Comments for Economic Geographies http://rachelstrohm.com Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:20:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on Contact by Jason Snyder http://rachelstrohm.com/contact/#comment-500 Jason Snyder Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:20:58 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?page_id=436#comment-500 I too have gone back and forth between the economic and geographic approach to development, for much the same reasons. I received my BA in econ and MS in geography, and am now contemplating a PhD in Econ again, although it has been an agonizing decision. I am happy that there is another one out there that values both disciplines, and wonders why they seem so hermetically separated. I too have gone back and forth between the economic and geographic approach to development, for much the same reasons. I received my BA in econ and MS in geography, and am now contemplating a PhD in Econ again, although it has been an agonizing decision. I am happy that there is another one out there that values both disciplines, and wonders why they seem so hermetically separated.

]]> Comment on Eight books on development for the interested generalist by Rachel Strohm http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/01/08/eight-books-on-development-for-the-interested-generalist/#comment-499 Rachel Strohm Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:05:09 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=380#comment-499 Hi Philip, I've had that on my "to-read" list for ages! I think it needs to be bumped up a few notches. Thanks for the recommendation! Rachel Hi Philip,

I’ve had that on my “to-read” list for ages! I think it needs to be bumped up a few notches. Thanks for the recommendation!

Rachel

]]> Comment on Eight books on development for the interested generalist by Philip http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/01/08/eight-books-on-development-for-the-interested-generalist/#comment-498 Philip Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:56:25 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=380#comment-498 I'm horrifically behind on this one, but I would really recommend 'Guns, Germs and Steel' by Jared Diamond. A lot of what he says is hypothesis unsupported by data analysis (though given the scope of the book, that's forgivable), but in general it's a thought-provoking read for the interested reader. I’m horrifically behind on this one, but I would really recommend ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ by Jared Diamond. A lot of what he says is hypothesis unsupported by data analysis (though given the scope of the book, that’s forgivable), but in general it’s a thought-provoking read for the interested reader.

]]> Comment on Contextualized illustration by Swahili Street http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/03/contextualized-illustration/#comment-473 Swahili Street Tue, 18 May 2010 18:28:47 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=541#comment-473 ......... excellent stuff. I'm guessing it caught yr eye because the prints are so beautifully rendered,especially teh cover and the one of the farmer sowing. And your question is on the money. ……… excellent stuff. I’m guessing it caught yr eye because the prints are so beautifully rendered,especially teh cover and the one of the farmer sowing. And your question is on the money.

]]> Comment on The social norms of bribery by Swahili Street http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/09/the-social-norms-of-bribery/#comment-472 Swahili Street Tue, 18 May 2010 18:18:14 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=552#comment-472 You haven't romanticised it,but it was a close run thing.... I drove around Dar es Salaam today with an out of date tax disc. Why? The new one is on the other side of town and I calculated that given the things I had to do today I would have needed a taxi or my car. If stopped by the cops, my bribe (no inverted commas)would have been similar or less than the taxi fares. So of course, people behave rationally. In response to TiA, the taxi driver whose cab I was in a couple of weeks ago didn't t see the shake down that day (about $1.50 equivalent) as a 'directly paid tax' and he, like most other road users is not 'willing' to pay but is compelled to pay through an implicit threat. So don't believe the robin hood angle. Again in Dar es Salaam, it is a well organised racket that reaches to the top of the force. It mostly targets public transport. Operators don't protest as it allows them to continue plying with dangerous vehicles. It may be organised, it may be acceptable to certain interests but it is not acceptable to most and to equate it with tax is disingenuous. Equating it with tax You haven’t romanticised it,but it was a close run thing….

I drove around Dar es Salaam today with an out of date tax disc. Why? The new one is on the other side of town and I calculated that given the things I had to do today I would have needed a taxi or my car. If stopped by the cops, my bribe (no inverted commas)would have been similar or less than the taxi fares. So of course, people behave rationally.

In response to TiA, the taxi driver whose cab I was in a couple of weeks ago didn’t t see the shake down that day (about $1.50 equivalent) as a ‘directly paid tax’ and he, like most other road users is not ‘willing’ to pay but is compelled to pay through an implicit threat.

So don’t believe the robin hood angle. Again in Dar es Salaam, it is a well organised racket that reaches to the top of the force. It mostly targets public transport. Operators don’t protest as it allows them to continue plying with dangerous vehicles.

It may be organised, it may be acceptable to certain interests but it is not acceptable to most and to equate it with tax is disingenuous.

Equating it with tax

]]> Comment on The social norms of bribery by rachelstrohm http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/09/the-social-norms-of-bribery/#comment-470 rachelstrohm Thu, 13 May 2010 15:24:41 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=552#comment-470 Hi Laura, That's such a fascinating point! And really a very reasonable understanding of the situation. Do you have a sense of the degree to which the lower level taxes/bribes/whatever they are are standardized by service or by the rank of the official involved? (I think my mental conception of bribery involves more opportunistic profit maximization, whilst something implicitly understood as a tax involves more standardization - but here's me projecting categories onto something I don't have firsthand experience with.) I'd totally read that dissertation, also. : ) Cheers, R. Hi Laura,

That’s such a fascinating point! And really a very reasonable understanding of the situation. Do you have a sense of the degree to which the lower level taxes/bribes/whatever they are are standardized by service or by the rank of the official involved? (I think my mental conception of bribery involves more opportunistic profit maximization, whilst something implicitly understood as a tax involves more standardization – but here’s me projecting categories onto something I don’t have firsthand experience with.)

I’d totally read that dissertation, also. : )

Cheers,

R.

]]> Comment on The social norms of bribery by Laura @ Texas in Africa http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/09/the-social-norms-of-bribery/#comment-469 Laura @ Texas in Africa Wed, 12 May 2010 15:32:18 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=552#comment-469 Great points, Rachel. One of the more interesting things about "bribery" in the DRC is that it's not always considered to be "bribery" when one makes a direct payment to an official. Everybody knows two things: 1) they're not paying taxes and 2) government employees have to find a way to get paid somehow. Most people are willing to pay, say, the driver's license guy - and even the police - a certain amount in exchange for whatever it is they need. I'm not sure it's accurate to call those payments "bribes." They're much more like directly-paid taxes. What gets people upset is when they see the payments demanded as being excessive (eg, a judge who sells "justice" to the highest bidder). It would be really interesting to know where the line is drawn and why - very interesting study of a collective action dilemma for a grad student needing a dissertation topic. :) Great points, Rachel. One of the more interesting things about “bribery” in the DRC is that it’s not always considered to be “bribery” when one makes a direct payment to an official. Everybody knows two things: 1) they’re not paying taxes and 2) government employees have to find a way to get paid somehow. Most people are willing to pay, say, the driver’s license guy – and even the police – a certain amount in exchange for whatever it is they need. I’m not sure it’s accurate to call those payments “bribes.” They’re much more like directly-paid taxes.

What gets people upset is when they see the payments demanded as being excessive (eg, a judge who sells “justice” to the highest bidder). It would be really interesting to know where the line is drawn and why – very interesting study of a collective action dilemma for a grad student needing a dissertation topic. :)

]]> Comment on The social norms of bribery by rachelstrohm http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/09/the-social-norms-of-bribery/#comment-467 rachelstrohm Mon, 10 May 2010 10:24:41 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=552#comment-467 Not exactly their comparative advantage, is it? : ) Not exactly their comparative advantage, is it? : )

]]> Comment on The social norms of bribery by Suvojit http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/05/09/the-social-norms-of-bribery/#comment-466 Suvojit Mon, 10 May 2010 01:12:51 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=552#comment-466 What I think this really means is that we should not rely on journalists and economists to learn about complex concepts of state failure (or for that matter, state building)! What I think this really means is that we should not rely on journalists and economists to learn about complex concepts of state failure (or for that matter, state building)!

]]> Comment on Help me decide! by rachelstrohm http://rachelstrohm.com/2010/03/20/help-me-decide/#comment-302 rachelstrohm Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:28:56 +0000 http://rachelstrohm.com/?p=418#comment-302 Hi Rashad, Thanks for sharing your perspective on this - it's valuable to get a Georgetown grad's take! I hope the degree has taken you where you wanted to get to, though. Cheers, Rachel Hi Rashad,

Thanks for sharing your perspective on this – it’s valuable to get a Georgetown grad’s take! I hope the degree has taken you where you wanted to get to, though.

Cheers,

Rachel

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