The number of undergraduate-level textbooks on environmental economics has increased in recent years, but the textbook treatment of optimal emissions (abatement) varies markedly from textbook to textbook. In particular, there is no consensus as to whether to model the economic “bad” (i.e....

This study examines the determinants of state labor productivity during the 1989 to 2000 period. Using the model developed by Carlino and Voith (1992), we estimate how state cha-racteristics such as population density, education, industrial structure, and business amenities (such as crime...

"We investigate the relationship between accident rates and industry structure for the United States' steel industry during the first four decades of the 20th century. We develop a dominant firm theoretical model linking accident rates to number of competitors, showing a positive correlation...

Recent energy price increases have revitalized interest in energy's impact on state economies. Moreover, lackluster economic growth in most states prompted some to suspend gas tax collections to stimulate economic activity. Given such interest, surprisingly few studies have quantified the effect...

In this paper we construct a ranking of states based on their proclivity to inspect facilities for environmental compliance. Our measure utilizes state-level inspections data supplied by the US Environmental Protection Agency. After developing our ranking, we use it to predict state-level growth...

This paper uses a cross-sectional hedonic pricing model to investigate the relationship between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data releases and the prices of single-family residences within postal zip code areas situated in Omaha, Nebraska's...

We show that the impact of transportation improvements on land values is complex with a direct, positive relationship on the price of land and also a positive relationship with the ratio of improved acres to total acres, another important influence on the per acre price of land. We construct a...

This article addresses whether environmental regulators are responsive to voluntary environmental behavior. Mixed results are obtained. In two of four frequently inspected manufacturing industries, state regulators do indeed undertake fewer current inspections at those plants that report lower...

Many studies show that inspections (or the threat there of) promote compliance with environmental law. Therefore, it is important to understand what influences inspections. Existing research tends to focus on plant characteristics when explaining inspections, often reporting conflicting results....