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Articles 31 - 60 of 155
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The 2008 Financial Recession And Fair Value Accounting, Anthony Hurlburt
The 2008 Financial Recession And Fair Value Accounting, Anthony Hurlburt
Major Themes in Economics
The recent U.S. housing bubble was correlated with lax underwriting standards, flawed housing polices, and Wall Street innovation. At the peak of the housing bubble, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued standard 157, which provided guidance on fair value accounting. Once the housing market deflated, the standard led many to believe that it was the sole reason asset values collapsed, creating a liquidity crunch and prolonging the financial recession. This paper investigates the causes of the housing bubble and Financial Accounting Standard’s relevance in the aftermath. It finds that fair value accounting simply exposed the poor underwriting standards, bad public …
Introduction, Ken Mccormick
The Efficiency Of The Major League Baseball Free-Agent Market, Jacob Oswald
The Efficiency Of The Major League Baseball Free-Agent Market, Jacob Oswald
Major Themes in Economics
With the recent $325 million dollar contract sign by Giancarlo Stanton, baseball contracts have reached a new frontier. Baseball contracts have increased in value year after year since free agency began in 1976. Are these contracts efficient? A new approach to measuring the efficiency of baseball contracts makes use of the wins above replacement statistic. That statistic reflects the value and cost of a player compared to a replacement. I conclude that large long-term contracts are efficient right now, but with many contracts not yet finished, and players past their "prime," these contracts may become extremely inefficient.
2014 Welfare Use By Immigrants Vs. Natives In The United States, Jessica Pabst
2014 Welfare Use By Immigrants Vs. Natives In The United States, Jessica Pabst
Major Themes in Economics
Welfare use by immigrants has been a political issue since the inception of the United States. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was intended to cut immigrant welfare use. Since 1996, various studies have found conflicting evidence of the 1996 welfare reform’s effectiveness when comparing immigrant welfare use to native use. This paper analyzes the individual use of Medicaid, a proxy for welfare, in 2014, by immigrants versus natives in the United States. The study, using a logit model, shows that in 2014 the probability of participating in Medicaid was lower for immigrants than natives.
Elasticity Of Food Demand By Outlet: Effects Of The Nutrition Labeling Provision Of The Affordable Care Act, Kevin Mcgee
Elasticity Of Food Demand By Outlet: Effects Of The Nutrition Labeling Provision Of The Affordable Care Act, Kevin Mcgee
Major Themes in Economics
Since 1984, the ratio of demand for food away from home to demand for food at home in the United States has increased significantly. The relative increase in the demand for food away from home may be a major contributing factor to the growing obesity problem in the United States. To address this problem, the government passed a law requiring restaurants to report caloric values on their menus. I estimate an almost ideal demand system to investigate whether the Nutritional Labeling Provision of the Affordable Care Act has been effective in increasing the demand for food at home relative to …
Factors Influencing College Choice: A Study Of Enrollment Decisions At A Regional Comprehensive University, Trevor Draisey
Factors Influencing College Choice: A Study Of Enrollment Decisions At A Regional Comprehensive University, Trevor Draisey
Major Themes in Economics
This research uses a linear probability model to analyze the enrollment decisions of applicants to Sycamore U and identify factors that affect the likelihood of 1 enrolling. The results of this regression indicate that Sycamore U faces challenges in enrolling minority students, as do many similar institutions, but that aspiring teachers and students with a family connection to Sycamore U are more likely to enroll. Students also appear to react strongly to merit-based financial aid and, to a lesser extent, need-based financial aid offerings from Sycamore U.
Changing The Calculus: An Investigation Of Undergraduate Economics Program Quality, Lindsey Pedersen
Changing The Calculus: An Investigation Of Undergraduate Economics Program Quality, Lindsey Pedersen
Major Themes in Economics
This paper identifies some factors that affect undergraduate Economics program quality as measured by the College Factual “Economics - Overall Best Nationwide” rankings. Specifically, this research suggests that Economics programs that use calculus in their coursework have significantly better rankings than those that do not and that Economics programs that are located in a college other than the Business College of their universities have moderately better ranks. The results of this paper provide Economics departments information about how to increase program quality, recruit more students, and receive more funding.
Health Savings Accounts: Benefits, Costs, And Potential Effects, Conrad Keezer
Health Savings Accounts: Benefits, Costs, And Potential Effects, Conrad Keezer
Major Themes in Economics
Health-care costs have been a significant topic in the U.S. in recent decades. Several ideas have been proposed to address rising costs, while still maintaining affordable insurance options for consumers. Consumer-Directed Health Plans have been one of these options, and when coupled with Health-Savings Accounts, these plans have significant potential to curb costs and increase the number of insured consumers. There may, however, be both positive and negative effects. The positive effects will likely outweigh the negative effects, and Consumer-Directed Health Plans, coupled with Health-Savings Accounts, should present a net gain to both consumers and the overall economy.
Latinos In The Major Leagues From 1920 To 1939: A Human Capital Approach, Tom Cullen
Latinos In The Major Leagues From 1920 To 1939: A Human Capital Approach, Tom Cullen
Major Themes in Economics
Economists frequently study the determinants of baseball players’ wages. Researchers usually control for measures of productivity such as the player's batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, education, age, and experience. This study differs from standard studies in that it considers players’ country of origin in the 1920s and 1930s, years before Jackie Robinson’s debut. It uses information on player productivity from Baseball-Reference.com, player salary information from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (graciously shared by its compiler), and information on college attendance provided by Who's Who in Baseball (held at the Joyce Sports Collection, Notre Dame University). …
Easterlin Or Cantril: Does A Country’S Income Determine Its People’S Happiness?, Jon Heinzman
Easterlin Or Cantril: Does A Country’S Income Determine Its People’S Happiness?, Jon Heinzman
Major Themes in Economics
. Is high-income one way to achieve happiness? The first two researchers to investigate the question empirically looked at individual countries over time. One researcher found a positive relationship between income and happiness; the other did not. Subsequent researchers have found support for both views. This paper summarizes and critiques the arguments, finding that the answer may lie in genetics and spending habits. Although some people may be genetically predisposed to happiness, ignoring social comparisons and hedonic adaption may help one lead a happier life.
Factors Affecting Economic Growth In Developing Countries, Parash Upreti
Factors Affecting Economic Growth In Developing Countries, Parash Upreti
Major Themes in Economics
This paper aims to identify the factors affecting economic growth in developing countries. It uses cross-country data for 76 countries from 2010, 2005, 2000, and 1995. A high volume of exports, plentiful natural resources, longer life expectancy, and higher investment rates have positive impacts on the growth of per capita gross domestic product in developing countries. Much research needs to be done to distinguish the causes of growth in developing countries, as the scope of existing research is limited due to a lack of reliable data.
By How Much Does A College Degree Affect Earnings?, Jennifer Lewis
By How Much Does A College Degree Affect Earnings?, Jennifer Lewis
Major Themes in Economics
The purpose of this research is to understand how a college degree will affect an individual’s earnings. I use data from the American Community Survey and a human capital model to investigate the question. Earnings increase around 60 percent when an individual earns any form of college degree. There are other factors that influence both income and an individual’s decision to continue education after high school, but this model suggests that furthering education should lead to higher earnings.
Introduction, Ken Mccormick
Introduction, Ken Mccormick
The Final Four Formula: A Binary Choice Logit Model To Predict The Semifinalists Of The Ncaa Division I Men’S Basketball Tournament, Cameron Fuqua
The Final Four Formula: A Binary Choice Logit Model To Predict The Semifinalists Of The Ncaa Division I Men’S Basketball Tournament, Cameron Fuqua
Major Themes in Economics
The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is one of the most popular sporting events in America. This paper dissects the tournament and attempts to accurately predict the four semi-finalists (“the final four”) using a binary choice logit model. The model does better than any current rating system at predicting these four teams. This paper also examines some common issues about predicting college basketball as a whole. Overall, this paper provides a insights for selection committees, participants in office pools, and coaches to help them achieve their own individual goals.
What Motivates U.S. Food Aid Donations? Characteristics Of Countries That Received Food Aid From The U.S. In 2012, Beth Monnier
What Motivates U.S. Food Aid Donations? Characteristics Of Countries That Received Food Aid From The U.S. In 2012, Beth Monnier
Major Themes in Economics
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) claims the purposes of U.S. food aid are “to reduce hunger and malnutrition and assure that people everywhere have enough food at all times for healthy, productive lives” (USAID 2014). In this paper, the researcher uses ordinary least squares regression analysis to test how accurately this mission statement reflects food aid allocations in the year 2012. The dependent variable is metric tons of food aid donated to each country by the United States. This study finds that recipient countries with high malnutrition death rates and large populations received a higher percent of …
Automation And The Labor Force, Loren Nerhus
Automation And The Labor Force, Loren Nerhus
Major Themes in Economics
Technological progress has been the catalyst behind the increases in living standards across time. One aspect of technological progress is automation. Automation, more than other technologies, has significant effects on the labor force. From World War II until now, routine tasks have largely been automated. Perceptive tasks have belonged mainly to the domain of human labor until very recent innovations. These innovations may change the labor force, as new employment opportunities will not replace jobs as quickly as the old ones are automated. The number of labor hours needed to produce the goods in the U.S. economy will soon decrease …
Were Revenues Of National Basketball Association Franchises Affected By The Tim Donaghy Gambling Scandal Of 2007?, Travis Buhrow
Were Revenues Of National Basketball Association Franchises Affected By The Tim Donaghy Gambling Scandal Of 2007?, Travis Buhrow
Major Themes in Economics
In 2007 the National Basketball Association (NBA) endured one of the biggest scandals in the history of professional sports. Tim Donaghy, a referee in the National Basketball Association, pleaded guilty to providing inside information on NBA games to gamblers and receiving money from their winning bets. Through econometric analysis, this paper investigates if the Tim Donaghy gambling scandal of 2007 had an effect on the revenues of NBA franchises. All the statistics and data used in this paper are from the 2002-2003 through the 2011-2012 NBA regular seasons, a total of ten seasons. This paper finds that there is strong …
Royal Flush Or Just A Bluff: Casinos And County Unemployment In The Midwestern United States, Amber Irlmeier
Royal Flush Or Just A Bluff: Casinos And County Unemployment In The Midwestern United States, Amber Irlmeier
Major Themes in Economics
Legislators and community members alike have discussed the pros and cons of opening casinos. A frequently mentioned benefit of opening casinos is that they will bring jobs and thus reduce unemployment. Past studies have looked at the effect casinos have on unemployment over a period of a few years; this is the first study to look at data from over two decades (1990-2012). This study uses an ordinary least squares regression to look at the effect that 56 commercial casinos in the Midwestern United States have had on county unemployment. A significant correlation is found between the presence of a …
Introduction, Ken Mccormick
Education And Fertility: The Effect Of Field Of Study On Women’S Fertility Decisions, Emily Scholtes
Education And Fertility: The Effect Of Field Of Study On Women’S Fertility Decisions, Emily Scholtes
Major Themes in Economics
This study aims to identify the relationship between field of study and women’s fertility among U.S. college graduates. Using data from the 2010 American Community Survey, this study provides the first Poisson regression analysis to compare the number of children women have with women’s undergraduate fields of study. Of the 37 fields of study that are examined, I find 22 fields are statistically significant, suggesting that field of study is a significant factor in how many children a woman decides to have.
Does Success On The Grid-Iron And Court Increase Applications To Football Bowl Subdivision (Fbs) Schools?, Andrew Dykstra
Does Success On The Grid-Iron And Court Increase Applications To Football Bowl Subdivision (Fbs) Schools?, Andrew Dykstra
Major Themes in Economics
Division I athletics require a substantial financial commitment from a university. Previous research suggests that athletic success may provide benefits to a university. These benefits might include advertising, which may lead to increased applications. I used 2000-2010 application data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to investigate if athletic success for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football and basketball programs affects the number of applications these universities receive. Key independent variables used are past values of Sagarin ratings, Associated Press Top 20 College Football Poll ratings, and NCAA Basketball Tournament performance. I find that some measures of athletic success …
Would The 1995 Balanced Budget Amendment Be An Effective Mechanism For Stabilizing Public Debt?, James Harbaugh
Would The 1995 Balanced Budget Amendment Be An Effective Mechanism For Stabilizing Public Debt?, James Harbaugh
Major Themes in Economics
The 1995 Balanced Budget Amendment for is often brought up as a way to stabilize the public debt. But how would it operate, what implications would it have for U.S. public finance or macroeconomic conditions, and would it be effective at controlling whatever threat the federal debt poses? After the bill failed in 1995, two economists published opposing views on the effectiveness of the failed amendment. Examining their arguments and history, it remains unclear whether the 1995 amendment could effectively control the federal debt.
Differences In Child Care Costs Between States And Their Influence On Female Labor Force Participation, Kirstin Knobloch
Differences In Child Care Costs Between States And Their Influence On Female Labor Force Participation, Kirstin Knobloch
Major Themes in Economics
The cost of child care varies from state to state and ranges from $3,911 to $11,669 per year. Does the cost deter women from entering the labor force? I use an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model to investigate whether states with higher costs of child care have lower female labor force participation rates (LFPR). I find that the cost of child care is a significant factor in the labor force participation model, but doesn’t have the expected negative impact.
Do Nhl Teams Regard Violence As A Positive Player Attribute And Thus Compensate For Violent Acts?, Mitch Zimmerman
Do Nhl Teams Regard Violence As A Positive Player Attribute And Thus Compensate For Violent Acts?, Mitch Zimmerman
Major Themes in Economics
Hockey has always been a violent sport. Major injuries in sports have made headlines in recent years, so it is important to understand how National Hockey League (NHL) organizations view, use, and sometimes abuse violence. It’s not a secret that some players in the NHL don’t fit the general profile of a skilled hockey player. This paper investigates whether the unofficial title of “enforcer” really exists in the NHL by showing whether teams compensate certain players with non-typical or “enforcer” skill sets. Using a clustering analysis and a regression analysis there is a clear indication that NHL organizations do in …