Economics Commons^™

Using Informational Labeling To Influence The Market For Quality In Food Products, Julie Caswell

Julie Caswell

In the United States, the federal government is increasingly using requirements for informational labeling on food products to influence 1) consumers' knowledge and purchasing patterns and 2) manufacturers' product offerings and marketing practices. We discuss the economic rationale behind these regulations and issues related to judging their success or failure.

Evaluating Main Street An Economic And Spatial Analysis Holden, Massachusetts, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this study was to assist the town of Holden in assessing further development potential along a 1.6 mile stretch of Main Street. Holden’s History is similar to many small New England towns, as it has evolved into a suburb in the post WWII period. The socioeconomic analysis shows a growing community where a large proportion of the residents are professionals and financially well off. There is a strong sense of community and the citizens are concerned about the future of their town.

Chicopee River Watershed Study Chicopee, Massachusetts, Umass Amherst Center Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The goal of this studio is to provide our client with an assessment of conditions and attitudes within the Chicopee Watershed, which is located in Chicopee, Massachusetts. This information can then be used by the client in its effort to increase participation in watershed protection. To achieve this goal, the studio has set out four objectives. The first is to give an overview of land uses, social and economic trends in the watershed. The second is to review existing town regulations and compare them with model bylaws and regulations. The third is to gather opinions from the various people in …

Creating A Strong Image For The Economic Enhancement Of Downtown Ayer, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The recent closure of Fort Devens has had an undeniable impact on business in downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, deflating both the town's population level and its economy. Downtown business in Ayer has traditionally served several surrounding communities, and it is fundamental to the survival of Ayer' s economy that this business continue to thrive. Facing a future that will lack the economic boost formerly associated with Fort activity, business owners and the town must make a greater effort to attract downtown commerce. In the midst of these changes, residents and business owners have participated with town officials in planning for the …

Final Report On The Measurable Indicators Of Economic Success, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Across the United States of America people are increasingly interested in ensuring that government expenditures are well spent. We can note this interest at all levels of government ranging from local to national scales. Indeed, increased accountability is a paramount theme of the new Congress. As well, in all of its manifestations, it is a critical element of the "quality movement" that is becoming acculturated in both the private and public sectors.

The notion of accountability implies measurement: In exchange for public tax dollars allocated, increased value will be gained. All government organizations know this intuitively. Yet, few government organizations …

Economic Development Strategies For The Urban Core Cities Of The Pioneer Valley Region Of Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report presents a series of initial strategy recommendations for the economic development of the cities of Springfield and Holyoke. There are six cities in the Pioneer Valley: Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, Northampton, and Agawam. The three contiguous cities of Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee form the urban core of the region. Historically, these cities have been the cultural. financial, and industrial centers of the Pioneer Valley. The scope of this report is limited to the cities of Springfield and Holyoke because these cities face uniquely urban problems that Chicopee, a largely middle class community, does not.

The client for the …

Looking At Market Square: Toward A Development Concept For Chicopee Center, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

This report presents a series of marketing and economic development strategies for the central business district in Chicopee Center known as the Market Square area. The City of Chicopee, along with the cities of Holyoke and Springfield, is part of the urban center of the Pioneer Valley region. Like many older industrial cities, and like many cities with a small downtown area, Chicopee finds its economic fortunes at an ebb. Although Chicopee is certainly not a city in distress, it is believed that steps should be taken to ensure that the Market Square area does not slip into serious decline. …

Industrial Lands Survey Worcester, Massachusetts, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The purpose of this report is to provide the Worcester City Manager's Office of Planning and Community Development with an inventory of industrially zoned properties within the City's designated Economic Opportunity Areas (EOA): Southern District, Pullman Street, Greendale, and Northeast. This inventory includes a database consisting of property information for all four EOAs, as well as a more detailed analysis of the Main South Industrial Cluster of the Southern District EOA.

The first two chapters of the report provide a brief introduction to the City and the project, highlighting the economic history of Worcester and the region. As the region …

Trends In Food Quality Regulation: Implications For Processed Food Trade And Foreign Direct Investment, Julie Caswell

Julie Caswell

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been increasing at a faster rate than direct exports of processed foods over the past decades. To what extent does national-level food quality regulation influence these trends? Although unquantified as to its impact, such national-level regulation is frequently cited as a potential source of nontariff barriers to trade for food products. FDI may allow food processors to avoid rules intended to disadvantage imported products by siting production within particular markets. It may also allow more precise and rapid adaptation to domestic quality regulations. We discuss what is known about the effect of national-level regulation on …

Clower On Effective Demand, Peter Skott, Amitava Krishna Dutt

Peter Skott

This note examine's Clower's recent criticisms of Keynes' theory of effective demand and argues that Keynes added much to Marshallian theory when he extended to the aggregate level, that his theory does have implications for unemployment without requiring wage rigidity, that his theory does not depend on the non-clearance of the good market, and the main difference between Keynes and the Keynesians concerns the consequences of wage-price flexibility.

The Crisis Of Egalitarian Policy And The Promises Of Asset-Based Redistribution, Peter Skott

Peter Skott

This paper analyses the links between egalitarian policy and unemployment and the possible use of asset-based redistribution to overcome the crisis of egalitarian policy. Contrary to left- Keynesian belief, egalitarian policies in the postwar period were not the means to ensure high aggregate demand and full employment. The main direction of causation went the other way: full employment generated increasing egalitarian demands while high unemployment after the golden age paved the way for increasing inequality. The breakdown of the golden ages is itself explained by a gradual deterioration of the business climate which undermined the full employment policy. In addition, …

Keynesian Theory And The Aggregate-Supply/Aggregate-Demand Framework: A Defense, Peter Skott, Amitava Krishna Dutt

Peter Skott

This paper defends the Aggregate-Supply/Aggregate-Demand framework against recent criticisms by Barro and others. Using four models - a neoclassical-synthesis Keynesian, a monetarists mark 1, a rational expectation/new classical, and a Kaleckian/post-Keynesian - based on this framework, it is shown that it provides an internally-consistent and potentially useful teaching tool, that Keynesian versions of it do follow some of Keynes's ideas, that a Kaleckian/post-Keynesian version is consistent with empirical data, and that the criticisms by Barro and others are unwarranted.

Regulatory Targets And Regimes For Food Safety: A Comparison Of North American And European Approaches, Neal Hooker, Julie Caswell

Julie Caswell

No abstract provided.