Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Borderplex Economic Outlook: 2011-2013, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 14, Number 4, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

The Economic Impact Of The Proposed Northgate Transfer Center Contruction On El Paso, Texas, Roberto Tinajero, David Ramirez, David A. Schauer

IPED Technical Reports

The Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was contracted by the Planning Division of City of El Paso to conduct an economic impact analysis of the proposed construction of the Northgate Transfer Center (NTC) that will accommodate a bus rapid transit system. This report is generated for the purpose of supporting a submission for funding to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Infrastructure Investments (TIGER Discretionary Grants). Therefore, this study quantifies the economic impacts of the proposed construction of the NTC on the County of El Paso, Texas. Specifically, this …

Potential Factors For Metal Heat Treatment In El Paso, Mario E. Caire, Dennis L. Soden

IPED Technical Reports

The Paso del Norte region lacks local access to a small to mid‐sized metal heat treating facility. As a result, local industries that manufacture products that require metal heat treatment services typically out‐source this service to non‐regional companies. Businesses have reported sending materials to California, Arizona, East Texas, and as far out as Illinois.

Retail Peso Exchange Rate Discounts And Premia In El Paso, Raúl Muñoz, Michael J. Pisani, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr.

Border Region Modeling Project

This paper studies the exchange rates at which Mexican pesos are accepted for retail purchases in El Paso, Texas. A stratified random sample of 586 participating firms is surveyed to examine two aspects of reverse dollarization in the El Paso/Ciudad Juárez border region. The first is to determine the percentage of retail businesses in El Paso that accept foreign currency in the form of Mexican pesos. The results suggest that just over 13.1% (77/586) of all retail firms in this market accept pesos, which on average, comprise 4.35% of total sales for those firms. The second is to calculate the …

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 14, Number 3, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

El Paso Downtown Perceptions: 2011 Survey, Roberto Tinajero, David Ramirez, Elizabeth K. Gibson

IPED Technical Reports

The Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED) at the University of Texas at El Paso was contracted by the El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD), Strategic Communication Consulting Group (SCCG), and the City of El Paso Economic Development Department (EPED) to conduct a survey on issues related to downtown El Paso. Accordingly, this report provides a snapshot of the attitudes and perceptions of business owners and employees within the Downtown Management District, as well as El Paso County households, regarding several issues associated with downtown El Paso. The survey and its findings are intended to guide the DMD and …

The 2011 City Of El Paso Citizen Survey, Elizabeth K. Gibson, Lisa Tomaka, David Ramirez, Roberto Tinajero, Mario Caire, Dennis L. Soden

IPED Technical Reports

The Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED) at the University of Texas at El Paso was contracted by the City of El Paso’s Office of the City Manager to conduct a household survey exploring citizen attitudes and perceptions about City services and general quality of life issues. The present survey is the fourth in a series of similar surveys conducted in 2004, 2006, and 2008. These surveys, together, explore how El Paso citizens’ attitudes and perceptions have changed over time regarding their City and the services its government provides.

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 14, Number 2, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Carlos Morales, Francisco Pallares

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

Cross Border Business Cycle Impacts On El Paso Real Estate: 1970-2003, Gokce Kincal, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., James H. Holcomb, Martha Patricia Barraza De Anda

Border Region Modeling Project

There is comparatively little empirical evidence regarding the impacts of cross border business cycle fluctuations on metropolitan housing markets located near international boundaries. This study examines the impacts of economic conditions in Mexico on sales of existing single-family houses in El Paso, Texas. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these impacts are fairly notable. Annual frequency data from The University of Texas at El Paso Border Region Modeling Project are used to test this possibility. Results indicate that solid empirical evidence of such a linkage is elusive and additional analysis is warranted.

Impact Of Science And Engineering Graduates On Key Economic Indicators, Nathaniel V. Robinson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There are clear trends in the USA with regard to a stagnant growth in science and engineering, particularly engineering, and in greater contrast when considered per capita. Meanwhile certain Asian counties, such as China and Taiwan, have experienced growth in science and engineering graduates beyond mere population growth. This has caught the eye of alarmists and so discussions have ensued over offshoring, national security, economic loss and future impact in the United States. Alarmists and proponents of policies promoting more science, engineering and math have pointed out the trends in overseas growth and US offshoring with a flurry of statistics …

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 14, Number 1, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Teodulo Soto

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

Transferability Of Child Labor Norms: Examining The Link Between Foreign Direct Investment And Child Labor Practices In Developing Countries, Ijtsuri Anayantzin Viveros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Why do child labor norms often fail to be transferred or enforced in developing countries even if the implementation of such norms already proved to have substantially reduced child labor practices in developed regions? In the field of international political economy, a number of studies examine how international trade in general and foreign direct investment (FDI, hereafter) in particular influence economic growth, income equality, and balance of trade in developed and developing countries. Extending the literature on international trade and investment, this thesis examines the relationship between FDI and child labor practices in developing countries.

Specifically, I investigate whether and …

The Relationship Between Divided Government And Real Per Capita Gross State Product, Adrian Christopher Villasenor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper analyzes the relationship between divided government and real per capita gross state product in U.S. states using a panel study of data from all of the contiguous U.S. states, except Nebraska, for the period of 1990 to 2007. Some literature can be found on the relationship between divided government and economic growth at the national level. There is a lack of study of this relationship at the state level. Real per capita gross state product is the dependent variable in this study. Divided government, partisan control of the governor's office, partisan control of the state legislature, combined federal …

Transit In A Border Zone: The Demand For Public Transportation In Three Texas Border Cities, Adam Gregory Walke

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Factors affecting the demand for public transportation include those, like fares or the level of service, that transit administrators can directly influence as well as those, like gasoline prices, that are beyond administrators' control. This study considers both but focuses on the latter and, more specifically, on how proximity to an international border affects transit ridership. Pedestrian border crossings have a significant effect on ridership levels in El Paso, Brownsville, and Laredo, Texas. Also, ridership correlates positively with the purchasing power of the peso in Laredo and with Mexico's industrial production index in El Paso. In the context of prior …

An Empirical Analysis Of Gasoline Demand In Mexico Using Cointegration Techniques, Mario Elizalde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Economic expansion in Mexico has caused fuel consumption in Mexico to increase. Because Mexico does not have sufficient refinery capacity, over 40 percent of total gasoline consumed is imported. This has implications for the balance of payments. In this paper, gasoline demand is empirically examined using co-integration and error correction approaches. Results show no evidence of long-run equilibrium in the Mexican gasoline market. This is potentially attributable to the regulatory regime that governs energy markets in Mexico. Regulated price adjustments that are not consistent with prevailing market conditions run the risk of misallocating resources. Permitting greater flexibility in private gasoline …

The Second-Generation Effects Of Microcredit In Western Guatemala, Jordyn Elizabeth Haught

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Most microfinance institutions have assumed that positive second-generation effects follow involvement in microcredit, but the nature of these effects has been unclear since few scholars have directly focused their attention on them. To address this gap in the literature I conducted exploratory survey research in Western Guatemala in January 2011. I returned with 97 interviews conducted with 68 Guatemalans who had received a microloan at some point in their lives, and 29 who had never received a formal loan. In the sample of their 306 children, the parents of 94 had never received a loan, while the parents of 212 …

Inequality Aversion And Altruism In Bargaining Experiments: The Effect Of Gender, Carolina Del Pilar Cerda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper examines gender-related inequality aversion, altruism and the effect of gender on decision-making using ultimatum and dictator experiments. A triple-anonymous design was incorporated into the experiments by excluding monetary payments in order to eliminate any aspect of social pressure that the experimenter may exert by exchanging money with the subjects. The absence of social pressure allows for observation of gender differences in economic behavior. Results show that there is a sharp difference between genders. Women are more likely to give larger amounts than men indicating that altruism does vary depending on gender. Also, inequality aversion appears to be more …

Public Investment And Economic Growth In El Paso, Azucena Gonzalez Monzon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on the impact from public capital stock on economic growth in El Paso, Texas. A time series analysis is used to gauge the dynamic relationship between public infrastructure and the productivity of this city's economy. An Error Correction model and a Vector Error Correction model are utilized to discover short-run and long-run impacts from public capital stock on the growth of this particular economy. The Vector Autoregressive model is used to determine causality amongst the variables and to determine the structure of this economy. This research finds that public infrastructure growth actually follows economic growth and private …

Residential Electricity Demand In Seattle, David Alan Juarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines residential electricity demand for the Seattle City Light (SCL) public utility market. SCL is interesting because all of its electricity is generated through hydro-electric facilities as well as its purchased power, mostly through contracts with the Bonneville Power Administration, resulting in below-average residential electricity prices. An error-correction model is estimated using annual time series data. Income, price, and climate data are used to identify both economic and seasonal effects. In addition, a customer equation is also estimated using the error-correction approach. The income-elasticity is negative indicating that electricity is an inferior good in this market. Out-of-sample forecasts …