This paper considers a model of elections in which parties compete simultaneously for multiple districts. I show that if districts are heterogeneous, then a unique two-party equilibrium exists under plurality rule in which further entry is deterred. The equilibrium requires that parties choose noncentrist policy platforms and not converge to the…

Attempts to estimate a critical level of market concentration within the educational sector for Kentucky. The critical Herfindahl was estimated at 0.50. Counties experiencing a Herfindahl index at or above this number can expect, on average, a 1.6 percentage point decrease (or a 3% reduction) in student achievement scores. (MLH)

College graduates entering the labor force during 1990-2005 are projected to encounter increased competition for jobs requiring a degree; fewer college-level job openings are also predicted. (SK)

Estimating increased access provided by higher education institutions is an important policy issue. This paper presents a mathematical model of enrollment demand to help policymakers understand potential attendees' decision making process. In this model, about 20 percent of students attending a new school would not have attended an existing…

This paper presents a model of educational production that tries to make sense of recent evidence on effects of institutional arrangements on student performance. In a simple principal-agent framework, students choose their learning effort to maximize their net benefits, while the government chooses educational spending to maximize its net…

Factors in the rise of college costs are discussed, including increased expenditures, enrollment leveling; state and federal funding patterns, competition, and the declining numbers of traditional college age students. (MSE)

Corrects for potential bias and inconsistency in the estimated coefficient on market competition (among schools) by constructing a system of equations with endogenous expressions of student achievement and market competition. Policy makers seeking to improve student achievement should encourage market competition among schools. (Contains 13…

Surveys of Australian college faculty, conducted in 1977 and 1993, provide data for tracing trends in workload. While time devoted to teaching and research have remained stable, changes at the margins of academic workload are considerable. These tasks are largely generated by demands of institutional competition, accountability, and quality…