A logistic regression (logit) model was developed to examine how socioeconomic characteristics of cow-calf producers influenced their perceptions of themselves as profit maximizers. Amount of pasture acreage, percent of income earned from the cow-calf operation, and desire to increase net worth and efficiently use labor significantly increased the producer's probability of claiming to be in the business primarily to maximize profits. Some sociological reasons for owning cattle significantly reduced the probability of the producer claiming to be a profit maximizer while others significantly increased the probability.

This study uses logit analysis to examine the influence of the perception of local economic opportunities and the willingness to move on the educational aspirations of rural high-school-aged youths. Those youths who are more willing to move have a greater career opportunity set and a strong incentive to achieve in school, since education allows them to compete for jobs elsewhere. A low willingness to move, coupled with a low perception of local job opportunities, translates into a low expected return to education, which reduces the incentive to achieve in school.

Interest in mandatory county-of-origin labeling of fresh meats exists at both the state and national levels. A sample of beef handling firms in Louisiana (processors, retailers and restaurants) was surveyed by telephone to identify the characteristics of these firms that would help explain their decision to support or reject the law. A factor supporting the label use was a belief that the label is valuable to buyers. Negative factors were that the firm is a restaurant, is part of a chain or franchise, or has experience handling imported beef, and the belief that labeling merely reflects more government interference in free trade.