For those who missed the November Kreps Symposium, the videos are now available:
Earlier:
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Friday, February 16, 2024
Abortion bans in some states lead to late stage abortions in others
Obstacles to abortions in some states mean that some people seeking to end a pregnancy will have a late stage abortion where it's legal--i.e. laws intended to ban abortions or to allow only very early abortions may be moving some abortions much later.
The New Yorker has a photographic essay:
A SAFE HAVEN FOR LATE ABORTIONS. At a clinic in Maryland, desperate patients arrive from all over the country to terminate their pregnancies. Photographs by Maggie Shannon. —Margaret Talbot
"For several years, Morgan Nuzzo, a nurse-midwife, and her friend and colleague Diane Horvath, an ob-gyn, talked about opening a clinic that would provide abortions in all trimesters of pregnancy. In May, 2022, the draft opinion of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade was leaked, infusing their plan with fresh urgency. The women had launched a GoFundMe campaign earlier that spring, noting that stand-alone clinics made up the majority of providers offering abortion after fifteen weeks, and that many of these had closed in recent years. Within weeks, Nuzzo and Horvath had raised more than a hundred thousand dollars; that summer, they started training employees for the new clinic, Partners in Abortion Care, in College Park, Maryland. They saw their first patient that October, and by the end of 2023 they had treated nearly five hundred. The youngest was eleven years old, the oldest fifty-three.
...
"Abortions in the second or third trimester are rare—the vast majority of abortions in the United States are performed in the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy—and when they occur the circumstances tend to be desperate. Horvath told me, “We know that when people decide they need an abortion they want to have it as soon as possible. Nobody is hanging out until they get to twenty or thirty weeks, saying, ‘Oh, I think maybe I’ll have my abortion now.’ ” A common scenario, she said, went like this: “You’re in, say, Texas—you’re pregnant and you need an abortion. You found out you were pregnant at eight weeks, which is a very usual time to find out. You arrange for child care—sixty per cent of people who have abortions are already parents—you get the money together, you’re going to have to travel out of state. You go to the next state that you can go to, and you find out you’re too far along for them. So now it’s going to be three times as much money. The cost goes up because the complexity of care goes up. If you travel four or five states over, how many days off is that, how many days of child care?”
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Medical aid in dying, together, in the Netherlands
The Guardian has the story:
Duo euthanasia: former Dutch prime minister dies hand in hand with his wife. Dries and Eugenie van Agt, both 93, died as number of couples in Netherlands choosing joint end to life grows. by Senay Boztas
"A Catholic former Dutch prime minister, Dries van Agt, has died by euthanasia, hand in hand with his wife Eugenie. They were both 93.
"Their deaths last Monday are seen as part of a growing trend in the Netherlands for “duo euthanasia”.
"Although still rare, euthanasia of couples was first noted in a review of all cases in 2020, when 26 people were granted euthanasia at the same time as their partners. The numbers grew to 32 the following year and 58 in 2022.
...
"Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, which grants the euthanasia wish of about 1,000 people a year in the Netherlands, said any couple’s requests for assisted death were tested against strict requirements individually rather than together.
“Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare,” she said. “It is pure chance that two people are suffering unbearably with no prospect of relief at the same time … and that they both wish for euthanasia.”
"Euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 for six conditions, including unbearable suffering, no prospect of relief and a long-held, independent wish for death.
"A second specialist must confirm the wish, and most cases are carried out by the family doctor at home."
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Is Pay Transparency Good? (and for what, and for whom?) by Zoë Cullen
Over the course of my academic career I have taught at a state university where salaries were public, a private university in which the department chair knew everyone's salary, another private university in which only the dean knew everyone's salary, and one in which I'm not sure exactly who knows what. Here's a study (not focused on universities) focused on the larger effects of information about pay.
Is Pay Transparency Good? by Zoë Cullen, Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 38, Number 1—Winter 2024—Pages 153–180
"To understand the economics behind pay transparency, it is useful to categorize the types of pay transparency into three buckets: horizontal pay transparency, where coworkers at the same organization are informed of each other’s pay (the Lilly Ledbetter case); vertical transparency, where transparency extends to different layers of seniority within an organization; and cross-firm transparency, where workers and/or employers have access to the pay information of competing firms and organizations.
"Horizontal pay transparency gained traction politically because it could hold a bad actor accountable for “unfair” pay differences, as in the Lilly Ledbetter case. In specific situations where roles are clearly defined, this kind of pay transparency could be a starting point to identify discriminatory gaps in pay that are prohibited by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and related laws. Research has shown that employers have responded to horizontal pay transparency by achieving equality through lower average pay overall.
...
"In contrast, vertical pay transparency and cross-firm pay transparency, while less equipped to hold specific organizations accountable for discrimination, have proven capable of raising productivity and raising wages by reducing information frictions in the labor market. Vertical pay transparency increases workers’ information about what they could earn if they were to be promoted. Because employees typically underestimate the steepness of financial rewards from promotion, vertical transparency raises expectations about potential earnings and has proven to boost effort and productivity in meritocratic environments. Cross-firm pay transparency, achieved through salary benchmarks like Glassdoor or salary ranges in job posts, informs prospective candidates about which employers pay more than others and leads applicants, especially those underpaid, to redirect their search toward higher paying firms and more favorable pay negotiations. Cross-firm pay transparency policies have also informed firms what their competitors are paying, increasing competition and putting upward pressure on wages. These pay transparency policies shine the light outward, away from coworkers under the same employer, toward vertical and cross-firm pay differences.
...
"The pay transparency lever is, in the end, stunningly cheap and powerful. However, this comes with a warning. Among the lessons learned in the study of pay transparency is that more information is not always better. Thus, we describe an open field for pay transparency studies to identify where greater and more equal access to information can improve economic outcomes."
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Incentives to take tests and get vaccinated
As the pandemic phase of Covid-19 recedes, we can reflect on what we've learned about demand for tests and for vaccines. Here's a paper from a year ago that I missed at the time that discusses incentives and defaults.
Incentives and Defaults Can Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions and Test Demand, by Marta Serra-Garcia and Nora Szech, Management Science, Vol. 69, No. 2, February 2023, Pages 723-1322, iii-iv
Abstract: Willingness to vaccinate and test are critical in the COVID-19 pandemic. We study the effects of two measures to increase the support of vaccination and testing: defaults and monetary compensations. Some organizations, such as restaurants, fire departments, hospitals, or governments in some countries, have used these measures. Yet there is the concern that compensations could erode intrinsic motivation and decrease vaccination intentions. We show that, in the early stages of the pandemic, both approaches, compensations and defaults, significantly increased COVID-19 test demand and vaccine intentions. Compensations for vaccines, however, need to be large enough because low compensations can backfire. We estimate heterogeneous treatment effects to document which groups are more likely to respond to these measures. The results show that defaults and avoidance of small compensations are especially important for individuals who are more skeptical of the vaccine, measured by their trust in the vaccine and their political views. Hence, both measures could be used in a targeted manner to achieve stronger results.
Monday, February 12, 2024
Is algebra for 8th graders repugnant because it leads to calculus?
The tide is shifting back towards teaching algebra in San Francisco middle schools.
The WSJ has the story:
In the Battle Over Early Algebra, Parents Are Winning. After schools prevented students from taking algebra before high school to reduce racial inequities, parents in San Francisco and Cambridge, Mass., pushed back. By Sara Randazzo
"San Francisco’s public school district set off a yearslong fight with parents when it decided to prevent students from taking algebra until high school, an attempt to combat racial inequities in math by waiting until more students were ready.
"Parents in favor of letting students start in middle school launched petitions, a ballot measure and a lawsuit, sparring with school officials over questions of equity and privilege.
"Now, it appears the parents who are pushing for eighth-grade algebra are winning.
"The San Francisco Unified School District said Friday that it would reverse its decade-old policy, a move that comes after a similar recent change by the school system in Cambridge, Mass., home to Harvard University.
"When to start students on algebra is a contentious topic because the subject is the gateway to a series of math classes culminating in calculus, which many see as crucial for STEM careers and selective college admissions. Students aspiring to take calculus before graduating have traditionally begun this sequence in eighth grade.
“A lot of the attention to eighth-grade algebra is based upon the feeling that that’s the point at which the race is won,” said Thurston Domina, an education professor at the University of North Carolina.
"In San Francisco, the district long argued that the policy of restricting algebra to high school wasn’t done to hold children back, but to reduce the inequities that result from sorting students by math ability at too young an age.
...
"Nationally, 48% of Asian students reach calculus before graduation, compared with 22% of white students, 14% of Latino students and 11% of Black students.
...
"Last year, California passed a new math framework that de-emphasizes early algebra access. Earlier drafts discouraged any eighth-grade algebra, citing the San Francisco school district’s policy as a more equitable approach. After hundreds of public comments and rounds of revisions, the final framework says students should accelerate in math if they are ready."
#########
I'm reminded of the wisecrack that says that fundamentalists disapprove of pre-marital sex because it leads to dancing, and they don't like dancing.
In this case, education reformers disapproved of 8th grade algebra because it leads to calculus...
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Fourth SIGecom Winter Meeting , Thursday, February 15, 2024
I'll see some you Thursday, online, in Gather.town.
The Fourth Annual ACM SIGecom Winter Meeting will take place Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 11am–5pm Eastern time. The workshop will take place on the Gather.town platform.
"This year's topic is behavioral models. The meeting will feature two introductory talks and four research presentations that reflect an array of perspectives and active research directions. The event will also feature a fireside conversation with Noam Nisan and Al Roth."
Program
All times listed in US Eastern Time Zone (ET). All talks will take place in the auditorium unless otherwise noted.
11:10 - 1:00pm: Introductory Talks
11:10am - 12:00pm: John Kleinberg
12:00pm - 12:10pm: Break
12:10pm - 1:00pm: Ori Heffetz
1:00pm - 2:30pm: Social Break
1:15pm - 1:45pm: Student Fireside Chat with Noam Nisan and Al Roth
1:45pm - 2:30pm: SIGecom social events
2:30pm - 5:00pm: Spotlight talks
2:30pm - 3:00pm: Modibo Camara
3:00pm - 3:30pm: Ryan Oprea
3:30pm - 3:45pm: Break
3:45pm - 4:15pm: Gali Noti
4:15pm - 4:45pm: Nicole Immorlica
4:45pm - 5:00pm: Concluding Remarks
5:00pm - 6:00pm: Closing Reception
Organizers: Sigal Oren and Ran Shorrer
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Gambling in video games--entry level gambling for minors?
In-game gambling for video game tools has become an unregulated form of online gambling that may provide minors with their first gambling fix...
The Guardian has the story:
‘It’s rotting young people’s brains’: the murky world of gambling in video games. In-game purchases of bonus items have long been available. But now gamers are being lured into casino-style betting to win them. by Rob Davies
"For the uninitiated, “skins” are virtual items within a computer game that can be bought for money, or won as a reward for gameplay. Skins might be devastating weapons, a snazzy uniform for a character or – in a football game – a player who could be the missing link to complete an all-conquering team.
...
"Typically, skins are contained in “loot boxes” or “cases”, which gamers pay small sums for without knowing what they will get.
"Loot boxes have already become a lightning rod for controversy due to their gambling-style mechanism, although the UK government has refused to recognise them as gambling products.
"While skins can be found in loot boxes, they can also be bought in the online marketplace operated by online gaming platform Steam – the medium through which many games such as CS:GO are played.
"Through that marketplace, skins can also be transferred between players and into the game. There, competitors can use them to gain an advantage, or just for cosmetic effect.
"What bothered Jeff [a professional video gamer], however, was not so much the loot boxes or the skins in themselves but another phenomenon that they have spawned: skins gambling.
'This works like any other casino. You load up your account with funds, place a bet, watch the graphics spin and either win or lose.
"The big difference in this case is that the casino taking your bet has no gambling licence and, in some cases, no reliable mechanism to stop under-18s getting their first taste of gambling – via an online ecosystem that is, to many parents, a total mystery
...
"Some skins carry enormous price tags in the real world. One website that tracks skin prices values a “Gungnir” sniper rifle, available in the CS:GO game, at more than $18,000. A knife – a “factory new, case-hardened Karambit, pattern 387 (blue gem)” – is reputedly the most expensive CS:GO skin in history, attracting a $1.5m offer that its owner turned down. Further down the scale, guns, outfits, stickers and knives sell for hundreds of dollars.
...
"it can be literally child’s play to turn skins into hard cash. To use sites such as KeyDrop, players must have an account on the Steam platform, which was created by the maker of CS:GO, US-based game developer Valve.
"Steam has its own marketplace, where gamers can trade skins. Gift cards to help gamers buy such skins are big business at Christmas, an obvious choice for anyone with a relative or a friend who loves nothing more than spending hours in front of a game.
"The Steam marketplace is self-contained, at least initially. You can load cash into your wallet and use those funds to buy skins from Steam or from other gamers. You cannot, however, withdraw the funds. In theory, therefore, the marketplace is not somewhere you could properly cash out any winnings.
"But an industry has sprung up: third-party marketplaces such as SkinBaron and Skinwallet, where you can sell skins, including those won on gambling sites, for real money."
Friday, February 9, 2024
Celebrate Vince Crawford in Budapest at the CONFERENCE ON MECHANISM AND INSTITUTION DESIGN in July. (Call for papers...)
Here's the announcement:
CONFERENCE ON MECHANISM AND INSTITUTION DESIGN
The 2024 Conference on Mechanism and Institution Design will take place in Budapest, Hungary, July 8-12, 2024, and be hosted by Corvinus University of Budapest. It will be an in-person meeting. This biannual conference is under the umbrella of the Society for the Promotion of Mechanism and Institution Design (SPMiD). The conference will also celebrate Vincent Crawford’s 75th birthday and his fundamental contributions to economic theory, game theory, and the Society.
The confirmed keynote speakers include:
- Paul Milgrom (Stanford University),
- Roger Myerson (University of Chicago),
- Al Roth (Stanford University), and
- Eva Tardos (Cornell University).
Call for papers
The theme of the conference is on mechanism and institution design, interpreted in a general sense. The conference welcomes papers in all areas of economics, finance, computer science, law, and politics, etc., which are related to mechanisms and institutions. The topics include but are not limited to game theory and foundations, auction design, mechanism design, market design, information design, market and equilibrium, assignments, contests, bargaining, matching, college admission, election schemes, political institutions, public good provision, algorithmic mechanism design, algorithmic game theory, computational social choice, engineering economics, nonlinear pricing, law and litigation, voting, sports, economic reform, regulation, taxation schemes, school choice, governance, corporate finance, cryptocurrency, financial institutions, capital structure, incentives in labor market, social choice, information and learning, decision theory, platform, network, etc. Papers can be theoretical, empirical, experimental, or historical. Young economists including senior PhD students are encouraged to submit their papers.
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