Comments on: Who Really Cares? http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/12/03/who-really-cares/ Economics of organizations, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and more Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:08:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Bo Nielsen http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/12/03/who-really-cares/#comment-7221 Bo Nielsen Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:45:22 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/who-really-cares/#comment-7221 The interesting question is what is charity? The summary you include implies that charity is giving to the less fortunate. However, if you accept the premise that conservatives (and republicans in the US) are more likely to be religious and church goers, then the charitable giving might not be to the less fortunate or those in need, but to a church, synagogue, mosque, etc. Maybe even to a Mega church. Since many churches require 10% from their parishoners, this may account for the differences in giving. So does the charity by conservatives help mega church preachers or the poor? The interesting question is what is charity? The summary you include implies that charity is giving to the less fortunate. However, if you accept the premise that conservatives (and republicans in the US) are more likely to be religious and church goers, then the charitable giving might not be to the less fortunate or those in need, but to a church, synagogue, mosque, etc. Maybe even to a Mega church. Since many churches require 10% from their parishoners, this may account for the differences in giving. So does the charity by conservatives help mega church preachers or the poor?

]]> By: Peter Klein http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/12/03/who-really-cares/#comment-7177 Peter Klein Sun, 03 Dec 2006 14:30:44 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/who-really-cares/#comment-7177 A good book, along these lines, is David Beito's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mutual-Aid-Welfare-State-Fraternal/dp/080782531X" rel="nofollow">From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967</a>, which documents the activities of mutual aid societies and other forms of private, market-based charity that were active before the creation of the welfare state in the twentieth century. If we regard charity as a public good, then the literature on the private provision of public goods should be relevant to this debate. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Voluntary-City-Community-Economics-Cognition/dp/0472088378" rel="nofollow">The Voluntary City</a> might be worth a look. A good book, along these lines, is David Beito’s From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967, which documents the activities of mutual aid societies and other forms of private, market-based charity that were active before the creation of the welfare state in the twentieth century.

If we regard charity as a public good, then the literature on the private provision of public goods should be relevant to this debate. The Voluntary City might be worth a look.

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