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The Demotechnic Index Of Nations (1980 - 2018) And Its Correlation With The Human Development Index (1990 – 2021), Camden Rainwater

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Demotechnic Index (DI) and the Human Development Index (HDI) are both useful metrics for assessing the development of nations, with each providing unique insights about a country’s standard of living. The DI, which uses energy consumption as a gauge, excels in capturing the impact of conflicts and economic disruptions. Additionally, its ability to be calculated based on different energy sources allows for evaluation of a nation's progress towards sustainable consumption patterns. Conversely, the HDI combines healthcare, education, and income dimensions, and uses them as a proxy that highlights human health crises, educational improvements, and economic growth, albeit with less …

The Effect Of Crime On Mental Health In South Africa, Magda Tsaneva, Lauren-Kate Laplante

Economics

This paper examines the impact of district-level crime rates in South Africa on individual depression symptoms. We use panel data from the National Income Dynamics Survey collected between 2008 and 2014 and estimate an individual fixed effects regression model, thus controlling for characteristics of the individual's environment that could affect crime and mental health. We find that an increase of one standard deviation in property (violent) crime is associated with a 7.2 (8.7) percentage point increase in the probability of depression symptoms. Analysis of potential mechanisms suggests that indirect exposure to crime likely affects mental health by increasing stress rather …

How To Get Away With Insider Trading And How To Stop It?, Blade H. Kisler

Honors Theses

The realm of investing, while promising, is often clouded by complexity and opacity, exacerbated by the prevalence of insider trading. This unethical practice allows select individuals to amass vast fortunes by exploiting confidential information unavailable to the public. Particularly alarming is the possibility of insider trading within Congress, where lawmakers wield privileged access to non-public information and could possibly engage in lucrative stock transactions. This paper delves into specific coincidences of Congressional stock trading to underscore the systemic nature of this phenomenon among influential figures.

Essays On Spatial Economics And International Trade, Naiyuan Hu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation consists of three papers on spatial economics and international trade. The first paper focuses on spatial inequalities. Educational resources are distributed unevenly and contribute to spatial inequality. A dynamic spatial model with life-cycle elements studies the impacts of location-specific educational resources. Individuals determine where to attend college, weighing distance, expected value of education, and available resources. Locations with more colleges attract more students. As mobility costs increase with age, many graduates stay in the city where they studied, affecting skill composition. Applied to China, it finds that the 2005- 2015 college expansion had minimal welfare impacts and suggests …

The Emerging Impacts Of Tourism On The Economy Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study Of Oil And Tourism, Dania Abu Jabal

Master's Theses

Saudi Arabia was heavily dependent on oil, which caused an economic crisis due to the collapse of global oil prices. In 2016, the Saudi government launched Vision 2030 to diversify the Saudi economy and avoid dependence on oil revenues. One aim of Vision 2030 is to initiate numerous tourism initiatives to boost the tourism industry's economic impact, elevating its contribution from 3% of GDP to 10% by 2030.

This paper provides the necessary assessment to understand tourism's role and contribution to the Saudi economy and to determine whether the industry's growth is on the right track. Also, this paper also …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

A Red Awakening: An Analysis Of China’S Quest For Global Dominance Through Economic Alternative Warfare Methods, Sarah Beddingfield

Senior Honors Theses

In the 2023 annual meeting of China’s parliament, Chinese President Xi made it clear to his political leaders and the world that he was preparing for war. This should come as no surprise after analysis of China's grand strategy points clearly to the intent to surpass the U.S. as the premier global superpower in all respects. China has been building towards this goal for years through untraditional methods of warfare, forcing the national security community to reevaluate its own strategy and assess the Chinese threat through a different lens. This thesis seeks to address one specific area in which China …

How Do Immigration And Technological Growth Affect One Another? Providing Guiding Principles For Policymakers, Nate Karren

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The relationship between immigration and technological growth is more nuanced than a simple statement of positive or negative correlation. How one affects the other varies depending on the skill level of the immigrant and the field where they work. Conclusions drawn by the literature form patterns that can be used to best understand the relationship between immigration and technology. High-skilled immigration boosts technological development through a complementary relationship, but low-skilled immigration can be a complement or a substitute with technological growth depending on the sector. Policymakers interested in promoting long-term economic growth through technological growth should have a clear picture …

Drip Irrigation And Water Conservation In Onions; An Economic Analysis, Jenny De Boer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Water diversions for irrigated agriculture have contributed to increased water stress in drought prone areas across the globe. Previous research finds that farmers increase irrigation intensity per unit of product grown, increase total area under irrigation, and switch to more water intensive crops to increase yields and compensate for the cost of drip irrigation installation. Other studies have shown that drip irrigation can produce yields that parity surface irrigated yields or even surpass them using less water and increasing profits. Ultimately this plot trial showed drip irrigated onion yields were 6.31% greater than surface irrigated onion yields using an average …

Mandatory Credit Allocation And Government Guarantee In The Philippines, Luis F. Dumlao

Economics Department Faculty Publications

Mandatory credit allocation is a policy intervention to pressure banks to lend to certain sectors that otherwise unfettered finance would not give access to. While some would argue that mandatory credit allocation results in sub-optimal allocation of resources, it has been shown that such intervention results is socially desirable outcome. However, mandatory credit allocation should not be the responsibility of banks only, it must be supported with government guarantees. In the Philippines, there are three sectors in which mandatory credit allocation is given namely the agriculture sector, the micro, small and medium enterprises or MSME sector, and enterprises involved in …

Research On Spatial Collaborative Allocation Of Innovation Chain And Industrial Chain And Regional Economic Layout In China, Jianhui Yu, Wenzhong Zhang, Jiaming Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The driving force of China’s economic development in the new era is gradually shifting from traditional production factor inputs and export-led growth to scientific and technological innovation-driven development, and technological innovation is increasingly becoming the main engine of China’s economic development. China needs to urgently address difficult issues such as the disconnect between science and technology and the economy, as well as prominent problems such as repeated resource allocation and scattered scientific research forces. Under the complex and volatile development environment, it is necessary to further optimize the spatial collaborative allocation of innovation chains and industrial chains and promote the …

Establishing Networked Territorial Spatial Pattern To Serve New Development Pattern, Jiaming Li, Jiaoe Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

A networked territorial spatial pattern, centered around major strategic corridors, plays a crucial role in supporting the construction of the new dual-circulation development pattern. The “Two Horizontals and Three Verticals” major strategic corridors that have been formed can effectively promote the concentration of socio-economic factors in major urban agglomerations. However, there exists a mismatch between the north-south vertical strategic corridors and the east-west socio-economic linkages and transportation corridors. Besides, the existing strategic corridors lack sufficient horizontal support for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and the land and sea corridors exhibit weak horizontal driving effect and insufficient connection with external corridors. “Three …

Suggestions For Layout Adjustment Of China's Agricultural Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Yong Xu, Hua Yang, Jian Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Adjusting and optimizing the strategic paradigm of China’s agricultural regions in the new era is of great significance to the implementation of the “Greater Food” concept and the building of a strong agriculture. This study takes the layout adjustment of China’s agricultural regions during the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan period as its theme, and firstly summarizes the problems that exist in the main agricultural production regions and the layout changes in grain production bases. Then, in conjunction with the new requirements of the national strategies, the functional types of agricultural regions are refined, the different function positions are clarified, the adjusting …

Strategic Priorities Of China's Urbanized Areas During 15th Five-Year Plan Period, Wei Qi, Jie Fan, Jiaming Li, Yu Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Urbanized areas are areas whose main function is to provide industrial and service products. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the urbanization rate of China’s population will exceed 70 percent, thus entering a long-time stage of high urbanization levels. The strategic positioning of urbanized areas will be defined as county-level administrative districts with a high concentration of scientific and technological innovation resources, new quality productivity, and new-type industrialization. In terms of strategic layout, the scope of urbanized areas will be optimized to promote the concentration of population and economy in urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, and central cities, and to strengthen …

Strategic Pattern And Optimization Of China's Eco-Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Kan Zhou, Jie Fan, Daojing Zhou, Zhedong Qian, Hu Yu, Hanchu Liu, Jian Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the implementation of the major function oriented zoning, the ecological space of key ecological functional areas has continuously expanded, with a significant increase in vegetation coverage. Concurrently, there has been a dual change in population dynamics, characterized by a decrease in total population and an increase in the urban population. Furthermore, significant achievements have been made in economic and social development, and there has been a steady improvement in the functions of ecological security barriers, contributing to an alleviation of tension in human-environment relationships. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is imperative to adhere to the functional orientation …

Improve Policy System Of Main Functional Zones In National Spatial Planning, Fan Qi, Siqi Qiu, Chengshuangping Zhao, Jianglong Chen, Siyu Shao, Bangrui Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study analyzes in detail the effectiveness and existing problems of the current policy implementation of the main functional zone in the “multi planning and integration” national land spatial planning system, and proposes an overall idea of systematizing, differentiating, coordinating, and incentivizing the policy system of the main functional zone in the new era of national land spatial governance. From the perspectives of strengthening the top-level design of policy systems, classifying and improving policy tools for the main functional zone, strengthening comprehensive policy coordination, and improving policy implementation evaluation mechanisms, the policy recommendations are proposed for improving and implementing the …

Research On Cohesion Strategy Of Land-Sea Functional Oriented Zoning Based On Perspective Of Land-Sea Coordination, Chengjin Wang, Zhaoyang He

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The marine-terrestrial interlaced zone serves as a crucial spatial hub linking the functional zoning of both land and sea areas. Optimizing the ecological function, economic function, and national security function of the marine-terrestrial interlaced zone is of significant importance for promoting the coordination between land and sea functional oriented zoning and achieving their mutual beneficial interaction. It also contributes to enhancing the economic, social, and environmental benefits, effectively allocating resources, and advancing social sustainability. Building upon the clarification of the current development status and characteristics of China’s marine-terrestrial interlaced zone, the research systematically examines the key issues existing in the …

Unveiling The Power Of Tourism Research: Navigating Insights From Montana For 2024 And Beyond, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

ITRR presentation from the 2024 Governor's Conference on Tourism

Paradisiacal Protection: Exploring Governance In Sustainable Spaces, Rylee Stanton

Honors College Theses

Biosphere reserves exist officially as “learning places for sustainable development,” yet they also embody an attempt to bring together ecological governance with market-based and localized solutions to the problem of economic development (UNESCO, 2020). This thesis investigates the conditions under which biosphere reserves became reimagined as an all-encompassing solution to such a diverse set of global governance challenges. I explore the relationship between biosphere reserves and the evolving discourse on sustainable development within global governance. Drawing on Foucault-inspired literature on governmentality and “technologies of governance,” I examine the practices, discourses, and subjects that have made biosphere reserves visible and governable …

Cognitive And Economic Development, John Luke Gallup

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

A burgeoning literature finds that early childhood risk factors have large causal effects on individuals' cognitive development, education and earnings, but has not assessed the impact on the economy as a whole.

Cognitive ability is the foundation of human capital and the capacity to learn. The risk factors for poor cognitive development are very high in many countries. Each risk factor also causes child mortality, making child survival a viable proxy for good cognitive development conditions. The cognitive development of current workers happened decades earlier when they were children, providing a predetermined correlate. Controlling for country characteristics, income levels and …

The Contribution Of The South Carolina Technical College System To Human Capital, Labor Force Participation, And Employment, Justin Land

Senior Theses

This thesis assesses the economic impact of the South Carolina Technical College System by applying a counterfactual analysis method to the study of human capital development and labor force growth from 2010-2019. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) are used to estimate the average years of schooling attained by a South Carolinian during the period and the counterfactual average were the Technical College System to not exist. This result is then combined with probit regression models of labor force participation and employment to estimate the Technical College System’s contribution to the labor …

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

Analyzing Colonial South Carolina's Trade Landscape Through The Ricardian Model, Dylan M. Peddemors

Senior Theses

The state of South Carolina existed as a British colony from its founding in 1663 until it declared independence in 1776. During this period, South Carolina operated as a plantation-based, cash-crop economy relying on two primary exports: rice and indigo. The colony displayed nearly complete specialization in its exports of these crops while importing different goods. The theory of comparative advantage in trade relationships crafted by British economist David Ricardo in the 18th century concludes that gains from trade emerge when trade partners specialize in the production and exportation of the goods of which they have the lowest opportunity cost. …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 8, Number 4, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Zifeng Feng

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Skills, Majors, And Jobs: Does Higher Education Respond?, Johnathan G. Conzelmann, Steven W. Hemelt, Brad J. Hershbein, Shawn Martin, Andrew Simon, Kevin M. Stange

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

How does postsecondary human capital investment respond to changes in labor market skill demand? We quantify the magnitude and nature of this response in the U.S. 4-year sector. To do so, we develop a new measure of institution-major-specific labor demand, and corresponding shift-share instrument, that combines job ads with alumni locations. We find that postsecondary human capital investments meaningfully respond. We estimate elasticities for degrees and credits centered around 1.3, generally increasing with time horizon. We provide evidence that both student demand and institutional supply-side constraints matter. Our findings illuminate the nature of educational production in higher education.

Remotely Sensed Imagery Reveals Animal Feeding Operations Increase Downstream Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus, Andrew G. Meyer, Zach Raff, Sarah Porter

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper, we use remotely sensed imagery to identify the location and size of animal feeding operations in the Maumee River Watershed, a key drainage area to Lake Erie's Western Basin, which has recently experienced severe harmful algal blooms. We then estimate the relationship between the intensity of animal feeding operations in the watershed and surface water body concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), the pollutant most responsible for algal growth. We find that stream reaches with relatively larger increases in upstream animal feeding exposure experience significantly higher increases in concentrations of DRP. The average marginal upstream animal feeding …

The Will To Chaos And Disorder: The Behemoth As A Model Of Political Economy, Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

The history of political economy is tormented by beasts. The most famous is the Leviathan, the giant serpentine monster that figures in Hobbes’s masterpiece of modern political theory. Robert Fredona and Sophus Reinert spotlight another sea monster, the Kraken, that giant octopus or squid with a particular morphology (i.e., its tentacles) that so fittingly describes the grip of multinational corporations, stateless financial capital, social media, and tech giants today. But there are still other monsters in the bestiary of political economy. In this essay, I highlight the Behemoth, a land monster that captures another critical dimension of political economy: the …

2023 Estimates - Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures, And Economic Contribution, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a collection of estimates of 2023 nonresident visitation to Montana, expenditures by nonresident travelers in the state, and the contribution to Montana's economy of that traveler spending. Included are estimates by full year, quarter, trip purposed, and other visitor segments.

Broadly Shared Local Economic Success Since 2000: New Measures And New Lessons For Communities, Timothy J. Bartik, Brad J. Hershbein, Kathleen Bolter, Kyle Huisman

Reports

In recent decades, many local labor markets—especially those in former industrial areas—have experienced lagging employment rates, hourly wages, and annual earnings. Even in places that have thrived, disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups and those with less education have often fared poorly, and long-term growth has bypassed many Americans at the middle and bottom of the income distribution. This report examines the relative economic success over the past two decades (prior to the COVID pandemic) of different local labor markets throughout the United States, both for residents overall and for those of different demographic groups. We construct a new, publicly available …