Standing in Cost-Benefit Analysis: Where, Who, What (Counts)?

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Standing_FINAL 3-03-2022.pdf (380.97 KB)

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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pam.22397

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https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22397
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/25049

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UMBC Economics Department
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6004-3171

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2022-05-18

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journal articles
postprints
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Boardman, A.E., Greenberg, D.H., Vining, A.R. and Weimer, D.L. (2022), Standing in Cost-Benefit Analysis: Where, Who, What (Counts)?. J. Pol. Anal. Manage.. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22397

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This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Boardman, A.E., Greenberg, D.H., Vining, A.R. and Weimer, D.L. (2022), Standing in Cost-Benefit Analysis: Where, Who, What (Counts)?. J. Pol. Anal. Manage.. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22397, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22397. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Access to this item will begin on date May 18, 2024

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Abstract

Whose costs and benefits should count in cost-benefit analysis (CBA)? This is an important practical question requiring answers for analysts because most government agencies offer only permissive or vague guidance. Drawing primarily on foundational CBA principles, we present a conceptual framework for specifying standing to answer three important boundary questions: Where? Who? What? First, a standing framework requires a definition of jurisdictional boundaries (the “where” question), whether national, subnational, or supranational. Second, a framework should be clear about which persons within the jurisdiction have standing (the “who” question). For example, should undocumented residents have standing? Third, the framework requires clarity on the standing of certain individual preferences (the “what” question), such as for harmfully addictive private or public goods that express “moral sentiments,” or when choices do not maximize the value of consumption. We seek to provide guidance for CBA practice within this framework.