This paper reviews a number of criticisms made of the World Model. These criticisms suggest substantially greater parameter change than allowed by the original studies. When this is done, the results change, and the basic behaviour mode can exhibit , depending on the parameter values, collapse,...

Scientific revolutions require sound evidence overwhelmingly contradictory to the prevailing paradigm, and willingness to believe such evidence. Histories of science have traditionally concentrated on the first factor. The second factor indicates, however, that attitude change may play an...

When the structure of tax revenues - the proportion of revenues earned by income, consumption and wealth taxes - is treated as a pure public good, a useful framework emerges for analyzing interrelationships among taxpayers' preferences, tax structure and tax reform. The 'optimal' tax structure...

Results of U.S. survey of attitudes toward government were recently published. Respondents were asked whether spending on various government programs should be increased or cut. A similar set of questions were asked a decade ago. Comparisons reveal preferences for various public goods have...

Gradient methods have been useful in economics, particularly in non-linear programming and estimation. This paper outlines a gradient model of dynamic consumer behaviour under uncertainty. An extension to a two-consumer bargaining model is suggested. A key role is played by the nature and extent...

Aaron and McGuire recently put forward a new method for imputing benefits of government expenditures on public goods for various income classes. They fail to present conclusive empirical results, however, lacking a parameter whose value is heretofore unmeasured. This note uses three independent...

What impact do taxes and public spending have on income distribution? The sanguine conclusion that government budgets take from the rich and give to the poor stems largely from the persistent assumption of neutral expenditure incidence. Recently, Aaron and McGuire outlined the basis for a new...