 6 1940 Mr Franklin Roosvelt, President of the United States. My good friend Roosvelt I don’t know very English, but I know as much as write to you. I like to hear the radio, and I … Continue reading →

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How to Be a Dictator in the Age of the Internet

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

Having taken a look at electronic voting in Friday’s post, today we look at the other side of the coin: how can dictators use the internet to stay in power? Laurier Rochon has a few answers in a free e-book, … Continue reading →

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Is e-Voting in Our Future?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by

There are 96 million smartphones and wireless PDA’s in the US. As of 2012, none of them can be used to cast a ballot in a US election. In an age where you can do almost everything else online, though, … Continue reading →

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How to Get FIPS Codes from Latitude and Longitude

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

FIPS codes are unique identifiers for geographic units within the US. Although they have technically been withdrawn as a standard, they are still widely used in political science and other applications for geographic categorization of data. For example, the CBS/New … Continue reading →

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How Could We Get Gasoline to Hurricane Victims?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

As Hurricane Sandy approached the East Coast, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman warned vendors of fuel, food, water, and other essentials about price gouging: The New York General Business law forbids those who sell essential consumer goods and services … Continue reading →

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What is the Right Level of Internet Crime?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by

Removing dangers and annoyances comes with costs. Catching every single person who breaks the speed limit would cost far more than it is worth to prevent accidents, for example.  Recognizing this trade-off, we look for the “sweet spot” (or for … Continue reading →

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