An Engel curve is derived for the direct and indirect household consumption of oil and, hence, estimating the income elasticity for the demand for oil. Comparison with other studies is difficult as they have, in general, relied on time-series data. However, studies by Houthakker and Taylor (1970) and by Phlips (1972) derive short-run income elasticities close to the estimated value of 0.58 obtained in this study. Two points must be emphasized. First, the income elasticity is a short-run value and, therefore, indicates a lower bound for the long-run elasticity. Second, although this study takes account of both the direct and indirect demand for oil, it does pertain to consumer tastes and production technologies current in the early 1960s. On the latter point, an obvious extension of this study would be to update it using the 1972-73 Consumer Expenditure Survey. 23 references, 2 tables.

Using the case of the pogroms that took place in the historical region of the 'Pale of Settlement' in Eastern Europe, this paper analyzes the cultural legacy of ethnic violence and its long-term economic impact on access to finance and on corporate innovation. We find that firms in regions with a higher historical intensity of ethnic persecution face greater financial constraints, relying more on internal finance and experiencing reduced access to external finance. These financial limitations are linked to sluggish innovation activities among present-day firms. We propose that a mechanism of financial antipathy, rooted in a persistent anti-market culture fostered by historical ethnic animosity, explains these effects and reflects a long-term degradation of local social capital. Our results are supported by causal evidence using instrumental variables based on the precursors of historical inter-ethnic violence. The animosity and discrimination against the minority group appear to transfer to the broader economic activities in which that group was involved, creating lasting economic consequences for the majority population – consequences that continue to affect financial development and innovation to the present day.

This paper examines the impact of anti-market culture on a firm's environmental and social (E&S) outcomes. We use the varying degree of intensity of historical anti-Jewish pogroms in 20 European countries as a quasi-exogenous measure of anti-market sentiment. We show that the historical occurrence of anti-Jewish pogroms in Eastern Europe during the period 1800–1927 generated an enduring anti-market sentiment that continues to influence the E&S performance of present-day firms. This relationship is more pronounced for firms with better corporate governance, which rejects the bad governance view on corporate social responsibilities. Taken together, our results add new evidence in support of the view that corporate social responsibility is responsive to institutional differences and may reflect the presence of an anti-market ideology that has historical roots.

This paper examines the long-lasting impact of one of the deadliest pandemics in history on present-day financial development. Based on the variation in the severity of the 1918 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu) across the regions within Italy and the variation across 34 countries, we find that people living in the regions with higher historical death rates are associated with a lower level of present-day trust. As a result, firms in these regions face more financial obstacles and have greater difficulty in accessing both bank loans and trade credit. Furthermore, households in these regions display a lower take-up of credit cards and mortgages. They also use Fintech services less. Because laboratory results suggest that an avian H1N1 virus can form clear plaques at a lower temperature, we instrument the death rates with the temperature in autumn of 1918, and find the results remain consistent, confirming the causal link between the severity of the 1918 flu pandemic and present-day financial development.