Offsetting Behaviour

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Social media slippery slopes

1 week ago | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

Yesterday, I went through what I see as a trilemma for age-gating social media access. A system putting obligations and liability on social media providers to keep kids off the platform will have at least one of the following three problems:Easily worked around by those under the age limit;Cumbersome for those over the age limit;Ends internet pseudonymity.
A social media trilemma

1 week ago | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

Australia has required social media platforms to come up with ways of excluding under-16s. Chris Luxon has followed suit for New Zealand, backing a proposed Member's Bill that is now in the ballot. I think the evidence on social media harms for kids is strong enough for parents to keep an eye on things, but not strong enough to justify bans. But leaving that aside, suppose you wanted to implement one. I think a trilemma applies for any system that puts the obligation on platforms.
Offsetting Behaviour

1 week ago | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

Australia has required social media platforms to come up with ways of excluding under-16s. Chris Luxon has followed suit for New Zealand, backing a proposed Member's Bill that is now in the ballot. I think the evidence on social media harms for kids is strong enough for parents to keep an eye on things, but not strong enough to justify bans. But leaving that aside, suppose you wanted to implement one. I think a trilemma applies for any system that puts the obligation on platforms.
Maybe allow competition?

Feb 13, 2025 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

The Initiative's Insights newsletter generally concludes with a more light-hearted column. The case that our Michael Johnston took on in it this week lent itself to lots of different approaches. This was my take on the same topic - but from a different angle. Because I tend to think about things in terms of statutory barriers to entry. And Jennifer Roback Morse lives in my head. Imagine that you lived in a small town with one pharmacy. The next town is a long drive away.
Offsetting Behaviour

Feb 13, 2025 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

The Initiative's Insights newsletter generally concludes with a more light-hearted column. The case that our Michael Johnston took on in it this week lent itself to lots of different approaches. This was my take on the same topic - but from a different angle. Because I tend to think about things in terms of statutory barriers to entry. And Jennifer Roback Morse lives in my head. Imagine that you lived in a small town with one pharmacy. The next town is a long drive away.
Misuse of land use planning

Nov 28, 2024 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

If you thought McDonald's was some kind of public health hazard, using processes under the Resource Management Act to try to block one from opening in Wanaka would be among the stupidest possible ways of dealing with it. The country already has food safety regulations. If you thought that (in fact delicious and fine) McDonald's food were actually toxic waste, food safety regs would address the problem across all existing 170+ outlets across the country.
This will not end well

Nov 10, 2024 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

I still think Rod Carr had this stuff right two decades ago when he'd argued against having deposit insurance at all, and instead making very clear that government would never bail out depositors. People can argue the toss about hard caveat emptor versus some perfect deposit insurance scheme with full risk-based pricing and whether following through with minor depositor haircuts after burning through investor equity under OBR was credible.
Offsetting Behaviour

Nov 7, 2024 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

I still think Rod Carr had this stuff right two decades ago when he'd argued against having deposit insurance at all, and instead making very clear that government would never bail out depositors. People can argue the toss about hard caveat emptor versus some perfect deposit insurance scheme with full risk-based pricing and whether following through with minor depositor haircuts after burning through investor equity under OBR was credible.
Where are the food carts?

Oct 7, 2024 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

I still don't get why there aren't more food carts on Wellington's waterfront. On a good sunny day, you might find, along a stretch of gorgeous waterfront more than two kilometres long, all of it close to downtown, 2-3 food carts. Meanwhile, downtown Christchurch restaurants are worried about the Arts Centre's plan to host around 30 carts not just on weekends: every day.
Generation screwed?

Oct 6, 2024 | offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com | Eric Crampton

I gave a short talk for a new student group last week, Generation Screwed. The event was joint with Students for Liberty, who seem to be setting up in NZ!They'd asked about debt, tax burden, and intergenerational issues. I put together a few starter-notes to let them know where I was coming from; I've copied those below. The cleanest measure of the tax burden is government spending. Governments will try to hide the burden by shuffling it off to future through debt.