One answer was suggested by Walt Byars later question on another
issue; the wages and hours act of 1938 surely pushed managerial
innovation along with investment in technology to substitute for
labor, both of which had economic benefits.
I would say the Clean Air Act pushed technology at power plants with
significant economic benefits. (Less acid rain, lower adverse health
impacts, less asthma.) Probably clean water legislation has similar
beneficial impacts. Rules on cigarette advertising, rules against
indoor smoking -- there must be dozens of health and medical related
regulations that have significant benefits. Regulations that
required smallpox vacination before school enrollment, later the same
for polio, all the childhood vacinations.
Municipalities used to tack a "quarantine" sign on the door if
someone had measles, whooping cough, mumps, TB, etc -- now superceded
by vacination regulations so the disease is avoided.
Seat belts? Catalytic converters? Air bags? Mileage standards push
technology. Appliance efficiency standards push technology.
Building standards for roofs, windows, insulation, etc.
All the aviation rules re navigation, equipment, etc.
I could be typing for an hour.
Gene Coyle
On Nov 3, 2006, at 11:45 AM, Eban Goodstein wrote:
Folks, have had this query:
We need some examples of cases where government regulations have
spurred
technological or other innovations with significant economic benefits
resulting.
Any good suggestions for summary resources?
thanks--
Eban Goodstein
Jim Devine wrote:
Mark:
>The only "revolutionaries" to vote consistently Democratic over
much
>of this stretch wore hoods and sheets and voted early and often.
Louis Proyect wrote:
This is absolutely true. Before the New Deal, there was little to
distinguish Democrat from Republican. We seem to have returned to
the
status quo ante.
If I remember correctly, before the New Deal, the DP was in favor of
free trade, while the GOP was not. Nowadays, those roles have been
partially reversed. There may have been some other differences
between
the parties, but of course their attitude toward capitalism was the
same.
--
Jim Devine / "Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whatever you say to
them, they translate it into their own language, and forthwith it
means something entirely different." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
--
Eban Goodstein
Professor of Economics
Lewis & Clark College
Portland, OR 97219
www.lclark.edu/~eban
503-768-7626
