Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Economic Impact Of The Fayetteville, Arkansas Smoking Ban, Jeffery T. Collins

Publications and Presentations

This report is the third in a series of studies examining the impact of the implementation of the smoke-free ordinance in Fayetteville, Arkansas in March of 2004. The ban on smoking in public places in Fayetteville provides an opportunity to scientifically investigate the economic impact of this change in public policy. By comparing pre-ban historical economic growth rates to post-ban growth rates both within the city of Fayetteville and in comparable communities, some measure of the impact can be developed. Variables of interest include hotel, motel, and restaurant (HMR) taxes, employment, and sales taxes. The changes in these variables need …

Be The Change You Wish To See: National Attiudes And Climate Change Policy, Emilia Tjernstrom

Senior Scholar Papers

A multitude of views characterize what should or should not be done about climate change, and in the past decades, nations have acted very differently in the face of climate change. This study explores factors that affect individuals' attitudes and concerns towards the environment and how those attitudes ultimately affect climate change policy. One model investigates the link between individual attitudes and countries' actions on climate change, and the results show that attitudes indeed matter in the implementation of policy. Different measures of democracy such as freedom of the press also prove to be important as channels for these attitudes. …

The Healthcare Cluster In The Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Msa, 2000-2005, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Analysis, Robert Sadowski, Jill Norton

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents the results of a study of manufacturing activities in Northwest Ohio (NWO). The purpose is to provide an understanding of recent trends in regional manufacturing industries in the context of longer-term trends and the national economy.

Do Children's Hospitals Have Lower Mortality Rates? Evidence From The 2003 Kids' Inpatient Database, Christiane Labonte

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Objective: To compare mortality rates at children’s hospitals and non-children’s hospitals.

Data Source: I used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2003. Thirty-six states participated in the HCUP in 2003, which included 3,438 hospitals, and 2,984,129 pediatric discharges.

Study Design: I hypothesized that mortality rates at children’s hospitals would be lower than mortality rates at non-children’s hospital because children’s hospitals have more specialized inputs, from the clinical training of sub-specialists and nurses to advanced machines and diagnostic tools, and may use these inputs more productively. To …

Gender And Performance: Evidence From School Assignment By Randomized Lottery, Justine S. Hastings, Thomas J. Kane, Douglas O. Staiger

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reshaping Retirement Policies In Post-Industrial Nations: The Need For Flexibility, Angela L. Curl, M. C. "Terry" Hokenstad Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social Security programs in post-industrial nations are facing the need for policy reforms. Fiscal shortfalls in current Social Security programs are a major driving force promoting these reforms. At the same time, changes in longevity and the nature of work and retirement also suggest the need for policy reform. This article begins with a broad overview of some of the policy innovations of the Europe Union as a whole, and then focuses more indepth on policy reforms in three countries that exemplify Esping-Andersen's (1990) typology of welfare states: Sweden, Germany, and Canada. These three countries have passed policies that promote …

The Determinants Of The Distribution Of Mortality In Mountain States Counties, Anne Israelsen Whyte

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

There has been significant concern about economic equity, expressed in legislation at federal, state, and local levels affecting income distribution and access to public services. Such a large interest in equity must also extend, then, to the ultimate inequality: distribution of life spans. The purpose of this paper is to determine the significant factors that affect the distribution of mortality by county in the Mountain States. Mortality distribution is the span of differences of age at death. This is an interesting topic because mortality affects everyone. Hence, individuals who care about living longer would be interested in knowing the factors …

External Debt, Adjustment, And Growth, Roberto S. Mariano, Delano Villanueva

Research Collection School Of Economics

High ratios of external debt to GDP in selected Asian countries have contributed to the initiation, propagation, and severity of the financial and economic crises in recent years, reflecting runaway fiscal deficits and excessive foreign borrowing by the private sector. More importantly, the servicing of large debt stocks has diverted scarce resources from investment and long-term growth.

Analysing Survey Data With Incomplete Responses By Using A Method Based On Empirical Likelihood, Denis H. Y. Leung, Jing Qin

Research Collection School Of Economics

In many surveys, missing response is a common problem. As an example, Zahner, Jacobs, Freeman and Trainor analysed data from a study of child psychopathology in the State of Connecticut, USA. In that study, the response variable, psychopathology, was inferred from questions that were addressed to teachers of the children and was subject to a high level of missingness. However, the missing responses were supplemented by surrogate information that was provided by the parents and/or the primary care providers of the children. In such a situation, it is conceivable that the supplemental information can be used to recover some of …

Final Project Report: Plan For A Model Pims, Christopher J. O'Leary, Lillian Vesic-Petrovic

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

Development of the performance information and management systems (PIMS) to monitor labor market outcomes of program participants, and guide program management of active labor market programs (ALMPs).

New Mexico Labor Market Review 04-30-2006, New Mexico Department Of Labor

Historic Publications

The New Mexico Labor Market Review is a monthly publication presenting statistical data and analysis on labor market conditions throughout New Mexico. Issues examine statewide and regional trends in employment, unemployment, labor force estimates, industry activity, wages, occupational demand, and related economic conditions, often accompanied by feature articles on topics affecting the state’s economy. This issue covers March 2006.

Individual Accounts For Social Security Reform: International Perspectives On The U.S. Debate, John A. Turner

Upjohn Press

John Turner uses the documented experiences of many countries—including the U.K., Sweden, Chile, Australia, Canada, and others—and the tools of economics to analyze the public policy issues surrounding the proposed implementation of individual accounts as part of the U.S. Social Security system. The result is a book that clarifies these issues while offering direction to Social Security policymakers. Also included is a comprehensive overview of the types of defined contribution plans in use today.

Effects Of The Federal Income Tax Structure And Social Security On The Changing Us Family Composition, Adam M. Gray '06

Honors Projects

From dual-earner, married couples, to opposite and same-sex cohabitation, America's family structure, lifestyles, and attitudes have been changing in recent years. This paper provides a framework of understanding how families interact and make economic decisions. It examines whether external and internal benefits to family formation exist. The government should develop policies are both equitable and efficient depending on what benefits exist for society, if any. Currently, one of the biggest gains married partners make occurs within the Federal Income Tax and Social Security Systems. However, this structure was created at a time when families were very traditional-a working husband and …

Mexican Northern Border Municipalities, Financial Dependence And Institutions, Jorge Ibarra Salazar, Andre V. Mollick

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Mexican northern border municipalities have experienced economic and populational growth rates that are much higher than other Mexican regions resulting in higher demand for public services and infrastructure. The different institutional framework, both fiscal and legal, faced by municipalities in every Mexican State might impact the fiscal behavior of local governments. This article examines whether border municipalities are more financially dependent on central authorities due to the high demand for public services in their jurisdictions and their inability to obtain sufficient funding. Several econometric models are estimated for 300 Mexican municipalities in the year 2000. A strong and negative relationship …

April 2006, Syracuse Department Of Economics

Economics - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

War Over Water: Water, Poverty, And Conflict, Tyker Mcmahon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The theme of this paper is; “What else would you do with 500 million dollars?” In a country as small and diverse as Nepal, with many immediate needs, are large scale projects really the answer at the present time? The stage that this paper will be set in is the 1990’s during the democracy and the beginning of the Maoist insurgency. Also, happening during this time was the pursuit of several large-scale projects like the Mahakali Treaty and the Melamchi Water Delivery Project. These both involved projects that would potentially bring large benefits but were also fraught with uncertainties relating …

Three Essays On Banking And Corporate Finance, Fang Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three essays on banking and corporate finance. The first essay studies the relationship between interest-rate derivative usage and bank lending. Using recent data that cover a full business cycle, this paper documents a direct relationship between interest-rate derivative usage by U.S. banks and growth in their commercial and industrial (C&I) loan portfolios. This positive association holds for interest-rate options contracts, forward contracts, and futures contracts. This result is consistent with the implication of Diamond's model (1984) that predicts that a bank's use of derivatives permits better management of systematic risk exposure, thereby lowering the cost …

Analyzing The Debate Over Offshore Outsourcing In The Service Industry: Is There A Reason For Concern?, Gwynn Vanderweerdt

Major Themes in Economics

The United States has experienced an increase in the offshore outsourcing (offshoring) of jobs in the service industry. Although offshoring is common in the manufacturing industry, it only recently began in the service industry. The recent increase in the service industry has occurred because of new technology and the ability to access information from anywhere. Those who oppose offshoring believe it takes away American jobs, lowers wages, causes a decline in America’s standard of living, and any benefits from offshoring are unevenly distributed. Statistics on unemployment rates, mass layoffs, the trade deficit, GDP, and wage rates are analyzed to show …

The Effects Of Natural Disasters On Long Run Growth, Aaron Popp

Major Themes in Economics

This paper seeks to determine the relationship between natural disasters and long run growth. Natural disasters affect several important macroeconomic variables, most notably technology, that can increase or decrease economic growth. Recovery following disasters is important, and the institutions of a country help determine how the recovery progresses. Institutions also help determine the outcomes of some events, such as inflation, that could affect long run growth. Countries can help maximize the positive effects of natural disasters on growth by improving their response to disasters and preparing for the next disaster.

A Study Of The Formative Factors Of The Free Trade Agreement Between Oman And The United States, Gregory Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the process by which the Omani-American Free Trade Agreement was so quickly agreed upon between Omani and American negotiators. By interviewing the major government officials involved in the architecture of the agreement, and by examining the role of other institutions and interest groups that are typically involved in the process in the US, the author demonstrates how very narrow the policy-making arena in Oman is. He argues that the benefits Oman hoped to gain from the agreement were far more political than economic, but that political liberalization is more important than economic liberalization for the long-term interests …

Innovation And Entrepreneurship Indicators, Robert Sadowski

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This work is an update to the Regional Economic Indicators: Business and Innovation Climate report that was issued in August 2004. Although many of the same economic indicators are used in the analyses, there is a major difference between the two reports. The August 2004 release had a broad focus on the overall business climate in 36 comparable metro areas. The result was a single index—business and innovation climate. In this report, we focus almost exclusively on innovation and entrepreneurship, each with its own index.

Reaffirmation Of “Ritual Cosmos”: Tibetan Perceptions Of Landscape And Socio-Economic Development In Southwest China, Tyler Denison

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

Nicaragua's Survival: Choices In A Neoliberal World, Stanley G. Hash Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In January 1990 the Nicaraguan electorate chose to abandon the failing Sandinista Revolution in favor of the economic neoliberal rubric. However, since 1990 Nicaragua's economy has been stagnant. Today it is one of the four poorest states in Latin America having been one of the wealthiest before 1975.

The purpose of this work is to explain Nicaragua's poor performance since 1990. The hypothesis is that domestic independent variables are central to recovery and are the underlying causes of Nicaragua's failure to fully recover.

The abuses of the Somozas' ancien régime before the 1979 revolution are well documented; less well documented …

Functional Form And Spatial Dependence In Dynamic Panels, Zhenlin Yang, Chen Wei Li, Yiu Kuen Tse

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper proposes a generalized dynamic error component model that simultaneously accounts for the effects of functional form and spatial dependence. Maximum likelihood method is used for model estimation and inference. An empirical illustration using the demand for cigarettes data is given.

Forecasting The Global Electronics Cycle With Leading Indicators: A Bayesian Var Approach, Hwee Kwan Chow, Keen Meng Choy

Research Collection School Of Economics

Developments in the global electronics industry are typically monitored by tracking indicators that span a whole spectrum of activities in the sector. However, these indicators invariably give mixed signals at each point in time, thereby hampering attempts at prediction. In this paper, we propose a unified framework for forecasting the global electronics cycle by constructing a VAR model that captures the economic interactions between putative leading indicators representing expectations, orders, inventories and prices. The ability of the indicators to presage world semiconductor sales is first examined by Granger causality tests. Subsequently, an impulse response analysis confirms the leading qualities of …

A Promising Start In An Arid Region: Assessment Of The Anaqeed Al-Khair Cooperative’S Impact, Jason Shenk

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In light of increased use of cooperatives by the Jordanian government and the sparseness of in-depth impact assessments, this study seeks to investigate the Anaqeed Al-Khair's impact on livelihoods in terms of income flows, vulnerability, and quality of life as well as analyzing the distribution of impacts based on degree of need, membership status, and gender. Working within the framework of the sustainable livelihoods approach, the study is based on qualitative research using participatory monitoring and evaluation guidelines. Findings include that cooperative projects are valuable for their impact on participants and demonstration of new viable livelihood strategies, but the benefits …

Casa Da Mulher Do Nordeste: Feminist Visions Of Development, Sarah Frazer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study presents the unique approach of Casa da Mulher do Nordeste to rural women’s empowerment and sustainable development. Their approach focuses on three main areas: 1) raising collective consciousness about unequal gender relations; 2) providing technical skills and assistance to in the areas of production and commercialization; 3) providing institutional support to the networks created in the occupation of economic and political spaces. CASA intimately links women’s empowerment to movements of agroecology and economic solidarity, thus extending the vision of equality between women and men to equality between human beings and the Earth—an ultimate definition of sustainable development. Their …

New Mexico Labor Market Review 03-31-2006, New Mexico Department Of Labor

Historic Publications

The New Mexico Labor Market Review is a monthly publication presenting statistical data and analysis on labor market conditions throughout New Mexico. Issues examine statewide and regional trends in employment, unemployment, labor force estimates, industry activity, wages, occupational demand, and related economic conditions, often accompanied by feature articles on topics affecting the state’s economy. This issue covers February 2006.

An Evaluation Of Michigan Regional Skills Alliances (Mirsas): Interim Report, Kevin Hollenbeck, Randall W. Eberts

Reports

No abstract provided.