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Bryant University

2010

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Articles 1 - 30 of 33

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Tax Reform In Rhode Island: Developing A High Quality Revenue Stream, Nicholas A. Denice Dec 2010

Tax Reform In Rhode Island: Developing A High Quality Revenue Stream, Nicholas A. Denice

Honors Projects in Accounting

The present study explores the current state of taxation in Rhode Island in relation to its sales tax. An analysis of the literature will examine how the current sales tax system compares with other alternatives and if it hurts the state's economic competitiveness as shown in tax burden studies. Using Rhode Island tax data from the Annual State Audit and Consumer Expenditure Survey, this study will analyze the current sales tax system in the state and determine whether an alternative model would lead to a higher-quality revenue stream. Data from the State of Rhode Island General Audit Report and the …

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From Cellblocks To Suburbia: Tattoos As Subcultural Style, Commodity And Self-Expression, Erin Teffs Dec 2010

From Cellblocks To Suburbia: Tattoos As Subcultural Style, Commodity And Self-Expression, Erin Teffs

Honors Projects in English and Cultural Studies

This research study uses scholarship on tattooing, popular cultural representation and the practice and experience of tattooing to look at how subcultures (social groups excluded from mainstream society) express themselves through style and how style creates meaning and identification. These subcultures differ from other subcultures, such as racially marginalized groups, in that they create style in order to separate themselves from the mainstream. These marginal ideas of style are often picked up and adapted by America’s mainstream, materialistic culture and marketed as “cool” by corporations and other members of mainstream society for mass consumption. When discussing related subcultural theory in …

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Where Were The Media In The Financial Crisis Of 2008, And Have We Seen This Trend Before?, Margaret Dickinson May 2010

Where Were The Media In The Financial Crisis Of 2008, And Have We Seen This Trend Before?, Margaret Dickinson

Honors Projects in Communication

In the fall of 2008, the United States and the rest of the world experienced significant financial turmoil. The financial industry as we knew it crumbled before our eyes. After experiencing this event and the media's fragmented and inconsistent coverage of it, I felt an interesting topic to look into was the financial press' failed coverage of the finance industry, both today and in the past. In looking at this event, I will focus on both the financial press that failed to cover the happenings of the financial industry, as well as those that did recognize the issue at hand. …

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Economic Conditions And Employment Prospects: Examining The Experiences Of Bryant University Graduates In The Labor Market, Jeffrey Steacie Apr 2010

Economic Conditions And Employment Prospects: Examining The Experiences Of Bryant University Graduates In The Labor Market, Jeffrey Steacie

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

Many authors have researched and identified trends in employment during good and bad economic times. The recent financial meltdown warrants a reexamination of these trends to see if they coincide with previous recessions and what lessons can be learned for those graduating and attempting to find employment. This report details the varying circumstances surrounding college graduates as they seek employment during times of both economic prosperity (or booms) and less fortunate times of economic busts (recessions). This is important since these trends may identity both potential roadblocks and benefits for gainful employment and future opportunities. Graduation is also a crucial …

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Conscientiousness As A Mediator Of Caffeine Use And Academic Performance, Laura Lussier Apr 2010

Conscientiousness As A Mediator Of Caffeine Use And Academic Performance, Laura Lussier

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

Academic performance (AP) is of primary importance to undergraduate students because it is related to future economic and occupational success. Therefore, it is not surprising that students want to maximize their GPA, a common measure of AP. This study used a survey model to investigate the relationships among caffeine use (CU), conscientiousness (CN), and AP. Specifically, it was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between CU and GPA, CU and CN, and CN and GPA. In addition, CN was believed to be a mediating variable in the CU-GPA relationship. Analysis of the results revealed that the only significant …

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Raising Youth Turnout: The Role Of Campaigns And Political Involvement Organizations, Rebecca Brown Apr 2010

Raising Youth Turnout: The Role Of Campaigns And Political Involvement Organizations, Rebecca Brown

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

This paper will explore a different side of the youth voter and the mystified year of the youth voter by examining the elections of 1992, 2004, and 2008. In investigating this issue, instead of examining the actions of the young voters during these elections, the actions of campaigns and get out the vote organizations are examined. It seems that the disappointment in young voters is not an issue for which young people hold sole responsibility. The other actors in the election, too, must do their part in courting the young voter. They must spend the time, effort, and money necessary …

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A New Stock Index To Better Predict The United States' Real Gdp, William Nette Apr 2010

A New Stock Index To Better Predict The United States' Real Gdp, William Nette

Honors Projects in Finance

The relationship between the United States’ real GDP and the overall stock market has been acknowledged by researchers and investors alike. This research paper will document a newly created composite index that will try to more accurately predict the overall U.S. economy through the proxy of GDP than the current S&P 500 index. Success will be determined if the composite index representing the addition of a service sector component to the S&P 500 is more correlated to U.S. real GDP than the S&P 500 alone. The results suggest that the service sector is not quite adequately in the S&P 500. …

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Non-Profit Organizations In A Down Economy: The Financial Performance Of Higher Education Institutions In The New England Area, Yuanjun Li Apr 2010

Non-Profit Organizations In A Down Economy: The Financial Performance Of Higher Education Institutions In The New England Area, Yuanjun Li

Honors Projects in Finance

An economic recession affects an entire economy, including the non-profit sector. The impact could result from changes in government support, a decrease in donations, investment income, service fees or a combination. Many private universities and colleges, which rely on tuition and endowment, have been affected by a dip in enrollments, while their endowments shrink because of the recession and declining stock values. This study will examine how an economic recession can affect non-profit organizations, focusing on private, four-year higher education institutions in New England. Different types and sizes of schools will be affected differently. Since the large, well-known schools have …

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Major League Baseball: America’S Recession-Proof Pastime, Mark Mcdonnell Apr 2010

Major League Baseball: America’S Recession-Proof Pastime, Mark Mcdonnell

Honors Projects in Finance

This project is a study which examines how attendance levels in Major League Baseball stadiums have been impacted by the current recession in the United States which began in October 2007. Research on attendance during past recessions has shown a strong relationship that during downtrends in the economy, baseball attendance levels generally do not suffer. Using an ordinary least squares regression, independent variables including; percent change in ticket price from previous season, distance to closest competitor, percent change in ticket price of the closest competitor, winning percentage during previous year, winning percentage during current year, unemployment rate during current year, …

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Marriage Vs. Cohabitation: Penalty Or Premium Of Women’S Education On Partner’S Earnings, Qian Jiang Apr 2010

Marriage Vs. Cohabitation: Penalty Or Premium Of Women’S Education On Partner’S Earnings, Qian Jiang

Honors Projects in Economics

Marriage is one of the most important institutions affecting people’s lives and well-being. Using Current Population Survey, this paper will compare the 1979 and 2009 data to examine the effect a woman's education attainment has on her family’s standard of living. This research mainly focuses on the relationship between the wife/partner's education level and her partner's earnings. First, this study investigates whether the IT revolution which has allowed women to have flexible work hours, has increased their household productivity and thus increase their husbands’ earnings. Second, this paper examines whether the current increasing extended family households in the U.S. have …

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Omg! The Gossip Behind One Program's Effects On Interpersonal Relationship Expectations, Cailin Rocco Apr 2010

Omg! The Gossip Behind One Program's Effects On Interpersonal Relationship Expectations, Cailin Rocco

Honors Projects in Communication

This research investigates the effects of media on the interpersonal relationship expectations of television viewers. The study sought to better understand the implications of this topic in addition to determining whether one television program can affect the mindset of viewers. Through the use of an online survey, a focus group, a cultivation analysis of the television show Gossip Girl, as well as an analysis of the show’s fan pages this research discovered that television viewing has an impact on viewer expectations of relationships (as well as a general desire for themes within television programs in reality). This research demonstrates the …

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The Final Fight: The 2008 Battle Of Sadr City, Geoffrey Ensby Apr 2010

The Final Fight: The 2008 Battle Of Sadr City, Geoffrey Ensby

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

Iraq following the US invasion in March of 2003 was a dangerous place, and one in which the national government struggled to maintain control while unsanctioned and unauthorized strongmen and their militias controlled wide swaths of territory. This analysis will thus look at the 2008 Battle of Sadr City between the militia of radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the military forces of Iraq and the US conducting the operation in concert. Utilizing a number of newspaper accounts and editorials, journal articles, recent books, and freelance journalists’ writings, several key aspects will be considered regarding how Iraq was changed for …

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A Study On Workforce Integration In An International Acquisition, Christopher Lussier Apr 2010

A Study On Workforce Integration In An International Acquisition, Christopher Lussier

Honors Projects in Management

International acquisitions are extremely difficult to maneuver and success is far from guaranteed. Navigating through financial statements is one thing, but trying to link together two or more geographically and culturally diverse workforces is an entirely another thing. This study analyzes fourteen employee interviews from four different companies involved in international acquisitions within the last ten years. It develops a comprehensive comparison of companies looking to partially integrate through hands-off management or fully integrate through synergistic collaboration of workforces. The analysis looks at the actions companies take once the decision is made to grow internationally through mergers and acquisitions in …

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Determinants Of Rental Rates In Major Cities In The United States, Roy Ruivo Jan 2010

Determinants Of Rental Rates In Major Cities In The United States, Roy Ruivo

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

The focus of this paper is to determine variables that contribute to rental rate pricing. Using U.S. Census data pertaining to all cities in the United States with populations over 100,000 in 2005, this paper furthers a study of inter-city rent determinants within New York City provided by Marco (2008) using additional variables provided by Gilderbloom and Pan (2002) in their inter-city study. This report studies the impact of variables, including vacancy rates, median family income, population growth rate, and average housing costs. The population variable will be manipulated so that it represents density, which provides an accurate representation of …

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Why You Pay What You Pay At The Pump, Jason Orne Jan 2010

Why You Pay What You Pay At The Pump, Jason Orne

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates several factors that strongly influence the day to day consumer price of Gasoline in America. This study incorporates existing information on the most likely variables that should influence gasoline prices from the beginning of 2006 to the very end of 2009. The study looks at contributing factors that include the average price of gasoline from the week before (pennies per gallon), the current weeks average oil price (Dollars per barrel), the previous weeks average oil price (Dollars per barrel), and the US production, and consumption of gasoline (1000 barrels per day). Using macro-level data from the US …

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Determinants Of Hyperinflation: An Analysis Of Argentina, Eric Fudge Jan 2010

Determinants Of Hyperinflation: An Analysis Of Argentina, Eric Fudge

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the history of inflation rates in Argentina compared to other economic factors, including: GDP, national budget, money supply, exchange rate, and unemployment levels. Using data from the World Bank and Centre of International Economics this paper will give insight into some of the causes of high inflation levels that were evident in Argentina throughout the 1980s, peaking with hyperinflation in 1989 and 1990. Results from analyzing statistics pertaining to Argentina’s economy from 1980 to present suggest that perpetual budget deficits led the government to print money more rapidly, causing a significant decrease in currency valuation and thus …

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Economic Growth And Emissions In China And India: A Comparison With The Other G5 Emerging Nations, David Niles Jan 2010

Economic Growth And Emissions In China And India: A Comparison With The Other G5 Emerging Nations, David Niles

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the possibility of different modes of production affecting the emission levels of developing nations. China and India have experienced substantial economic growth of the past few decades. Past economists have found emission levels positively correlated with GDP growth. Nonetheless, China has significantly higher emission levels than India, given their respective growth in GDP. Whether a country bases their growth on agriculture, industry, manufacturing or services has an effect on their subsequent emission levels. Comparing these results with the other G5 nations indicate the relative importance of GDP level in comparison with economic structure. This paper finds that …

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The Crime Rate In America: How Influential Is The Economy In Affecting The Level Of Crime?, Joseph Kuhar Jan 2010

The Crime Rate In America: How Influential Is The Economy In Affecting The Level Of Crime?, Joseph Kuhar

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper explores the determinants of the crime rate, and whether or not the economy and its many indicators play a substantial role in affecting this rate. Many factors affect the crime rate in a given country/state/area including the number of police, the rate at which crime is reported, as well as the population. This paper will explore the following variables: the crime rate (dependent), number of police, conditions that affect the crime rate, the reported crime rate, and the reporting rate. It will also analyze the following economic conditions and whether or not they have a substantial effect on …

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The Effect Of Education On Property Crime Across State, Wes Andrews Jan 2010

The Effect Of Education On Property Crime Across State, Wes Andrews

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the effects/importance of these independent variables (High School Graduation Rate, GDP growth Rate, GDP per capita, expenditures per capita in terms of police force, expenditures per capita in terms of the court system, employment rate, percentage of people with college degrees, and the average wage rate) on property crimes across the 50 states. The study will use OLS in order to examine the influence of these variables. Based on reviews of other similar studies it is expected that there is a negative correlation between the amount of schooling and property crime.

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The Impact Of Socioeconomic And Environmental Factors On Infant Mortality In The U.S., Tai Abukasis Jan 2010

The Impact Of Socioeconomic And Environmental Factors On Infant Mortality In The U.S., Tai Abukasis

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines socioeconomic and environmental agents that may affect infant mortality rates among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in the United States. Data was collected at the state level from both federal and private databases. Three separate ordinary least squares regressions were taken for each of the aforementioned demographics. The correlations between the independent variables and infant mortality were examined from a racially-based perspective to further evaluate potential underlying causes regarding geographic, financial, and environmental constituents. Analysis of the regressions revealed that particular variables affect the rate of infant deaths among races differently and that racial disparity continues to exist …

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The Impact Of An Economic Recession On Etf Sectors: Which Etf Sectors Are Most Recession-Proof?, Salvatore Galbo Jan 2010

The Impact Of An Economic Recession On Etf Sectors: Which Etf Sectors Are Most Recession-Proof?, Salvatore Galbo

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates which ETF sectors are most recession-proof by focusing on sector performance and finding the possibility of a positive or negative correlation between specific sectors and the overall market performance during such recessionary times. The study compares the percentage gain or loss by each ETF sector with regression analysis to determine which sectors perform better than the overall market performance during an economic downturn. The study incorporates the most recent recession and the recession during 2001, when the technology bubble burst occurred, to find any relevance and/or consistency in my study. The results show that out of all …

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Labor Productivity, Inflation, And Unemployment's Relationship With Wage Formation In The United States, Peter Longhi Jan 2010

Labor Productivity, Inflation, And Unemployment's Relationship With Wage Formation In The United States, Peter Longhi

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper discusses unemployment, labor productivity and inflation’s effect on wage formation in the United States. This paper looks at a very well researched topic of wage formations relation to unemployment and labor productivity to see if there is a long term homogenous relationship between the wage levels and the dependent variables. By using quarterly data from 1996 to 2009, I will attempt to observe if wages are following the classical theoretical relationship in the United States. The specified time period will allow us to observe a distinct boom and bust in the economy. I expect to find a long …

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What Drives The United States Housing Starts, Myles Ojala Jan 2010

What Drives The United States Housing Starts, Myles Ojala

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the determinants of new housing starts within the United States. Using recent monthly data, this study will consider factors such as residential building permits, long and short-term mortgage rates, savings rates, and mortgage availability, to show how each of these variables influence the U.S housing market in the form of residential housing starts. Using a VAR model, this paper will show the impact that the vector variables have on each other, and especially, housing starts. By using a split set of data, this paper will also show the impact of the vector variables on housing starts during …

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Factors Effecting Gdp Growth In Member States Of The European Union, Kris Mortimer Jan 2010

Factors Effecting Gdp Growth In Member States Of The European Union, Kris Mortimer

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the GDP growth in member states of the European Union from 1978 until 2007. As most people are well aware of, GDP is calculated by the sum of consumption, government expenditure, investment, and net exports. The research conducted for this paper intends to discover what other variables have affected GDP growth in the past 30 years. The variables used in this paper include the public expenditure on education, total population, inflation, percentage of population who are adolescents (0-14), adults (15-64), or elderly (65+). Today there are twenty-seven member states in the Union from which I have compiled …

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An Analysis Of Gender Based Wage Differential Among Teachers In The United States, Kendal Glen Cehanowicz Jan 2010

An Analysis Of Gender Based Wage Differential Among Teachers In The United States, Kendal Glen Cehanowicz

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

Do teachers with similar experience and age but different genders earn the same income? This study investigates the income of teachers relative to their age, education, experience, race and gender. Studies have shown that inequality in the gender wage gap is a trend which closed for almost two decades, but has recently widened again. This study identifies a specific line of work where injustice can be seen and aims to bring this knowledge to light. The Current Population Survey (CPS) data set from 2005-2009 will be used for this study. This study finds empirical evidence that gender differences do in …

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Determinants Of Savings In Latin American Countries, Jamie Walker Jan 2010

Determinants Of Savings In Latin American Countries, Jamie Walker

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the determinants of the Savings per capita in Latin American Countries during the years 2002 to 2005 and their significance. Using these years provides a look at how the Latin American Countries emerged from an inflation prone society in the 1990’s to a diverse economic body according to Hernan Buchi the former finance minister of Chile. The study takes several models and applies them towards the Latin American Countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The study will use macro-level data to determine which of …

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Determinants Of Teen Pregnancy: An Empirical Assessment Of Oecd Countries, Maxine Pamela Outerbridge Jan 2010

Determinants Of Teen Pregnancy: An Empirical Assessment Of Oecd Countries, Maxine Pamela Outerbridge

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This research paper investigates the determinants of teen pregnancy to uncover potential correlations among several social and economic factors. The study incorporates empirical data into a multivariate linear regression model to examine the impact of various socioeconomic variables such as education, income, health expenditure, abortion rates, and derive a comparison of the status of teen pregnancies among OECD countries. This study expands earlier research that concentrated on several of the most developed nations by emphasizing the socioeconomic status of women throughout the OECD members and uncovering the significance of governmental initiatives to improve such status. This study also aims to …

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The Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence From Latin America And The Caribbean, Nicholas Colongeli Jan 2010

The Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence From Latin America And The Caribbean, Nicholas Colongeli

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the impact of determinants on the inflows of FDI to the Latin American and Caribbean region. The study incorporates cross-country information to describe incentives influencing flows of FDI into the region from 1992 - 2008. Factors are modeled using a least-squared regression model and are determined as significant. The results from the research and tests performed emphasize the correlation between specific economic indicators and flows of FDI. Using macro – level data from various sources, the results generally suggest that factors such as degree of openness and market size have a positive correlation with FDI flows; whereas, …

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Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In An Emerging Market Economy: Evidence From India, Carlos Resende Jr. Jan 2010

Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In An Emerging Market Economy: Evidence From India, Carlos Resende Jr.

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

Over the past few years, India has recorded a substantial increase in the level of annual foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. This paper examines the relationship between foreign direct investment and domestic investment, while using the ordinary least squared technique, and a time series analysis from the period 1979-2008. Building on the prior literature, this paper provides an empirical analysis of domestic determinants of FDI such as size of market, openness to trade, infrastructure, attractiveness to domestic market, and exchange rate instability. In addition, this paper will include technology growth and specific variables to examine local determinates of FDI in …

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Energy Consumption, Fdi, Government Effectiveness Economic Growth., Aaron Borges Jan 2010

Energy Consumption, Fdi, Government Effectiveness Economic Growth., Aaron Borges

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

The availability of energy is essential in initiating and sustaining economic growth. FDI has also been positively linked to economic growth although some argue that economic growth promotes FDI. Studies examining the government effectiveness of nations have suggested FDI is more effective and energy resources are used more effectively when a country has solid governance. While studies have examined these aforementioned macroeconomic issues, there is no empirical study that examines all these variants within the same model. This paper investigates these factors and their effect on economic growth throughout 50 nations for the year of 2005. Economic growth is calculated …

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