The Impact of the Black Market Sale of Permits in the Borough of the Bronx
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Abstract
In 1983, the mayor of New York City limited the number of street vending permits issued in the city. Although the permit limits were marginally successful at curbing the number of vendors on the city’s streets, these caps have led to a thriving black market for street vending permits over the subsequent years. Purpose. This qualitative study examines the impact of the black market sale of street vending permits in the borough of the Bronx. Theoretical Framework. This study encompassed four theoretical frameworks to examine the impact of the illegal sale of street vending permits. These frameworks are the social equity theory, the politics-administration dichotomy, the informal economy, and the black market economy. Methodology. Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with participants from the small business community in the borough of the Bronx. The interviews were transcribed, and NVivo was used to code for themes. The researcher also used Excel in organizing coding and analysis. Findings. Data from the interviews suggested that the small business owners perceived that the black market sale of permits impacted their businesses. Furthermore, six important themes emerged from the interviews that were conducted. Conclusions and Recommendations. The findings suggested an opportunity to conduct an explorative, phenomenological study to examine the issuance of new street vending permits through the passed city council bill. Future research should be done in the remaining boroughs.