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Economics

Economic impact

Economics Department Working Papers

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mass Atrocities And Their Prevention, Charles H. Anderton, Jurgen Brauer Jan 2019

Mass Atrocities And Their Prevention, Charles H. Anderton, Jurgen Brauer

Economics Department Working Papers

Counting conservatively, and ignoring physical injuries and mental trauma, data show about 100 million mass atrocity-related deaths since 1900. Occurring in war and in peacetime, and of enormous scale, severity, and brutality, they are geographically widespread, occur with surprising frequency, and can be long-lasting in their adverse effects on economic and human development, wellbeing, and wealth. As such, they are a major economic concern. This article synthesizes very diverse and widely dispersed theoretical and empirical literatures, addressing two gaps: a “mass atrocities gap” in the economics literature and an “economics gap” in mass atrocities scholarship. Our goals are, first, for …


Going For The Gold: The Economics Of The Olympics, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade Feb 2016

Going For The Gold: The Economics Of The Olympics, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade

Economics Department Working Papers

In this paper, we explore the costs and benefits of hosting the Olympic Games. On the cost side, there are three major categories: general infrastructure such as transportation and housing to accommodate athletes and fans; specific sports infrastructure required for competition venues; and operational costs, including general administration as well as the opening and closing ceremony and security. Three major categories of benefits also exist: the short-run benefits of tourist spending during the Games; the long-run benefits or the "Olympic legacy" which might include improvements in infrastructure and increased trade, foreign investment, or tourism after the Games; and intangible benefits …


Pilots And Public Policy: Steering Through The Economic Ramifications, Brad R. Humphreys, Victor Matheson Dec 2008

Pilots And Public Policy: Steering Through The Economic Ramifications, Brad R. Humphreys, Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

A recent IRS ruling has allowed the new Yankees Stadium construction project to be financed by a tax exempt bond offering backed by payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTS). This decision appears to contradict the spirit of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. From an economic standpoint, the question is whether it is desirable to significantly expand the number of projects eligible for tax subsidies in exchange for a more direct connection between those receiving benefits from the projects and those paying the taxes, or should the state and municipal bond tax exemption narrowly extend only to true public works …


A Tale Of Two Stadiums: Comparing The Economic Impact Of Chicago’S Wrigley Field And U.S. Cellular Field, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade, Mimi Nikolova Aug 2006

A Tale Of Two Stadiums: Comparing The Economic Impact Of Chicago’S Wrigley Field And U.S. Cellular Field, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade, Mimi Nikolova

Economics Department Working Papers

Supporters of sports stadium construction often defend taxpayer subsidies for stadiums by suggesting that sports infrastructure can serve as an anchor for local economic redevelopment. Have such promises of economic rejuvenation been realized? The City of Chicago provides an interesting case study on how a new stadium, U. S. Cellular Field, has been integrated into its southside neighborhood in a way that may well have limited local economic activity. This economic outcome stands in stark contrast to Wrigley Field in northern Chicago which continues to experience a synergistic commercial relationship with its neighborhood.


The Economic Consequences Of Professional Sports Strikes And Lockouts: Revisited, Robert Baade, Robert Baumann, Victor Matheson Apr 2006

The Economic Consequences Of Professional Sports Strikes And Lockouts: Revisited, Robert Baade, Robert Baumann, Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

Professional sports franchises have used the lure of economic riches as an incentive for cities to construct new stadiums and arenas at considerable public expense. An analysis of taxable sales in Florida cities demonstrates that none of the 6 new franchises or 8 new stadiums and arenas in the state since 1980 have resulted in a statistically significant increase in taxable sales in the host metropolitan area. In addition, using the numerous work stoppages in professional sports as test cases, again no statistically significant effect on taxable sales is found from the sudden absence of professional sports due to strikes …


Can New Orleans Play Its Way Past Katrina? The Role Of Professional Sports In The Redevelopment Of New Orleans, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade Feb 2006

Can New Orleans Play Its Way Past Katrina? The Role Of Professional Sports In The Redevelopment Of New Orleans, Victor Matheson, Robert Baade

Economics Department Working Papers

Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans in late August 2005, and debates are now underway across the country concerning strategies for reconstructing the City. A key to redevelopment involves encouraging former citizens and businesses to return. Both of New Orleans’s professional sports teams, the National Football League Saints and the National Basketball Association Hornets, have taken up residence in other cities, and the question of what the city should provide in the way of financial accommodation to encourage them to return should be considered in devising a reconstruction plan. Infrastructure to facilitate professional sports and mega-events constitutes a …


Is Smaller Better? A Comment On "Comparative Economic Impact Analyses" By Michael Mondello And , Victor Matheson Nov 2004

Is Smaller Better? A Comment On "Comparative Economic Impact Analyses" By Michael Mondello And , Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

In a recent article in Economic Development Quarterly, "Comparative Economic Impact Analyses: Differences Across Cities, Events, and Demographics" (November 2004), Michael Mondello and Patrick Rishe examined the economic impact of small, amateur sporting events on host economies. This response to their work suggests four reasons why ex ante economic impact estimates for smaller sporting events may come closer to matching ex post reality than those for "mega-events" including less crowding out, lower hosting costs, higher multipliers, and less incentive for boosters to published inflated figures.


Economic Multipliers And Mega-Event Analysis , Victor Matheson Jun 2004

Economic Multipliers And Mega-Event Analysis , Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

Critics of economic impact studies that purport to show that mega-events such as the Olympics bring large benefits to the communities “lucky” enough to host them frequently cite the use of inappropriate multipliers as a primary reason why these impact studies overstate the true economic gains to the hosts of these events. This brief paper shows in a numerical example how mega-events may lead to inflated multipliers and exaggerated claims of economic benefits.