Morris Coats

R. Morris Coats, Professor of Economics at Nicholls State University http://www.nicholls.edu, received his Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech University in 1983, working in the interdisciplinary area of public choice, applying economic reasoning to political phenomena.  In his dissertation, he investigated the effect of the secret ballot on voter turnout in British Parliamentary Elections.   He has published 8 articles on electoral and legislative choice in journals such as from Public Choice, Public Finance Review, Kyklos, Southern Economic Journal, the Journal of Public Economics and Legislative Studies Quarterly.   He has published 4 articles dealing with sustainability, 3 of which were on the economics of the rise and collapse of Easter Island, with special attention to the roles of prices and property rights regimes.  He has also done work at preserving the wealth from mineral taxation through the use of permanent funds.   Besides his usual introductory courses, he also teaches public sector economics, health care economics and environmental economics.