Gregory B. Christainsen

The contribution of environmental regulations to the slowdown in productivity growth

Abstract The radical slowdown in productivity growth since 1965 is often attributed to environmental regulations. Several studies, varying widely in method, have attempted to assess this contribution. Here, these analyses are reviewed and critiqued, and a summary appraisal of the likely contribution of environmental regulations to the observed decrease in productivity growth is offered.

Distributional and macroeconomic aspects of environmental policy

Publisher Summary The achievement of an efficient balance between the economic system and the environment is just one of many societal objectives. How environmental policy affects these other objectives is important because these impacts may serve to constrain the set of politically feasible policies, may recommend some approaches over others or may provide guidance as to the most appropriate timing of policy implementation. Two effects of environmental policy have been discussed in the chapter: distributional effects and macroeconomic effects. The former concerns how the costs and benefits of environmental policy are distributed among socioeconomic groups and among geographic regions; the latter concerns the impact of environmental policy on important national aggregates such as inflation, unemployment, and productivity. The chapter examines the theoretical models that serve to identify the channels of influence, the data which provide the raw material for the estimates and the methods used to quantify the impacts. The objective is to convey a sense of the magnitude of the impacts along with an appreciation for the reliability of these estimates for policy purposes. Finally, the chapter discusses the policies that have triggered the effects being estimated.

Government Regulations and their Impact on the Economy

The performance of the American economy during the 1970s was distinctly inferior to the record of the previous decade. A prominent hypothesis is that oppressive government regulation was largely responsible for the poor performance of the 1970s. This article examines that hypothesis with respect to a key marcoeconomic indicator: the rate of productivity growth.

The Natural Environment and Economic Education

The specialty area of environmental and resource economics is engaging the attention of an increasing number of economic educators. In this article, Christainsen reviews and evaluates some of the major textbooks from the perspective of the role of property rights in theory and in policy issues.

Using Donor Preferences in Evaluating Public Expenditures: A Suggested Procedure

This article provides a means of assessing the contribution of public expenditures to allocative efficiency, given the preferences of those who make charitable contributions. A test statistic is derived, which, when compared to the actual volume of government subsidies received by enterprises, indicates whether they are over- or under-subsidized. The statistic is couched in terms of parameters for which empirical estimates can be made. Employing existing estimates of these parameters, the use of such a statistic is then illustrated with reference to public expenditures for rehabilitation facilities in which disabled persons perform remunerative work—sheltered workshops.