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This chapter presents an exposition of the Generalized Fechner–Thurstone (GFT) direct utility function, the system of demand functions derived from it, other systems of demand functions from which it can be derived, and its purpose and the econometric circumstances that motivated its original development. Its use in econometrics is demonstrated by an application to household consumer survey data which explores the relationship between prices, on the one hand, and expected exogenous preference changers such as household size, schooling of heads of household, and other social factors, on the other.

With expenditures totaling $227 billion in 2007, prescription drug purchases are a growing portion of the total medical expenditure, and as this industry continues to grow, prescription drugs will continue to be a critical part of the larger health care industry. This chapter presents a survey on the economics of the US pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on the role of R&D and marketing, the determinants (and complications) of prescription drug pricing, and various aspects of consumer behavior specific to this industry, such as prescription drug regulation, the patient's interaction with the physician, and insurance coverage. This chapter also provides background in areas not often considered in the economics literature, such as the role of pharmacy benefit managers in prescription drug prices and the differentiation between alternative measures of prescription drug prices.

This chapter presents a Bayesian analysis of the endogenous treatment model with misclassified treatment participation. Our estimation procedure utilizes a combination of data augmentation, Gibbs sampling, and Metropolis–Hastings to obtain estimates of the misclassification probabilities and the treatment effect. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed Bayesian estimator accurately estimates the treatment effect in light of misclassification and endogeneity.

“The Elephant in the Corner: A Cautionary Tale About Measurement Error in Treatment Effects Models” by Daniel L. Millimet discusses the current use of the unobserved-outcome framework to estimate population-averaged treatment effects, and it exposes the sensitivity of these estimators to assumption of no measurement error. The Monte Carlo simulation evidence in this chapter indicates that “nonclassical measurement error in the covariates, mean-reverting measurement error in the outcome, and simultaneous measurement errors in the outcome, treatment assignment, and covariates have a dramatic, adverse effect on the performance of the various estimators even with relatively small and infrequent errors” (Millimet article, p. 1–39). To some extent, all the estimators analyzed by Millimet are based on weak functional form assumptions and use semiparametric or nonparametric methods. Millimet's results indicate the need for measurement error models be they parametric or nonparametric models, see Schennach (2007), Hu and Schennach (2008), and Matzkin (2007) for some recent research in nonparametric approaches. Chapter 7 develops a Bayesian estimator that can handle some of the measurement errors discussed in this chapter.

In this chapter, we develop a conceptual framework on how cultural value can be lost in conflict and created by the arts, artists and arts organisations again and how the arts may also help victims of conflict. We explore examples of the different ways that the effects of cultural engagement are manifested and articulated in the depiction of armed conflict, especially looking at the civil war in Syria (2011–present as of 2020) and discuss three stages in the life-cycle of cultural value. Our conceptual framework of cultural value in the depiction of armed conflict is based on the multifaceted private, public, intrinsic and instrumental benefits of the arts as well as the cultural value created by arts, artists and arts organisations. We discuss universal value at the first stage of a potential loss of cultural value. The second stage addresses the politics of aesthetic value, as the cultural value created by artists and artistic activities which may evolve during armed conflict with examples of two international war artists, John Keane and Ben Quilty. Finally, we review social value as the impact of the cultural value created in overcoming armed conflict as well as restoring and transforming impaired individuals, communities and societies. Within this context, we reinforce the notion of cultural value as an alternative framework for understanding the value constructs surrounding the creation of art in this chapter.

In this paper, I suggest that prediction is a useful methodological strategy for evaluating political opportunities/political process models of social movements. I demonstrate the utility of this theory by analyzing the current political opportunities facing anti-war/interventionist/hegemony/imperialist movements in the contemporary United States. I conclude that the prospects for a mass movement are slim relative to previous wars but that the prospect for alliances with military elites has increased. This conclusion supports Ian Roxborough's position in a recent volume of this journal that sociologists should engage military policy makers.