check out the actual paper, it's a beaut. No use of OLS regression to demonstrate "analytical rigour", but two classic traits of the genre: 1) "the best available science" is defined as the contents of Bjorn Lomberg's book. I gave up counting at the 30th citation of Lomborg. 2) the argument appears to be that environmentalists are interested in the environment, so the environment is one of their interests, so they're interested in one of their interests, so they're self-interested, so they're not *really* interested in the environment. I love George Mason University. dd
-----Original Message----- From: Devine, James [mailto:jdevine@;lmu.edu] Sent: 30 October 2002 16:08 To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: [PEN-L:31683] RE: real economics so, if an environmentalist group doesn't follow a hard-core neoclassical perspective (points 1, 2, & 3 below), it's a "special interest group"? do the George Mason University Law School and Economics Department analyze themselves in these terms? are they rent-seeking? ------------------------ Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine <http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine> > This article provides a first effort at testing the > implications of public interest versus private interest models > of environmental interest groups. In particular, it specifies > three testable implications of a public interest model of the > activities of environmental interest groups: (1) a desire to > base policy on the best-available science; (2) a willingness to > engage in deliberation and compromise to balance environmental > protection against other compelling social and economic > interests; and, (3) a willingness to consider alternative > regulatory strategies that can deliver environmental protection > at lower-cost than traditional command-and-control regulation. > On all three counts, it is found that the public-interest or > "civic republican" explanation for the activities of > environmental interest groups fails to convincingly describe > their behavior. On the other hand, the evidence on each of these > three tests is consistent with a self-interested model of the > behavior of environmental interest-groups. Their activities can > be understood as being identical to those of any other interest > group - namely, the desire to use the coercive power of > government to subsidize their personal desires for greater > environmental protection and to redistribute wealth and power to > themselves. ___________________________________________________ Email Disclaimer This communication may contain confidential or privileged information and is for the attention of the named recipient only. It should not be passed on to any other person. Information relating to any company or security, is for information purposes only and should not be interpreted as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any security. The information on which this communication is based has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice. All e-mail messages, and associated attachments, are subject to interception and monitoring for lawful business purposes. (c) 2002 Cazenove Service Company or affiliates. Cazenove & Co. Ltd and Cazenove Fund Management Limited provide independent advice and are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and members of the London Stock Exchange. Cazenove Fund Management Jersey is a branch of Cazenove Fund Management Limited and is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Cazenove Investment Fund Management Limited, regulated by the Financial Services Authority and a member of IMA, promotes only its own products and services. ___________________________________________________
