Scholarly Comments on Academic Economics

Volume 9, Issue 2, May 2012

In this issue:

Freedom Versus Coercion in Industrial Ecology:

Four years ago in Journal of Industrial Ecology, Frank Boons criticized papers by Pierre Desrochers that purport to show hardy tendencies in free enterprise to make wealth from waste.

Here in EJW:

Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and the Guy Next Door: Race, Ethnicity, and Baseball Card Prices

David Findlay and John Santos replicate an analysis of the market for baseball Hall-of-Famer rookie cards produced since 1947, when Jackie Robinson made his major-league debut. The earlier study did not find evidence of significant racial discrimination by card buyers. Having detected a pattern of data errors in that study, Findlay and Santos correct the errors, extend the analysis, and include Hispanics. Their more powerful analysis also finds no evidence of significant racial or ethnic discrimination.

  • The Findlay and Santos article
  • Robert Muñoz—one of the authors of the original study—acknowledges the corrections, applauds the extensions, and explores dimensions of the discrimination question that are not well illuminated by the findings of the investigation.

Characteristics of the Members of Twelve Economic Associations

Using survey responses from 299 U.S. economics professors, the authors report on membership in the professional economic associations with names including the following terms: American, Eastern, Southern, Western, Econometric, Evolutionary Economics, Private Enterprise Education, Feminist Economics, Public Choice, Socio-Economics, Austrian Economics, and Radical Political Economics. Association membership is related to voting, policy views, and favorite economists.

F. A. Hayek’s 1951 Essay on the Renaissance of Liberal Economics

Hayek discusses the vital role of Edwin Cannan, Ludwig von Mises, Frank H. Knight, and Walter Eucken in bridging the age of liberalism and the budding liberal renaissance.

EJW Audio

Call for Papers

EJW fosters open exchange. We welcome proposals and submissions of diverse viewpoints.

Download entire May 2012 issue (pdf)

Table of contents (pdf) with links to articles