The Accuracy Of Expected Goals In The Premier League, Max Mian

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

Expected Goals are an analytical tool used in soccer which have picked up a lot of value in recent years. They are used to asses teams' quality to create goal scoring opportunities and converting them. Expected goals are commonly used at the end of games to give further insight on who deserved to win based off their goal scoring chances that they had or gave up. In this thesis I am researching the accuracy of expected goals predicting teams finishing position in the Premier League 2014-15 season. This thesis will show of expected goals and expected goals against in a …

An Analysis Of Nfl Betting Strategies: A Look Into High Value Bets, Brady Trenchard

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper uses data from NFL games throughout the 2013-2019 seasons and analyzes the profitability of several correlated parlays and straight bets. Independent variables such as temperature, wind, prime time, and divisional game status were incorporated. Using OLS regression analysis, several strategies are presented that would have been profitable throughout the sample period. Results suggested that wagers on the under in divisional games with high wind were profitable. Furthermore, it was profitable to wager on a home favorite and over parlay in prime time and non-divisional games. Results also indicated it was profitable to wager on a home underdog and …

How Does A Player's Involvement In Their National Team Given Their Ethnicity Affect Their Market Valuation In The Top-Five Leagues?, Kamal Ibrahim

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates player involvement in national team and how it effects their market valuation as it relates to ethnicity. Previous research has evaluated other factors that affect player market valuation such as age and position. However, this paper seeks to see if there are discriminatory effects on player market pricing based on a player’s ethnic origins. The three ethnic regions of focus for this paper are South America, African, and Europe. The focus of this paper is to determine whether European players are favored in relation to the other two regions of the world. Regression models consider player …

Navigating Generosity: A Comparative Analysis Of Charitable Donations Around The Great Recession Of 2008, Micah Blomberg

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper studies donations to non-profit organizations in the US and how they reacted to The Great Recession of 2008. I find statistically significant drop-offs in multiple donative subcategories, including religion, education, human services, public society benefits, and arts, culture, and humanities, making up over 50% of total donations. Donation levels after the 2008 crash tend to be slightly downward sticky, meaning the rate of increase is larger after the treatment effect. These increased rates of return allow for market correction post-recession but still reveal a deadweight loss when comparing trends in OLS betas before and after the recession, meaning …

A Gender-Based Ufc Demand Analysis, Nolen Michael

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has grown rapidly since its inception in the early 1990s. An important aspect of understanding the explosion of Mixed Martial Arts into mainstream appeal is the relationship between consumer demand and specific attributes of the sport. The UFC first began featuring female events in 2013. A robust division of women’s UFC fighters has developed in the years since. In this study I will be using econometric methods to evaluate the degree to which specific gender related variables influence consumer demand for the UFC. The Pay-Per-View format of UFC events is of critical importance because it …

A Study Of The Impact Of Social Trust On Economic Growth And Defining A Potential Threshold For ‘High Trust’ In Economic Research, Isaac Carey

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to 1. evaluate findings from previous literature that demonstrated evidence of social trust having a positive relationship with economic growth in the form of Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPpc) and 2. evaluate potential trust levels that can be used as a threshold for considering a country ‘high-trusting’ when conducting economic research. The study gathered data to measure social trust levels from World Values Survey where respondents answered yest to the question “most people can be trusted”. Then the study evaluated the relationship between trust and GDPpc with control variables including technology, education, labor, investment, and external …

The Impact Of Abortion Shield Laws On Abortion Access In The United States, Julian Wise

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) ruled that abortion access is no longer constitutionally protected resulting in each state deciding who has access to an abortion. This thesis examines if laws that restrict abortion access are effective because one can travel from a state that bans abortion to a state that allows abortion to obtain an abortion procedure. Specifically, this paper investigates the relationship between the increase in travel cost to an abortion clinic located in state with enhanced legal protections—known as abortion shield laws—and U.S. Census variables. Using Gary Becker’s legal analysis model, an abortion seeker will always …

Profit Shares And Cost-Push Inflation: Examining The Distributional Nature Of U.S. Inflation And The Effectiveness Of Monetary Policy, Devin Herbinger

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

The sharp increase in post-pandemic inflation coincided with a profit explosion characterized by a growing share of profit in output. This paper argues that the record profit share in the nonfinancial corporate sector entails a redistribution of income against real wages due to the current institutional and structural conditions of the U.S. economy. Using profit share as a proxy for markups, the results of this paper highlight the macroeconomic implications of excessive profitability in the face of a global exogenous shock. Chiefly, rising profit share correlates with accelerating CPI inflation from 2021-22. Moreover, this surge in profit share occurred when …

Assessing The Impact Of Tourism On Housing Price Dynamics: Evidence From Hawaii Highlighting Directional Causality And Vacation Rentals, Micaiah Ocalvey

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

Tourism has been shown to impact housing prices and residents’ ability to afford housing in a host community as well as impacting several other aspects of the host community. This study uses Hawaii as a case study to examine how tourism impacts housing price dynamics and whether there is a different distribution of effects across the different islands due to tourism levels including an aspect about short-term rentals and housing prices. Compiled datasets spanning from 2000 to 2023 of monthly data and from 2019 to 2023 (short-term rentals) OLS and 2SLS regression methodologies were employed to analyze the relationship between …

Autumn In New York: Gotham And The Decline Of The New Deal Order (1967-1975), Lisle Jamieson

Political Science Senior Theses

In 1975, the city of New York looked out on the precipice of fiscal collapse. Years of borrowing, a fleeting tax base, deindustrialization, and the thinning of federal investment streams left the city short-changed and vulnerable, reliant on banks with waning interest in funding New York’s robust network of social services. [1] The conversations, contestations, and political resolutions that followed would reshape and remake the politics of a city that had, for four decades, represented a beacon of “social democracy.” [2] New York ultimately surrendered its commitment to urban liberalism and embraced a neoliberal politics of austerity, mirroring shifts taking …

Analyzing The Impact Of Covid-19 Driven Inflation On Customer Personal Consumption In The Us, Yinwei Li

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper focuses on the different effects of COVID-19-driven inflation on U.S. consumer spending on food, durable goods, and nondurable goods. The study used regression models to analyze changes in personal consumption spending on three categories between 2010-2017 and 2018-2024. The article emphasized that the economic instability caused by the pandemic and the fiscal policies utilized by the government have contributed to consumer behavior to a certain extent. The survey results show that the impact of inflation on food and non-durable goods spending is very clear: consumption on non-durable goods and food has increased. This may be due to increased …

Impact Of The Us-China Trade War To Chinese-Listed Companies' Stock Returns, Ling Zhu

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

Since 2018, trade relations between the United States and China have become increasingly tense, with the United States attempting to restrict the development of Chinese companies through measures such as imposing tariffs and establishing entity lists. Chinese companies included in the entity list will lose opportunities to export products to the United States or import new technologies from the United States. This study employs the DID method, using Chinese A-share market-listed companies included in the entity list as samples, to examine the impact of Sino-US trade frictions on the stock returns of Chinese enterprises. The research findings indicate that this …

A Comparative Risk Analysis Of Sportsbooks And Options Sellers, Daniel Aybar

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

Both options sellers and sportsbooks are price-setters in growing speculative markets. With the increased availability of sports betting and options trading, potential inefficiencies in risk-taking behavior could be exposed in these markets. This paper serves to compare the risk taking behavior of sportsbooks and options sellers. Two proposed statistics were used to measure risk in these speculative industries. Risk premium, based on concepts from Arscott (2022) and Moskowitz (2021), measured risk from a per-dollar returns framework. Tail Risk Ratio is a novel addition to previous literature which compares the tail risk of sellers and buyers in speculative markets. The relationship …

The Airline Industry In The U.S, Do Airlines Choose To Price Their Airfare Off Their Own Model Being “Bag Fee” Or “Non-Bag-Fee” Or Are Prices Decided By The Market?, Phineas De Sola

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, we primarily study the years of 2017, 2020, and 2023 determining if there is a potential relationship between baggage fee charging airlines, non-baggage fee airlines and market level airfare prices in the U.S domestic commercial airline industry. We study these years to see how market fares have changed before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Previous literature has studied the question of if baggage fees have a relationship with market level fares, but none investigate the data from 2020 and how market level fares have changed since then. The data used for this study came from the …

The Effect Of Remittances On Educational Outcome In Uganda, Kaity Chen

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This study investigates the impact of remittances received on the highest level of education completed by the household members in Uganda. The results of our multinomial logistic regression analysis that uses survey data from Uganda in 2010 indicate that, after controlling for other variables, our independent variable—the total amount of remittances received—is only a significant predictor of the three highest level of education categories (Completed secondary education vs Didn’t complete primary education category, Post-secondary diploma vs Didn’t complete primary education category, and Degree and Above Education vs Didn’t complete primary education). This could be due to the fact that households …

The Relationship Between Ownership And English Premier League Players’ Salaries, Jacob Lipeles

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This paper looks into the relationship between professional soccer player wages and ownership characteristics. Previous research has shown that foreign owners invest more in their clubs but has not connected it to individual players’ wages. Previous player compensation models exist but have not incorporated advanced analytics or tied in the concept of MRP. Regression models have been calculated for club output, club revenue, and expected player wage. The expected player wage was then compared to MRP. These were then regressed with ownership characteristics. This paper has found that there is a statistically significant relationship between two ownership characteristics and player …

The Relationship Between Patient Satisfaction And The Interaction Of Physical Therapy Availability And Medicare Spending, Ruoxuan Wang

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

My research aims to find out whether the interaction of availability of physical therapy services and Medicare spending will impact patient satisfaction. This study also investigates whether improvements in patients’ breathing will impact patient satisfaction with nonparametric regression methodology. The findings show that patient satisfaction increases at a much higher rate when physical therapy services are available to Medicare beneficiaries. Further, the results demonstrates that a statistically significant association exist between patient satisfaction and the improvements in the frequency with which patients’ breathing improves. This study demonstrates that the government needs to increase both Medicare funding and accessibility to high-quality …

World’S Coolest Dictator: Nayib Bukele’S Populist Authoritarian Digital Footprint, Kaitlin Mcquade

Political Science Senior Theses

Across the globe, country after country is seeing populist movements gain power and even win office. When these populist ideas are adopted and utilized by authoritarian-leaning leaders, democratic erosion and the disrespect of human rights become a real threat. For my thesis, I will be looking to the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, as an example of this dangerous combination of populism and authoritarianism. Under his leadership, the country has achieved the highest rate of incarceration per capita in the world at 1.7%, he stacked the courts with loyalists that allowed him to run for a previously unconstitutional second …

Health Literacy In Older Adults: Determining Gaps In The Health Literacy Skills Of Older Adults In Saratoga Springs, New York And Suggestions For Effective Interventions, Elizah Jacobs

Self-Determined Majors Final Projects

This study aimed to understand the strengths and limitations of health literacy skills among older adults. The results informed a resource to improve any discovered gaps in health literacy. Participants (n=50) were selected through convenience sampling methods at the Saratoga Senior Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) was distributed to evaluate health literacy skills among older adults. Measures of means and standard deviations were used to assess strengths and limitations in health literacy skills among nine domains of the HLQ. The results informed the implementation of a resource designed to increase health literacy specifically for …

Examining The Relationship Between Cigarette Smoking And Depression Among Asian American Adults, Connor Aitken

Self-Determined Majors Final Projects

Does having smoked cigarettes have any relationship to depression? This study explores the relationship between cigarette smoking and depressive frequency within the Asian American adult population. I hypothesized that Asian American adults who have ever smoked a cigarette would report more depression compared to Asian American adults who have never smoked cigarettes. To test this hypothesis, I analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) using a subset of 1704 Asian American adults aged 18 to 85+. I controlled for native-born status, social/emotional support, relationship status, education, age, and gender. Controlling for the other variables, Asian American adults …

Bridging The Gap Between Skidmore Students And Local Businesses, Charlotte Benson

Self-Determined Majors Final Projects

Skidmore students are an underutilized customer base for small businesses in Saratoga Springs. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the purchasing behaviors of Skidmore students in order to determine how local small businesses can better attract them as customers. Current Skidmore students were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain overarching patterns in their purchasing habits. Results show that word of mouth and social media are influential at Skidmore, but are underutilized by local businesses. Findings also suggest that purchasing habits are largely formed during students’ first year at Skidmore. Finally, interview and survey results indicate that Skidmore students most …

Driving Factors: The Effects Of State Tax Incentives On The Market Penetration Of Electric Vehicles, Austin Rook

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

This research examines the effects of state tax incentives on the market penetration of electric vehicles (EVs), while also delving into other variables such as charging port availability, state political affiliation, state gas prices, and vehicle price levels, utilizing data ranging from 2011 to 2020. These definable variables influence in an individual’s decision when considering purchasing an EV. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) methodology, I am able to analyze the specific effects of these independent variables on the number of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all EVs sold in each …

Wilderness Is Not A Safe Space: How Nature Has Been Used As A Form Of Oppression Towards Black People Throughout American History, Dorothy Irrera

English Honors Theses

This Capstone won Skidmore's Racial Justice Student Award. An analysis of literature, American history, and pop culture, Wilderness Is Not a Safe Space: How Nature Has Been Used as a Form of Oppression Towards Black People Throughout American History uses a sociological lens to approach the inherent relationship between racism and wilderness.

Atrévete A Soñar: An Examination Of How Citizenship Status Influences Immigrant’S Educational Expectations, Lizbeth Torres

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

The research reported here examines if one’s immigration status has an impact on what highest educational degree a student expects to receive. This study uses data from the Children of Longitudinal Study (CILS) with 1,443 respondents attending eighth and ninth grade in public and private schools at Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and San Diego, California. Respondents’ parents also participated in this study, in which they were asked about their highest completed educational degree and educational expectations for their child. I hypothesize that students who have a U.S. citizenship status will be more likely to expect higher educational attainment than students with …

If You’Re Happy, I’M Happy. How Levels Of Self-Satisfaction Affect Selfless Love, Carmen Hall

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

Does personal satisfaction with oneself impact one’s ability to put the happiness of others before their own? I hypothesize that individuals who have higher levels of self-satisfaction are less likely to practice selfless love. In this study, “self-satisfaction” is interpreted as a person’s contentment with self. “Selfless love,” which is synonymous with altruistic love, is interpreted in this study as a relationship in which one or both partners prioritize the needs of their partner before themselves. To test this hypothesis, I conduct a regression analysis (n= 667) from the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS), controlling for degree, income and gender. …

Know Better, Do Better? Do Higher Levels Of Education Predict White Democrats’ Antiracist Attitudes Relative To Action?, Riley Boyd, Riley 'Tucker' Boyd

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

Conventional wisdom says that when you know better, you do better. Various theories of racism generally conform to this popular understanding, motivating colleges and businesses to invest in anti-bias trainings and other educational interventions. This study aims to make contestable the logic of ‘know better, do better’ as applied to racism through asking the question: does education predict white Democrats’ antiracist attitudes relative to their political action? Informed by Mueller’s (2020) Theory of Racial Ignorance and Hersh’s (2017) concept of ‘political hobbyism,’ I propose that white Democrats with higher levels of education will, on average, score higher on an ‘Antiracist …

I Have My Degree, Now I Want A Ring: The Link Between Educational Attainment And A Happy Marriage, Yalinel Beltre

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

The research reported here used measures of educational attainment and happiness of marriage to assess how happy college educated women are in their marriages relative to their non college educated counterparts. A regression analysis of data from the 2018 General Social Survey American indicated that there is no link between marital happiness and degree attained based on gender. The greatest indicated likelihood of being in a happy marriage of the highest quality is among those who are white identifying people, net of the estimated effects of time since first marriage and several variables that might commonly affect marital happiness such …

Skepticism In Healthcare: An Analyzation Of Race Discrimination And Trust In Doctor's Judgement, Brandy Smith

Sociology Senior Seminar Papers

Historically Black people have experienced extreme experiences of medical mistreatment, one of the most prominent and longest running being the Tuskegee Experiment. Racism is not only apparent in the medical industry it is structurally tied to the foundation of American society and it is non-debatable that Black people are tremendously affected by these structures. Past literature has sought out to examine the connection between Black people and the trust that they have in medical institutions. My research builds on this past work and examines how experience with race discrimination affects the trust that a person may have in their doctor’s …

The Cost Of Freedom: Revolutionary Hopes & Realities Among Young Tunisians A Decade Post-Arab Spring, Sanjna Selvarajan

International Affairs Senior Theses

The Arab Spring of 2011 was an incredible tale of desperation, defiance, and vast political transformations—of civil society across North Africa and the Middle East revolting against dictatorship, corruption, and demanding democracy and freedom. Tunisia gained widespread international attention following the revolutions as the sole country to attain democracy. However, many Western scholars and news reports have dismissed Tunisia’s triumph as a lucky break and lauded its attainment of democracy and, especially, its newfound freedom of expression. Such a focus on “Tunisian exceptionalism,” however, ignores the nuanced consequences that have accompanied the country’s vast political transformation.

Situated a decade post-Arab …

Is Smart Power Leading The Way Forward? Reassessing Its Importance In The U.S. And China’S International Strategy, Zach Florman

International Affairs Senior Theses

Since the end of the cold war, the world of politics and international relations has seen China grow its power and influence tremendously. Much of this growth has been fueled by strategies and initiatives focused on smart power, a term coined by Joseph Nye in 2003,[1] through large economic projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Meanwhile, the backbone of the United States smart power is within institutions, most notably the United Nations (UN), which have begun to show their age and weaknesses. 1) Should smart power strategies be known as stronger power building initiatives than …