Comments on: Claim of the Day http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/06/29/claim-of-the-day/ The Sweet Release of Reason Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:16:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jeff Smith http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/06/29/claim-of-the-day/#comment-269213 Jeff Smith Fri, 27 Jul 2007 22:52:22 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/06/29/claim-of-the-day/#comment-269213 The usual counterexample to the "culture matters" view is Ireland, where what seemed like a happy-go-lucky culture of low effort and relaxation turned out to just be high marginal tax rates, as quickly became apparent when the tax rates were lowered. Jeff The usual counterexample to the “culture matters” view is Ireland, where what seemed like a happy-go-lucky culture of low effort and relaxation turned out to just be high marginal tax rates, as quickly became apparent when the tax rates were lowered.

Jeff

]]> By: The Ambrosini Critique » Blog Archive » UC Davis Econ in the News http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/06/29/claim-of-the-day/#comment-238649 The Ambrosini Critique » Blog Archive » UC Davis Econ in the News Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:19:00 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/06/29/claim-of-the-day/#comment-238649 [...] Will Wilkinson writes about Prof. Clark’s good book: This a profoundly insightful work sure to raise ire and inspire further progress. Key claim: labor quality is the difference between rich and poor. Depressing claim: Sub-Saharan Africa has largely Malthusian conditions, so success in increasing health and life-spans has decreased the average material standard of living below hunter-gatherer levels. Biggest disappointment: seems evasive on the question of the cause of variations in labor quality. Why not culture? [...] [...] Will Wilkinson writes about Prof. Clark’s good book: This a profoundly insightful work sure to raise ire and inspire further progress. Key claim: labor quality is the difference between rich and poor. Depressing claim: Sub-Saharan Africa has largely Malthusian conditions, so success in increasing health and life-spans has decreased the average material standard of living below hunter-gatherer levels. Biggest disappointment: seems evasive on the question of the cause of variations in labor quality. Why not culture? [...]

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