
 |
|
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Feb. 10, 2005
/ 1 Adar I, 5765
Economics for the citizen
By
Walter Williams
Part Seven of a Ten-Part Series
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There's a reggae song that advises "If you want to be happy
for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife."
Mechanics have been accused of charging women higher prices for
emergency road repairs. Airlines charge business travelers higher prices
than tourists. Car rental companies and hotels often charge cheaper
rates on weekends. Transportation companies often give senior citizen
and student discounts. Prostitutes charge servicemen higher prices than
their indigenous clientele. Gasoline stations on interstate highways
charge higher prices than those off the interstate. What are we to make
of all of this discrimination? Should somebody notify the U.S. attorney
general?
The fact that sellers charge people different prices for
what often appear to be similar products is related to a concept known
as elasticity of demand, but we won't get bogged down with economic
jargon. Think about substitutes. Take the reggae song's advice about not
taking a pretty woman as a wife. Pretty women are desired and sought
after by many men. An attractive woman has many substitutes for you, and
as such, she can place many demands on you. A homely woman has far fewer
substitutes for you and cannot easily replace you. Hence, she might be
nicer to you, making what economists call "compensating differences."
It's all a matter of substitutes for the good or service in
question. Business travelers have less flexibility in their air-travel
choices than tourists. Women generally see themselves as having fewer
alternatives for emergency auto repairs. A man might have more knowledge
about making the repair or be more willing to risk hitchhiking or
walking. A prostitute might see a sailor on shore leave as having fewer
substitutes for her services than the area's residents. Motorists
traveling from city to city are less likely to have information about
cheaper choices than local residents.
Politicians seem to ignore the fact that when the price of
something changes people respond by seeking cheaper substitutes. New
York City raised cigarette taxes, thereby making a pack of cigarettes
$7. What happened? A flourishing cigarette black market emerged.
In 1990, when Congress imposed a luxury tax on yachts,
private airplanes and expensive automobiles, Sen. Ted Kennedy and
then-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell crowed publicly about how
the rich would finally be paying their fair share of taxes. But yacht
retailers reported a 77 percent drop in sales, and boat builders laid
off an estimated 25,000 workers. What happened? Kennedy and Mitchell
simply assumed that the rich would behave the same way after the
imposition of the luxury tax as they did before and the only difference
would be more money in the government's coffers. They had a
zero-elasticity vision of the world, namely that people do not respond
to price changes. People always respond, and the only debatable issue is
how much and over what period.
This elasticity concept is not restricted to what are
generally seen as economic matters; it applies to virtually all human
behavior. When a parent asks his child, "How many privileges must I take
from you to get you to behave?" that's really an elasticity question. In
other words, how high must the punishment price be for the misbehavior
in order to get the child to take less of it? It's easy to see how
elasticity applies to law enforcement as well. What must be done to the
certainty of prosecution and punishment to get criminals to commit less
crime?
My next article will focus on property rights, a
non-economic concept that has a heavy impact on economics.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in uplifting articles.
Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Walter Williams Weekly Column Archives
Economics for the citizen, Part Six
Economics for the citizen, Part Five
Economics for the citizen, Part Four
Economics for the citizen, Part Three
Economics for the citizen, Part Two
Economics for the citizen, Part One
© 2005, Creators Syndicate
|