The politics of public behaviour
This project is a chance to explore the tensions in the current debate between fostering a 'nanny state' and finding a response to some of the most pressing social issues of our time.
"social_costs"
5 items tagged with this theme in this project. Find more on this theme : » show items from across the site
- Planning: politics vs economics 'Part of the social cost a new airport is noise. How do we measure this cost? We could give residents rights to quiet skies. Then, the airport builders would have to buy these rights. If they could do so, the benefits of the airport would exceed the cost, so it would be reasonable for the airport to go ahead. But if residents demanded too high a price for the builders' liking, that would be a sign that the cost exceeded the benefit, so the project wouldn't go ahead.' from : duncanoleary 21st May 2007
- Spectator article on 'Social Responsibility' Writes: 'How much does a hamburger really cost? Within this question, as one of David Cameron’s senior advisers explained to me, lies the Conservatives’ new driving philosophy. A Big Mac costs £1.99. But if children guzzle too many they become obese and inflict a burden on the National Health Service. The taxpayer funds this treatment — so the burger costs more than the child’s family originally pays. Might a responsible Tory government ensure the child pays what the burger truly costs?' from : duncanoleary 22nd May 2007
- Oliver Letwin speech: 'Cameron Conservatism' Argues that: 'government (apart from its perennial role in guaranteeing security and stability)… is conceived principally as an agency for enabling individuals, families, associations and corporations to internalise externalities and hence to live up to social responsibilities without the further intervention of authority.' from : duncanoleary 22nd May 2007
- Social costs of gambling nearly half that of drug abuse, new book concludes Argues: ' The social costs of gambling, such as increased crime, lost work time, bankruptcies and financial hardships faced by the families of gambling addicts, have reached epidemic proportions, costing the economy as much as $54 billion annually, Earl L. Grinols, an Illinois economist, has written in “Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits,” published this month by Cambridge University Press. This compares with the estimated annual $110 billion cost of drug abuse' from : duncanoleary 24th May 2007
- Stern Review Summary (pdf) 'Putting an appropriate price on carbon – explicitly through tax or trading, or implicitly through regulation – means that people are faced with the full social cost of their actions. This will lead individuals and businesses to switch away from high-carbon goods and services, and to invest in low-carbon alternatives. Economic efficiency points to the advantages of a common global carbon price: emissions reductions will then take place wherever they are cheapest.' from : duncanoleary 24th May 2007