Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Scarcity Or Economic Insecurity? Two Yardsticks For Measuring Capitalism’S Performance, Costas Panayotakis

Publications and Research

This article argues that capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity is as important for the evaluation of that system as its relationship to scarcity. Critically analyzing the neoclassical and Marxist focus on capitalism’s relationship to scarcity, the article describes how capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity offers a more cogent elaboration of these traditions’ shared belief that the economic system should serve people. In particular, while critical of the neoclassical portrayal of capitalism as a system using scarce resources efficiently, this paper also argues, against Marxism, that an alternative to capitalism might be preferable even if scarcity is not abolished.

A Latent Class Approach To The Utilization Effects Of The Aca, Dennis Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The dependent coverage provision of the Affordable Care Act raised eligibility for young adults to remain eligible their parents’ health care up to the age of 26. This study uses a combination of latent class analysis and difference-in-difference regression to examine the effect the intervention had on health care utilization.

Fast Estimation Of Matrix Exponential Spatial Models, Ye Yang, Osman Doğan, Süleyman Taşpınar

Publications and Research

The matrix exponential spatial specification (MESS) is an alternative to the spatial autoregressive-type (SAR-type) specifications with several attractive properties. The spatial dependence in the MESS-type models is formulated through a matrix exponential term, and the estimation of these models may require the computation of the matrix exponential terms many times in an estimation procedure. In the literature, it is well documented that the computation of the matrix exponential terms can pose challenges in terms of reliability, stability, accuracy, and efficiency. We propose a matrix-vector products approach based on the truncation of Taylor series expansion of the matrix exponential terms for …

Institutions, State Capacity, And Intra-State Conflict: Evidence From A Decade-Long Civil War In Nepal, Nishant Yonzan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

First, while mass armed civil conflicts predominantly occur in weak states, which are states that lack state capacity, it is unclear why not all weak states experience mass armed civil conflict. Second, political stability and highly unequal distribution of resources are opposing forces that are unlikely to coexist together. However, highly unequal societies have existed with relative stability. Indeed, cross-country literature on civil war finds little relationship between conflict and unequal distribution of resources. This dissertation attempts to address these issues using the Civil War in Nepal which lasted from 1996 to 2006.

Institutions are fundamental for the proper functioning …

Three Essays On Exchange Rate Models And Their Applications, Azza A. Mansour

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chapter 1: This chapter attempts to identify the determinant of exchange rate pass-through into producer and destination prices using highly disaggregated firm-level data of importers and exporters of the Egyptian economy from 2009 to 2013. The main findings assert the hypothesis of complete exchange rate pass-through into destination prices at the lowest level of significance for the average exporting firm that is also importing. Furthermore, the firm with the highest import intensity has a lower percentage of pass-through into destination prices, indicating that the marginal cost channel plays a more significant role in determining the speed of the exchange rate …

Essays In Applied Microeconomics, Laxman Timilsina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters.

Chapter 1: Immigration Policy Shocks and Infant Health

This paper evaluates the effect of positive and negative immigration policy shocks on infant health outcomes in the U.S. I examine changes in mean birth weight and the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) at the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level around two major institutional shocks: The 1986 Immigration Reform Act (IRCA), which favored immigrants, and the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrests at the start of 2017 which might have put immigrants at greater risk of apprehension. It uses a triple …

Divergent Expectations And Dynamic Price Discovery, Shankar Narayanan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose: To provide empirical evidence supporting the claim that divergent expectations underlie price formation during the U.S. equity market opening hours. We focus on earnings announcements to support this claim. This dissertation argues that the clarity of earnings announcements and a firm’s balance sheets is inversely associated with the quality of price discovery during the opening hours after the earnings announcements, as ambiguities in information underlie divergence in expectation. We look at short-term volatility during the opening half-hours of U.S. equity markets after the earnings announcements to assess the quality of price discovery. We also consider changes in short-term …

Police Spending And Crime Rates: Evidence From U.S. Cities, 1985 – 2010, Daniel Padrick

Theses and Dissertations

Panel data covering the largest U.S. cities from 1985-2010 is used to reevaluate the endogeneity issue between policing and crime rates. Crime rates are not found to be a strong predictor of police spending, indicating that reverse causality is not as severe an issue as frequently thought. Increases in police spending result in modest decreases in certain index crimes.

The Impact Of Select Buses On Taxi Ridership In Nyc, Sara Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to measure the impact of select buses on taxi ridership in NYC. Due to the phased implementation of select buses in NYC, a difference-in-differences model was used. Taxi ridership on the M14A/M14D, M34, M79, and M15 bus routes was examined as the treatment group. The control group is the M100/M101 non-select bus route that runs along Lexington and Amsterdam Avenue. The results from this model show that the M14A/M14D, M34, and M79 select buses had a negative statistically significant impact on taxi ridership. The M15 select bus had a positive statistically insignificant impact on …

Economic And Social Factors Of The Mexican Community In Queens, Robert Utzinger, Jose Higuera Lopez

CUNY Mexican Studies Institute

In this project, we hope to better understand the educational needs of the local Mexican communities across New York. We have used data drawn from the American Community Survey (ACS) public use microsample to see how the community has changed over time. For this study, we have focused on the borough of Queens, New York, with a particular focus on several key factors such as the average individual income levels, education levels, and age. In time, this will be followed up with more detailed reports into aspects of health, poverty, and family characteristics.

Three Essays On Spatial Econometrics: The Matrix Exponential Spatial Specification, Ye Yang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis consists of three essays on the matrix exponential spatial specification. In the first essay, we study the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation of matrix exponential spatial specification(p,q) (MESS(p,q)). We extend the model to a general higher order case and derive its GMM estimator. The large sample properties are also studied. Under homoskedasticity a best GMM estimator (BGMME) is derived and shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. Under heteroskedasticity an optimal GMM estimator (OGMME) is derived and shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal as well. Monte Carlo experiments that discuss the large sample properties of quasi-maximum …

Essays On Green Finance, Elsa Allman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chapter 1: Pricing Climate Change Risk in Corporate Bonds

Using a firm’s geographic footprint to measure its exposure to sea level rise (SLR), I find that corporate bonds bear a climate risk premium upon issuance. A one standard deviation increase in firms’ SLR exposure is associated with a 7 basis point premium, representing a 3% increase in average yield spread. This effect is more pronounced for geographically concentrated firms, within industries vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, and after the Paris Agreement. I do not find evidence that credit rating agencies account for SLR exposure at bond issuance. Results are robust …

Essays On Universal Basic Income, Nana Mukbaniani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a program in which individuals receive a regular sum of money, usually from the government. The transfer amount is thought to be unconditional of income and enough to cover all subsistence needs. Such a system is easy and cheap to administer because the government does not need to check the eligibility of each applicant. UBI programs are growing as more cities, states and countries (Stockton, California, Newark, New Jersey, Ontario, Canada, Kenya, Finland, Germany, Spain, China, etc) implement experiments of such programs. The idea of a UBI is gaining ground in the U.S.. One of …

Essays On Market Structure, Price-Setting, And Spillovers, Nicholas J. Bauer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chapter 01: This paper explores the firm’s pricing-setting behavior through the lens of market structure and exchange rate pass-through. The basis for this chapter stems from a four-tiered nested constant elasticity of substitution demand function, where firms have non-negligible sector and subsector market shares. This model allows the firm to compete against firms within the same subsector, as well as against firms within other subsectors. From this model, I identify three propositions. First, a u-shaped price response in both sector and subsector market shares to an exchange rate movement. Second, a hump-shaped price response in subsector market share and a …

The Logic Of The Land: The Agrarian Roots Of Uneven Development In Brazil, Chris Carlson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation seeks to explain the highly uneven pattern of economic development in Brazil during the 20^th century. Stark development differences between the northern and southern regions of the country have long been a problem of concern to scholars and policymakers and have generated a number of studies over the years. However, none of these have gotten to the root of the problem, and state policy has never adequately addressed the regional disparities. This study puts forth a new theory of uneven development based on the different ways that agricultural production has come to be organized in different parts …

Essays On Economic Uncertainty And Housing Market In China, Humenghe Zhao

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that covers topics in macroeconomics.

Chapter 1. Literature Survey of China’s Housing Market and Macroeconomic Uncertainty is a survey of the literature on the history and development of China’s housing market, its unique characteristics, the driving forces behind rising housing prices, and the empirical interactions among housing market, economic uncertainty and the macroeconomy in China.

Chapter 2. The Spatial Correlation of Regional Housing Prices and Economic Uncertainty in China

Rapid real estate development and house price growth in China have garnered significant attention in academia and policy circles. Investigation into highly differentiated but interrelated …

Eco-1400 - Money And Banking Syllabus, Cesar Castope

Open Educational Resources

A comprehensive study of the nature of money and monetary standards; the development, structure, and functions of American central banking; commercial banking; non-bank financial intermediaries; investment banking; and financial markets. Federal and State bank regulation and supervision, major monetary theories. Analysis of the impact and major role of the American banking system on the economy. Includes a study of international finance. Successful completion of this course satisfies one Civic Engagement interaction.

Neo-Extracting Gilded Welfare States: A Comparative Study Of Extractivism And Latin American Welfare State Formation, Pabvitraa Ramcharan

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to establish a stronger linkage between neo-extractivism and social welfare states in contemporary Latin America using both a micro and macro perspective. By emphasizing the human capital aspect of the welfare state’s role in promoting equitable redistribution and correcting market failures, this paper attempts to evaluate the extent to which extractive industries contribute to human capital formation. Due to the sectors’ large influence on the state and weak capacity to create employment, I develop the concept of the “gilded welfare state,” defined by the inability of extractive industries to ensure equal opportunity and generate formal employment despite …

The Effect Of The Fresh Program On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Nyc, Haido Andrianos

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether the NYCEDC's FRESH Program has had an effect on the fruit and vegetable consumption of NYC residents. Using data collected by the NYC DOHMH, a difference-in-difference regression with fixed effects was run. Stratifications for race and sex were also performed.

The Effects Of Hospital-Acquired Condition (Hac) Reduction Program On Hospital Services And Finances, Yuting Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Effective 10/01/2014, the HAC Reduction Program was implemented by CMS. Using 2015-2017 hospital-level data, this paper measures the effects of this Program on hospital days, discharges, revenues, costs, and service performance. I find penalized hospitals barely improved healthcare performance; meanwhile they increased patients numbers by 12.0% to cover penalties received.

Intentional Group Curation Of Information (Open Pedagogy Example), Dorina Tila

Open Educational Resources

This assignment aims at making instruction student-centered where students would participate in the curation of content. Students are asked to explain the various economic topics using the economic terminology and personal experience. For example, in this assignment, the students are split in groups and asked to discuss and identify what their opportunity cost of getting a college degree is. They will discuss all the items that comprise the opportunity cost and the benefits of going to college and share this in real time with everyone else through a google document.

Assignment Learning Outcomes:

• Define and apply the notion of opportunity …

Intentional Individual Curation Of Information (Open Pedagogy Example), Dorina Tila

Open Educational Resources

This assignment aims at making instruction student-centered where students would participate in the curation of content. Using findings from prior conducted research and group discussions, students will present some economic indicators and the performance of the economy of a country of their choice (students self-selects the country to be researched). For example, the student is asked to identify the latest recession experienced by the selected country using the historical real GDP data collected and analyzed in stage two. Having identified the time of the recession, the student is asked to explain what happened to the other economic indicators, such as …

Unintentional Group Curation Of Information (Open Pedagogy Example), Dorina Tila

Open Educational Resources

This assignment aims at making instruction student-centered where students would participate in the curation of content but in an unintentional way. Students participate in classroom games that eventually unravel economic theory and they are unaware that they are doing it. This can be done by running experiments (e.g., double auction, or option to give a fine), collect the information, and sharing it with students. Comparing the results with the findings from the economic theory in textbook or findings in academic articles, will provide students with a better understanding of the material as they would have unintentionally proven or disproven the …

Eco 201: Microeconomics, Cuny School Of Professional Studies

Open Educational Resources

An investigation of the microeconomy as seen through the eyes of the individual consumer and firm. Economic concepts, including profits, employment and resources via supply and demand, elasticity, utility, costs, and market structures are applied to significant contemporary economics problems.

Employment Trends And Poverty Status: Men And Women In The New York City Metro Area Between 2000 And 2017, Sarah Kostecki

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction:

This report examines employment trends and poverty status among men and women aged 25-54 in the New York City metropolitan area. The report assesses the characteristics of these persons, while examining trends and differences in poverty status by sex, race/ethnicity, and across the five largest Latino nationalities.

Methods:

This report uses the American Community Survey PUMS (Public Use Microdata Series) data for all years released by the Census Bureau and reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa, (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/index.shtml). See Public Use Microdata Series Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew …

The Case For Public Investment In Higher Pay For New York State Home Care Workers: Estimated Costs And Savings, Isaac Jabola-Carolus, Stephanie Luce, Ruth Milkman

Publications and Research

This report explores one potential solution to the mounting home care labor shortage in New York State: substantially raising wages for the state's home care workers. The analysis presents detailed projections, based on the best available data, of the economic effects of such an intervention, estimating the costs and benefits that would result. We find that public funding to raise home care wages would require significant resources, but those costs would be surpassed by the resulting savings, tax revenues, and economic spillover effects. The net economic gain would total at least $3.7 billion. Lifting wages would also help fill nearly …

Reimagining Post-Secondary Training, Community College, And Welfare Supports, Aaron Azerad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to study the income patterns at the sub-bachelorette level through community colleges and workforce training programs. Using 2018 U.S. Census PUMA microdata, this thesis not only explores which fields of study, industries, and occupations have a sufficient number of observations to determine whether they provide incomes which are commensurate with a middle class livelihood but, also whether these jobs are plentiful in number.

The second goal is to evaluate the effects of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (the Clinton era welfare reform) and how it has influenced Giuliani era ‘work requirement’ initiatives tied …

The Legacy Of Car-Share And Light-Rail Transit For Mobility And Accessibility Improvements In Economically Marginalized Neighborhoods In The New York Metro Area, Kyeongsu Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the value of the car-share program and a new light rail system with respect to their impact on mobility and accessibility improvements in economically and transportation access-wise marginalized neighborhoods in NYC and its adjacent communities. It consists of three main essays that took deep dives into how each new service or system altered mobility or accessibility for those in need. The first essay (Chapter 2) investigates car-share vehicle utilization rates of the Zipcar across NYC. It assesses the utilization rates by vehicle type, service location, time period, and weekday usage compared to weekend activity. With a multivariate …

Dealer Networks In Over-The-Counter (Otc) Financial Markets, Richmond Kyei-Fordjour

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research studies a network of interdealer trading in Over-The-Counter (OTC) Financial Markets. It reviews a model of OTC interdealer trading, extends this model for suitable application to empirical studies of trading in dealer networks within OTC markets, and ultimately develops a methodology for estimating the endogenous network parameters. Finally, it applies the methodology to conduct an empirical study of the Municipal bonds market.

Educational Investments In Low-Income Households: The Role Of Parental Occupational Identity And Substitutability, Aparna Anand

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Poor parents face difficult trade-offs when investing in their children's education. This dissertation studies how low-income urban households in Southern India, where child labor is a concern, make educational investments for their children. First, I build a model that shows how educational investments are shaped by the possibility of children substituting labor for their parents. Second, I collect parent surveys, child surveys, and student-level administrative data from schools and construct a linked dataset. Third, I examine the relationship between educational investments and several pertinent factors, with an emphasis on child labor substitution and the strength of occupational identity. I find …