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"If You Build It, They Will Come": The Positive Economic Impacts Of Nfl Stadiums In Their Surrounding Cities, Mary C. Ewen Dec 2011

"If You Build It, They Will Come": The Positive Economic Impacts Of Nfl Stadiums In Their Surrounding Cities, Mary C. Ewen

Honors Theses

As with most sports, the incredible emotion that comes with dedicated fans radiates throughout the cities in which these teams reside. The positive economic impact that NFL stadiums have on their surrounding cities is the driving factor behind the creation of these sports power houses. NFL franchises increase tourism, and create an economic stimulus within the community that makes hosting an NFL franchise within a city extremely appealing. Studies show that there may be an incentive to creating these colossal entities. However, these outcomes are not always considered to be because of direct influences the stadiums exude, and in some …


Professional Sports Teams And Their Local Economic Impact, A. J. Kuznitz Dec 2011

Professional Sports Teams And Their Local Economic Impact, A. J. Kuznitz

Honors Theses

There has been debate about whether or not professional sports teams impact their local economies. Research shows local economic growth has been generated from the presence of a professional sports team in multiple ways: the creation of new jobs, increased consumer spending, increased sales in certain market segments, and increased tax revenue. Other beneficial impacts caused by sport franchises are increased tourism from hosting large nationwide events such as a Super Bowl or World Series, and game's media coverage provides free marketing/advertising for home cities. Teams also impact the lives of their fans and cities in non-measurable, qualitative ways, such …


Culture Macroeconomics Adjustments And Economic Growth, Schuyler R. Hooper Jun 2011

Culture Macroeconomics Adjustments And Economic Growth, Schuyler R. Hooper

Honors Theses

This paper argues that culture is the underlying determinant causing the delays and massive social costs sometimes seen as countries attempt to stabilize after experiencing external shocks. While there have been significant ties between culture and economic performance in the past, as in Tabellini (2008) and Licht et al. (2007), this paper argues that culture matters more during periods of disequilibrium than it does during times of equilibrium. The empirical methodology for this paper closely mirrors that of Rodrik (1999), in which he proposed that latent social conflicts and poor institutions of conflict management were the reasons for delayed adjustments …


Reform In The Credit Rating Industry, Ronald D. Knox Jun 2011

Reform In The Credit Rating Industry, Ronald D. Knox

Honors Theses

Ninety three percent of all AAA-rated subprime mortgage backed securities issued in 2006 were downgraded to junk bond status subsequent to the financial crisis. The credit rating agencies clearly failed to give the early warning signs on these and numerous financial products that went bust. This thesis investigates the role of credit rating agencies in the functioning of financial markets and proposes policy changes to reform this industry. The sources of market failures in this industry can be traced to conflicts of interest, barriers to entry, lack of accountability, and asymmetric information. I propose three possible reforms to improve the …


Foreign Direct Investment Response Following Intellectual Property Rights Reform, Samuel G. Lundquist Jun 2011

Foreign Direct Investment Response Following Intellectual Property Rights Reform, Samuel G. Lundquist

Honors Theses

Over the past several decades, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows across the globe have increased markedly. During this same period, a large number of countries have strengthened their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) regimes in response to global legislative changes such as the Agreement of Trade-Related Aspects of IPRs or domestic policy initiatives. In this thesis, I empirically investigate the impact of IPR reform on FDI activity. I use a panel data set that consist of FDI flows from Germany and US into 15 host countries over a 24 year time period. As a proxy for IPR regime change I use …


The Sex Generation: The Impact Of Teen Attitudes Views And Knowledge Of Contraceptives And Sexual Activity On The Teen Pregnancy And Std Rates In The United States, Haritha Sishtla Jun 2011

The Sex Generation: The Impact Of Teen Attitudes Views And Knowledge Of Contraceptives And Sexual Activity On The Teen Pregnancy And Std Rates In The United States, Haritha Sishtla

Honors Theses

Among all industrialized nations, the United States faces the highest rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Previous studies have indicated that teens use engagement in sexual activity as a social mechanism to gain popularity among their peers. This paper focuses on two issues: social factors such as peer perceptions towards other peers engaging in sex and using contraceptives, and assesses the level of knowledge teens have about sex, STDs, pregnancy, and contraceptives that could have an effect on the teen pregnancy and STD rates in the United States. Cross-sectional data from Waves I and II (1994-96) National …


Shirking In The National Hockey League, Luke D. Cain Jun 2011

Shirking In The National Hockey League, Luke D. Cain

Honors Theses

Shirking has been examined in baseball and basketball, but never hockey. If Shirking is found to be evident in hockey, then management should give players shorter contracts and should pay a discount price if a long‐term contract is given. The dependent variable for this study is shirking. There are many different independent variables and they are all different measures of performance (except for dummy variables for team and position). Most studies of hockey have minimal measures of performance, which are usually offensive statistics, but I will include defensive statistics as well. The sample for the study is players who participated …


Middle Class Political Competition And Economic Growth, Jorge A. Enriquez Murillo Jun 2011

Middle Class Political Competition And Economic Growth, Jorge A. Enriquez Murillo

Honors Theses

Middle class individuals play a fundamental role in countries’ political and economic spheres. Their political demands for a fair tax system and public goods provisions enhance positive economic performance and development. A large share of income held by the middle class, according to Easterly (2001), is positively related to economic growth and political stability. Similarly, Alesina and Rodrik (1994) –among other political economic studies- highlight that a well-endowed median voter population influences the implementation of growth-enhancing economic policies. This study examines the interplay between political competition and a politically active middle-class and its subsequent effect on economic growth. The dependant …


The Impact Of The 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement On Competitive Balance In The National Hockey League, John L. Simpson Jun 2011

The Impact Of The 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement On Competitive Balance In The National Hockey League, John L. Simpson

Honors Theses

After a lockout that canceled the 2004‐05 season in the National Hockey League (NHL), the owners and players reached a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that instituted a ‘hard’ salary cap, a modified revenue sharing system, and changes in free agency. The principal motivation for the new agreement was to raise competitiveness among the teams, in order to generate greater revenue and profitability and to support higher player salaries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the CBA on competitive balance within the NHL and identify the principal determinants of the changes in competitiveness among the teams. …


Following The Herd: An Economic Analysis Of The Effects Of Herd Mentality On The U.S. Housing Bubble, Michael P. Spicer Jun 2011

Following The Herd: An Economic Analysis Of The Effects Of Herd Mentality On The U.S. Housing Bubble, Michael P. Spicer

Honors Theses

One focus of economics in the recent years has been the integration of human behavior, including that of herd behavior, into economic thought. Herd behavior can be defined as the way that individuals, who have private information, end up acting together as a group inadvertently, without planned action. It is thought to be caused by incomplete information and subsequently information cascades. Does this behavior exist, and if it does, did it have any effect on the recent housing market? The last twelve years provide a good opportunity to test whether or not herd behavior exists in the housing market, and …


Do Medical Technology And Healthcare Spending Affect Health Outcomes?, Chandni V. Vaid Jun 2011

Do Medical Technology And Healthcare Spending Affect Health Outcomes?, Chandni V. Vaid

Honors Theses

Healthcare expenditures have been on the rise for many countries, especially for the developed countries. As of 2009, Japan, Australia and Canada are spending around 8 to 10% of their total GDP on healthcare, while the United States is currently up to 16%. One of the major factors contributing to increased expenditures on healthcare is the emergence of medical technology. Using data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), I empirically investigate the effects of medical technologies and healthcare expenditure on health outcomes for a group of 17 countries. Medical technology is measured by the number of MRI …


Regional Variation In The Length Of Hospital Stay And Insurance Coverage: A State-Wide Variation In Length Of Stay And Insurance Types, Samuel S. Yoon Jun 2011

Regional Variation In The Length Of Hospital Stay And Insurance Coverage: A State-Wide Variation In Length Of Stay And Insurance Types, Samuel S. Yoon

Honors Theses

With the continuously growing healthcare expenditure, it is important to examine the causes of this phenomenon. Length of hospital stay is one possible cause. Using the panel data from 2001 – 2008 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Statehealthfacts.org, Center for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Almanac of Hospital Financial & Operating Indicators 2007, and Current Population Survey March Supplements, this paper utilizes regression analysis to investigate geographic variation on the length of stay, focusing on the relationship between the different insurance types and the length of stay. As a variety of insurance types offers different reimbursement …


Applying Fair Division To Global Carbon, Emily D. Lacroix Jun 2011

Applying Fair Division To Global Carbon, Emily D. Lacroix

Honors Theses

The world climate policy debate has come to a political standstill between devel-oped and developing countries. They cannot agree on a “fair” manner to decide how much each country is allowed to pollute, and who should pay for pollution abate-ment costs. The United States and developed countries believe that all countries should participate and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to their 1990 levels be-cause everyone will benefit. By contrast, developing countries believe that developed countries should be required to do the majority of the emission abatement because they cause the majority of the pollution. Carsten Helm [2008] proposed an unconventional …


The Family And Medical Leave Act: Effects On Women's Wages And Employment, Andrea E. Miller Jun 2011

The Family And Medical Leave Act: Effects On Women's Wages And Employment, Andrea E. Miller

Honors Theses

For many years, women's labor force participation and issues of parental leave have been of great importance not only to families and individuals, but also to policy makers, researchers, and employers alike. The Family and Medical Leave Act was the first federal policy enacted in an effort to accommodate medical leave for employees. The Family and Medical Leave Act allowed both men and women to take extended, unpaid leaves due to personal or family medical and health issues. The FMLA establishes a federal, minimum leave threshold in order for employees to take such an extended leave to include the following …


Ole, Ole… Oh No? The Economic And Social Impacts The Fifa World Cup Has On Its Host Countries And How South Africa, The 2010 Host, May Be Affected, Colleen A. Schohl May 2011

Ole, Ole… Oh No? The Economic And Social Impacts The Fifa World Cup Has On Its Host Countries And How South Africa, The 2010 Host, May Be Affected, Colleen A. Schohl

Honors Theses

Research has not shown any proven long-term positive economic impacts directly resulting from hosting the FIFA World Cup; however, the intangible "feel good" factor has been hypothesized to bring positive effects to a country and its individual residents. This is one variable that has shown to have some positive effect on a host country, but its benefit is usually short-lived and commonly overlooked by researchers (Kavetsos and Szymanski, 2010). If questions on how to measure this factor could be answered, researchers would better be able to address the overall economic impact. Based on analysis of the South African economy, South …


Common Currency Examined In Latin America, Jack William Mccloskey May 2011

Common Currency Examined In Latin America, Jack William Mccloskey

Honors Theses

Maintaining a stable currency with economic growth and prosperity has always been an obstacle for countries in Latin America. Debt crises and high poverty rates have plagued economies in the region for decades now. A possible solution to these problems is a shared currency. This approach has positive and negative attributes, and other solutions are also discussed.


An Explication And Analysis Of The Possible Economic Consequences Resulting From The Fiscal Position Of The United States And An Evaluation Of The Possible Corrective Fiscal Measures, Edward Francis Bukaty Iv May 2011

An Explication And Analysis Of The Possible Economic Consequences Resulting From The Fiscal Position Of The United States And An Evaluation Of The Possible Corrective Fiscal Measures, Edward Francis Bukaty Iv

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of Trade And Other Factors On Income Distribution: The Cases Of Chile, Dominican Republic, And Venezuela, George G. Lluberes Apr 2011

The Effects Of Trade And Other Factors On Income Distribution: The Cases Of Chile, Dominican Republic, And Venezuela, George G. Lluberes

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the factors affecting income distribution in Latin America, specifically, the cases of Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. The focus of this study is to identify economic, as well as, political factors that may be causing the inequality levels of income distribution to increase or decrease within the countries previously stated. Economic factors investigated include freedom to trade, trade as a percentage of GDP, economic growth, and educational enrollment levels. Furthermore, the political factors analyzed in this thesis are: corruption levels, legal structures, security of property rights, rule of law, democratic or non-democratic status, expenditure in social …


Keeping Nuclear Programs From Becoming Nuclear Weapons: A Game Theoretic And Econometric Analysis, Benjamin Guy Ogden Jan 2011

Keeping Nuclear Programs From Becoming Nuclear Weapons: A Game Theoretic And Econometric Analysis, Benjamin Guy Ogden

Honors Theses

There are currently only nine countries which possess nuclear weapons, but twenty-four countries have pursued the requisite technology. The question remains as to why nations ceased their programs, and whether the policies of the international community had anything to do with that decision. This paper uses both a game theoretic and a probit model with limited assumptions to attempt to uncover: a) what are the determinants of a country shuttering their nuclear weapon program, b) when "sticks and carrots" can be credible (subgame perfect), and c) how large of a role they play in the potential nuclear country's decision-making. I …


Comparative Study Of Informal Health Care Networks And Elderly Health Status In Argentina And Cuba, Ava Ginsberg Jan 2011

Comparative Study Of Informal Health Care Networks And Elderly Health Status In Argentina And Cuba, Ava Ginsberg

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of informal care support networks on the health status, life satisfaction, happiness and anxiety of elderly individuals in Argentina and Cuba. Recent economic changes, demographic changes, the structure of families and changes in women?s labor participation have affected the availability of informal care. Additionally, the growing number of elderly as a percentage of total population has significant implications for both formal and informal care in Argentina and Cuba. Methods: The SABE - Survey on Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000 was used as the data …


Economic Development Under Dominant-Party Regimes, Christopher J. Gorud Jan 2011

Economic Development Under Dominant-Party Regimes, Christopher J. Gorud

Honors Theses

Case studies of economic development in Japan, Mexico, India, and Kenya examine the relationship between dominant-party regimes and developmental outcomes. This paper studies the variables of bureaucratic coherence and cohesion, corporatism, labor relations, and national developmentism as contributing factors to developmental success or failure in these states.


Mobile Goes Global: The Effect Of Cell Phones On Economic Growth And Development, Tracy Lum Jan 2011

Mobile Goes Global: The Effect Of Cell Phones On Economic Growth And Development, Tracy Lum

Honors Theses

This study investigates the effect of cell phones on economic development and growth by performing an econometric analysis using data from the International Telecommunications Union and the Penn World Table. It discusses the various ways cell phones can make markets more efficient and how the diffusion of information andknowledge plays into development. Several approaches (OLS, Fixed Effects, 2SLS) were used to test over 20 econometric models. Overall, the mobile cellular subscriptions rate was found to have a positive and significant impact on countries’ level of real per capitaGDP and GDP growth rate. Furthermore, the study provides policy implications for the …