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Crossing the Line: “Economic Incentives and Ethical Behavior”

Crossing the Line: “Economic Incentives and Ethical Behavior”. Steven C. Agee, Ph.D. Professor of Economics and Director, Economic Research & Policy Institute. A Brief History of Economic Thought!.

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Crossing the Line: “Economic Incentives and Ethical Behavior”

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  1. Crossing the Line: “Economic Incentives and Ethical Behavior” Steven C. Agee, Ph.D. Professor of Economics and Director, Economic Research & Policy Institute

  2. A Brief History of Economic Thought! • The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek oikonomia, “management of a household” from oikos, “house”; and nomos, “custom” or “law”, thus “rules of the house(hold)”. • Writings involving economics date back to early civilizations including Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, Persian and Arab civilizations. • Most of these early writings dealt with philosophy; good versus evil; right versus wrong; the self-interest of individuals. • Adam Smith is generally considered the “father” of economics as a separate discipline. The Wealth of Nations (1776) identified land, labor and capital as the three factors of production and major contributors to a nation’s wealth.

  3. Economics is the study of how a society allocates scarce productive resources, among conflicting or competing ends, in the most efficient manner. Contemporary Dimensions of Economics: Microeconomics – examines the economic behavior of agents (including individuals and firms, consumers and producers) Macroeconomics – examines the aggregate economy including variables such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth, monetary & fiscal policy Positive Economics – describing “what is” Normative Economics – describing “what ought to be”

  4. How Do Ethics and Economics Relate? • There are those who would argue that ethics has no role in economic behavior! • There are others who understand ethical standards and behavior, but ignore these to gain a competitive advantage!

  5. Discussion Topics Involving Ethics and Economics – The Role of Incentives • Daycare Centers • The Bagel Man • Inheritance Taxes (The “Death Tax”) • Babies Born in Michigan – May 2010 Higher Incidence of Visual, Hearing or Learning Disabilities • Does a Company have a Moral Obligation to pay a Living Wage to an Employee? • The Recent Housing Crisis and the Role of the Federal Government (Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac)

  6. Conclusion • Economic Incentives play a major role in individual and firm behavior and thus, at the margin, can affect social and moral (ethical) outcomes. • Decisions made by government, whether local, state, or federal often include incentives which can generate positive and negative externalities (Consider MAPS III)

  7. Questions?

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