Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Local Initiatives And Imf Policies In Quito, Ecuador, Dionissi Aliprantis

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

If we are to define development as an increase in the freedoms people enjoy, then we may move beyond structural adjustments and foreign investment as means to create wealth in Ecuador and Latin America. Although not conclusively documented one way or the other [13], microlending is a promising path towards development from this perspective. At the very least, microlending offers hope to a segment of the population that would otherwise be disenfranchised. In Quito, Ecuador, microlending programs are creating wealth and expanding freedoms in a manner consistent with capitalism, while a good deal of IMF policies extract wealth from the …

Pollution Abatement Costs: Hurting Or Helping Productivity?, Jacqueline M. Volkman

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This paper analyzes the effect that regulatory inputs or expenditures for labor, materials, and capital have on productivity for three industries (blast furnaces and steel mills, alkalies and chlorine, and petroleum refining). Data is examined from 1973 to 1994 and the growth rate of total factor productivity (TFP) is considered. The pattern of pollution abatement expenditures for three media, water, air, and solid wastes, is also examined graphically. In addition, the measurement for TFP is adjusted to net out regulatory inputs for labor, materials, and capital. A comparison between the original and adjusted measurement of TFP is made for each …

The Economic Impact Of Native American Gaming: Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Lisa Borromeo

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

The purpose of this paper is to put the economic and social importance of Indian gambling on and off the reservation into perspective. Because the economic and social effects of Indian gaming are additive, one cannot form a coherent picture of the net impact of gaming without measuring both the economic and social effects (Cornell et al., 1998). Because gambling has impacts beyond reservation boundaries, studying the surrounding local economy is a necessary action. As both the number of tribes with gaming operations and the magnitude of the operations increase, so do their effects. This paper combines a general overview …

Financial Intermediation And National Growth: Why India Needs To Further Develop Its Stock Markets, Deepika Gupta

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

The aim of this paper is twofold: to show the positive growth effect on economies through steady stock market growth, and to analyze the performance of India’s stock markets over the last decade on national growth. I start out in Section I with economic analyses of the high correlation between stock market indicators and the development of all financial institutions. Studies conducted by other economists prove correlations between the stock market and other macroeconomic indicators such as liquidity, level of banking, volatility, consumption, income and stock prices. Section II is a detailed case analysis of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) …

The Relationship Between Economic Freedom And Socio - Economic Development, Anisha Madan

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This research study assumes that people will be better off if there is greater equality of income, if per capita income increases, and if they have better access to education and health care through which they can lead a more fulfilling life. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. Education is a basic need because it improves skills, improves productivity, and lowers reproductivity by improving the status of women. Education also contributes to meeting other basic needs. If the behavioral changes …

The Cellular Divide: A Comparative Analysis Of Mobile Phone Usage In Spain And The United States, Deborah J. Slezak

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

The usage of mobile phones has dramatically increased in the past decade, narrowing the boundaries of size, space, and time. It is this “death of distance” that will be the single most important economic force shaping all of society over the next half century. The economic prosperity of the United States has contributed to the increase in this “luxury” telecommunication device, but how can the rapid increase in European countries with lower per capita incomes such as Spain be explained? The purpose of this paper is to examine mobile phone usage and penetration rates in the United States compared to …

Developments In The Banking Industry: Implications For The Future Of Bank Lending To Small Businesses, Myra Read

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This paper investigates the recent developments in the banking industry that are impacting small business lending. The first section describes the traditional lending relationship between banks and small businesses. An analysis of the application of credit-scoring to small businesses follows. The next section discusses potential uses of loan securitization. The final section examines the consolidation trend in the banking industry.

A Benchmarking Study Of The Lehigh Valley, Jason Faberman, Stephanie Laski

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This study benchmarks the Lehigh Valley to nine other metropolitan areas within the United States. These areas represent a wide array of economic growth levels. Charlotte, Portland, Seattle, and Nashville represented high growth cities. Minneapolis and Lancaster represented moderate growth cities. Hartford, Flint, Rochester and the Lehigh Valley represented low growth cities. Three analyses attempted to identify reasons for economic growth. The study period included the years 1970 through 1995. All three analyses looked at regional growth relative to the nation. A study of each region’s industry mix compared the diversity of this mix to the overall employment growth of …

The Effects On Labor Of Post-Industrial Globalization: A Comparison Of Marxist And Non-Marxist Paradigms, Louis Hyman

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

In this paper I will be examining the changes in labor conditions that have occurred during the last ten years, how they are intimately linked to new notions of information technology and the rise of a global economic perspective. I will compare the [Marxist and non-Marxist] trains of thought as well, and attempt to provide a notion of where I believe them to be sufficient and lacking. If these new notions of globalized post-industrial labor resolve the antagonism between Labor and Capital, they would signal a critical shift in the socioeconomic dynamics of the world, similar in importance to the …

Are Economies Moving In The Direction Of Smaller Firms?, Hong Kian Boon Kelvin

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

This paper assesses the present situation of the SME sector in Singapore, and appraise its role in the future. SMEs are a distinct economic entity that often thrive in small niches. SMEs may be defined in various ways, in terms of the country's stage of development and policy objectives. While the SMEs can play many strategic roles in our transition to the innovation driven stage of development, recent trends over the decade have shown that they still have a long way to go.

Editor's Note: Some figures are missing from this article. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The Stock Market As A Leading Indicator: An Application Of Granger Causality, Brad Comincioli

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

The purpose of this paper, then, is to evaluate stock prices as a leading indicator of economic activity. Time-series analysis and the notion of "Granger causality" are used in this project to estimate relationships between stock prices and the economy, and to see if they are consistent with theory. In this paper, we will explore the following questions. First, does the stock market lead the real economy, in the sense that variation in its past values explains some of the variation in the real economy? Second, does the stock market "Granger-cause" the real economy, in which case past values of …