The book explores the rational decision-making of various groups during Prohibition, emphasizing how individuals and criminals alike responded to the incentives created by the legislation. By applying a cost-benefit analysis framework, it reveals the complexities of behavior in response to changing economic conditions, illustrating that even those on the fringes of legality operate within a logical decision-making process influenced by available opportunities.
Obesity is an epidemic that is particularly prevalent amongst aging Americans. The economic literature concerning this phenomenon is blossoming, but largely focuses on its causes. This work examines the issue from a different direction. First, a Bayesian model is developed to determine how aging Americans use obesity related health information, and if their response differs from the non-obese. Second, a behavioural model is employed to see if the same health information elicits a behavioural response in the form of weight loss. This is the first behavioural response model to determine the existence and magnitude of BMI defined behavioural changes after exposure to new personal obesity related risk information. This book is addressed to researchers in economics, sociology, demographics and professionals in the medical arena.