Economics Commons^™

Crowdsourced Conservation, Emmy Heywood

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Since the 1800s, America has been known for its massive conservation projects–setting aside huge swaths of land in public parks and passing legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Now, new technologies are making a different type of conservation project possible, and conservationists are capturing massive amounts of data to inform conservation efforts through community involvement. These crowdsourced projects harness knowledge and skills of large groups of people who can contribute to conservation goals. For example, the internet platform Sciestarter connects 100,000 registered citizen scientists plus millions of onsite visitors with over 3,000 individual conservation projects. The global …

Stated And Revealed Preferences For Supporting Endangered Species At Mammoth Cave National Park, Erin Crump, Whitney Yardley

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

When asked to put a value on unique and endangered species that live in US national parks, many people say they would be willing to pay to help conserve species. But it can be difficult to assess whether an individual's stated preferences match up with their actual preferences towards donating to preserving these species. The purpose of this study is to measure whether stated preferences about hypothetical giving match up with revealed preferences about actual giving for how much individuals are willing to pay to help conserve endangered species in Mammoth Cave National Park. To do this, we distributed a …

What Are The Consequences Of (De)Criminalization?, Isaac Rhea

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

The US has the highest incarceration rate of any developed country (1.46M in 2018) and this large population of inmates creates a significant cost for taxpayers and governments. Further, the traditional prison system may not be the most effective way to reduce crime and rehabilitate offenders. Extensive researchhas been conducted to study decriminalization as a solution to these problems, and promising results have been found indicating a path forward to reduce inmate populations and government expenditures, improve offender outcomes, and maintain public safety.

Drought Tolerant Plants For The Western United States In Response To Climate Change, Emily Rice

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

The Southwest United States has been severely impacted by climate change. Already the driest region of the US, temperatures in the area have risen approximately 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the previous century ("Climate Impacts in the Southwest", 2017). Those temperatures are expected to rise by 3.5 to 9.5 degrees before the end of the current century ("Climate Impacts in the Southwest", 2017). In a region already considered to have many drought areas, this temperature increase will stress water sources, making the competition between farmers, urban areas, and native groups to become more intense. The same temperature increases that cause severe …

The Worth Of Citizenship, Rachel Sneddon

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

Currently there are roughly 9.2 million immigrants in the United States who have held lawful permanent residence long enough to gain U.S citizenship. Yet many do not pursue naturalization to become citizens. On average since the year 2000 about 700,000 residents naturalized per year. Some nonprofits or local governments run citizenship drives to encourage more people to become citizens. The purpose of this paper is (1) to review the research on what the relationship between naturalization and immigrants' economic outcomes is, (2) to evaluate if citizenship drives assisting immigrants in the naturalization process would be beneficial for the country as …

Non Compete Agreements And Low Wage Workers, Ellie Willard

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

In the wake of the COVID-19 spurred pandemic and the resulting recession, finding a job can be difficult in the current economic environment. As a result, law-makers are debating the efficacy and legality of non-compete clauses in employee contracts. Non-compete agreements typically require an employee to agree not to work for a competitor for some amount of time after they end their current employment. Non-compete clauses are not a new idea and have been used internationally as a way to lower risks of hiring new employees for centuries. Recently, the scope of non compete agreements has extended past hiring and …

Expanding Healthcare To Underserved Communities, Hunter Murdock, Colten Dougher

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

According to the Bureau of Health's Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration, there are almost 253 million people who do not have adequate access to healthcare in the United States. While innovations in technology, drug manufacturing, and procedures will continue to make healthcare more affordable and more accessible, policies restricting doctors' and nurses' abilities to practice healthcare are creating barriers that prevent them from utilizing existing technology to reduce healthcare shortages in underserved areas. The underserved populations in America include rural communities, Native Americans, and linguistic minority groups. Many of today's healthcare policy suggestions aim at increasing health insurance coverage …

No Free Lunch: Economics For A Fallen World (Third Edition, Revised), Jeffrey E. Haymond

Faculty Books

This open access introductory economics text is available for anyone interested in free market economics from an explicitly Christian worldview. This book is intended to be an engaging read, while not sacrificing technical accuracy or submission to biblical authority. Each chapter contains an introductory scriptural commentary and clearly defined objectives, as well as a “great economist” section at the end and concluding chapter questions. This text supports free market institutions because only free markets provide the outlet for the creativity of man made in God’s image while likewise providing the institutional constraints that minimize the harm that fallen man can …

Data For "An Experimental Investigation Of Health Insurance Policy And Behavior", J. Dustin Tracy, Hillard Kaplan, Kevin James, Stephen Rassenti

ESI Data Sets

We introduce a new experimental approach to measuring the effects of health insurance policy alternatives on behavior and health outcomes over the life course. Cash-motivated subjects are placed in a virtual environment where they earn income and allocate it across multi-period lives. We compare behavior across age, income and insurance plans---one priced according to an individual's expected cost and the other uniformly priced through employer-implemented cost sharing. We find that 1) subjects in the employer-implemented plan purchased insurance at higher rates; 2) the employer-based plan reduced differences due to income and age; 3) subjects in the actuarial plan engaged in …

Jepson Forum, Flyer, Fall 2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Economics.

Jepson Forum

Gives the topic and the speakers for the annual Jepson Forum.

Alternative Economic Indicators, C. James Hueng, Editor

Upjohn Press

Policymakers and business practitioners are eager to gain access to reliable information on the state of the economy for timely decision making. More so now than ever. Traditional economic indicators have been criticized for delayed reporting, out-of-date methodology, and neglecting some aspects of the economy. Recent advances in economic theory, econometrics, and information technology have fueled research in building broader, more accurate, and higher-frequency economic indicators. This volume contains contributions from a group of prominent economists who address alternative economic indicators, including indicators in the financial market, indicators for business cycles, and indicators of economic uncertainty.

Data For "Consistent Differences In A Virtual World Model Of Ape Societies", Bart J. Wilson, Sarah F. Brosnan, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Crickette M. Sanz

Business and Economics Faculty Data Sets

The zip file contains the data for the paper entitled "Consistent Differences in a Virtual World Model of Ape Societies" which appears in Scientific Reports.

The Property Species: Mine, Yours, And The Human Mind, Bart J. Wilson

Economics Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"Arguing that neither the sciences nor the humanities synthesizes a full account of property, the book offers a cross-disciplinary compromise that is sure to be controversial: Property is a universal and uniquely human custom. Integrating cognitive linguistics with philosophy of property and a fresh look at property disputes in the common law, the book makes the case that symbolic-thinking humans locate the meaning of property within a thing. That is, all human beings and only human beings have property in things, and at its core, property rests on custom, not rights. Such an alternative to conventional thinking contends that the …

Data Science In The Public Interest: Improving Government Performance In The Workforce, Joshua D. Hawley

Upjohn Press

This book is about how new and underutilized types of big data sources can inform public policy decisions related to workforce development. Hawley describes how government is currently using data to inform decisions about the workforce at the state and local levels. He then moves beyond standardized performance metrics designed to serve federal agency requirements and discusses how government can improve data gathering and analysis to provide better, up-to-date information for government decision making.

The Ethics Of Capitalism: An Introduction, Daniel Halliday, John Thrasher

Philosophy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"The textbook covers longstanding problems that are as old as the discussion of capitalism itself, such as wage inequality, global trade, and the connection between paid labor and human flourishing. It also addresses new challenges, such as climate change, the welfare state, and competitive consumption, and provides topical global case studies. Additionally, it includes study questions at the end of each chapter and an author-created companion website to help guide classroom discussion."

Minimum Wages In China: Evolution, Legislation, And Effects, Shi Li, Carl Lin

Faculty Books

This book considers the positive and negative impacts of the minimum wage policy in China. Since China enacted its first minimum wage law in 1994, the magnitude and frequency of changes in the minimum wage have been substantial, both over time and across jurisdictions. The results from China’s experience show that rapidly increasing minimum wages have helped increase average wages and reduce the gender wage gap, income inequality, and poverty. However, the fast-rising minimum wage has also resulted in the loss of employment for young adults, women, low-skilled workers, and migrant workers. Additionally, higher minimum wages have a negative impact …

Advancing U.S. Latino Entrepreneurship: A New National Economic Imperative, Marlene Orozco, Alfonso Morales, Michael J. Pisani, Jerry I. Porras

Purdue University Press Books

Advancing U.S. Latino Entrepreneurship examines business formation and success among Latinos by identifying arrangements that enhance entrepreneurship and by understanding the sociopolitical contexts that shape entrepreneurial trajectories. While it is well known that Latinos make up one of the largest and fastest growing populations in the U.S., Latino-owned businesses are now outpacing this population growth and the startup business growth of all other demographic groups in the country.

The institutional arrangements shaping business formation are no level playing field. Minority entrepreneurs face racism and sexism, but structural barriers are not the only obstacles that matter; there are agentic barriers and …

Short Notes On The Economy During The Covid-19 Crisis, Asma Hyder (Ed.)

Faculty Research - Books

Several months have passed since COVID-19 has continued to wreak havoc globally. While the pandemic has had a major impact on the physical health of individuals, it has also had a considerable effect on their mental well-being. With lockdowns of different extents being imposed throughout the world, this effect is becoming increasingly visible on social media platforms.

2019/2020 Lrsp: Lindsay M. Cutler, Lindsay M. Cutler

Library Research Scholars Program

The incidence rate of homelessness in the United States has been trending positively over the last decade. The Department of Housing and Urban Development attributes this growth primarily to the West-Coast. States in this region particularly responsible for the rise in rates have significantly large concentrations of both homelessness and high-paying innovation-sector jobs in major cities–known as superstars for the extreme demand to live there. Dispersion between higher and lower-income residents is noted to be significantly higher in superstar cities. In light of the recent interference of an unprecedented pandemic, COVID-19, economists predict a significant increase in the incidence rate …

Short Notes On The Economy During The Covid-19 Crisis, Asma Hyder (Ed.)

Faculty Research - Books

The coronavirus – COVID-19 – pandemic has had a huge, catastrophic, impact on the global economy and on economies of almost all countries. Even those countries which were posting record-breaking profits just four weeks ago, such as the US and Germany, are now faced with a substantial fall in incomes, earning, employment and profits. From record low unemployment levels, these countries are already projecting a huge spike in unemployment, and all indicators suggest that a global recession is now imminent.

The Political Economy Of Inequality: U.S. And Global Dimensions, Sisay Asefa Editor, Wei-Chiao Huang Editor

Upjohn Press

The contributors to this book discuss a variety of forms of social inequality which include large gaps in accumulated assets, discrepancies in access to quality education, unstable family life, lack of access to banking services, poor employment prospects, lack of health care services, and underrepresentation for political and legal matters. Together, they show how these forms of inequality are interrelated with income inequality and that, taken together, they pose the risk for societal and political unrest should they be left unresolved.

Iba Newsletter [February 2020], Communications Department, Office Of The Registrar

IBA News

No abstract provided.

Data On Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitments Through March 2018, Tyler Hansen, Robert Pollin

Data and Datasets

This dataset includes information on fossil fuel divestment commitments that took place as part of the fossil fuel divestment movement through Mar. 23, 2018. The dataset includes the following variables: name of organization, type of organization, home country of organization, type of divestment commitment, date of divestment commitment, and total assets under management of the organization committing to divest. Divestment commitment data was shared with the authors by 350.org. The authors verified and made corrections to two subsets of the data: organizations with assets under management of at least $1 billion which committed to fully divesting from all fossil fuels, …

[Introduction To] Debating Sex Work, Lori Watson, Jessica Flanigan

Bookshelf

In this 'for and against' work, ethicists Lori Watson and Jessica Flanigan debate the criminalization of sex work. Watson argues for a sex equality approach to prostitution in which buyers are criminalized and sellers are decriminalized, known as the Nordic Model. Flanigan argues that sex work should be fully decriminalized because decriminalization ensures respect for sex workers' and clients' rights, and is more effective than alternative policies.

Putting these two views on sex work into conversation with one another, and opening up space for readers to weigh both approaches, the book provides a thorough, accessible exploration of the issues surrounding …

‘Maid In The Usa’: Immigrant Women, Domestic Labor And Double Alienation, Shadyar Omrani, Shadyar Omrani

Sociology Student Work Collection

In the past three decades, as the economy of the industrialized countries has moved towards the growing Tech industry, middle-class women have found more opportunities to fill in white-collared job positions (McDowell, 2009). The increase in the rate of women’s participation in the labor market has made them less willing to do (or capable of doing) the housework and child/elderly care _ the tasks which are historically stereotyped as feminine (ibid). Therefore, a considerably growing trend in paid domestic labor is being introduced to formerly blue-collared and dominantly immigrant women (England, P.: 2005). The tasks which are regarded as “labor …

Onecare Vermont Aco Quality Metric Evaluation, Alexander Braun

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project explores OneCare Vermont ACO quality metrics and how they can be used to improve patient care and reimbursement in a Vermont family medicine practice. Perspectives of physicians within the practice and others familiar with OneCare Vermont operations are shared. Several metrics were identified as areas for improvement within the practice by comparing ACO metrics with patient data.