This article proposes a framework for evaluating whether a pricing mechanism that lowers marginal prices as consumption increases can outperform traditional pricing schemes-such as per item fees, subscriptions, or combinations of both-for firms offering zero marginal cost goods that cannot be easily resold (e.g., films). The problem is addressed through a computational agent-based model. Substantial improvements in revenue and consumer surplus are observed between the optimal price-by-quantity curves and the conventional alternatives (transaction fees, subscription and a combination of both) for the constructed populations of consumers. Further research avenues are suggested.
This article examines how social capital shapes entrepreneurial activity by analyzing the strength and diversity of social ties across U.S. counties. Drawing on Granovetter’s theory of weak ties, we assess how economic connectedness and social cohesiveness influence entrepreneurship. Using Non-farm Proprietorships from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis as a proxy for entrepreneurship, along with socioeconomic data and Facebook’s Social Capital Atlas, we apply spatial econometrics to reveal patterns of spatial dependence. Results show that economic connectedness—ties across socioeconomic divides—is positively associated with entrepreneurship, while social cohesiveness—dense in-group ties—is negatively related. Our findings support Granovetter’s hypothesis, demonstrating that diverse networks facilitate access to resources and information vital for entrepreneurial activity.
This study examines the relationship between national wealth, immigration inflows, and human trafficking across European countries from 2012 to 2022. Higher GDP per capita significantly attracts immigration, which is positively associated with trafficking victimization. Correlation analysis shows strong links between trafficking victims and both immigration (r = +37.4%, p = 0.05) and GDP per capita (r ≈ +42%, p = 0.03). Using two-stage least squares regression, we find that a 1% increase in immigration—instrumented by GDP per capita—raises trafficking victims by 0.87%. Additionally, a 1% rise in criminal convictions reduces victimization by 0.402%. These findings highlight key economic and demographic drivers of trafficking and offer policy-relevant insights for designing effective interventions.
This paper examines how geopolitical risk and wartime economic policy uncertainty affect carbon intensity in the United States. The dataset includes monthly carbon intensity (CI), geopolitical risk index (GPR), wartime-adjusted economic policy uncertainty index (WEPU), industrial production (IP), and West Texas Intermediate oil prices (WTI) from 2000 to 2024. Using the quantile vector error correction model (QVEC), this study shows pronounced asymmetries across carbon intensity distributions. Error correction speeds exhibit a U-shaped pattern, with the strongest adjustments at extreme quantiles (24.5% at the 95th percentile) and the weakest around the median. Geopolitical risk increases carbon intensity during high-emission periods while policy uncertainty reduces it at both extremes. These findings highlight the need for distribution-sensitive climate policies during geopolitical crises.
This article assesses the effectiveness of expansionary fiscal and monetary policies in advanced economies. This is due to evidence of declining fiscal multipliers and reduced monetary traction since the global financial crisis and the pandemic. Utilising a comprehensive body of research, this study posits that diminishing marginal returns emerge in circumstances where public sectors expand significantly, monetary policy maintains a persistently accommodative stance, and institutional constraints limit productivity gains. A review of the extant literature on fiscal multipliers, with particular reference to cross-country and US evidence, is presented. The reasons for the variation in estimates across studies are explained, and the long-run implications of unconventional monetary policies are discussed. The findings of this study indicate that, while expansionary policies continue to be advantageous for short-term stabilisation, particularly during periods of significant economic decline, their structural efficacy has diminished. This necessitates enhancements in the efficiency of public expenditure, enhanced fiscal-monetary coordination across temporal horizons, and policy designs that promote innovation and private-sector-led growth.
