Using data from a survey of Pennsylvania food processors, we investigate what firm-level characteristics make a processor more or less likely to buy agricultural inputs and ingredients though contracts. We find that over 20 percent of Pennsylvania processors use contracts, and over 44 percent of...

The common wisdom in many growing communities is that newcomers demand more services than do long-term residents. Dissimilar attitudes toward local services can have important effects on local government activities and services. This study investigates whether municipal officials in growing...

A telephone survey of all of the surviving families of people killed in farm accidents in New York between 1985 and 1987 (52 of 87 families interviewed, 60% response rate) found the average total annual present value of expected income foregone because of fatal farm accidents in New York is over...

Economists evaluating policies frequently split the measurement of effects into two elements: efficiency, and the distribution of income. Traditional economic theory has focused primarily upon efficiency, under the assumption that efficiency alone avoids subjective judgments. Considerations of...

The growing American retired population increasingly is viewed for its economic development potential. The relationship between the elderly and local taxes may have a critical effect on this potential, however. This paper examines the local tax implications of an increasing elderly population in...

Rural-urban fringe counties (i.e. counties adjacent to other counties with large and growing urban centers) often experience intense development pressure as a result of urban growth and expansion. While growth-initiated development can take many forms, the majority of the development that occurs...

Minimum lot size zoning requirements are a frequent policy tool used to restrict the density and location of residential development. Zoning regulations are typically instituted and adopted locally, often with limited input from surrounding jurisdictions. Autonomous local land use regulations...

Urban areas possess complex spatial configurations. These patterns are produced by cumulative changes in land use and land cover as human and natural environments are influenced by market forces, policy, and changes in the natural landscape. To understand the mechanisms underlying these complex...