Digital Commons Network^™

No. 44: Migration, Remittances And Development In Southern Africa, Wade Pendleton, Jonathan Crush, Eugene Campbell, Thuso Green, Hamilton Simelane, Daniel Tevera, Fion De Vletter

Southern African Migration Programme

Remittances by migrants are now a focus of attention of governments and development agencies worldwide. Globally, cash remittances by international migrants now exceed $250 billion per annum, easily outweighing the value of development assistance. Over a third of remittances to developing countries originate in other developing countries. International cash remittances are only part of the story. Remittances in the form of goods and commodities are also extremely important, as are internal remittances from urban to rural areas within countries.

Debate rages on the development impacts of remittances and how these can be maximized. Advocates of migration as a positive force …

No. 17: International Migration And Good Governance In The Southern African Region, Jonathan Crush, Sally Peberdy, Vincent Williams

Southern African Migration Programme

Southern Africa has a long history of intra-regional migration, dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. Migration was probably the single most important factor tying together all of the various colonies and countries of the sub-continent into a single regional labour market during the twentieth century. However, entrenched patterns of migration have undergone major restructuring in the last two decades. Southern Africa is now a region on the move (McDonald 2000). Several broader changes underly this shift towards greater and greater intra-regional mobility.

First, the end of apartheid, a system designed to control movement and exclude outsiders, produced new opportunities for …

Environmental Contamination And House Values, Katherine Kiel

Economics Department Working Papers

A house is a bundle of many goods: The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, the quality of local public services, the tidiness of a neighbor’s yard, and the quality of the local environment. If transactions in the housing market reflect the interaction of informed buyers and sellers, then the price that the house sells for is the sum of the prices the buyer is willing to pay for each individual characteristic of the house. It is this notion that motivates environmental economists to study property values. If individuals consider the local environment as a component of the house they purchase, then …

The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism: Prospects For Japan-Philippines Partnership, Rosalina Palanca-Tan

Economics Department Faculty Publications

The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a system by which a developed country can earn carbon emission reduction (ER) credits through an emission-mitigating project undertaken in a developing country. While allowing developed countries to meet their Kyoto Protocol commitments at less cost, CDM benefits the host developing countries with new capital investments and the transfer of clean technologies. In view of the potential supply of ERs on the Philippine side and a pressing demand on Japan's side, this article explores the relatively low level of CDM cooperation between the Philippines and Japan, and suggests ways of moving forward.

Marketing Social Change: A Comparative Historical And Methodological Analysis Of Anti-Smoking Endeavors, Jessica Stathis

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

Even though assessing social marketing endeavors proves to be challenging, evaluators can learn from previous campaigns and identify which facets of social marketing events, programs and campaigns need to be improved. Additionally, by analyzing social movements and evaluating how they connect to social marketing, we can gain a clearer view on ways to ameliorate the field of social marketing. As social marketing becomes increasingly sophisticated and similar to commercial marketing, there is hope that social marketing can yield higher rates of success in the future. Friend and Levy (2002) claimed that it was nearly impossible to compare social marketing endeavors …

Semi-Strong Form Market Hypothesis: Evidence From Cnbc's Jim Cramer's Mad Money Stock Recommendations, Elizabeth Dodson

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Mad Money has become one of the most popular shows on CNBC. The host, Jim Cramer, has an outlandish style and personality that viewers find intoxicating. Cramer's goal for the show is to make people money. Does he succeed? This paper finds that investors can expect to gain above-average, risk adjusted returns by following Cramer's stock recommendations and trading accordingly. These findings challenge the semi-strong form market hypothesis. According to this hypothesis investors should not recognize gains trading on public information since it states that the market has already adjusted prices for that information. It also contributes to current literature …

No. 20: Migration Of Skills In South Africa: Patterns, Trends And Challenges, Lyndith Waller

Southern African Migration Programme

It is a human inclination to want to position oneself where conditions are best for personal fulfilment, growth and success. People migrate because they perceive their environment as inadequate in terms of what they desire or deserve. The more deserving they consider themselves the more likely they will be to leave a suboptimal environment in search of one in which they will be appreciated – through recognition or pay – and where they can develop their potential, live securely, work towards their goals and enjoy standards with which they align themselves.

Skilled people recognise that they have something to offer; …

No. 18: The Draft Protocol On The Facilitation Of Movement Of Persons In Sadc: Implications For State Parties, Vincent Williams, Lizzie Carr

Southern African Migration Programme

The migration of persons across international boundaries in search of better opportunities or as a result of war, conflict and political instability has risen substantially over the years. The UN Population Division estimates that there are currently 175 million people living outside of their country of origin which is more than twice the number a generation ago (United Nations Population Division 2002). As communications and transport infrastructure become more sophisticated and cheaper, this trend is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.

This movement of persons from their own countries of nationality or citizenship, to another country where they take …

2006 American Incentive System Almanac, Don P. Diffine Ph.D.

Belden Center Monographs

No abstract provided.

Part 2: The North Carolina Connection: Hampton Roads South Of The Border?, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Currituck County, N.C., already is considered part of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Four other counties (Camden, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank) lie just south of our region, but only Gates is sufficiently connected to Hampton Roads to be added in the future.

Part 3: Tunnel Vision: Traffic Congestion In Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Traffic congestion already is bad in the region; we estimate the cost in 2006 to be $473 million, or $296 per person. If nothing is done to alleviate the situation, this cost will grow to $1.07 billion, or $608 per person in 2015. Our simulations also predict the speed of automobile commuters going through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will fall to 7.2 mph in 2015.

Does Falling Smoking Lead To Rising Obesity?, Jonathan Gruber, Michael D. Frakes

Faculty Scholarship

The strong negative correlation over time between smoking rates and obesity have led some to suggest that reduced smoking is increasing weight gain in the U.S.. This conclusion is supported by the findings of Chou et al. (2004), who conclude that higher cigarette prices lead to increased body weight. We investigate this issue and find no evidence that reduced smoking leads to weight gain. Using the cigarette tax rather than the cigarette price and controlling for non-linear time effects, we find a negative effect of cigarette taxes on body weight, implying that reduced smoking leads to lower body weights. Yet …

Examining Adherence And Sexual Behavior Among Patients On Antiretroviral Therapy In India, Avina Sarna, Indrani Gupta, Sanjay Pujari, A.K. Sengar, Rajiv Garg, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

With increased availability of ART, HIV-positive individuals are living healthier lives and continuing or resuming sexual activity. However, optimism related to ART’s success in slowing disease progression, reducing viral load, and improving health status may lead to more risky sexual practices and a possible increase in transmission of infections. To determining the sexual behavior of HIV-positive persons on ART, the Horizons program, in collaboration with research partners in Delhi and Pune, conducted a study to assess current levels of adherence to ART among a sample of people living with HIV/AIDS, identify the factors that influence their adherence to treatment, and …

Predicting A Currency Crisis Alternative Approaches And Applications To The Philippines, Fernando Antonio Iv Castillo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

An arrival of a currency crisis can be anticipated through a comprehensive and properly specified Early Warning System (“EWS”). The costs that entail with experiencing a currency crisis far exceed the costs of spending a considerable amount of time to developing an EWS. In a report done by the IMF(1998), they estimated that emerging economies suffer an 8% cumulative loss in real output during a severe currency crisis. Likewise, evidence suggests that a simple look at traditional market indicators of currency and default risks will not provide much advance warning of an impending currency crisis. In a study done by …

Does Food Stamp Receipt Mediate The Relationship Between Food Insufficiency And Mental Health?, Colleen Heflin, James P. Ziliak

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Although the Food Stamp Program is the largest entitlement program remaining in the social safety net, comparatively little is known about the potential benefits that the program may confer on recipients. In this paper we examine an important dimension of well being, mental health, and the extent to which participation in the Food Stamp Program may attenuate the effect of food insufficiency on levels of emotional distress. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of families in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) we model emotional distress as a function of food insufficiency and other known risk factors …

Nova Southeastern University 2006-2007 Annual Report, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Giving Trends: What Do They Mean?, Stuart Mendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Assisted Living: The Politics Of Medicaid And Medicare, Sarah Lim

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

In this paper I examine the structure of the current assisted living industry in order to explain how and why it is appealing and effective, as well as look at its limitations. I discuss the politics of Medicaid and Medicare, and how through these programs the federal and state governments are failing to provide adequate care for the nation’s senior population. Like the rest of our health care system, these two public health insurance systems are fragmented, and consequently, financing long-term care is complicated and insufficient. Ultimately, this paper will function as a policy report and I will propose: standardized …

An Empirical Analysis Of County-Level Determinants Of Small Business Growth And Poverty In Appalachia: A Spatial Simultaneous-Equations Approach, Gebremeskel H. Gebremariam, Tesfa Gebremedhin, Peter V. Schaeffer

Regional Research Institute Working Papers

A spatial simultaneous-equations growth equilibrium model estimated by GS2SLS and GS3SLS estimators is used to determine the interdependence between small business growth and poverty. The parameter estimates are mostly consistent with the theoretical expectations. The coefficients for the endogenous variables of the model are positive and significant indicating strong interdependence (feedback simultaneity) between small business and median household income growth rates. The results also show the presence of spatial autoregressive lag simultaneity and spatial cross-regressive lag simultaneity, with respect to both small business and median household income growth rates, and the existence of spatial correlation in the error terms. In …

Kentucky Annual Economic Report 2006, Kenneth R. Troske, John Garen, Devanathan Sudharshan, Roy A. Sigafus

Kentucky Annual Economic Report

No abstract provided.

Role Of Home Equity In Retirement Saving: Building Your Nest (Egg), Caroline Theoharides

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of home equity in retirement saving. Using data from the 2001 and 2003 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study first updates the existing literature by regressing active saving on real housing capital gains using median regression techniques. Consistent with the literature, an increase in housing capital gains results in a decrease in active saving. While the active saving literature provides an initial analytical framework regarding saving behavior and home equity, the demographic shift in the U.S. due to the imminent retirement of the baby boomers indicates that the impact of changes in home equity …

Sinusoidal Modeling Applied To Spatially Variant Tropospheric Ozone Air Pollution, Nicholas Z. Muller, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper demonstrates how parsimonious models of sinusoidal functions can be used to fit spatially variant time series in which there is considerable variation of a periodic type. A typical shortcoming of such tools relates to the difficulty in capturing idiosyncratic variation in periodic models. The strategy developed here addresses this deficiency. While previous work has sought to overcome the shortcoming by augmenting sinusoids with other techniques, the present approach employs station-specific sinusoids to supplement a common regional component, which succeeds in capturing local idiosyncratic behavior in a parsimonious manner. The experiments conducted herein reveal that a semi-parametric approach enables …

Economic Growth, Inequality And Poverty In Africa, Fassil N. Fanta

Masters Theses

The most important development endeavor is to reduce poverty. There has been an ongoing debate on the actual contribution of growth to poverty reduction. In addition, a related question frequently raised is whether the main focus of development strategies should be placed on growth, or poverty reduction with or without a change in inequality. Without doubt, faster economic growth is associated with faster poverty reduction, given other factors affecting poverty. But an interesting policy implication can be drawn by answering the question of how responsive is poverty for a given level of economic growth or a given change in inequality. …

The Effects Of Obesity On Health Care Expenditures And Health Insurance Premium Rates, Temenoujka Velkova

Masters Theses

This study investigates the influence of obesity on rising health care expenditures in the United States, which helps us understand the rising health insurance premium rates. Health care expenditures are measured as a share of state gross domestic product. This measure is chosen because it allows me to take a look at not only the out-of-pocket costs but at all other sources of payment, which includes private health insurance. The estimated results suggest that obesity contributes to rising health care expenditures as a share of state gross domestic product. Overweight, heavy drinking, and age also have been found to have …

Economic Trends And Forecasts For Nevada, Bengte Evenson, R. Keith Schwer, William Cope

Social Health of Nevada Reports

With the exception of some difficulties following the events of September 11, 2001 , the economy of the state of Nevada has been doing very well since the mid-1980’s. Employment has increased dramatically, outpacing job growth anywhere else in the country. This has drawn workers to Nevada, leading to record in-migration, especially recently. With robust growth in both employment and population, spending as measured by GSP is healthy. The economic forecast for Nevada predicts continued positive growth in the short run, after which growth will decline to a more normal rate.

Examining And Evaluating Aggregation Scale Effects On Interregional Commodity By Industry Trade Flow Estimates, Walter R. Schwarm, Randall Jackson

Regional Research Institute Working Papers

This study tests the implementation of interindustry transaction flows in a national system of economic regions derived from an interregional accounting framework and initial information on interregional shipments. The interregional flows connecting states are estimated using a method based on the Commodity Flow Survey data published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which adjusts the estimated interregional SAM to insure the integrity of intraregional and system-wide, national accounts. The resulting US interregional framework describes flows within and among the 51 regions We examine results of a series of trials testing the validity of the resulting interregional trade-flow data versus other …

Gender, Marriage, And Asset Accumulation In The United States, Lucie Schmidt, Purvi Sevak

Economics: Faculty Publications

Wealth accumulation has important implications for the relative well-being of households. This article describes how household wealth in the United States varies by gender and family type. Evidence is found of large differences in observed wealth between single-female-headed households and married couples. Although some of this gap reflects differences in observable characteristics correlated with gender and wealth - such as position in the life cycle, education, and family earnings - controlling for these characteristics reduces but does not eliminate the estimated wealth gap. The wealth holdings of single females in the US, controlling for these same characteristics, are also significantly …

Health Disparities And Infertility: Impacts Of State-Level Insurance Mandates, Marianne Bitler, Lucie Schmidt

Economics: Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether important racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic status (SES) health disparities exist in infertility, impaired fecundity, or infertility treatment. Design: Four waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were pooled. Measures were compared across various race/ethnicity, education, and age groups. Participant(s): Data for 31,047 women 15-44 years old from the NSFG were pooled. Intervention(s): Outcomes were compared by whether the women's states of residence had a mandate in place (at least 1 year before the interview) to compel insurers to cover or offer to cover infertility treatment. Main Outcome Measure(s): Infertility status, impaired fecundity, ever having …

Islam And Labor Law: Some Precepts And Examples, Karen Pfeifer

Economics: Faculty Publications

Labor law officially defines relationships between employers and employees and the formal constraints under which each group operates, such as how much leeway managers have in hiring and firing employees, and how much freedom workers have to organize collectively. These relations are at the core of the productive processes that sustain society. Further, through the presence or absence of specific codes regulating the employment of women and children, labor legislation provides clues to the economic underpinnings of gender and family relations within a country. In reality, the codes may not be fully enforced, or may be enforced selectively by sector …

The Political Demography Of The World System, 2000-2050, Paul Demeny, Geoffrey Mcnicoll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Population policies are deliberately constructed or modified institutional arrangements and/or specific programs through which governments influence, directly or indirectly, demographic change. For any given country, the aim of population policy may be narrowly construed as bringing about quantitative changes in the membership of the territorially circumscribed population under the government’s jurisdiction. Governments’ concern with population matters can also extend beyond the borders of their own jurisdictions. Thus, international aspects of population policy have become increasingly salient. This Population Council working paper briefly discusses how individual and collective interests were reconciled in traditional societies, summarizes the population policy approaches adopted by …