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Papers by Joseph Swanson

This paper develops estimates of U.S. railroad productivity by using methods based on the neoclas... more This paper develops estimates of U.S. railroad productivity by using methods based on the neoclassical theory of production. We find that railroad productivity grew at the average annual rate of 1.5 percent per year during the 1951-1974 period. Using conventional measurement procedures for comparison, we find productivity growth of 3.6 percent per year. The lower estimate of 1.5 percent is

American Economic Review, 1981

Numerous studies, including Robert Solow and Dale Jorgenson and Zvi Griliches, have emphasized th... more Numerous studies, including Robert Solow and Dale Jorgenson and Zvi Griliches, have emphasized the importance of distinguishing between movements along a production function and shifts in a production function. Such shifts have been given various labels including productivity ...

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Sep 22, 2003

Thirty years ago, our paper entitled "The High Cost of Regulating U.S. Railroads" appea... more Thirty years ago, our paper entitled "The High Cost of Regulating U.S. Railroads" appeared in this journal. At the time, the Staggers Act had just been signed into law. Our paper provided an analysis of the U.S. railroad industry’s performance for the generation immediately preceding the legislation. We also took the opportunity to speculate about the "deregulated" railroad industry appearing on the U.S. horizon. More recently, we were part of the project team that conducted a study of competition in the U.S. freight railroad industry over the period 1987-2008. Using information gleaned from that research, in this article we revisit our earlier paper and review our analysis and predictions.

The Bell Journal of Economics, 1980

... Douglas W. Caves,* Laurits R. Christensen,** and ... This is true for both the Bureau of Labo... more ... Douglas W. Caves,* Laurits R. Christensen,** and ... This is true for both the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (1977) estimates of output per hour worked and for Kendrick's (1973) estimates of total factor productivity using output and an index of labor and capital input. ...

The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1981

... (1) ton-miles of freight, (2) average length of freight haul, (3) pas-senger-miles, and (4 ..... more ... (1) ton-miles of freight, (2) average length of freight haul, (3) pas-senger-miles, and (4 ... the technique proposed by Zellner [1962].14 Estimates of parameters in (1) that do not have a C subscript are very similar to those obtained by Caves, Christensen, and Swanson [1980b] (CCS ...

The Journal of Economic History, 1971

This paper attempts to illustrate some future areas of quantitative historical research which hav... more This paper attempts to illustrate some future areas of quantitative historical research which have not yet received the attention we think they deserve. Our interest is primarily in aggregate economic systems. This emphasis is not motivated by a distaste for the analytical tools of microeconomics. On the contrary, a central premise of this paper is that macroeconomic models are ideally deduced from propositions about the behavior of individual decision-making units, and that they also critically depend on rules for the aggregation of such behavioral relationships. In fact, quantitative economic historians have long recognized the critical role played by aggregation rules in historical analysis. And, in the end, it will be the quantitative economic historian who will best be able to evaluate the efficacy of the employment of such rules in specified historical circumstances.

Journal of Urban Economics, 1976

This report discusses a new set of annual U. S. municipal expenditure estimates. These estimates ... more This report discusses a new set of annual U. S. municipal expenditure estimates. These estimates deal with the 19051930 period. While these expenditures are seen to be influenced by urbanization and price inflation, it is clear that real per capita spending rose substantially during the period. The distribution of municipal spending between current and capital accounts is seen to be associated with relative price change. A model of the structure of budget decisions-emphasizing an incremental budgeting format-is developed. Estimates of the structural parameters suggest that this model adequately represents the data; and that municipal decision makers responded in a regular and rational fashion to shifts in relative prices and nominal sources of funds.

Interfaces, 2002

March 2000 Sears, Roebuck and Co. is one of the largest procurers of trucking services in the wor... more March 2000 Sears, Roebuck and Co. is one of the largest procurers of trucking services in the world through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sears Logistics Services (SLS). SLS controls supply chain elements that originate at the vendor (manufacturer) through distribution centers to retail stores, and from vendor to distribution centers to cross dock facilities. This case examines a major change in the method Sears used in contracting for truckload carrier services for this supply chain. It provides a pioneering example of complex business to business e-Commerce.

Explorations in Economic History, 1970

Explorations in Economic History, 1972

The Economic History Review, 1969

The American Economic …, 1981