Price gouging in the Katrina aftermath: free markets at work
Price gouging in the Katrina aftermath: free markets at work
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DOI：
10.1108/03068290810886911
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发表时间：
2008-01-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Block, Walter
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Culpepper, Dreda;Block, Walter
目的--在紧急情况下，例如在卡特里娜飓风过后，“价格欺诈”的概念往往会引起人们的相当情绪和反应，他们对商店和公司在紧急情况下提高价格感到愤怒。问题是，人们没有意识到，在紧急情况下，他们以前知道的市场价格已经不再足够。政府干预不是解决这个“问题”的办法。本文的目的是探索经济学的基本概念，以更好的视角了解在紧急时期提价的合理性，以及如果没有法律阻止这一非常必要的做法会发生什么。设计/方法/方法-本文阐述了一些经济学的“基本概念”，并将它们应用于紧急情况，尤其是卡特里娜飓风后新奥尔良和墨西哥湾沿岸的可怕困境。发现-论文发现，政府通过防止价格欺诈的立法，是基于这样一个隐含的前提，即它可以比市场更有效地配置资源。通过这样做，它声称，它比那些基于预测这类问题的能力而沉没或游来游去的企业家更了解人民想要什么。这篇论文认为，就满足消费者而言，政府监管无异于一场灾难。原创性/价值-这篇论文的价值在于提供了一种直截了当的观点，即在灾难发生时，必须允许价格调整，作为对生产者和消费者的信号。消费者将更少地使用这些商品，而生产商将增加产量。随着价格上涨后供应的调整，商品和服务将到达那些最想要并愿意为其买单的人手中。这篇论文认为，这无疑将是向飓风灾民分发物资的一种更有效的方式--必须废除价格管制，必须让自由市场通过仁慈的无形之手发挥作用，而不是通过官僚和政客们僵硬的手。
Purpose - The concept of "price gouging" during times of emergency, such as in the aftermath of Katrina, often evokes quite an emotional and reactive response from people who are outraged that stores and companies would increase their prices during a time of emergency. The problem is that people do not realize that, in times of emergency, the market price they knew before is no longer adequate. Government intervention is not the answer to this "problem." The purpose of this paper is to explore basic concepts of economics, to glean a better perspective of the justification for raising prices during times of emergency, as well as what would happen if there were not laws preventing this very necessary practice.Design/methodology/approach - The paper addresses some "basic concepts" of economics and applies them to emergency situations, preeminently the dire plight of New Orleans and the Gulf coast after Katrina.Findings - The paper finds that a government passes legislation preventing price gouging based on the implicit premise that it can allocate resources more efficiently than the market. By doing so, it alleges that it knows what the people want better than entrepreneurs who sink or swim based on their ability to anticipate matters of this sort. The paper voices the view that government regulation is nothing short of a disaster as far as satisfying customers is concerned.Originality/value - The paper is of value in offering the forthright view that during times of disaster, prices must be allowed to adjust as a signal to producers and consumers alike. Consumers will utilize less of these goods, and producers will increase their output. As the supply adjusts following the price increase, goods and services will get to those who want them the most and are willing to pay for them. The paper posits the view that this will undoubtedly be a more effective way to distribute supplies to hurricane victims - price controls must be repealed, and the free market must be allowed to work via the beneficent invisible hand, not by the stultifying hands of the bureaucrats and politicians.