Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Prescription For Conflict Affected Societies: Fiscal Measure For Economic Development, Ahmad Shoaib Jalil

Senior Projects Spring 2024

This paper summarizes the literature on the correlation between economic variables and conflict in three phases. This paper aims to synthesize literature about the appropriate use of economic measures during different phases of conflict: pre-conflict, during conflict, and post-conflict. The research follows the format: analysis of the impacts of economic welfare as the source of conflict, setting economic prosperity as the central goal to stop violence, proposing fiscal measures that lead to short-term growth to avoid conflict recurrence, and finally, analysis of fiscal elements that promote economic development in the long-run. The analysis identifies fiscal policy as the most appropriate …

The Chronology Of Development In Senegal, Charles Simmons

Senior Projects Spring 2024

This paper asserts that to fulfill its development potential, Senegal must prioritize substantial investment toward accelerating the structural transformation of the agricultural sector through investments in human capital and widened access to quality education and healthcare services to better facilitate inclusive growth and productivity. Additionally, structural reforms must be implemented to increase domestic revenues via increasing the tax base, targeting the informal sector, simplifying tax codes, and strengthening governance and compliance frameworks. By implementing tailored fiscal policy reforms and strengthening institutional capacity, Senegal can create a robust environment for sustainable development and accomplish its development aspirations. Chapter 1 explores Senegal's …

Assessing The Social, Economic, And Environmental Impact Of Solar Energy Integration On The Rural Areas Of Killa Abdullah District Of Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, Naseem Nazari

Senior Projects Spring 2024

Abstract

Electricity is essential for both social and economic progress. However, many developing countries struggle with challenges posed by an inadequate energy supply. Like other developing regions, Pakistan's Balochistan province faces a severe electricity crisis, with current demand at approximately 1,650 MW annually. In contrast, the peak load supplied to the province from the national grid has remained at only 500-600 MW. Rural areas of Balochistan, where almost 80% of the population does not have access to an adequate electricity supply, are impacted the most. This critical issue persists because the rural areas are situated at a considerable distance from …

Revolutionizing Economic Growth Through Ict: Rwanda's Path To Digital Empowerment, Mehria Ghafoori

Senior Projects Spring 2024

Abstract:

This study examines the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in shaping Rwanda's economic development path through education. It evaluates the effectiveness of ICT in fueling the country's economic growth in the aftermath of the genocide. Through an analysis of Rwanda's strategic endeavors, including the National Information Communication Infrastructure (NICI) plans and Vision 2020, this study examines the nation's utilization of ICT as a means to facilitate its shift towards a knowledge-based economy, with a particular emphasis on its educational sector. An in-depth analysis is conducted to assess the impact of programs such as the One Laptop Per …

China's Growth Odyssey: A Model For Optimal Resource Allocation Amidst China’S Policy Shift, Eric Lin

Senior Projects Spring 2024

Driven by the recent shift in China’s economic policy to address decaying demand, both domestic and foreign, this paper offers insights into rethinking the structure of the supply side of China's economy, by constructing a two-sector optimal growth model combining Solow’s neoclassical growth theory with optimal control theory. Under the assumption that supply-demand equilibrium prevails in the economy, the model answers the question of how China can optimally allocate physical capital and labor between the production of consumption goods and investment goods to maximize consumer utility from 2007 to 2022. When plotting the optimal allocation ratios against the actual allocation …

Globalization And Poverty: Exploring Development Discourse Within Urban Dynamics - The Case Of Colombo And Mumbai, Zohra Helali

Senior Projects Spring 2024

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Trading Pressures: Deeper Insight Into Export Controls And Sanctions’ Impact On The United States And Global Trade Markets, Eric Julian Guaman

Senior Projects Spring 2024

This paper explores the evolving landscape of the global trade market and trade dynamics by evaluating the effects of economic sanctions. The paper analyzes the subject via data collection projects and research material, such as research papers, news articles, and journal articles. The results convey that economic sanctions have adverse effects that reverberate beyond the intended target, thus causing initiatives that reshape the global economic landscape. In addition, the analysis demonstrates that challenges arise for countries that popularly use trade controls, such as the United States, whose total share of the global market has decreased, alongside the rise in foreign …

Albania's Development: Exploring State Ownership, Corruption, And The Impacts Of Mass Migration, And The Labor Market, Marsela Doko

Senior Projects Spring 2024

The development of Albania is seen through various factors. I explore the topics of development through state ownership both during (under the rule of Enver Hoxha) and after his death and the fall of communism, corruption, emigration, and the labor market. The high rates of privatization of property have led many parts of the country to become inaccessible and unaffordable for the average citizens. Additionally, the high rates of corruption that were in part due to the history of communism limit the change possible and the rate that could help the country's development. Furthermore, the mass migration of over 40% …

Pmt, Cbt, And Hybrid Models: Is Machine Learning The Future Of Poverty Targeting?, Luca Orion Heidelberg

Senior Projects Spring 2024

Addressing poverty in developing countries without relying on income data is becoming increasingly important, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue farther than anyone expected. This paper reviews literature on various poverty targeting models including Proxy Means Test, Community-Based Targeting, hybrid models, and machine learning-based models in hopes of finding the best method. The findings highlight the importance of model parameters, particularly in PMT, also revealing that the number of potential beneficiaries analyzed and number of indicators utilized can influence the targeting accuracy. CBT incorporates community involvement in the poverty targeting process at a lower cost than PMT, …

Exploring The Rise In Anti-Immigrant Violence In South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Historical, Economic, And Political Factors, Yaseer Bolaji Abdulfatai

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Path To Development And Democracy, Does It Matter Which Comes First? Nicolas, Nicolas Soucy

Senior Projects Spring 2023

In this paper I have looked into the relationship between economic development and the type of political regime used to achieve development. Throughout my research I approach the idea that economic development is more related to the initial conditions of the state independent of the regime style in place. I have looked at states that achieved development through a democracy, states that achieved development through more of an authoritarian regime, and states that have not achieved development yet. When looking at the process of economic development the initial conditions of macroeconomic and political stability, equality of opportunity, and a collective …

Don’T Talk To Me Until I’Ve Had My Coffee: An Analysis Of Colombia’S Changing Coffee And Agricultural Sector In The Face Of Climate Change, Nita Vemuri

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Abstract

“With each year that passes, Atlantic and Pacific cyclone generating areas have experienced higher sea surface temperatures and increases in the intensity and duration of tropical storms.” (Sherbinin et al., 2007) While climate change remains a myth to some, it has become a reality for many, especially those whose livelihoods depend on climate-vulnerable fields and occupations. Latin American countries are especially subjected to climate change consequences because of their vast agricultural sectors and their reliance on ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) patterns, “There is a clear relationship …

Unraveling The Enigma Of Japan’S Lost Decades: An Econometrics Study Using Var Model, Mingche Sun

Senior Projects Spring 2023

This paper investigates the driving factors of Japan’s stagnation for over 20 years. Through reading various studies and reports, the main factors considered in this econometric study are the government policies, including fiscal and monetary policies, demographic change, and the international competition. These are represented by government spending, interest rates, age dependency ratio, and net export, respectively. The Vector Autoregression (VAR) Model is used in two separate periods. The findings show that for the first period (1991-2000), the age dependency ratio, net exports and interest rate slowed down the economy; however, for the second period, the net exports became the …

The Elusive Rainbow Nation: Assessing Post-Apartheid Reconstruction Strategies In Johannesburg, South Africa, Ashley May Eugley

Senior Projects Spring 2022

This paper examines how South Africa’s political and economic orientation following the nation’s democratization in 1994 enabled a continuation of Apartheid-era patterns in the City of Johannesburg. In particular, it contends that governmental decentralization, neoliberalism, and global city aspirations—enshrined in both local and national policy documents—turned attention away from addressing internal deprivations. Rather than redistributing social and economic power, uplifting the Black-majority, and allowing urban stakeholders to play a central role in policy formation and decision-making, Johannesburg’s City Government catered to elite outside interests, effectively introducing new forms of segmentation and disenfranchisement. Although the African National Congress committed to transform …

The Gold Standard And Fiat Money System, Khawaja Mohammad Mudasser

Senior Projects Fall 2022

This paper explains two world monetary orders, the Gold Standard and Fiat Money. The paper argues that the Fiat Money system is better than the Gold Standard system because the Gold Standard system increases risk of deflation and restricts economic growth unlike the Fiat Money system. The paper discusses history of both monetary regimes, policy mechanism under both systems and economic outcomes. The paper states the policy and framework for exchange rates and trading under both regimes. It also discusses monetary policy and gold/capital flows under both of the systems.

French Bilateral Aid To Mali: Examining The Donor-Recipient Relationship’S Effect On Development, Hazel R. Carson

Senior Projects Spring 2022

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Transformation Of Japan From 1868 To 1970s: Detective Fiction As The Carrier Of Social Anxieties, Xinye Hu

Senior Projects Spring 2022

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies and Languages and Literature of Bard College.

The Untouchability Of Dalits: The Economic And Social Exclusion Of Dalits In The Post-Independence Era, Duhita Das

Senior Projects Spring 2021

This project examines whether economic development efforts in India were effective in mobilizing Dalits during the post-independence era. Global and national policy continue to fail to recognize the role caste plays in inequality and poverty, further excluding Dalits from gaining freedoms continuously rewarded to higher-castes. By taking a historical approach when examining the caste system and its persistence in economic and social structures in the modern era, there can be a greater understanding of how Dalits remain excluded from major institutions and struggle to mobilize, regardless of the gaining of constitutional rights. From a chronological perspective, this project investigates the …

New Perspectives On Contemporary Chinese Growth: The Developmental State Model And China’S Success In The Reform Period, Adam T. Savino

Senior Projects Spring 2021

The success of China since 1979 has often been boiled down to market fundamentals, neglecting its largely state directed system. This essay compares the developmental state theory of growth, established by historian Chalmers Johnson, to China’s economic practices over the last 40 years. Ultimately, the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that China’s growth is based on a unique application of the developmental state model, and that this model is potentially transferable to other economies that have yet to develop as robustly.

The Effect Of Remittances On Ethnic Tension, Suyog Shrestha

Senior Projects Spring 2021

With the massive increase in global remittances in the recent decades, migration study has gained a lot of attention from scholars in social sciences. In particular, the effect of remittances on various socio-economic variables have been studied. Furthering this literature, we study the effects of remittances on ethnic tension. Using the Ordinary Least Squares with Panel-Corrected Standard Errors, we find that i) remittances has less impact on ethnic tension in countries with lower variance of ethnic tension than those with higher variance ii) remittances increases ethnic tension in countries that already have higher ethnic tension than the global mean, whereas …

Llamas No Son Ovejas The Pervasive Impacts Of Colonization On Indigenous Peoples Labor Market Choices In Peru: An Examination Of Exclusionary Institutions Through Sociohistorical And Economic Lenses, Molly Jeanne Devine

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Using historical and empirical evidence, this Senior Project looks at the long-term impacts of colonization on economic, social, and cultural institutions. This project explores impacts both immediately upon Spanish arrival in 1532, and created during the Spanish colonization of Peru. Systems of forced labor created through colonization created two separate paths of development: one for the Spanish and Spanish-selected Peruvian elite and another for the Indigenous people of Peru. Vestiges of the Spanish colonization of Peru continue to manifest themselves in modern times in many ways. This Senior Project examines the link between Indigenous individuals and their participation in the …

"Made In Bangladesh", Joya Alia Syed

Senior Projects Spring 2020

The 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh was the worst industrial disaster in modern times and began a turning point for change in the garment sector. This paper will uncover human rights violations such as the exploitation of garment workers, verbal and physical abuse as well as the right for workers to collectively bargain. The paper will begin with a brief background of the Bangladeshi garment sector, then the pressure of the “Fast Fashion” demand for the industry and gender dimensions. It will conclude with remediation efforts from local and international levels from social movements, campaigns, and programs such …

A Case For The Congo: How Can Education And Agriculture Lead To Economic Development?, Arthur Kilongo

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Since its independence from Belgium in 1960 until this point in time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than often experienced violence and political instability that have prevented the creation of a stable economy and functional political system. As a result, quality education and high paying jobs are scarce in the DR Congo today, resulting in poverty to the extent where many people in the country live on less than $1.90 per day. According to the International Labour Organization, as many as 68.7% of Congolese worked in agriculture in 2019. This paper investigates how education and training can …

How We Value Future Generations, Elias Connors Dorf

Senior Projects Fall 2020

This project examines how we value future generations. From looking at different ways we value future and present wellbeing we are able to see a tension that arises from having a high value on both. When looking at examples of ways we value future wellbeing we can see that if you value future wellbeing highly it will devalue current wellbeing. Then we look for a justification for valuing one over the other. This leads us into two ways of how we justify valuing either valuation of wellbeing and a discussion of the average and the classical principles of utility. We …

Examination Of United States Housing Data And The Racial Wealth Gap Case Study Of Westchester County, Ny, Ezekiel Nana Demasio

Senior Projects Spring 2019

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Still Sitting On Men: Understanding The Continuities Of Indirect Rule Through Pre-Colonial Forms Of Female Resistance, Ethnic Power Politics And Economic Violence In Southeast Nigeria, Evan Richardson

Senior Projects Spring 2019

This project exposes that Indirect Rule in Southeastern Nigeria has had direct, significant ramifications on the Political Economic Development of Nigeria through the present day.

Postcolonial Exploitation Through Economic Development Tools: A Case Study On France And The Ivory Coast, Keshav R. Prabhu-Schlosser

Senior Projects Spring 2019

Abstract: French monetary control over their colonies in Africa did not decrease after decolonization. Instead, the monetary union, the CFA Franc Zone set the stage for French domination of West Africa for decades to come through their control of pricing and exchange rates. This dominion causes repeated economic downturns, which the governments of the CFA countries are unable to counteract due to the monetary and fiscal restrictions placed upon them through the currency union. These downturns are only offset by repeated injections of capital, which can only come from abroad. In a case study of France and the Ivory Coast, …

"By Gifts One Makes Slaves": Long-Term Effects Of Denmark's Colonization Of Greenland, Sofia Stærmose Hardt

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Greenland was colonized by Denmark in 1721. Although Denmark’s colonization had elements of racism and economic exploitation, it was not violent. This project explores the long-term effects of a paternalistic colonization on the establishment of extractive institutions and on social well-being and cohesion. I examine ways in which Danish colonial policy, from 1721-1953, on the one hand sought to “civilize” and modernize Greenlandic society and, on the other hand, attempted to maintain traditional hunting practices for economic gain. These complex and sometimes contradictory social engineering techniques of governance have been linked to long-term problems of Greenlandic identity. Greenland was officially …

A Historical Comparison, And Speculative Analysis Of The Technological Revolution: Winners, Losers, And Technological Capabilities, Caleb Larosa

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Technological innovation began long ago, and if we start at its origin, and slowly breakdown its progression to present day, a significant role, and purpose begins to emerge. However, technology is now smarter than ever, and despite being able to refer to the past, there are countless uncertainties regarding the current capabilities, and the predetermined path of automation and computerisation. Moreover, there is much to be discovered surrounding the role of technology within income inequality. How much of the inequality and progression of trends can we attribute to technology? Will technology displace the majority of human labor hours? It is …

Perón And The Argentine Paradox: An Investigation Into An Economic Mystery, Antonio Luis Gansley-Ortiz

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.