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Allensworth, Rebecca Haw. The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong

Gabriel Scheffler

Journal of Economic Literature2026https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.64.1.301.r2article
AJG 4ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Gabriel Scheffler of University of Miami School of Law reviews “The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong” by Rebecca Haw Allensworth. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Explores the function of the professional licensing system, its effects on equality, public health, and the economy, and its role in the American Dream, emphasizing the need for a coherent, defensible theory for when licensing is required.”

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.64.1.301.r2

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@article{gabriel2026,
  title        = {{Allensworth, Rebecca Haw. The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong}},
  author       = {Gabriel Scheffler},
  journal      = {Journal of Economic Literature},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.64.1.301.r2},
}

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Allensworth, Rebecca Haw. The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.