Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Skill Downgrading Among Refugees And Economic Immigrants In Germany: Evidence From The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Plamen Nikolov, Leila Salarpour, David Titus Oct 2021

Skill Downgrading Among Refugees And Economic Immigrants In Germany: Evidence From The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Plamen Nikolov, Leila Salarpour, David Titus

Economics Faculty Scholarship

Upon arrival to a new country, many immigrants face job downgrading, a phenomenon describing workers being in jobs below the ones they have based on the skills they possess. Moreover, in the presence of downgrading immigrants receiving lower wage returns to the same skills compared to natives. The level of downgrading could depend on the immigrant type and numerous other factors. This study examines the determinants of skill downgrading among two types of immigrants – refugees and economic immigrants – in the German labor markets between 1984 and 2018. We find that refugees downgrade more than economic immigrants, and this …


Entitled To Property: Inheritance Laws, Female Bargaining Power, And Child Health In India, Plamen Nikolov, Shahadath Hossain May 2021

Entitled To Property: Inheritance Laws, Female Bargaining Power, And Child Health In India, Plamen Nikolov, Shahadath Hossain

Economics Faculty Scholarship

Child height is a significant predictor of human capital and economic status throughout adulthood. Moreover, non-unitary household models of family behavior posit that an increase in women’s bargaining power can influence child health. We study the effects of an inheritance policy change, the Hindu Succession Act (HSA), which conferred enhanced inheritance rights to unmarried women in rural India, on child height. We find robust evidence that the HSA improved the height and weight of children. In addition, we find evidence consistent with a channel that the policy improved the women’s intrahousehold bargaining power within the household, leading to improved parental …


Predictors Of Social Distancing And Mask-Wearing Behavior: Panel Survey In Seven U.S. States, Plamen Nikolov, Andreas Pape, Ozlem Tonguc, Charlotte Williams Aug 2020

Predictors Of Social Distancing And Mask-Wearing Behavior: Panel Survey In Seven U.S. States, Plamen Nikolov, Andreas Pape, Ozlem Tonguc, Charlotte Williams

Economics Faculty Scholarship

This paper presents preliminary summary results from a longitudinal study of participants in seven U.S. states during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to standard socio-economic characteristics, we collect data on various economic preference parameters: time, risk, and social preferences, and risk perception biases. We pay special attention to predictors that are both important drivers of social distancing and are potentially malleable and susceptible to policy levers. We note three important findings: (1) demographic characteristics exert the largest influence on social distancing measures and mask-wearing, (2) we show that individual risk perception and cognitive biases exert a critical role in influencing …


Do Public Program Benefits Crowd Out Private Transfers In Developing Countries? A Critical Review Of Recent Evidence, Plamen Nikolov, Matthew Bonci Mar 2020

Do Public Program Benefits Crowd Out Private Transfers In Developing Countries? A Critical Review Of Recent Evidence, Plamen Nikolov, Matthew Bonci

Economics Faculty Scholarship

Precipitated by rapid globalization, rising inequality, population growth, and longevity gains, social protection programs have been on the rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the last three decades. However, the introduction of public benefits could displace informal mechanisms for risk-protection, which are especially prevalent in LMICs. If the displacement of private transfers is considerably large, the expansion of social protection programs could even lead to social welfare loss. In this paper, we critically survey the recent empirical literature on crowd-out effects in response to public policies, specifically in the context of LMICs. We review and synthesize patterns from …


Vocational Training Programs And Youth Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence From Nepal, S Chakravarty, M Lundberg, Plamen Nikolov, J Zenker Jan 2018

Vocational Training Programs And Youth Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence From Nepal, S Chakravarty, M Lundberg, Plamen Nikolov, J Zenker

Economics Faculty Scholarship

Lack of skills is arguably one of the most important determinants of high levels of unemployment and poverty. In response, policymakers often initiate vocational training programs in efforts to enhance skill formation among the youth. Using a regression-discontinuity design, we examine a large youth training intervention in Nepal. We find, twelve months after the start of the training program, that the intervention generated an increase in non-farm employment of 10 percentage points (ITT estimates) and up to 31 percentage points for program compliers (LATE estimates). We also detect sizable gains in monthly earnings largely driven by women who start self-employment …


Strategies For Minimizing The Impact Of Reductions In Government Funding On The Susquehanna County Historical Society And Free Library Association, Brenda Ann Syle Apr 2013

Strategies For Minimizing The Impact Of Reductions In Government Funding On The Susquehanna County Historical Society And Free Library Association, Brenda Ann Syle

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

The amount o funding that the Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association receives from the State of Pennsylvania has declined by 32% since 2009. The 2010 reduction in funding led to an immediate reduction in services and increased focus on fundraising. This is a significant problem for the Library because the lack of financial stability is affecting their ability to achieve mission-related goals. To assist the Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association with this problem, I distributed a survey to 485 public library directors in Pennsylvania in order to determine what strategies other public library directors …


Assessing The Cost Effectiveness Of Policy Options To Address Overcrowding At The Broome County Public Safety Facility, Daniel J. Reynolds Oct 2012

Assessing The Cost Effectiveness Of Policy Options To Address Overcrowding At The Broome County Public Safety Facility, Daniel J. Reynolds

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

In 1996, Broome County opened the new Broome County Public Safety Facility (BCPSF) that doubles the County's capacity for housing inmates locally. However, the County has experienced a significant increase in jail population since BCPSF was opened. This has resulted in the resumption of the practice of boarding excess inmates at regional facilities. Given the County's desire to contain costs associated with overcrowding, this research project conducted a cost effectiveness analysis of three policy alternatives to address the jail overcrowding issues: (1) maintaining the current practice of boarding, (2) renovating a gymnasium into a 48 bed "Gym-Pod," or (3) constructing …


Impacts, Issues, And Challenges Associated With Using A Performance Measurement System In New York State Counties, Jeremy Pelletier Apr 2012

Impacts, Issues, And Challenges Associated With Using A Performance Measurement System In New York State Counties, Jeremy Pelletier

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

The Broome County Legislature is currently comprised of nineteen legislators representing over 200,000 citizens. The legislatures is trying to find a way to maintain the same quality of services without raising taxes and is exploring the possibility of implementing a performance measurement system in order to achieve this goal. The purpose of this capstone project is to identify the impacts, issues, and challenges other New York State Counties have experienced using performances measurement.


Implications For Policy Making: A Case Study Of Executive Compensation At Nonprofit Organizations In New York State, Amanda M. Spellicy Oct 2007

Implications For Policy Making: A Case Study Of Executive Compensation At Nonprofit Organizations In New York State, Amanda M. Spellicy

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

Nonprofit organizations in today society face distinct challenges to their viability. Currently they are facing a legitimacy crisis which is a result of four main factors: focus of media on scandals, the aftermath of Sept member 11th attacks, congressional attention and a decline in public trust. The last decade witness increased media coverage of scandals and instances of impropriety at nonprofit organizations. The coverage by main stream media outlets has resulted in a literate public attuned to poor behavior at nonprofit organizations. The attacks of September 11th touched all aspects of American life. As a result, the various sectors comprising …