I am usually a lurker on this list but thought I would comment on the
minimum wage issue since I did follow the debate at one time. There has
been considerable (and substantive) dialogue on the Card/Krueger work. In
my opinion, the best starting place is the body of research by Neumark and
Wascher.
Although I don't buy their findings, I do think the Card and Krueger work is
important -- because of the methodology they used (I believe it is one of
the first studies that started economists' interest in using natural
experiments) and because of the results. Given the findings, though, I do
wonder how the study would have been received had it been written by less
prominent economists.
Barbara
Barbara Schone, Ph.D.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
2101 E. Jefferson St., Suite 500
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 594-2059
(301) 594-2166 (fax)
note new e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Tabarrok [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 3:31 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Card/Krueger Revisited
If Card/Krueger is such a bad study where is the locus classicus of a
reply? I have heard for years of a Finis Welch reply but have never
seen anything published. Where indeed is the reply to their book which
includes a lot more questioning the miniumum wage than their paper?
I don't happen to believe their result (and where I was educated (and
Bryan teaches) Card and Kruger are known as "whores for the political
classes" ). Nevertheless, I get annoyed when the detractors have
nothing more substantive to say. Faith in the discipline or perhaps
faith in discipline makes me demand better.
Card and Krueger is indeed an original and clever study and if it had
turned out the other way I have no doubt John and others would be
hailing it as the definitive paper on the minimum wage.
Alex
--
Dr. Alexander Tabarrok
Vice President and Director of Research
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, CA, 94621-1428
Tel. 510-632-1366, FAX: 510-568-6040
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
