THE WELFARE GAMES REVOLUTION

A quick Googling of my 1999 Urban Economics paper about Welfare Games (well, my paper with David Figlio and Van Kolpin) has turned up quite a bit on-line at other academic journals, as well as government write-ups and classroom curriculums in a number of universities across the country.

Google Scholar: Welfare Games.
Google General Search: Welfare Games

Specifically, my paper is in the bibliography of at least 48 other studies in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. The paper is now standard reading in a number of political science and economics college classes. There's even a powerpoint presentation (link goes to the class syllabus - scroll down) by a student at Brown University outlining the paper for fellow students. The guy gets an A- in my book because he needs to spell Van Kolpin's last name correctly!

So now, six years later, the Welfare Games theory - or fact, as our paper and others have empirically shown - is called the Race to the Bottom (RTB) and the paper is being used as a methodological model in showing negative government competition on public health care in the U.S., as well as tax policy in Italy, Switzerland and other countries.

Looks like the hard work paid off and has taken off, even internationally. I'm proud and humbled at the same time.

I always wanted to make my very own permanent mark that lasts well after I'm gone. Looks like I've managed that, and in a very constructive way!