Paul M. Mason

The Case of Effort Variables in Student Performance

Studies of the effect of study time on test scores have generally shown an insignificant or negative relationship. However, this study suggests that the effects are different for students with different ability levels. By failing to test separately by ability, previous studies cancelled out the significant effects of study time.

The economic consequences of state lotteries

Preface State Lotteries: Past and Present Who Bears the Burden of State Lotteries? Lottery Tax Efficiency Lottery Taxes and Other Tax Revenue Where Are Lottery Dollars Coming From? A Comparison of Consumer Expenditures Before and After the Lottery Conclusions, Policy Recommendations, and Further Research Appendix Bibliography Index

The Cross Effects of Lottery Taxes On Alternative State Tax Revenue

This article both theoretically and empirically identifies sizable cross effects of lottery taxes on other sources of state tax revenue. Specifically, those states without income taxes and those with high sales and excise tax rates may lose as much as 23 cents in alternative state revenue for every dollar of lottery revenue they collect. Even though this extreme still implies that the state receives 77 cents more tax revenue than before the lottery was imposed, those states that earmark their lottery dollars likely see significant reductions in their nonlottery revenue sources that need to be accounted for in their budgets. Otherwise, a bonanza in one area of the budget causes a sizable and likely unexpected shortfall elsewhere.

The Elasticity of Demand for Lotto Tickets and the Corresponding Welfare Effects

The results of an analysis of lotto demand for the state of Florida during the first 254 weeks of its lotto suggest that the price elasticity of demand is near unity when employing a measure of lotto ticket price that is superior (at least for the state of Florida) to that used by others. The results imply that, relative to other states, Floridas lotto has room for increases in the odds to increase the price elasticity of demand to the revenue-maximizing level. However, revenue maximization is not the goal that the state should seek. Rather, the data indicate that Florida could poten tially improve social welfare through increasing the odds, thereby expanding the consumer surplus of ticket buyers and reducing the excess burden associated with the lottery tax.

The effects of casino gambling on state tax revenue

A theoretical model of state tax structure implies that revenue enhancement due to the introduction of casino gambling is less likely in states where incomes taxes do not exist and where casino tax rates are lower than the corresponding tax rates on sales taxable and excise taxable goods. Further, it is clear that casino gambling is likely to adversely impact lottery tax revenues earmarked for education. Due to the cross-price effects of gambling, tax revenues will likely decline in states that introduce nontaxable casino gambling on Indian reservations. In the longer term, as casino gambling proliferates increasing competition among states, there will be negative revenue consequences due to fewer tourism and employment dollars.

Publication delays in articles in economics: what to do about them

The issue of publication delays in economics journals is addressed based on survey responese from members of the American Economic Association. The results imply that there is both a perceived and actual problem with the length of time it takes to have journal articles published in economics. The fundamental realization is that there is no one to blame for the delays but ourselves. The survey results imply that if economists were more efficient in reviewing documents and returning the results, the delays could be reduced considerably. To help enhance efficiency, there seems to be considerable support for the idea o fpaying reviewers, and for doing so on a sliding scale relative to expeditiousness, adn paying for this service through larger assessments upon submission. However, there is also an emphasis that editors need a restructuring of their selection process, and enhanced policing of reviewers.

The Use of the ETS Major Field Test for Assurance of Business Content Learning: Assurance of Waste?.

Exit exams have become the currency of choice for both institutions and accrediting bodies seeking to demonstrate student learning. Most researchers have ignored the opportunity costs of these tests and the fundamental question of whether the exams add value to the assessment process already in place on college campuses (course testing and GPA). A statistical model that uses a students GPA, SAT score, and demographic characteristics predicts the students Major Field Test (ETSB) score quite well. Furthermore, the opportunity cost of administering these exams at the institution in question exceeds

Gaming tax incidence for three groups of Las Vegas gamblers

25,000 annually. The authors argue that the cost-benefit tradeoff of the ETSB exit exam is unfavorable.

Voter Bias in the Associated Press College Football Poll

This paper outlines the differences in demographic characteristics and, therefore, tax incidence of three distinct groups of Las Vegas gamblers: Las Vegas (Clark County) residents, other Nevada resident visitors, and non-Nevada visitors to Las Vegas, using data from one of the Las Vegas Visitor Profile studies and a recent survey of Clark County residents. The results suggest that the three groups are very different, and consequently, so too are the implications for tax equitability. Specifically, gambling taxes are so regressive among local resident gamblers that gambling is actually an inferior good for the majority in this category. Visitor gamblers from inside Nevada pay a less regressive tax than out-of-state gamblers, but the key implication is that the tax is universally regressive.

The changing quality of business education

The authors investigate multiple biases in the individual weekly ballots submitted by the 65 voters in the Associated Press college football poll in 2007. Using censored Tobit modeling, they find evidence of bias toward teams (a) from the voter’s state, (b) in conferences represented in the voter’s state, (c) in selected Bowl Championship Series conferences, and (d) that played in televised games, particularly on relatively prominent networks. They also find evidence of inordinate bias toward simplistic performance measures—number of losses, and losing in the preceding week—even after controlling for performance using mean team strength derived from 16 so-called computer rankings.