Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Proximity Effect Of The Seattle Link Public Light Rail On King County Properties, Graham Byron

Economics Theses

Seattle has experienced an explosive rise in population in the last decade and there is no sign of this slowing down. There is a wealth of literature surrounding the way in which public transportation has an effect on the surrounding housing values however no hedonic study has been done on public transportation in the Seattle area. This study responds to the lack of analysis done on the effect that public transportation has in King County.

We use a difference-in-differences and hedonic model to test the effect that the LINK light rail has on houses within a one-mile radius, particularly at …

From Communism To The European Union: A Case Study Of Agricultural And Economic Development In Poland, Samantha Anuszewska Anders

Economics Theses

This paper explores the Poland’s agricultural value added per worker as an indicator of economic success post-Soviet era and into its transition to the European Union. Holding GDP and other factors constant, our model shows that Poland’s value added per worker is superior to most other countries in Europe. This success is attributed to Poland’s private agricultural system, which was retained despite Soviet influence. We further conclude that countries that produce a high quantity of potatoes and rye, Poland’s top crops, on average have lower value added per worker.

Promoting Renewable Energy Generation In The United States: The Debate Over Renewable Portfolio Standards, Joe Cerne

Economics Theses

Incentivizing renewable energy growth in the 21^st century is, and will continue to be, a highly debated topic. As of late, legislative initiatives have prompted the enactment of various renewable portfolio standards aimed at stimulating renewable energy growth. Using data regarding each state’s energy production, this paper finds that there is no significant change in renewable energy output following the initiation of a renewable portfolio standard. We conclude that renewable energy growth is virtually unaffected by renewable portfolio standards and as such, we agree with much of the literature implying other means are necessary in order to adequately shift …

An Empirical Exploration Of The Effects Of Medical Marijuana Laws, Ben Ehrens

Economics Theses

This exploration into the multiple effects of medical marijuana laws on regional marketplaces uses a novel data set and contributes three unique and important findings. First, in states with medical marijuana legislation the price of marijuana is significantly lower than states without similar legislation, this is likely due to measures that allow for legalized avenues of production and distribution. Secondly, because of price breaks for bulk purchases, retail level distributers operate on a downward sloping supply curve that is less steep in medical marijuana states; this is likely due to decreased risk of distribution which may reduce preference for lower …