The New Economics of Human Behaviour

by Mariano Tommasi, Kathryn Ierulli, Gary Becker

Overview

This volume views important social and political issues through the eyes of economists. Pioneered by Gary Becker, this approach asserts that all actions, whether working, playing, dating, or mating, have economic motivations and consequences, and can be analyzed using economic reasoning. Intended as an introduction to the current state of the field, the essays are informal and nontechnical, while still using up-to-date economic reasoning to illuminate such topics as crime, marriage, discrimination, immigration, fads and fashions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521474207
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/24/1995
Pages:	258
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction Kathryn Ierulli, Edward L. Glaeser and Mariano Tommasi; Part I. Discrimination and Immigration: 1. The economics of discrimination: a primer Barry R. Chiswick; 2. The economic analysis of immigration George J. Borjas; Part II. Crime, Punishment and Rights: 3. Rational criminals and profit maximising police: the economic analysis of law enforcemen David Friedman; 4. Property rights in children James S. Coleman; Part III. All in the Family: 5. Human capital, fertility and economic growth Robert Tamura; 6. Marriage market models Shoshana Grossbard-Shechtman; 7. The marriage premium Kermit Daniel; Part IV. Government and Politics: 8. The process of government Edgardo Enrique Zablotsky; 9. The economic approach to democracy John G. Matsusaka; Part V. Health, Religion and Mass Behaviour: 10. The economic approach to addictive behavior Michael Grossman; 11. Household production, human capital, and the economics of religion Laurence R. Iannaccone; 12. The blind leading the blind: social influences, fads, and informational cascades David Hirshleifer; 13. Public health and economic epidemiology Tomas Philipson.

Editorial Reviews

"...the chapters are well-written and engaging and will, as a group, succeed in persuading students of the value of price theory in understanding social problems." Journal of Economic History

"The New Economics of Human Behavior is a worthwhile volume, eminently suited for course adoption." Robert A. Margo, The Journal of Economic History

From the Publisher