POSC 130g Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Divided Government, Great Depression, Externality
Document Summary
The (cid:498)river of troy(cid:499) hypothetical complexity as a constraint. 1930s: the problem of externalities (versailles case) 1950s: the problems of externalities and scarcity of resources. 2000: the problem of externalities, scarcity and high transaction costs. (the goal: gain a better conception of the complex nature of the underlying policy problem) Total justice + distrust of centralized authority (+divided government) > gave rise to the rights-based welfare state and a surge of a-l. Undeveloped land | coal mine | family farms. Plaintiffs: city of mckeesport and 13 private citizens. The coal company owns 250 acres of land. Mining operations created (cid:498)gob piles(cid:499), which spontaneously combust. The gob pile creates smoke, dust and odors that interfere with the plaintiffs" enjoyment of their land. The mining company has never paid a single dollar in dividends, never shown a profit, and has a net losses of ,000. The company had 413 employees and a weekly payroll of more than ,000.
