This paper explores the conditions under which compliance with a social contract establishes an equilibrium in a society. It is assumed that society consists of two groups, one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence, whereas the other one has a comparative advantage in producing...

We examine how globalization affects trade patterns and welfare when conflict prevails domestically. We do so in a simple model of trade, in which a natural resource like oil is contested by competing groups using real resources (?guns?). Thus, conflict is viewed as ultimately stemming from...

The uprising and military confrontation in Libya that began in February 2011 has led to disruptions of gas supplies to Europe. An analysis of how Europe has compensated for these missing gas volumes shows that this situation has not affected security of supply. However, this situation would...

A fundamental requirement of market economies is the security of ownership claims to property. Yet history is littered with cases of challenges to these claims. A large literature has found contradictory evidence for the effect of income and income inequality on revolt, possibly due to omitted...

The paper inquires into the impact of contemporary major world events - the recession in the United States and Western Europe, the oil price hike, and the Arab Spring - on the flow of overseas Filipino workers or OFWs and their remittances. The paper finds that the recession in the West has not...

Two events currently preoccupy global news: the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe in Japan. Both events are very different in its nature and location, but they not only affect economic developments within these...