General theory of legal design in law and economics framework of commercial contracting

We need law and economics to do the scientific measurement necessary for legal design to be seen as on the stage of science. Law and economics—which is the application of economic theory, especially microeconomic theory, to the analysis and the practice of law--is a valid tool and approach to reflect on what should be empirically investigated in the practice of legal design. The neoclassical (mainstream) theoretical foundation of economic analysis of law is, however, at times far from reality as it often predicts uncooperative and even selfish behaviour. In real life people do cooperate, have empathy, emotions and even behave in an altruistic way. For those reasons, behavioural law and economics and conventional wisdom are needed to complement the teachings from standard theory in the field of commercial contracting.

Israel Kirzner’s Presence in the History of Economic Thought: A Review of His Professional Engagement in Honor of His 91 Years

This paper analyzes the presence of Israel Kirzner in the History of Economic Thought and focusing on his professional engagement with other economists. His academic trajectory is contextualized on three milestones of the recent history of the Austrian School. The first one is the ending of the socialist economic calculation debate, when the Austrian was considered unconvincing due to the economics’ shift to a general equilibrium model of the economy; in the aftermath of the debate, Kirzner entered at the New York University’s PhD program and was mentored by Ludwig von Mises. At this point, Kirzner started to develop his ideas on entrepreneurship and to aim an audience wider than his Austrian peers. The second is the Austrian Revival in the 1970s, in which the prestigious recovery stage of the Austrian School, thanks to Kirzner assuming a leadership role in the process. The third is in the 1980s, when a more consolidated Austrian School attempts to define itself, as Kirzner retains an Austrian vision founded on the synthesis between Mises and Hayek. It is concluded that Kirzner’s professional engagement was fundamental in the recovery of Austrian theory. He communicated Austrian ideas to a wider audience and synthetized Misesian and Hayekian proposals on the market process. These efforts allow us to recognize a Kirznerian view of the Austrian School, established with the traditional microeconomic theory, but including greater subjectivity on the interpretation of economic phenomena, becoming a more general, more realistic theory.

Individual consumer surplus in the Edgeworth Box

Subject. The consumer surplus conception is an important part of the modern microeconomic theory at the introductory and intermediate levels. Consumer surplus measures the change in the consumer’s real welfare. The article addresses the peculiarities of generation and the main property of the generalized individual consumer surplus, using the Edgeworth Box case. Objectives. The purpose is to find the main property of individual consumer surplus in the Edgeworth Box economy. Methods. The study draws on methods of logical and mathematical analysis. The generalized consumer surplus is correctly constructed, using the mathematical theory of curve integrals of the second type (the theory of line integrals in the Western mathematics). Results. The generalized individual consumer surplus is defined through the respective curve integral along some admissible trajectory in the simple exchange economy (Edgeworth Box). The paper also introduces the notion of the marginal individual consumer surplus, and demonstrates that consumer surplus is a correct individual welfare measure in the Edgeworth Box, and that consumer surplus is zero along any given indifference curve. I consider the numerical example of individual surplus calculation and presentation in the Edgeworth Box. Conclusions. The generalized individual consumer surplus is a correct measure of consumer’s utility change along monotone (weakly monotone) trajectories in the Edgeworth Box. Geometrically, the consumer surplus is presented as an area limited by the reservation price curve from the top and by the reallocation line (curve) from the bottom.

Consumer Optimization and a First-Order PDE with a Non-Smooth System

We study a first-order nonlinear partial differential equation and present a necessary and sufficient condition for the global existence of its solution in a non-smooth environment. Using this result, we prove a local existence theorem for a solution to this differential equation. Moreover, we present two applications of this result. The first concerns an inverse problem called the integrability problem in microeconomic theory and the second concerns an extension of Frobenius’ theorem.

Farm Animal Enclosure Requirements, Industry Concentration, and Supply Chain Dynamics

In this paper, we draw on microeconomic theory to show that farm animal enclosure regulations can and have lead to increased farm-level concentration in affected industries in the U.S. The desirability of this increased concentration is a function of modern industry structures. Farm animal enclosure requirements can push traditional “short” supply chains like eggs toward vertical integration. However, vertically integrated systems (e.g., broiler chickens and hogs) may benefit from the induced farm-level concentration by increasing bargaining power among contract farmers. In all systems, the increased farm-level concentration induced by enclosure requirements may lead to greater ability to solve future collective action problems like wastewater pollution and antimicrobial resistance.

Determinants of the Economic Vulnerability of Businesses to Pandemics and Similar Events

After providing a general overview of factors that make businesses economically vulnerable to pandemics (such as COVID-19), this article identifies specific elements that increase the vulnerability of businesses to pandemics. These specifics include the extent to which the demand for their production declines, how easy it is for them to reduce the costs of their production (cost escapability), the importance of disruptions or breaks in the supply chains of inputs utilized by businesses, and their ability to sustain their liquidity. Businesses that rely on personal contacts for sales are especially threatened, for example, those in the hospitality and tourism sector. However, others are also vulnerable for the reasons given. Nevertheless, some businesses do gain as a result of pandemics and similar events. Their economic gain adds to GDP. However, it could be more appropriate to regard their gains as a part of the cost of a pandemic rather than a benefit of it. The effect on the vulnerability of businesses if government policies designed to control pandemics is also considered. The main original contribution of this article is to show how the microeconomic theory of the firm can be adapted to conceptualize the vulnerability of individual businesses to pandemics, particularly COVID-19, while also noting the limitations of this approach.

Foundations of Contemporary Economics: Harold Hotelling on Location and Exhaustible Resources

Harold Hotelling is an influential statistician working in the field of economic theory at the beginning of the 20th century. His contributions to economics are trailblazing and open new topics for economic and business analysis. His best-known work is his solution to the problem of exhaustible resources. He also triggered the exploration of spatial economics and the analysis of product differentiation through his solution of the optimal location of producers in a duopoly. Less known, but important, are his contributions to the development of modern neoclassical microeconomic theory. Hotelling is also one of the scientists who initiated the turn towards mathematical economics in the 1950s. In this paper we provide an introduction of his groundbreaking work on economic theory.

Pergeseran Faktor Psikologi Penentu Keputusan Pembelian (Studi Kasus Sayuran Organik Di Pasar Modern Kota Palembang)

Increased awareness of the importance of health is also thought to have an impact on the consumption behavior of organic vegetables. So far, more research on purchasing decisions has been analyzed with consideration of microeconomic theory. Along with the development of information and knowledge, purchasing decisions are thought not only to be economic decisions but also to psychological considerations, especially the determinant factors. This research was carried out in the modern market of Palembang city. The research method was a survey method and the sampling method was an accidental sampling technique. Data analysis using Factorial Multivariate Analysis. The results of the analysis show psychological factors that influence purchasing decisions in terms of the importance level are (1) Perception, (2) Learning, (3) Attitudes, and (4) consistency. The analysis results differ with the level of theoretical importance. The level of importance based on the analysis are (1) motivation, (2) perception, (3) learning, and (4) attitude. The results of this study indicate that motivation is no longer a psychological factor in purchasing decisions, and there is a shift in factors where perception is the first and most important determining factor.

A REVIEW STUDY OF ECONOMICS ANALYSIS IN ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Engineering economics, previously known as engineering economy, is a subset of economics concerned with the use and application of economic principles in the analysis of engineering decisions. As a discipline, it is focused on the branch of economics known as microeconomics in that it studies the behavior of individuals and firms in making decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources. Thus, it focuses on the decision making process, its context and environment. It is pragmatic by nature, integrating economic theory with engineering practice. But, it is also a simplified application of microeconomic theory in that it avoids a number of microeconomic concepts such as price determination, competition and demand/supply. As a discipline though, it is closely related to others such as statistics, mathematics and cost accounting. It draws upon the logical framework of economics but adds to that the analytical power of mathematics and statistics. Engineers seek solutions to problems, and the economic viability of each potential solution is normally considered along with the technical aspects. Fundamentally, engineering economics involves formulating, estimating, and evaluating the economic outcomes when alternatives to accomplish a defined purpose are available. The study includes an introduction to the application of economic techniques to the evaluation of design and engineering alternatives, cash flow concepts, interest factors, comparison of alternatives, benefit - cost analysis, and conclusions of the study. One of the objectives of the economic analysis in engineering projects is the good management which consists primarily of making wise decisions; wise decisions in turn involve making a choice between alternatives. Engineering considerations determine the possibility of a project being carried out and point out the alternative ways in which the project could be handled. Economic considerations also largely determine a project's desirability and dictate ho