The Role of Science

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Saint-Paul
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Social Planner ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Social Engineer

This chapter describes the social sciences. Unlike the natural sciences, the social sciences are inevitably statistical. When documenting human behavior, for example, they can at most claim that a trait is present in a certain fraction of the population. However, the social engineer of the paternalistic state must take into account that the “science of happiness” that is being implemented does not apply uniformly to all individuals. A policy that benefits some by preventing mistakes or removing their biases harms those who are immune to these issues. This difficulty, however, entirely disappears as long as the state is utilitarian or, more generally, pursues any objective that aggregates welfare between individuals, for the statistics are the only thing the utilitarian needs to know. Once the population distribution of the relevant effects and mechanisms is known, the social planner can safely use it to balance gains and losses across incarnations and perform the cost-benefit analysis of its policies.

Hostile Takeovers and Anti-takeover Defenses in the Russian Corporate Market

2007 ◽  
pp. 70-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Demidova
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Hostile Takeovers ◽  
Russian Market ◽  
Takeover Defenses ◽  
The Cost ◽  
European Markets

This article analyzes definitions and the role of hostile takeovers at the Russian and European markets for corporate control. It develops the methodology of assessing the efficiency of anti-takeover defenses adapted to the conditions of the Russian market. The paper uses the cost-benefit analysis, where the costs and benefits of the pre-bid and post-bid defenses are compared.

Environmental costs and their impact on the net present value of a hydro-electric project in Kerala, India

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Santhakumar ◽  
Achin Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Pulp Industry ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Cost

This paper presents the operational procedures involved in incorporating the environmental costs in the cost–benefit analysis of a hydro-electric project. The proposed project, if implemented, would result in the loss of 2,800 hectares of tropical forests and dislocation of two settlements of about 200 families who are currently dependent on the forests for their livelihood. The forests are mainly used for extracting reed – a material used both by traditional artisans and the paper-pulp industry. The potential environmental costs and benefits of the project are identified and approximate estimates of some of these costs are made for items such as carbon sequestration, bio-diversity, and so on, based on similar estimates made elsewhere. These estimated environmental costs are incorporated into the analysis, and the hypothetical estimate of the non-use value, which would make the project's net benefit zero, is estimated under different discount rates. The analysis brings into sharp focus some crucial factors that have a direct bearing on the social trade-off involved in the project choice.

scholarly journals Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Northeast of Brazil: An Integrated Assessment of the Aquaponics Technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maíra Finizola e Silva ◽  
Steven Van Passel
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Semi Arid

The purpose of this study is to determine if aquaponic systems can reduce food insecurity in the semi-arid regions of Brazil and generate income for the beneficiaries. Aquaponics is a potentially sustainable way to produce food based on gardening, hydroponics and aquaculture. A case study, based on a project called Aquaponova, was developed. The aquaponic systems currently used in the project are non-commercial and designed for households with limited resources. The data based on six existing systems within this project were used to compare the costs and the benefits. The cost–benefit analysis covers four scenarios and three financing options. The results show that aquaponic systems have a large potential and can reduce food insecurity in semi-arid regions while generating income for the beneficiaries. Even if the system only produces 40% of the total estimated production, the system will still be feasible. However, the low opportunity cost of labour is an essential factor for obtaining these positive results. Moreover, the social benefits, such as a community spirit and the health benefits of the system, should not be underestimated.

Evaluation of Non-marginal Projects

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Gollier
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Welfare Function ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Investment Project ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
The Social ◽  
Macroeconomic Effects ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Future Cash Flows

This chapter shows that the cost-benefit analysis can be used only if the actions under scrutiny are marginal, that is, if implementing them has no macroeconomic effects. Otherwise, one needs to go back to the basics of public economics to evaluate these actions. The chapter examines the error that one makes by following the classical discounting approach when evaluating non-marginal projects. The evaluation of non-marginal projects must be done by measuring their impact on the social welfare function. A non-marginal investment project with positive future cash flows will have an impact on welfare that is smaller than when estimated by using the standard discounting method.

scholarly journals Road Supply in Central London: Addition of an Ignored Social Cost

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid M. Rouhani ◽  
Christopher R. Knittel ◽  
Debbie Niemeier
Keyword(s):  
Social Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Curve ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Social ◽  
Land Rents ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Congestion Charging

Studies examining the social cost of driving usually ignore the opportunity cost of having roads in place: the associated land rents. Especially for geographic regions where land is valuable, including the rent costs may even lead governments to close some roads. By using the London congestion charging zone case, a more general long-run social cost curve is calculated with the addition of the rents. Based on the optimal road usage concept, this study found that including the rents in the cost/benefit analysis significantly affects the results and can increase the social cost by up to 200% and decrease the optimal road usage by 40%.

4. Liability for Fault: Breach

2019 ◽  
pp. 182-201
Author(s):  
Simon Deakin ◽  
Zoe Adams
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Objective Standard ◽  
Regulatory Standards ◽  
New Information ◽  
Hand Test ◽  
Breach Of Duty ◽  
The Cost

This chapter examines the principal element of the cause of action in negligence, namely breach of duty. The issue of breach of duty is concerned with whether the defendant was careless, in the sense of failing to conform to the standard of care applicable to him. The discussions cover the concept of breach of duty; the objective standard; professional and regulatory standards; updating of standards in the light of new information; the role of cost-benefit analysis and the ‘Learned Hand’ test; weighing the risk and gravity of harm against the cost of prevention; and proof of carelessness, including discussion of the res ipsa loquitur principle.

In Code(rs) We Trust

2019 ◽  
pp. 58-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Walch
Keyword(s):  
Data Structures ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Software Developers ◽  
Decentralized Governance ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Key Questions

This chapter addresses the myth of ‘decentralized governance’ of public blockchains, arguing that certain people who create, operate, or reshape them function much like fiduciaries of those who rely on these data structures. It compares the role of leading software developers and Frankel’s conception of a ‘fiduciary’ and finds much in common, as users place extreme trust in the developers to be both competent and loyal (i.e. to be free of conflicts of interest). The chapter frames the cost–benefit analysis necessary to evaluate whether it is wise to treat these parties as fiduciaries, and outlines key questions needed to flesh out the fiduciary categorization. For example, which software developers are influential enough to resemble fiduciaries? Are all users of a blockchain ‘entrustors’ of the fiduciaries who operate the blockchain, or only a subset of those who rely on the blockchain? The chapter concludes by considering the broader implications of treating software developers as fiduciaries, given the existing accountability paradigm that largely shields them from liability for the code they create.

Estimating the Social Cost of Using Agricultural Land in the Punjab

1975 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-314
Author(s):  
Shahrukh Rafi Khan
Keyword(s):  
Social Cost ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sugar Mills ◽  
A Site ◽  
The Cost

Pakistan, like any developing country, must regularly divert some of the scarce agricultural land to an alternative use—to another crop, to a site for a reservoir or a plant for processing agriculture's output, or to industrial, com¬mercial or housing purposes. This paper is an exercise in estimating he social cost of releasing agricultural land in the Punjab for use in another activity. It will, hopefully, serve as a model for planners and policy-makers who are con¬fronted with specific projects requiring cost-benefit analysis. For example, Pakistan's Fifth Five-Year Plan calls for construction of numerous sugar mills, sites for which will require an estimated 100 acres of agricultural land per mill. The-cost of using this land for sugar refining may be expressed in terms of the net value of the agricultural output foregone. Similarly, if cane cultivation > is extended to provide input for the refineries, its cost must be evaluated by the value of the crops which are foregone.

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