Quarter 1, 2003
Volume 13, Number 1
Complete issue (4.9MB) 
Contents
Too Much of a Good Thing Can Be Bad
by Carrie Conaway
Pharmaceutical firms—and society—depend
on patent protection to foster the development of new
drugs. But patents also raise prices and reduce access
by delaying generic competition.
HTML version
PDF version (1.4MB)
Taxing Habits by Phineas Baxandall
An American tradition since the Puritans, “sin”
taxes on tobacco and alcohol discourage harmful consumption
and raise revenue, but they also fall disproportionately
on the poor.
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PDF version (856K)
Observations
Using vegetable oil to reduce the environmental problems
from diesel fuel; how coupon clippers help the rest
of us pay less for our cereal.
PDF version only (880K)
Issues in Economics by E. Matthew
Quigley
Budget crises in the six New England states have prompted
spending cuts, leaving taxpayers to ask, “Where
does the state spend our money?”
PDF version only (630K)
Perspective on Payments by Joanna
Stavins
One reason the U.S. has been slow to move from paper
checks to electronic payments is that the benefits for
individual users are less than for the payments system
as a whole.
PDF version only (560K)
Letter from Somerville, Massachusetts by Phineas
Baxandall
PDF version only (920K)
