This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Social Preferences and Public Economics: Are good laws a substitute for good citizens?

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Samuel Bowles () (Santa Fe Institute, University of Siena and University of Massachusetts)
Abstract

Laws and policies designed to harness self-regarding preferences to public ends may fail when they compromise the beneficial effects of pro-social preferences. Experimental evidence indicates that incentives that appeal to self interest may reduce the salience of intrinsic motivation, reciprocity, and other civic motives. Motivational crowding in also occurs. The evidence for these processes is reviewed and a model of optimal explicit incentives is presented. JEL Categories: D64, D52, H41, H21, Z13, C92

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.umass.edu/economics/publications/2008-06.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 2008-06.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Jan 2007
Date of revision: Mar 2008
Handle: RePEc:ums:papers:2008-06

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Thompson Hall, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: (413)545-2590
Fax: (413)545-2921
Email:
Web page: http://www.umass.edu/economics
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Peter Skott).

Related research
Keywords: Social preferences; implementation theory; incentive contracts; incomplete contracts; framing; behavioral experiments; motivational crowding out; ethical norms; constitutions;

Other versions of this item:

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)
  1. Sung Ha Hwang & Samuel Bowles, 2008. "Is altruism bad for cooperation?," Working Papers 2008-13, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Samuel Bowles & Sandra Polanía Reyes, 2009. "Economic Incentives and Social Preferences: A preference-Based Lucas Critique of Public Policy," Working Papers 2009-11, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? All RePEc services are meant to be be free forever, as they are all run by volunteers.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-18.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.