Publications - Mercatus Policy Series

Does Fair Trade Coffee Help the Poor? Evidence from Costa Rica and Guatemala

Colleen Haight | Jun 29, 2007
Drawing on field work conducted in Costa Rica and Guatemala, Colleen Haight, Assistant Professor of Economics at San Jose State University, examines the observed effects of Fair Trade and finds it is…

Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Namibia: A Case Study

Karol Boudreaux | Feb 20, 2007
Through Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), Namibians who form conservancies now have legal rights to manage wildlife and benefit from tourism. With these secure rights, and with…

Montenegro: The Challenges of A Newborn State

Maja Drakic, Frederic Sautet, Kyle McKenzie | Feb 16, 2007
This Country Brief discusses the future of Montenegro and its economic reforms.

Disastrous Uncertainty: How Government Disaster Policy Undermines Community Rebound

Daniel M. Rothschild, Emily Chamlee-Wright | Jan 15, 2007
This Policy Comment looks at the ways in which public policy has had negative unintended consequences on the ability of communities to make informed decisions about sustainable rebuilding after…

The Impact of FEMA on U.S. Corruption: Implications for Policy

Peter Leeson | Jan 11, 2007
This Policy Comment examines the effect that federal government disaster relief payments have on local corruption.

A Framework for Evaluating Counterterrorism Regulations

Jerry Ellig, Kyle McKenzie | Sep 08, 2006
Many analysts and decision makers have called on government to prioritize security initiatives based on risk assessment and cost effectiveness. Few, however, have explained why a comprehensive…

Seeds of Hope: Agricultural Technologies and Poverty Alleviation in Rural South Africa

Karol Boudreaux | Aug 22, 2006
This study examines how the Combi-Pack, an innovative product of the Monsanto Company, is helping to combat hunger and poverty in rural South Africa. Is this an effective tool for poverty alleviation?

The Nature and Role of Entrepreneurship in Markets: Implications for Policy

Frederic Sautet, Israel Kirzner | Jun 12, 2006
Policy makers and others often associate entrepreneurship with the creation of new businesses. While this is an accurate description of one of the many outcomes of entrepreneurial activity,…

Local Tax Incentives in Action: The Payment-in-Lieu of Tax Program in Memphis, Tennessee

Frederic Sautet, John Shoaf | May 31, 2006
Frederic Sautet and John Shoaf analyze the effectiveness of Memphis, Tennessee's Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) program. With a heightened focus on job creation, cities are relying on targeted tax…

Federal Health Care Regulation

Don W. King | Apr 28, 2006
In this policy resource, Dr. King describes and discusses the effects of the major federal regulations that govern health care financing, pharmaceuticals, professional and hospital care, and the…