Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Economic Development In Legacy Cities: Current And Emerging Challenges And Opportunities, Neil Reid, Sujata Shetty, Jane Adade

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

As manufacturing employment has declined in the traditional manufacturing regions over the past decades, many communities have experienced population loss and overall economic decline. Local economic development professionals have had to grapple with long-term structural changes in the economy as well as short-term jolts. To gain insights into the changing landscape of economic development, we interviewed economic development practitioners in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The interviews focused on their perception of current and emerging challenges and opportunities with respect to economic development in their respective communities. Having identified the major challenges and opportunities, we asked them to articulate the …

Enter Stage Left: Immigration And The American Arts, K. Pun Winichakul, Ning Zhang

Economics: Faculty Publications

To what extent have immigrants contributed to the growth of the United States arts sector? In this paper, we explore the impact of immigration during the Age of Mass Migration on the development of the arts in the U.S. over the past century. In the short run, our results suggest that immigration helped produce greater numbers of native artists. Over a century later, the bene- fits to the arts persist. Counties with greater historical immigration house more arts businesses and nonprofit organizations that generate more revenue, employ a larger proportion of the community, and earn more federal arts grants. When …

Understanding The Dynamics Of Food And Economic Development In The Community Of Kakisa, Northwest Territories, Canada, Laura Rodriguez Reyes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For Indigenous Peoples, the land embodies a source of cultural and spiritual well-being that is linked to their way of life and identities through divine and traditional connections. Unfortunately, colonial powers, the global food system, socioeconomic inequalities and environmental degradation are impacting northern Indigenous lands and food systems, leading to food insecurity. Nevertheless, communities are still thriving in the face of adversity. In the Northwest Territories, on the lands of Ka’a’gee Tu First Nations (KTFN) in the community settlement of Kakisa, people are growing food through vegetable gardens and greenhouses to support their vision of a resilient food system.

Through …

The Chronology Of Development In Senegal, Charles Simmons

Senior Projects Spring 2024

This paper asserts that to fulfill its development potential, Senegal must prioritize substantial investment toward accelerating the structural transformation of the agricultural sector through investments in human capital and widened access to quality education and healthcare services to better facilitate inclusive growth and productivity. Additionally, structural reforms must be implemented to increase domestic revenues via increasing the tax base, targeting the informal sector, simplifying tax codes, and strengthening governance and compliance frameworks. By implementing tailored fiscal policy reforms and strengthening institutional capacity, Senegal can create a robust environment for sustainable development and accomplish its development aspirations. Chapter 1 explores Senegal's …

Brewing Progress: An Exploration Of The Historical Evolution, Economic Impact, And Globalization Dynamics Of Coffee In Colombia, Sophia Elenson

Senior Projects Spring 2024

This research paper delves into the multifaceted history of coffee in Colombia, tracing its origins from the Spanish Conquistadors' arrival in 1499 to its present-day significance. Through a comprehensive analysis, the chapter unfolds the intricate interplay of historical events, cultural influences, and economic shifts that have shaped Colombia into the world's third-largest exporter of coffee. The paper analyses coffee growing in Colombia as a subset of the globalization debate that took place in the 1980s and 1990s. It highlights how the globalization debate influenced events in Colombia’s coffee industry. Important aspects and concepts of the globalization debate such as deregulation, …

Argentina And The Philippines: Similar Development Struggles, Jesus Felipe, Matias Vernango

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

ALTHOUGH the economies of Argentina and the Philippines are very different, the two share structural problems that make both nations’ development a complex process. The election of Javier Milei as the new president elect of Argentina, gives us the opportunity to review the differences and parallels between the two economies.

Milei is a radical libertarian populist economist with authoritarian tendencies. His proposals range from the dangerous in economics (dollarization, closing the Central Bank, a drastic reduction of social spending) and social issues (curtail human rights and democratic advances, loosen gun ownership laws, and the elimination of all those institutions that …

Ro Khanna, Dignity In A Digital Age: Making Tech Work For All Of Us (2022), James W. Gentry

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

The Path To Development And Democracy, Does It Matter Which Comes First? Nicolas, Nicolas Soucy

Senior Projects Spring 2023

In this paper I have looked into the relationship between economic development and the type of political regime used to achieve development. Throughout my research I approach the idea that economic development is more related to the initial conditions of the state independent of the regime style in place. I have looked at states that achieved development through a democracy, states that achieved development through more of an authoritarian regime, and states that have not achieved development yet. When looking at the process of economic development the initial conditions of macroeconomic and political stability, equality of opportunity, and a collective …

Is Democracy Good For Growth? | Development At Political Transition Time Matters, Di Sima, Fali Huang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Is democracy a better political regime for economic prosperity than autocracy? This paper shows that the answer depends on the initial economic development level during the democratic transition when the foundation of institutions was laid. Democracy facilitates growth only in countries that already have adequate development at transition time. These countries are more likely to create and sustain growth-enhancing institutions than others. Without appropriate development, democracy does not improve growth; this applies to about 40% of the third-wave democratized countries. These results are based on a sample of 153 countries in 1960–2010 and robust to various specifications and endogeneity issues.

Is Democracy Good For Growth? Development At Political Transition Time Matters, Di Sima, Fali Huang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Is democracy a better political regime for economic prosperity than autocracy? This paper shows that the answer depends on the initial economic development level during the democratic transition when the foundation of institutions was laid. Democracy facilitates growth only in countries that already have adequate development at transition time. These countries are more likely to create and sustain growth-enhancing institutions than others. Without appropriate development, democracy does not improve growth; this applies to about 40% of the third-wave democratized countries. These results are based on a sample of 153 countries in 1960–2010 and robust to various specifications and endogeneity issues.

Cutting Edge Technology Metros In The Mountain West, 2021, Sofia Takhtadjian, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet highlights data on cutting-edge technology metros in the Mountain West, as originally reported in the Commercial Cafe report, “Boulder Tops Silicon Valley as Most Cutting-Edge Metro in the U.S.” Of the top 30 cutting-edge metros in the nation, four are in the Mountain West: Boulder, CO (1st nationally); Denver, CO (7th nationally); Salt Lake City, UT (10th nationally); and Phoenix, AZ (27th nationally).

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Student Research

Workforce development has been a keystone in the discussion of economic diversification of Las Vegas for decades. The leisure and hospitality industry is the lifeline for the Southern Nevada economy due to the reliance on tourism as the city’s main economic driver. The leisure and hospitality industry requires physical labor and more face-to-face customer interaction than other employment sectors. Thus, these jobs often do not require high educational attainment, but rather sharp soft skills like effective listening, nonverbal communication, and negotiation strategies. While these are valuable traits, the lack of educational attainment within the leisure and hospitality workforce suppresses employees’ …

The Political Pandemic: The Relationship Between Political Leanings, Covid-19, And The Economy In 2020, Garrett Clark

Honors College Theses

The effect of political leanings on the pandemic outcomes, both in terms of the COVID-19 cases and death totals and the extent that the pandemic affected the economy, is the analysis of interest. The literature indicates a relationship between political leanings and the COVID-19 response. Data is gathered from a variety of sources, and a series of regressions are performed to analyze several control variables and determine their significance. The results indicate a relationship between political leanings and COVID-19 outcomes. However, results regarding the effects of politics on the economy are less clear. Possible explanations are provided for the results.

When Economic And Political Interests Collide: The Cases Of Defense Procurement And Microfinance In India, Mackenzie Owens

Politics and International Relations Research Papers

India is a growing democracy with an abundant population that seeks economic development; India is a democracy in an ever more important, strategic location. It is essential to better understand India, its politics, and its policies as geopolitical tensions rise in our world. India will be explored via a political economy approach through three sections in this paper: (1) The Political System of India; (2) India’s Trade Policy toward Defense Procurement; (3) The Microfinance Crisis of 2010. India looks to develop its domestic industries, grow investment, while defending its interests and sovereignty.

Aggregate Implications Of Barriers To Female Entrepreneurship, Gaurav Chiplunkar, Pinelopi K. Goldberg

Discussion Papers

We develop a framework for quantifying barriers to labor force participation (LFP) and entrepreneurship faced by women in developing countries, and apply it to the Indian economy. We find that women face substantial barriers to LFP. The costs for expanding businesses through the hiring of workers are also substantially higher for women entrepreneurs. However, there is one area in which female entrepreneurs have an advantage: the hiring of female workers. We show that this is not driven by the sectoral composition of female employment. Consistent with this pattern, we find even without promoting female LFP, policies that boost female entrepreneurship …

The Economics Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Poor Countries, Edward Miguel, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak

Discussion Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health and living standards around the world. This article provides an interim overview of these effects, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Economists have explained how the pandemic is likely to have differential consequences for LMICs, and demand distinct policy responses, compared to rich countries. We survey the rapidly expanding body of empirical research that documents its many adverse economic and non-economic effects in terms of living standards, education, health, and gender equality, which appear to be unprecedented in depth and scale. We also review research on successful and failed policy …

Greater Wheeling Regional Plan: Economic Profile, Eric Bowen, Christiadi, Brian Lego, Cody Adams

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

The Greater Wheeling region, defined in this report as consisting of Brooke, Hancock, Marshall and Ohio counties in West Virginia, and Belmont, Jefferson, and Monroe counties in Ohio, has experienced a volatile economy over the past decade with significant swings in employment across multiple sectors.

In this report, we make a detailed examination of the recent economic indicators in the Greater Wheeling region. This report is part of a series from West Virginia University researchers at the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the WVU Extension Service that evaluate the Wheeling Metropolitan Area’ economy with the goal of providing …

Greater Wheeling Regional Plan: Workforce And Education Assessment, Christiadi, Eric Bowen

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

Human capital is a crucial element of any regional economic growth plan, as companies looking to locate or grow in a region require a skilled workforce to meet the demands of their businesses. In this report, we examine human capital in the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area, focusing on occupational and educational requirements to support the region’s growth over the next five years.

Greater Wheeling Regional Plan: Action Plan For Economic Development, Michael J. Dougherty, Eric Bowen, Christiadi

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

The Wheeling Region has a long and rich history. However, the passage of time and the change that it has brought has not always been beneficial to the region. As a result, leaders in the region have begun a process to reevaluate and reinvent the Wheeling area and improve the regional economy. In this report, we discuss these strategies and recommend actions to further the Wheeling region’s economic development.

Greater Wheeling Regional Plan: Industrial Cluster Analysis, Eric Bowen

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

One of the most prominent strategies followed by economic development officials is to identify what the region already does well and work to enhance these strengths. Improving on a region’s competitive advantage has been the focus of Porter’s work on economic clusters, which he defines as network of companies that forms within a geographic location based on supplier relationships. In this report, we identify the industry clusters that are present in the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and provide tools to assess the most promising clusters for economic development targeting. This type of cluster analysis has become an increasingly important …

Greater Wheeling Regional Plan: Survey Results, Michael J. Dougherty, Cody Adams

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

The Wheeling Area Strategic Plan included a process for public involvement. Originally, it was to have involved holding open forums and in-person stakeholder meetings. The sessions had been scheduled for early Spring, but they were delayed and eventually cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we conducted a web-based survey to gather ideas and opinions from people from across the region.

The Impact Of Integrating An Sbdc Program Into A College/University Career Center, Harshdeep Singh Nanda

Master's Projects

With a new approach for integrating the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program in Alameda County, the Ohlone Community College District (Ohlone College) has introduced a new model for hosting an SBDC program on a college/university campus. While many other educational institutions across the nation have hosted an SBDC program (Cook Center for Entrepreneurship - Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, n.d.; University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) | Helping NEPA & Northern Tier Small Businesses Start, Grow & Prosper., n.d.; Olson, 2006), most have treated the program as a separate entity or department, often leading to the …

Free Trade Agreements And Women’S Employment Likelihood: The Case Of Malaysia, Lexie A. Judd

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Darkness Falls Upon America’S Backyard: An Evaluation Of Central Appalachia’S Past Economic Woes And A Blueprint For The Region’S Future Economic Development, Jack Bergantino

Honors Scholar Theses

The United States prides itself as a nation that offers equity and opportunity to its citizens. However, in recent decades, regions of relative wealth and poverty have come to define the American landscape. Coastal communities have fared well with consistently declining rates of unemployment and increasing rates of college graduation. In contrast, Central Appalachia, which comprises parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, continues to falter with diverging employment and income levels relative to other areas of the country.

This report discusses the economic history of the Appalachian region and considers three case studies, concentrated in McDowell, Harrison, and …

The Lintheads' Demise: A Study In Economic Dependency For The Piedmont Region Of South Carolina, Jeremy Lewis Ward

Senior Theses

The decline of the Southern textile and apparel industries represent a unique and rich case study in rapid economic change. It is unique because of the speed and uniformity of collapse; rich, because of the geographic differences that exist even within the concentrated Piedmont textile cluster. Truly, globalization has hit this economic cluster with a brutal punch. And yet, not all cities and counties within the region have been equally harmed by the change.

This report concentrates on examining the socioeconomic variations that have taken place in the thirteen foremost textile-producing counties in South Carolina since the collapse, as well …

Threshold Effects Of Terms Of Trade On Latin American Growth, Andre C. Vianna, Andre V. Mollick

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper investigates nonlinear relationships between terms of trade volatility (totvol) and economic growth in 14 Latin American economies from 1997 to 2014. In the 2000s, Latin American countries experienced accelerated economic growth often attributed to commodity price booms. We split the sample into two regimes based on totvol thresholds determined by bootstrap techniques. Fixed-effects, instrumental variable and dynamic panel regressions address endogeneity in trade-growth, subject to traditional economic channels such as domestic investment, population growth, exchange rate, government size, and institutions. We find statistically significant thresholds and stronger trade-growth links during the 2000s commodity boom and in larger economies.

The Untouchability Of Dalits: The Economic And Social Exclusion Of Dalits In The Post-Independence Era, Duhita Das

Senior Projects Spring 2021

This project examines whether economic development efforts in India were effective in mobilizing Dalits during the post-independence era. Global and national policy continue to fail to recognize the role caste plays in inequality and poverty, further excluding Dalits from gaining freedoms continuously rewarded to higher-castes. By taking a historical approach when examining the caste system and its persistence in economic and social structures in the modern era, there can be a greater understanding of how Dalits remain excluded from major institutions and struggle to mobilize, regardless of the gaining of constitutional rights. From a chronological perspective, this project investigates the …

Llamas No Son Ovejas The Pervasive Impacts Of Colonization On Indigenous Peoples Labor Market Choices In Peru: An Examination Of Exclusionary Institutions Through Sociohistorical And Economic Lenses, Molly Jeanne Devine

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Using historical and empirical evidence, this Senior Project looks at the long-term impacts of colonization on economic, social, and cultural institutions. This project explores impacts both immediately upon Spanish arrival in 1532, and created during the Spanish colonization of Peru. Systems of forced labor created through colonization created two separate paths of development: one for the Spanish and Spanish-selected Peruvian elite and another for the Indigenous people of Peru. Vestiges of the Spanish colonization of Peru continue to manifest themselves in modern times in many ways. This Senior Project examines the link between Indigenous individuals and their participation in the …

Three Essays On “Energy , Environment, And Developmental Economics”, Bolarinwa Ajanaku

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation examines topics related to renewable energy development and investment planning, energy markets, environment degradation and economic development. The substantial ecological costs of deforestation are well known and considered globally important due to biodiversity loss, land degradation, soil erosion, and contributions to climate change. The first essay focuses upon understanding the tradeoff between development and deforestation in Africa. In the second essay, spatial analysis and Geographic Information System (GIS) are applied to determine potential locations for wind farms development in the state of West Virginia. Lastly, the third essay examines the role of wind power penetration on wholesale electricity …

Economic Growth And Water Pollution In The Circum-Bohai-Sea Zone In China - An Environmental Kuznets Curve Analysis, Ziqi Yang

Major Papers

Based on the principle and model of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), the present paper examines the relationship between water pollution and economic growth in the Circum-Bohai-Sea Zone of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, Shandong Province, and Liaoning Province with the annual time series data for 2003 to 2017. By analyzing the industrial, household, and total wastewater discharge separately as the measurement of water pollution, the results are consistent with the EKC model. In particular, according to econometric analysis, the variables of economic growth and per capita GDP are statistically significant in domestic and total wastewater discharge cases. However, the association of …