Digital Commons Network^™

Benefits Of Extended Unemployment Insurance On Post-Unemployment Outcomes, Alyssa Roche

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how unemployment insurance (UI) affects individuals during and after unemployment. Drawing on historical evidence from recent recessions in the United States, publicly available data, behavioral insights, and mathematical modeling, it argues that the benefits of extending UI outweigh the potential costs. The analysis incorporates a wide range of sources, including empirical economic studies using regression models and psychology and business research that highlight behavioral responses to financial stress and job insecurity. By combining quantitative data with behavioral context, the thesis offers a more comprehensive understanding of how extended UI influences job search decisions, wage outcomes, and overall …

Rainy Day Funds In Mountain West States, Fy2024, Anirudh Polagani, Cason Noll, Krish Sharma, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet presents data on rainy day funds for fiscal year 2024 in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, as originally reported in the 2025 Governing Magazine article, “Growth of State Rainy Day Funds Has Slowed Down.” These data capture the number of days each state could fund state government operations using only rainy day funds, which represent the money states set aside to maintain operations during economic downturns or fiscal stress.

Situational Analysis Of Child Labour In Coastal And Marine Activities In Zanzibar, Tanzania, Happiness Anold Moshi, Rukia Kitula

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study analyses the situation of child labour in coastal and marine activities in Zanzibar, Tanzania, by examining activities carried out by children, the major driving factors for engaging in child labour, as well as the associated impacts to children’s schooling and wellbeing. Questionnaire survey, focus group discussions (FGDs), participant observations, and key informant interviews (KII) were all used to collect data for the study. The study involved a total of 90 children, who were randomly selected among working children in coastal and marine activities. It was found that most of the working children were involved in fishing, fish descaling, …

Working Mothers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development: Struggling With Family And Job Roles In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Ignasia Paskal Mbatta

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed at examining the socio-emotional development of employed mothers’ children in the metropolis of Dar es Salaam. Early childhood socio-emotional development is crucial for shaping a child’s short- and long-term well-being, relationships, and overall mental health. An exploratory qualitative approach employing a phenomenological design, guided this study. In-depth interviews, documentary reviews, and active participant observation were used to collect data. The study sample comprised of 42 working mothers, 9 domestic workers, and 90 children under five years of age of the same mothers. Purposive sampling was used to select working mothers, while domestic workers were selected incidentally. The …

The Ancillaries Of Undergraduate Economics Programs: Results Of A Departmental Survey, Gail M. Hoyt, Roisin O'Sullivan

Economics: Faculty Publications

Most economics departments have a cadre of ancillary elements intended to enhance the experience of their undergraduate majors. These may include opportunities to attend speaker series, give conference presentations, participate in student organizations, or work as teaching or research assistants. While economists have studied individual ancillaries, there is merit in a comprehensive examination. The authors design and conduct a departmental survey of 300 U.S. institutions to characterize ancillaries’ prevalence, structure, and perceived benefits. Their findings shed light on how the prevalence and structure of ancillaries vary across different types of academic institutions. Perceived benefits involve meeting departmental learning goals and …

Working Paper No. 101, “Universal Welfare” In Marxist Thought, And Its Implementation During The Era Of The Soviet Union, Eunji Jang

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that although in his writings Karl Marx emphasized “Universal Welfare” as a central ideal, its appearance and realization in the Soviet Union was affected by tensions between ideology and the realities of centralized economic control. The first section explores Marx’s vision of universal welfare as a structural component of a post-capitalist society rooted in collective ownership and human emancipation. The second section examines how the Soviet Union institutionalized welfare across sectors such as education, healthcare, housing, and employment, while access to these services was often influenced by labor contribution and political loyalty. The final section …

Startup Accelerator Returns: J Curve Or L Curve? A Comparative Performance Analysis Between A Venture Accelerator And Early-Stage Venture Capital, Aleš Pustovrh

Economic and Business Review

This document analyses the profitability of investments in venture accelerators compared to early-stage venture capital funds. Using a case study of a single fund manager operating both investment types, it tracks the Total Value to Paid-In (TVPI) ratio over 6 years. The early-stage venture capital investments showed a positive trend, exceeding a TVPI of 1, indicating profitability driven by company survival rates, external funding attraction, and growth. Conversely, the accelerator investments underperformed, with a TVPI consistently below 1, suggesting a loss for investors. This raises questions about the long-term viability of the accelerator model, potentially resulting in an L curve …

Medical Debt In The Mountain West, 2022, Kian Parikh, Lara Karaalp, Otoniel Ramos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents 2022 data on the prevalence of medical debt in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The Urban Institute report, “The Changing Medical Debt Landscape in the United States” includes data on medical debt estimates, hospital market concentration, as well as estimates of uninsured individuals, disabled adults, average household incomes, and racial compositions at the state and county level for the 50 states and Washington, DC. This fact sheet focuses on state-level differences on the prevalence of medical debt, as well as differences in the percentages of uninsured individuals and …

A Veblenian Approach To Chaos Theory, Isaiah Henry

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This paper provides a comparative analysis of Veblen's belief in disequilibrium, the field of chaos theory, and how these two frameworks connect. We explore the similarities and differences between Veblen's theories and the principles of chaos theory, including their shared emphasis on complexity and unpredictability. By analyzing the connections between Veblen's economic theories and chaos theory, we can gain a deeper understanding of the nature of disequilibrium and the complex forces that shape our world.

The Impact Of Blue Economy Factors On Morocco's Economic Growth, Lqamar Youssef, El Amine Youness Mr, Smouni Rachid Pr

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Purpose - This study examines the influence of blue economy factors on Morocco's economic growth.

Design/methodology/ approach - Using secondary data from 1980 to 2022, the analysis focuses on fishery production and its various sectors as contributing factors to economic growth. The study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and aims to highlight the impact of deep-sea fishing and coastal fishing in the context of a transition to a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.

Findings - The results suggest that coastal fishing has more potential for creating inclusive economic value within the development of the blue economy, thus promoting …

New Building Permits In The Mountain West, 2024, Taylor Volk, Mohit Pande, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet examines data on new build permits from January 2023 to January 2024 in the five Mountain West States of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.“New Home Construction Statistics,” published by This Old House, reported percent changes on new builder permits and construction manufacturing costs and statistics across all 50 states.

Scalable Targeting Of Social Protection: When Do Algorithms Out-Perform Surveys And Community Knowledge?, Emily Aiken, Anik Ashraf, Joshua E. Blumenstock, Raymond P. Guiteras, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak

Discussion Papers

Innovations in big data and algorithms are enabling new approaches to target interventions at scale. We compare the accuracy of three different systems for identifying the poor to receive benefit transfers — proxy means-testing, nominations from community members, and an algorithmic approach using machine learning to predict poverty using mobile phone usage behavior — and study how their cost-effectiveness varies with the scale and scope of the program. We collect mobile phone records from all major telecom operators in Bangladesh and conduct community-based wealth rankings and detailed consumption surveys of 5,000 households, to select the 22,000 poorest households for $300 …

Scalable Targeting Of Social Protection: When Do Algorithms Out-Perform Surveys And Community Knowledge?, Emily Aiken, Anik Ashraf, Joshua E. Blumenstock, Raymond Guiteras, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Innovations in big data and algorithms are enabling new approaches to target interventions at scale. We compare the accuracy of three different systems for identifying the poor to receive benefit transfers — proxy means-testing, nominations from community members, and an algorithmic approach using machine learning to predict poverty using mobile phone usage behavior — and study how their cost-effectiveness varies with the scale and scope of the program. We collect mobile phone records from all major telecom operators in Bangladesh and conduct community-based wealth rankings and detailed consumption surveys of 5,000 households, to select the 22,000 poorest households for $300 …

Quantile-Optimal Policy Learning Under Unmeasured Confounding, Zhongren Chen, Siyu Chen, Zhengling Qi, Xiaohong Chen, Zhuoran Yang

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study quantile-optimal policy learning where the goal is to find a policy whose reward distribution has the largest α-quantile for some α P p0, 1q. We focus on the offline setting whose generating process involves unobserved confounders. Such a problem suffers from three main challenges: (i) nonlinearity of the quantile objective as a functional of the reward distribution, (ii) unobserved confounding issue, and (iii) insufficient coverage of the offline dataset. To address these challenges, we propose a suite of causal-assisted policy learning methods that provably enjoy strong theoretical guarantees under mild conditions. In particular, to address (i) and (ii), …

Does Schooling Improve Cognitive Abilities At Older Ages? Causal Evidence From Nonparametric Bounds, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Hans-Peter Kohler

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We revisit much-investigated relationships between schooling and health, focusing on schooling impacts on cognitive abilities at older ages using the Harmonized Cognition Assessment Protocol in the Health & Retirement Study (HRS) and a bounding approach that requires relatively weak assumptions. Our estimated upper bounds on the population average effects indicate potentially large causal effects of increasing schooling from primary to secondary; yet, these upper bounds are smaller than many estimates from the literature on causal schooling impacts on cognition using compulsory-schooling laws. We also cannot rule out small and null effects at this margin. We do, however, find evidence for …

More Schooling Can Delay The Onset Of Dementia Later In Life, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Iliana Kohler, Hans-Peter Kohler, Shana D. Stites

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Causal Effects Of Schooling On Memory At Older Ages In Six Low-And-Middle-Income Countries: Nonparametric Evidence With Harmonized Datasets, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Iliana Kohler, Hans-Peter Kohler, Shana D. Stites

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Higher schooling attainment is associated with better cognitive function at older ages, but it remains unclear whether the relationship is causal. We estimate causal effects of schooling on performances on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) word-recall (memory) test at older ages in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. We used harmonized data (n=30,896) on older adults (≥50 years) from the World Health Organization Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. We applied an established nonparametric partialidentification approach that bounds causal effects of increasing schooling attainment at different parts of the schooling distributions under …

The Startup Ecosystem In Southern Nevada: Growth, Energy, And Emerging Entrepreneurship In 2025, Len Jessup, Sean Curry

Policy Briefs and Reports

The startup ecosystem in Southern Nevada has undergone significant transformation during the past decade, evolving from a fragmented and nascent environment into a dynamic and increasingly coordinated landscape. This study examines the growth of the Southern Nevada startup ecosystem, analyzing key components such as funding sources, incubators, accelerators, and public-private collaborations. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data, including investment trends, economic impact reports, and interviews with over 100 stakeholders, this policy brief provides a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and gaps within the ecosystem. Key findings indicate that while the region has made substantial progress, particularly in fostering early-stage investments …

Institutional Change In Healthcare As Brought About By The Critical Juncture Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olga Shvetsova

Working Papers Series

This introduction to the 2025 capstone symposium lays the conceptual groundwork for a new approach to analyzing institutional change in healthcare systems triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Departing from conventional legal-institutional perspectives, it extends the decision space framework developed by Bossert (1998) to capture both formal authority and the de-facto responsibilities exercised by public and non-public actors. By disaggregating health responsibilities across levels of government and sectors—public, private, and hybrid—and operationalizing these as quantifiable indicators over time, the framework allows for real-time and comparative assessment of institutional transformation. The pandemic is treated as a critical juncture that exposed and reconfigured …

Did Regionalism Kill The World Trade Organization?, Christopher S. Magee

Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Examining The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Service Quality, Student Satisfaction, And Intention To Persist At Different Higher Education Institutions, Denise Hardesty, Aaron W. Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

Using a correlational research design, this quantitative, descriptive study was conducted at a two-year community college and a four-year public university. A modified version of the Perceived Service Quality (PSQ) instrument was used to survey full-time, undergraduate students at each institution to examine perceptinos of service quality and whether those perceptions impact a student's decision to return the next semester. Students at both institutions in the study reported a high level of satisfaction in all three primary dimensions of service quality; no significant differences were found to exist in the way in which service quality is perceived by students based …

Resilience Of Women Entrepreneurs In Mindanao And The Impact Of Access To Finance And Digital Technologies, World Bank, Ateneo Center For Social Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc.

Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship (ACSEnt)

Executive Summary

This report examines the resilience of women nano- entrepreneurs in Mindanao and explores the impact of access to finance and digital technologies on their business sustainability. Utilizing data from the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) and focus group discussions (FGDs), the study identifies key challenges and coping mechanisms employed by women-led nano- enterprises. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to design targeted interventions that strengthen the sustainability of these enterprises, particularly in the face of economic and environmental shocks. Women-led nano-enterprises in Mindanao typically operate informally, with assets ranging from PhP3,000 to …

John R. Commons, Reasonable Value, And Power: A Critique, Jacob Powell

Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Reducing Carbon Emissions Through Sustainable Food Consumption: Applying An A-S-I Framework On Beijing Residents, Xuan Yang, Jiaxin Zou, Jingyao Gao, Shu Yang

Student Publications

The food sector represents one of the largest contributors to global climate change, making it urgent for the public to transform their food consumption behavior. However, food consumption behaviors that can facilitate carbon reduction, and how to classify these behaviors from the perspective of behavioral science, have not been deeply explored. This study pioneers a novel categorization of carbon-mitigating food consumption behaviors based on an A-S-I framework (i.e., “Avoid” food loss and waste, “Shift” to low-carbon alternatives, and “Improve” dietary structure). Such a classification not only encompasses the full spectrum of emission-altering behaviors but also enables identification of common determinants …

Political Sociology, Talha C. Issevenler

Open Educational Resources

This open-access textbook on political sociology introduces and problematizes the classical categories and parameters of the field. It explores the main approaches to the state and governance, while conceptualizing a turn toward network power. Specific chapters address political spacetime, violence, secrecy, social movements, politicization, interdisciplinarity, media, biopolitics, and event-analysis. Multimedia pedagogical exercises accompany the conceptual exposition.

An Exploratory Study Of Household Alcohol Consumption From The Us Bureau Of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey With A Focus On Market Conditions And Regulatory Structures, Mayya Makarycheva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alcohol consumption and use is not just a harmful behavior or a potential recreational activity, but it also may form a way of self-identification.

Each type of beverage apparently has their own profile of dedicated drinkers. Those drinkers are also apparently loyal to the location of purchase. However, one may also consider whether consumption in one location is a predictor of consumption in the other location. This distinct tendency highlights the intricacy of consumption patterns, as on-premise and off-premise consumption simultaneously serve as complements and substitutes in the long run in terms of both location and type of beverage.

The …

Guardians Of The Iranian Revolution: Clerical Authority, Bonyads, And The Irgc In Iran's Economic Landscape, Chase M. Toscano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the ideological and institutional foundations of Iran's post-revolutionary political economy, focusing on the triumvirate of clerical authority, bonyads (charitable foundations), and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Drawing on Kevan Harris’s “subcontractor state” framework, this study argues that Iran’s political economy is simultaneously a decentralized yet state-dominated system, where semi-public institutions like the bonyads and the IRGC act as key subcontractors, enabling the Islamic Republic to further economic development and circumventing Western sanctions. This analysis examines the development of Iran’s political economy from the 1979 revolution to identify the influence of left-wing Islamic ideologues like Ali Shariati …

The Giants Of Coercion: Major Powers And The Mobilization Of Global Sanctions Coalitions, Louis Charbonneau

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the conditions under which sanctions-sending states can successfully mobilize broad international support for coercive measures on a target state for violating international security norms. Using the case of international sanctions on Iran from 2006 to 2016, I develop a theory of how sanctions senders mobilize support for, and cooperation with, coercive measures on target states. The theory has two parts. First, states seeking international sanctions against a target with broad participation and support need unity and cooperation on the part of major powers in the international system. Second, securing the unity and cooperation of major powers makes …

The New Reality Of Work: Automation And Ai In Tyler, Manuel Reyes-Loya, Cecilia Cuellar

Hibbs Brief

This brief analyzes how automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping Tyler's labor market, identifying which occupations are most at risk and which may grow. It shows a significant share of local jobs are exposed to automation, but also highlights opportunities in roles requiring human skills and advanced technical training. The brief recommends workforce development and retraining to help the region's workers adapt and thrive in an increasingly automated economy.

The Road To Montana: Exploring The Decision Paths To Visiting Montana, Kika Bradford, Glenna Hartman, Matthew Pettigrew, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Montana’s big skies, outdoor recreation, and cultural heritage attract millions of visitors each year. However, a segment of potential travelers remains unaware and/or disengaged from the state’s tourism market. This study identifies barriers and opportunities in engaging travelers who have never been to Montana.