We use a lifecycle model in which individuals differ by age and by wage in order to analyze a pairwise majority voting process on the legal retirement age. We consider two different retirement regimes. In the first one the retirees do not return to the labor market, regardless the new retirement age. In the second one, they have to return if this ∗Corresponding author. Juan Antonio Lacomba, Dep...

With the abundance of publicly available data registering the judgements at supreme courts and parliamentary votes, we can employ various data mining techniques to identify interesting patterns. For example, we can identify explicit and implicit voting blocs, which may or may not agree with official party affiliations. We can assess the political strength of those blocs. We can examine the vote...

With the abundance of publicly available data registering the judgements at supreme courts and parliamentary votes, we can employ various data mining techniques to identify interesting patterns. For example, we can identify explicit and implicit voting blocs, which may or may not agree with official party affiliations. We can assess the political strength of those blocs. We can examine the vote...

Over a decade has passed since Roe v. Wade, yet the abortion controversy has not subsided. In many respects, it has intensified. The moral issue is as unresolved as ever, while the political lines are even more sharply drawn. The controversy has so many ramifications-medical, legal, social, political, and philosophical-that it is difficult to get it clearly in view. We should not be surprised t...

Using data from a national survey we conducted in 2009 of about 1,500 lawyers and non-lawyers working in China’s legal system, we measure the political values of Chinese lawyers, compare them to various reference populations, and identify some of their sources. We find that, on the whole, Chinese lawyers are strongly inclined toward political reform, attach far greater importance to political r...

It is difficult to ignore the increased visibility of gay men, lesbians and even bisexuals in recent years, whether it be in the media, political fora, the academy, or in different legal contexts. The recent growth in legal scholarship on law, sexuality and sexual orientation is noteworthy as are the sustained efforts by lesbians and gay men to seek redress for social inequalities through litig...

The theoretical and often political framework of sexual exploitation and sex work among women is widely and enthusiastically debated among academic and legal scholars alike. The majority of theoretical literature in this area focuses on the macro perspective, while the micro-level perspective as to theory and causation remains sparse. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the philos...

This paper presents a framework for the integration of values (internalized norms) in a positive analysis of institutions and institutional change. Informal, norm-based institutions and formal – legal, economic, and political – institutions are co-determined as an equilibrium in the relations among economic and political actors. The paper discusses various ways that formal institutions influenc...