Economics Commons^™

Does Graduating In A Bad Economy Penalize Your Pay Tor Life?, Kevin F. Hallock

Economics Faculty Publications

Rigorous research has shown that the state of the economy when one graduates from college does matter. And, unfortunately, given the current slow-growth labor market, it matters not just for earning in the first job after college but also for compensation years in the future. Recessions are bad on graduates' pocketbooks, at graduation and in years to come. If that's not enough, it looks like recessions could be bad for these graduates' current and future health too. J. Catherine Maclean studies the effects of graduating from college during a bad economy on physical functioning, mental functioning and depressive symptoms on …

The Meeting School: An Alternative Mode Of Education, Hallel Parsons

Capstone Collection

What role do spirituality, community, and farming play in contemporary US education? As a farm and faculty intern at a small, private, Quaker boarding high school in rural NH I gained an interesting perspective on this subject. Using Robert G. Hanvey’s working thesis: An Attainable Global Perspective: Education for a Global Perspective as a standard by which to measure my experience at The Meeting School, I explore the implications of an education founded upon the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality (SPICE), within the context of an intentional community committed to organic farming as a means to …

A High Stakes Gamble In North Las Vegas, Robert E. Lang

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

The City of North Las Vegas, operating in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip, one of the world’s most iconic urban settings, faces a series of financial and political challenges that threaten its ability to perform basic municipal services. This paper explores how North Las Vegas reached the edge of insolvency, the implications for North Las Vegas and the surrounding municipalities of Las Vegas, Henderson, and unincorporated Clark County, and the path forward in the face of unprecedented economic and political turmoil.

A Brighter Future: The Impact Of Charter School Attendance On Student Achievement In Little Rock, Karen Brown

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes what affects charter school attendance has on standardized test scores of public and charters in Little Rock, Arkansas. Policy implications and avenues for further research are also discussed.

Efficiency Of Fiscal Expenditures In Nevada Elementary Schools Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Todd Patrick Yocum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades educational researchers have attempted to find links between school funding and student achievement. These attempts have generated many contradictory viewpoints and have produced many unanswered questions. Ever increasing accountability on states, districts and schools combined with severe financial strain has made measuring school fiscal efficiency a valuable tool for school leaders looking to get more student achievement with fewer resources.

The methodology for this study was comprised of two phases. Phase I analyzed the per pupil expenditures of Nevada elementary schools over a three-year period and developed descriptive statistics that revealed the expenditure patterns by category. Phase II …

The Influence Of Childhood Poverty On Life Chances- The Case Of Academic Performance, Katherine Mccabe

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

The purpose of this research is to explore, identify, and address how children who grow up in poverty face greater challenges in adulthood than those who grow up nonpoor. The two main areas of interest are the differentials of child well-being and school achievement. The daily hardships that poor children face include inadequate nutrition, fewer learning experiences, instability of residence, lower quality schools, exposure to environmental toxins, family violence, homelessness, dangerous streets, and less access to friends, services, and jobs. Through a literature review and analyses of a national probability data set on high school students, I demonstrate how growing …

Teaching About Global Debt In Social Studies Classrooms, Anand Marri, Timothy Patterson, Scott Wylie

Education Faculty Publications

The article offers guidelines in teaching high school students about global debt in their social studies class in the U.S. It outlines various ways on how to infuse discussions about global debt into social studies classrooms which include connecting the topic of global debt on a student's personal finance, providing of instructional materials, and focusing on public policy dilemmas. The author suggests teaching students about global debt through student-centered pedagogy.

Why Did Universities Precede Primary Schools? A Political Economy Model Of Educational Change, Fali Huang

Research Collection School Of Economics

Universities were first established in Europe around the twelfth century, although primary schools did not appear until the nineteenth. This paper accounts for this phenomenon using a political economy model of educational change on who are educated (the elite or the masses) and what is taught (general or specific/vocational education). A key assumption is that general education is more effective than specific education in enhancing one's skills in a broad range of tasks, including political rent-seeking. Its findings suggest that specific education for the masses is compatible with the elite rule, whereas mass general education is not, which refines the …

Negotiating Within A Shared Governance Format, Suzanne C. Wagner, C. Henrik Borgstrom

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

The act of unionization creates a sense of unity among faculty, however, it also creates an adversarial relationship with administration. Although both the administration and the faculty believe they have the university’s best interests in mind, contract negotiations are typically contentious and divisive. A unique process for negotiations is presented illustrating how working within a shared governance format can enable faculty and administration to work together in preparation, research and analysis, problem solving and mutual gains bargaining that results in success for both parties and, ultimately, the university.

Examining The Decline In Bargaining Power In Faculty Labor Unions In The United States: The Effects Of Reduced Monopoly Power In Providing Public Higher Education, Lynn A. Smith, Robert S. Balough

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This study examines the decline in the economic power of faculty labor unions in public higher education in the United States in recent years. The authors assume the labor union is a utility maximizing entity and that income accrues to the “union family.” The union family attempts to maximize this income. By analyzing collective bargaining agreements and hiring practices between the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, the authors construct bargaining indices. Because this study is focused on the change in bargaining power of labor unions in public higher education …

Collective Bargaining In United Kingdom Higher Education, Helen Fairfoul, Laurence Hopkins, Geoff White

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This article provides an overview of the collective bargaining system in United Kingdom (UK) higher education and considers some of the current challenges. The arrangements for determining the pay of staff in UK higher education reflect both the historical context of the UK funding system and the unique nature of UK industrial relations law. From World War II, the funding of UK higher education has predominantly come from central government spending with a strong central framework of policy and governance. Since the 1960s, the higher education sector has grown dramatically, both in terms of student numbers and the number of …

Local Economic Benefits Of Early Childhood Programs: Investing In Kids, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Universities Should Continue To Bargain, Daniel J. Julius

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

College and university leaders should to continue to honor collectively negotiated agreements maintaining relationships with faculty unions, rather than avail themselves of tempting opportunities to redraw the labor and human resources map. To understand why requires some background on the academic union movement, the impact of unions on university management, and the potential advantages of collective bargaining.

This Much I Know Is True: The Five Intangible Influences On Collective Bargaining, Nicholas Digiovanni

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Studies of collective bargaining have often centered on technique, style and the economic data that each side can use in bargaining a labor contract. Often overlooked, however, are the more subtle factors that influence the outcome of a round of bargaining. This article will reflect upon five of those intangible influences, namely, 1) the role of history; 2) the setting of expectations; 3) the nature and character of the people in the process; 4) the aspects of timing in negotiations and 5) the element of catharsis. The author has noted these five factors in his long career at the bargaining …

Nova Southeastern University 2012 Annual Report, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of Interdisciplinary Research For Tenure Track Professors, Lesley Yang

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Interdisciplinary research is the collaboration of people fusing knowledge, theories and methodologies from two or more disciplines. Interdisciplinary collaboration can advance fundamental understanding to form a more inclusive means of examining complex issues beyond the scope of a single discipline. The increase of public monies being dedicated to interdisciplinary research is one way federal agencies like the National Science Foundation are trying to foster more collaboration among people of different disciplines. Data is collected from published articles in the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics from 1996 to 2010. Information on authors of each article— occupations, departmental affiliations, positions held, institutional …

The Effects Of Education, Infrastructure, And Demographics Variables On Regional Income Performance In Missouri, Carlos Rafael Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to examine the potential impacts of different educational attainment levels and infrastructure investment on income performance at the regional level within the state of Missouri. Data for all 114 counties in the state of Missouri are collected. Due to the presence of endogeneity, two-state least squares parameter estimation is carried. Results indicate income gains associated from increments in educational attainment levels. The effects of public capital stocks are not as clear-cut. Furthermore, enhancements of private capital stocks are related to higher income levels. Model simulations show the possible income gains from increasing educational attainment …

State Economic Development Policies: What Works?, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Primer On Profit Maximization, Robert Carbaugh, Tyler Prante

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

Although textbooks in intermediate microeconomics and managerial economics discuss the first-order condition for profit maximization (marginal revenue equals marginal cost) for pure competition and monopoly, they tend to ignore the second-order condition (marginal cost cuts marginal revenue from below). Mathematical economics textbooks also tend to provide only tangential treatment of the necessary and sufficient conditions for profit maximization. This paper fills the void in the textbook literature by combining mathematical and graphical analysis to more fully explain the profit maximizing hypothesis under a variety of market structures and cost conditions. It is intended to be a useful primer for all …

Presentation On Early Childhood Programs And Economic Development To American Chamber Of Commerce Executives Convention, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Honor Codes And Perceptions Of Cheating On Academic Cheating Behaviors, Especially For Mba Bound Undergraduates, Heather M. O'Neill, Christian A. Pfeiffer

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

Researchers studying academic dishonesty in college often focus on demographic characteristics of cheaters and discuss changes in cheating trends over time. To predict cheating behavior, some researchers examine the costs and benefits of academic cheating, while others view campus culture and the role which honor codes play in affecting behavior. This paper develops a model of academic cheating based on three sets of incentives - moral, social and economic—and how they affect cheating behaviors. An on-line survey comprising 61 questions was administered to students from three liberal arts colleges in the USA in spring 2008, yielding 700 responses, with half …

Kentucky Ranks 33rd On Education Index, Michael T. Childress, Matthew L. Howell

Issue Brief on Topics Affecting Kentucky’s Economy

No abstract provided.

Responding To Skeptics Of Early Childhood Programs As Local Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Building A World-Class System In Ireland’S Financial Crisis, Ellen Hazelkorn

Articles

Irish higher education faces particular difficulties given the severity of its economic crisis. Like other countries, it is engaged in significant system restructuring coupled with managed policy direction. Where Ireland does differ is in its emphasis on a 'whole of country strategy' and commitment that teaching and research go hand-in-hand. This paper looks at the fortunes and mis-fortunes of Irish higher education.

Global Financial Meltdown And The Reforms In The Nigerian Banking Sector, Sanusi L. Sanusi

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The paper examined the global financial meltdown and the reforms in the Nigerian banking sector. It was a public speech by the formal Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria that observed the extent and severity of the crisis that began with the bursting of the housing bubble in the United States in August 2007 reflects the confluence of myriad of factors some of which are familiar from previous crises, while others are new. As in previous times of financial turmoil, the pre-crisis period was characterized by (i) surging asset prices that proved unsustainable; (ii) a prolonged credit expansion leading …

What Works In Job Creation And Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Empirical Methods For Predicting Student Retention- A Summary From The Literature, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

The vast majority of the literature related to the empirical estimation of retention models includes a discussion of the theoretical retention framework established by Bean, Braxton, Tinto, Pascarella, Terenzini and others (see Bean, 1980; Bean, 2000; Braxton, 2000; Braxton et al, 2004; Chapman and Pascarella, 1983; Pascarell and Ternzini, 1978; St. John and Cabrera, 2000; Tinto, 1975) This body of research provides a starting point for the consideration of which explanatory variables to include in any model specification, as well as identifying possible data sources. The literature separates itself into two major camps including research related to the hypothesis testing …

Analyzing The Relative Efficiency Of Nevada Secondary Schools, Jesse Welsh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A definitive answer to how to allocate school-level expenditures to yield the greatest "bang for the buck" has continually eluded education finance researchers. With increased regulation, oversight, and sanctions resulting from the No Child Left Behind Act, paired with financial strains on states' education budgets, measuring schools' production and efficiency has become urgent.

The methodology for this study was comprised of two phases. Phase I analyzed the per-pupil expenditures of middle and high schools over a three-year period and developed descriptive statistics that revealed the expenditure patterns by category. Phase II used a micro-level economic approach, data envelopment analysis, to …

Oral Presentation: Students And Free Enterprise, Jami Vallesteros

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

UNLV SIFE is part of an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. In addition to the community aspect of the program, SIFE’s leadership and career initiatives create meaningful opportunities for learning and exchange among the participants as well as the placement of students …

El Rol Esencial De La Educación Y La Salud En La Estrategia Microfinanciera: Un Comentario Sobre El Neoliberalismo Contemporáneo, Julia Smith

Latin American Studies Honors Projects

Abstract

This thesis answers the question: “What is the relationship between microfinance and neoliberalism?” by arguing that microfinance is an effective strategy for poverty eradication and community development only when it is coupled with public education and health for all members of society. Therefore, countries need to change their policies in these areas to ensure that microfinance institutions are successful in ending poverty. This thesis engages with scholars such as David Harvey and Mohammed Yunus who provide the theoretical framework for neoliberalism and microfinance and more importantly with Milford Bateman and Yogendra Bahadur Shakya who argue that microfinance can never …