George Boyer


George R. Boyer is Professor of Labor Economics in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. He is best known for his work in the field of economic history, and in particular his research on the English poor laws of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Career

Boyer received a B.A. in economics and history from the College of William and Mary in 1976 and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1982.
Boyer has been a faculty member in Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations since 1982. He has also been a visiting professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Essex.
Boyer is associate editor of the Industrial and Labor Relations Review and has been a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Economic History and of Social Science History.

Research on the English Poor Laws

Boyer is arguably best known for his extensive research on the English poor laws, culminating in his 1990 book, An Economic History of the English Poor Law, 1750-1850.
Using tools and concepts from economics, Boyer explores in his book the political motivation for the adoption of poor laws in 18th century England, the geographic variation in poor relief administered during that period, and the demographic impacts of these laws. The book challenges many previously held beliefs about poor laws, and argues that the adoption of such laws was a rational response to changing conditions in agricultural England at the time.
In a review of the book published in the Journal of Economic Literature, Martha Olney observes that "Boyer follows the methodological precepts of what has long since stopped being the "new" economic history: explicit theorizing subjected to empirical testing with historical data". While Olney cautions that "it is unclear whether his results will stand up to the poking and prodding his models' assumptions call for", she nonetheless argues that "Boyer has written a commendable book" and that "any student of contemporary or historical systems of poor relief is well advised to place this book near the top of her required reading".
In another review of the book published in the American Journal of Legal History, James W. Ely, Jr. notes that, "In his carefully reasoned monograph, George R. Boyer provides an economic assessment of the poor laws before 1834 and offers an revisionist account of relief policy". While Ely highlights some shortcomings in the text, he concludes that "Boyer has authored a provocative work which contributes to the rich literature on the English poor laws. His economic analysis will be helpful to the study of English poor relief policies".
In addition to his book on the subject, Boyer has written articles on various aspects of English poor relief in economics and history journals including the Journal of Political Economy, the Journal of Economic History, and Explorations in Economic History.
In more recent work, Boyer is exploring the evolution of social welfare policies in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Works

Books