COSTS AND BENEFITS OF EARLY REGULATION OF THE RAILROADS

In an earlier article R. M. Spann and E. W. Erickson (S-E) found that the welfare effects of early ICC regulations were negative. Their calculations fail to include part of the relevant welfare surplus and incorrectly apply demand elasticity estimates. Correct calculations, using S-E's basic data, result in positive welfare effects for 70 percent of alternative calculations across a range of assumptions. For the S-E central case correct calculations indicate positive changes in both producer and consumer surpluses. This ignores regulatory gains from price stability and fairness. The question remaining is how the long-run costs of ICC creation could have been avoided while obtaining the short-run gains.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/2247096
• Corporate Authors:

  American Telephone and Telegraph Company

  195 Broadway
  New York, NY  United States  10007
• Authors:
  • Zerbe Jr, R O
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 343-350
• Serial:
  • Bell Journal of Economics
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: American Telephone and Telegraph Company
  • ISSN: 0361-915X
  • Serial URL: http://www.jstor.org/journals/0361915X.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Benefit cost analysis; Railroads; Regulations; Socioeconomic factors
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission
• Old TRIS Terms: Analytical techniques; Government regulations
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Law; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00331839
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 21 1981 12:00AM