Joshua C. Hall

Bio: Joshua C. Hall is an academic researcher from West Virginia University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Economic freedom & Economic Freedom of the World. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 183 publications receiving 2309 citations. Previous affiliations of Joshua C. Hall include Bowling Green State University & Beloit College.

Hackerspaces: a case study in the creation and management of a common pool resource

Abstract: Hackerspaces are community-operated physical places where individuals get together to build things. While the organization itself is private, the ‘space’ that is created for individuals to work has elements of a common pool resource (CPR). The previous literature finds technology to be important in effective CPR management. Through an ethnographic study of a hackerspace, we show how technology is crucial for management of the ‘space’. In addition, we highlight how technology is used in hackerspaces to satisfy three of Ostrom's design principles for stable CPR management.

Public Policy and Entrepreneurship

Abstract: This report offers a framework for understanding the entrepreneurial process and assesses the academic evidence regarding the array of policies used to stimulate entrepreneurship.

The Effect of Personal and Economic Freedom on Entrepreneurial Activity: Evidence from a New State Level Freedom Index

Abstract: (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)INTRODUCTIONThe role of political institutions in promoting personal and economic freedom and determining the allocation of entrepreneurial talent is central to economic development and policy design. Although the work of Schumpeter (1942), Galbraith (1962), and Chandler (1977) have emphasized that efficiency and growth lay in the domain of large corporations, recent literature on the topic has argued that entrepreneurship is the single most important engine for job creation.24 Baumol (2002) has even contested that innovative entrepreneurial activity is far more important for economic growth than productive efficiency. Examining the effect of political institutions on entrepreneurial growth, then, is vital to sound economic policy and sustainable development.While economic freedom, and the political institutions that define it, have been widely acknowledged as an important source of entrepreneurship and economic development, that there has been little agreement as to what actually constitutes economic freedom. Scholars have proposed a wide range of definitions, which have generated numerous measures of freedom Most of these measures are complex composite indexes that involve multiple dimensions of social and political life.25 Yet, no single measure can summarize an idea as complex as freedom. Usually, composite indicators are seen as an invitation to examine more closely the various areas that underlie them.In this paper we use a new state level freedom index, developed by Rugers and Soren (2009, 2011), which measures both personal and economic freedom, to examine the link between political institutions and the level of entrepreneurial activity. This new measure of freedom is constructed using different variables and follows an alternative methodological approach than the Economic Freedom of North America Index (EFNA), which was developed by Ashby et al. (2011), and is commonly used in the literature. Thus, on the first place, our analysis serves as a robustness check on the previous studies that examine the topic. In addition, we decompose the index into its two major areas that measure economic and personal freedom separately to determine which specific type of freedom leads to entrepreneurship. While there has been significant empirical work examining the effect of economic freedom on entrepreneurial activity, the idea that personal freedom may also contribute to the productive allocation of entrepreneurial talent has not been examined thoroughly in the empirical literature. To a large degree, this is because no comprehensive measure of personal freedom has existed. Yet, authors like Richard Florida (2002) have suggested that at the most basic level, it is personal freedom that leads to creativity, innovation, and ultimately to growth.REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREIn a seminal essay, William Baumol (1990) argued that even if the supply of entrepreneurs in a society is fixed, the allocation of entrepreneurial talent will vary greatly because entrepreneurs can either invest their energy in a productive way (innovation) or a non-productive one (rent-seeking or organized crime). To a large extent, the end result depends on the political institutions that define "the rules of the game," or the reward structure of the economy. A society that puts high value on productivity through economic and personal freedoms will be rewarded with higher allocation of entrepreneurial energy to innovation. On the other hand, a society with a high level of political intervention, high level of taxation and regulation, will see more entrepreneurial energy devoted to non-productive activities such as rent-seeking.A large literature has emerged since Baumol that studies what kind of political institutions promote productive entrepreneurial activity and what are the effects of productive and non-productive entrepreneurial activity on economic development. At the national level, several studies have found a positive link between the political institutions that promote economic freedom and entrepreneurial activity. …

A Review and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Alternative Teaching Methods on Student Learning in Economics

Abstract: Drawing largely on educational literature outside of economics, we provide a survey of perspectives on alternative teaching methods. We then report results regarding the effectiveness of various alternative methods such as cooperative learning, class discussions, and the use of multimedia sources compared to lecture-only instruction. A difference-in-means test is utilized to compare gains in learning between control classes and treatment classes. Alternative teaching methods were not shown to increase student performance in a statistically significant manner.

Freedom and gross in-migration: an empirical study of the post-great recession experience

Abstract: Determinants of migration, including policy variables such as tax rates, have been extensively studied by regional scientists over the past several decades. The development of the Economic Freedom of North America Index has allowed researchers to test the relationship between migration patterns and economic freedom, with recent studies finding that net in-migration is positively related to economic freedom. Using a new cross-section measure of economic and personal freedom at the state level, we investigate the relationship between gross in-migration and economic freedom on the one hand and then between gross in-migration and total freedom on the other hand. This empirical study of domestic U.S. migration during the post-Great Recession period finds clear evidence that migrants prefer to move to those states affording higher levels of economic freedom and higher levels of total freedom.

Regression Diagnostics: Identifying Influential Data and Sources of Collinearity

Abstract: 1. Introduction and Overview. 2. Detecting Influential Observations and Outliers. 3. Detecting and Assessing Collinearity. 4. Applications and Remedies. 5. Research Issues and Directions for Extensions. Bibliography. Author Index. Subject Index.

The Economic Institutions of Capitalism

Abstract: The 2008 crash has left all the established economic doctrines - equilibrium models, real business cycles, disequilibria models - in disarray. Part of the problem is due to Smith’s "veil of ignorance": individuals unknowingly pursue society’s interest and, as a result, have no clue as to the macroeconomic effects of their actions: witness the Keynes and Leontief multipliers, the concept of value added, fiat money, Engel’s law and technical progress, to name but a few of the macrofoundations of microeconomics. A good viewpoint to take bearings anew lies in comparing the post-Great Depression institutions with those emerging from Thatcher and Reagan’s economic policies: deregulation, exogenous vs. endoge- nous money, shadow banking vs. Volcker’s Rule. Very simply, the banks, whose lending determined deposits after Roosevelt, and were a public service became private enterprises whose deposits determine lending. These underlay the great moderation preceding 2006, and the subsequent crash.

将“Cooperative Learning”融入课堂——浅谈英语素质教育

Abstract: 1. Interaction. The interactions learners have with each other build interpersonal skills, such as listening, politely interrupting, expressing ideas, raising questions, disagreeing, paraphrasing, negotiating, and asking for help. 2. Interdependence. Learners must depend on one another to accomplish a common objective. Each group member has specific tasks to complete, and successful completion of each member’s tasks results in attaining the overall group objective.

Contextualizing Entrepreneurship—Conceptual Challenges and Ways Forward:

Abstract: This paper sets out to explore contexts for entrepreneurship, illustrating how a contextualized view of entrepreneurship contributes to our understanding of the phenomenon. There is growing recognition in entrepreneurship research that economic behavior can be better understood within its historical, temporal, institutional, spatial, and social contexts, as these contexts provide individuals with opportunities and set boundaries for their actions. Context can be an asset and a liability for the nature and extent of entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship can also impact contexts. The paper argues that context is important for understanding when, how, and why entrepreneurship happens and who becomes involved. Exploring the multiplicity of contexts and their impact on entrepreneurship, it identifies challenges researchers face in contextualizing entrepreneurship theory and offers possible ways forward.