Ugly Criminals

An economist friend of mine made the following claim: "Criminals are uglier than law-abiding people--it's simple economics at work."

Provide an economic explanation for the above claim. Also, provide one testable hypothesis regarding this claim.

Tequila flavored beer, anyone?

Alcohol is illegal in the dorms at Abstinens College. Why are students more likely to sneak in a couple bottles of, say, tequila, rather than cases of beer, even though most would rather drink beer than tequila?

Congratulations to Yuan Tao for being the first to provide a plausible economic analysis of the drinking dilemma described above.

Name That Economist

While Keynes is often thought of as the "father of modern macroeconomics," this Scandinavian economist could also lay claim to the title. Known for his socialist leanings, he favored the development of a welfare state that sought to redistribute income to those less fortunate. Our mystery economist was also known to espouse provocative views on various social issues...even leading to some time in jail because of his views.

Congratulations to Yang Yang for being the first (and only) person to correctly identify Knut Wicksell as the mystery economist.