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Here’s how Missouri can break its ’ballot candy’ addiction
By Grant Musick
Intro: On Nov. 5, I walked into my polling place with the excitement and sense of duty that comes with voting in a general election for the very first time. I knew the importance of voting, but I was also aware of the strategies that can muddy the waters of our democratic process — gerrymandering, voter suppression, and misinformation often threaten true fairness.
But as I looked over my ballot, I encountered a lesser-known tactic: “Ballot candy.”
Ballot candy involves pairing a controversial proposal with a more popular one on a single ballot measure, forcing voters to approve or reject all of the proposals simultaneously. This practice coerces voters to support measures they might otherwise oppose, and denies voters the right to make informed, individual choices on each issue...
Citation: Musick, M. “Here’s how Missouri can break its ’ballot candy’ addiction,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Op-Ed, 8 January 2025. (Student publication from my Policy Analysis course)
Game of Sofas: Furniture Sales in Menomonie, WI
By Derrick Buntrock
https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/79817/Article_24-32.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Abstract: In December of 2016, Slumberland opened its doors in Menomonie, WI thereby increasing the level of competition in a relatively small market. In this paper, the furniture market of Menomonie, Wisconsin is analyzed. Local firm level data is used to measure the intensity of competition, parity of sales, and market power. Examining pricing techniques employed by the firms, an outlook on future furniture sales and contemporary issues are also discussed. This analysis provides insights about contemporary and future competition in Menomonie furniture market. The findings suggest that the newest entrant in the Menomonie furniture market has become the largest local provider of furniture sales and utilized advantageous price techniques. It is estimated that Slumberland is currently responsible for 60% of local furniture sales and is also able to maintain the largest mark-up on their products. These results indicate that Slumberland has obtained a dominant position with respect to market share and market power. However, online furniture sales continue to increase, which could impact physical retail stores due to their operating costs.
Citation: Buntrock, D. “Game of Sofas: Furniture Sales in Menomonie, WI,” UW-Stout Journal of Student Research, 2019, 18, pp. 47-62.
Keywords: Furniture sales, local competition, HHI, price anchoring
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