The Economics of Street Charity
This past Sunday, Gideon referenced an article written in the NYTimes by Stephen Dubner. Here is a link to the full excerpt. The article is a conversation with leading economist when posed with this dilemma:
"You are walking down the street in New York City with $10 of disposable income in your pocket. You come to a corner with a hot dog vendor on one side and a beggar on the other. The beggar looks like he’s been drinking; the hot dog vendor looks like an upstanding citizen. How, if at all, do you distribute the $10 in your pocket, and why?"
What would you do?
"You are walking down the street in New York City with $10 of disposable income in your pocket. You come to a corner with a hot dog vendor on one side and a beggar on the other. The beggar looks like he’s been drinking; the hot dog vendor looks like an upstanding citizen. How, if at all, do you distribute the $10 in your pocket, and why?"
What would you do?
