Economics Commons^™

Economic Impact Of Expanding The Morgantown Industrial Park, Eric Bowen

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

What Drives Differences In Management Practices?, Nicholas Bloom, Erik Brynjolfsson, Lucia Foster, Ron Jarmin, Megha Patnaik, Itay Saporta-Eksten, John Van Reenen

Journal Articles

Partnering with the US Census Bureau, we implement a new survey of "structured" management practices in two waves of 35,000 manufacturing plants in 2010 and 2015. We fnd an enormous dispersion of management practices across plants, with 40 percent of this variation across plants within the same frm. Management practices account for more than 20 percent of the variation in productivity, a similar, or greater, percentage as that accounted for by R&D, ICT, or human capital. We fnd evidence of two key drivers to improve management. The business environment, as measured by right-to-work laws, boosts incentive management practices. Learning spillovers, …

Great Transformations : The Political Economy Of Megaproject Development In The Manila Peri-Urban Periphery, Jerome Patrick D. Cruz

Economics Department Faculty Publications

This chapter examines the inter-scalar governance dynamics of market-oriented city-building projects that are proliferating in the Manila mega-urban region, in the midst of the longest-running property boom in the Philippines' post-dictatorship history. Specifically, it examines local governance transformations that have been catalyzed by the two largest of these ventures: the 1,180-hectare Alviera green township by Ayala Land Inc., and the 9,400-hectare Clark Green City project of the parastatal Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). Situating the analysis of these projects amidst trends in neoliberal urban governance, it finds that the development of these ventures has witnessed the formation of new …

Support For And Behavioral Responses To Tolls: Insights From Hampton Roads, Virginia, Juita-Elena Wie Yusuf, Khairul Azfi Anuar, Lenahan L. O'Connell, David Chapman, Donta Council, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Meagan M. Jordan

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This chapter analyzes the experiences with tolling in the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia to better understand residents' and drivers' support for tolls and behavioral responses to tolls. The Hampton Roads region, with its population of 1.7 million and extensive network of highways, roads, bridges, and tunnels, has a long history of toll facilities that date back to the 1920s. The most recent tunnel tolls, associated with the Elizabeth River Crossing Project and introduced in February 2014, are the focus of this chapter. This chapter analyzes two sets of survey data to provide insights that have implications for policies …

Through The Eyes Of Locals: A Changing Climate In Bolivia, Jacob D. Rex

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Deforestation and Agricultural Land-Use Change in Bolivia as a Function of Socio-Economic Realities.

This research combines semi-structured interviews of key informants and local participants, as well as field observations, which were conducted between January and April of 2019 in the Departments of Santa Cruz & Chuquisaca.

Essays On Institutions And Development, Andrew Jonelis

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

The essays in this dissertation examine how political institutions affect economic development. In the first essay, I examine how executive control of the legislature shapes the time horizon of governing politicians and its effect on economic growth. The second essay examines how border changes over the past two centuries have provided different areas within modern countries with different institutional histories and how this affects the geographic concentration of economic activity. For the final essay, I examine whether elections have an effect on macroeconomic volatility when controlling for the democratic nature of the regime.

Policy, Aggregate Productivity And Misallocation, Guowen Chen

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation explores the effects of factors such as industrial policy and listing on the stock market on manufacturing firms’ profitability and productivity.

The second chapter investigates the effect of industrial policies on misallocation using a rich data-set of Chinese firms. Using a difference-in-difference approach, I provide evidence that government policies (i.e. the 10^th Five Year Plan) favoring particular industries lead to increased misallocation (i.e., an increase in the dispersion of revenue productivity across firms in four-digit industries). Moreover, the differential changes between industries supported and not supported by the 10^th Five Year Plan are quantitatively large and …

The Effects Of Destruction: A Macroeconomic Story, Kara Riesing

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

Destructive events such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks occur not only in developing economies but also developed economies. Consequently, the response of these economies has been observed in case of both type of events. This dissertation is a collection of essays regarding natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the macroeconomy. Specifically, I examine the response of local labor markets that reflect a wide spectrum of economies, but also have a safety-net in the form of being part of a developed country in the aftermath of a violent tornado. Further, I explore the heterogeneity in the economies response to natural disasters …

The Effect Of Corruption On Foreign Direct Investment In Transition Economies: A Panel Data Study, Michael Chodziutko

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the FDI inflows into transition economies of Europe. The study incorporates a time series element to help see how investment has changed over time in this region. Corruption and economic conditions are what will be specifically studied in this model. Market conditions are the final independent variable present in this studied, used to try and understand how the market size can influence inflows. The results show that there is a negative relationship between corruption on FDI flows. It was also found that economic growth and integration into the world economy have a positive relationship in attracting foreign …

How Improving Prison Systems In The United States Will Positively Impact The Economy, Jordan Laube

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the causes of high recidivism in the United States and offers a solution to theoretically bring these numbers down. This study is compiled of data over the past twenty years (1998-2018) as there have been spikes in recidivism rates during this time period. Some of the independent variables that this paper will take into account are economic and labor market freedom, race, cost, sentence length, and prison population under discretionary review. A one percent increase in state economic freedom is associated with a 0.47 % decrease in parolee recidivism. The relationship is stronger and more statistically significant …

Factor Model Tests Of Long-Run Price Reversals In The U.S. Stock Market, Harrison Garrett

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates whether long-run price reversals persist in stocks that have significantly outperformed or underperformed the market. Consistent with previous studies, the results show that there are sizeable positive abnormal returns to a long-term contrarian strategy of investing in stocks with significant prior underperformance. However, these positive abnormal returns are driven by low-priced stocks, and stocks with very low market capitalizations. When the investment universe is narrowed to remove very small companies and lowpriced stocks, there is no longer a statistically significant return difference between portfolios of stocks with significant prior outperformance and significant prior underperformance.

Determinants Of Life Expectancy In The Central African Republic, Taylor Rizzo

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the determinants of life expectancy in the Central African Republic. The study uses economic, social, and environmental factors to estimate a health production function. The study aims to offer suggestions on ways to target life expectancy as a method for increasing economic growth. The results show that the best way to increase longevity in the CAR and solve the mortality crisis are to increase sanitation facilities and regulation, solve the hunger/malnutrition problem, and to reduce the deadly spread of HIV. Aid was determined to be significant in improving the well-being of citizens in the CAR.

Analysis Of The Performance Of The Korean Government’S R&D Subsidy For Small Businesses, Soonjae Kwon

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Investment in Research and Development (R&D) is one of the most significant governmental activities. Many countries including Korea continue the R&D investment in various fields such as defense, environment, and medical care. In addition, the Korean government has a plan to significantly expand R&D investment for small businesses because the growth of small businesses is considered as an important factor for economic development such as new job creation. Since the government budget is a finite resource in which various departments compete for the budget, the budget increase of a program can be justified when the government grants lead to better …

Foreign Direct Investment And Export Competitiveness In Africa: Investigating The Channels, Gladys Gamariel, Seedwell Hove

Journal of African Trade

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Trade Facilitation On Trade Performance In Africa:, Daniel Sakyi, Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor

Journal of African Trade

No abstract provided.

How Do Trade Margins Respond To Exchange Rate? The Case Of Egypt1, Chahir Zaki, Alia Abdallah, May Sami

Journal of African Trade

No abstract provided.

Sanitation, Ek Prem Katha: The Impact Of Sanitation On Education In Indian Government Schools, Romanshi Gupta

Scripps Senior Theses

The Total Sanitation Campaign is an initiative launched by the Government of India in 1999 to accelerate sanitation coverage throughout the country. This thesis measures the impact of the Total Sanitation Campaign on education in Indian government schools. I assess whether access to toilets, access to water or access to both toilets and water impact the following parameters of education: literacy, current enrollment in school or completed years of education. Data is sourced from the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2005, sorted for the nineteen major states in India and aggregated at a district level for each state. The analysis …

Examining The Role Of Intra-Household Bargaining In The Adoption Of Green Technology, Antara Anand

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper investigates factors that affect gender-based differences in intra-household bargaining power that are reflected in consumption decisions regarding the adoption of green technology. Using data from the Indian Human Development Survey-II and a probit regression analysis, I find that increasing the level of a woman’s education (a proxy for increasing bargaining power) increases the likelihood of her household adopting LPG, the cleanest fuel option available. I also create an experimental design to serve as a next step for future research and target data collection on individual-level factors and environmental outcomes. The setup is for a potential intervention that assesses …

Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Spatial Analysis Of Crime And Housing Values, Anthony Senick

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Crime is an obvious unwanted problem in any population anywhere in the world. Not only does it present problems for public safety, but it crime has negative monetary costs as well. One such way these costs can be observed is in their effect on property values. Past studies have examined this relationship between crime and housing values using the hedonic housing price model and spatial analysis, and I attempt to perform a similar analysis, but with the inclusion of new variables and spatial techniques, for the City of Akron, Ohio. With 2017 housing sale data provided by the Summit County …

A Pilot Study On Adolescent Mobile Phone Use, Indirect Mental Health Costs And Cultural Context Considerations – Report, Siobhan K. Yilmaz, Alok Bohara

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Adolescents are being recognized as a generation, worldwide, that require different policy approaches to improve their health and wellbeing, including the adoption of mobile based health interventions (e.g. mHealth). While mHealth interventions are growing in popularity, many researchers/policy-makers have neglected assessing potential (indirect) costs/negative consequences from their use. Evidence from the developed world shows strong associations between cell phone use and negative mental health outcomes, but such findings are minimal in developing world contexts. Using primary data from a large-scale, school-based survey of 17-19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nepal, this report provides background information to motivate additional work investigating the presence …

The Legalization Of Street Vending In Los Angeles: Exploring The Impact On Vendors And Their Livelihoods, Karen Alpuche Caceres

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis aims to unpack the impact the legalization of street vending and the subsequent regulation had on sidewalk vendors. Although legalization occurred state-wide through Senate Bill 946 in September of 2017, the rules and regulations for vending were passed at a city-level, and I am focusing on the City of Los Angeles specifically. Through interviews with government officials, non-profit partners and advocates, and vendors from different parts of the City, I analyze information around the policy itself, its history, and the impact it has and is expected to have on vendors and their businesses. While vendors have been central …

Planning An Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem In Norfolk Virginia, Matthew A. Cline

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Provides an overview of Norfolk’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem and challenges associated with its disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Presents policy recommendations in creating more equitable environment for these small business ventures.

Selective Mortality And Malnutrition In India, Pallavi Panda

School of Business

India presents itself as a paradox with low infant mortality and high malnutrition. This paper provides survival bias as an explanation of the paradox. Using pooled health surveys from 1993 to 2005 and a pseudo-panel selection model, this study finds that the change in Height-for-Age Z-Scores (HAZ scores) can be explained by mortality selection. Specifically, children with sample average characteristics that survive have 17.4% less HAZ scores than a child randomly drawn from the population indicating an overestimation of malnutrition in India. This is consistent with the hypothesis of weaker children surviving due to skilled delivery which pulls down the …

The Effect Of Outward Foreign Direct Investment On Exports In Japan During The Lost Decade, 1985-2005, Alexandros Ladas

Dissertations and Theses

This study will utilize an OLS analysis of the panel data coming from various databases such as the World Bank, Federal Reserve and etc. to determine if there exists a significant correlation between the exports of Japan and its foreign direct investment (FDI) in the period of 1985-2005 with nearby trading partners of which include the countries of ASEAN, China and South Korea. In addition, a selection of supplemental factors will be used to determine if they also possess any significance with exports. These factors include: the exchange rate of the Japanese yen with the currency of the trading partner …

The Importance Of Property Rights In The Developing World: A Study And Comparison Of Zimbabwe And Botswana, Luke A. Scarpa

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Economic Value Of A Place-Based Resource For Regional Development, Aisling Conway Lenihan, Helen Mcguirk

Dept. of Management & Enterprise Publications

Regional economic development has long been acknowledged as an important objective of government policy. Natural resources are also recognised as drivers of economic development. However, the importance of place-based resources such as peripheral coastlines and Harbour areas are less understood. This research provides insights into an industry based on its region’s natural resource and the value it generates for sustainable economic development. Using the world’s second largest natural Harbour region, the current research measures the economic activities associated with the Marine Leisure Industry in Cork Harbour, and estimates the economic impact on the local economy. The research establishes a multiplier …

Government Expenditure And Unemployment: Empirical Investigation Of Sub-Saharan African (Ssa) Countries, Grace Ayiwah Fosu

Masters Theses

Over the years, there have been increasing trends in government expenditures in most countries in Sub-Sahara Africa, but some of the social-economic indicators such as health, unemployment, education, inflation, and the others paint a blurry image of the effect of the rising public spending. It is worrisome to see that pictures painted by the economic indicators show that budgets made by governments in Sub-Sahara Africa look good on paper than their actual effect in the economy (Andrews, 2010; Peterson, 2010). As a result of this, the question that keeps emerging is that “does government spending actually impact economic indicators in …

A Comparative Analysis On Output Gap - Inflation Relation: The New Keynesian Approach, Oladimeji Tomiwa Shodipe

Masters Theses

The thrust of this research paper is to examine the inflation information that is contained in the output gap using the New Keynesian Phillips Curve framework. As informed by the model, the study also sets to investigate inflation persistence and the influence of forward inertia on the current inflation. This paper follows the Gali and Monacelli (2005) of the small open-economy type of model. However, the current study differs by introducing external factors (trade and real exchange rate) not only on the hybrid model, also on the backward, forward and the hybrid restricted models for time-series data (1971-2017) of all …

The Impact Of Dutch Disease: The Case Of Nigeria, Halimat Atinuke Laguda

Masters Theses

Nigeria, over the years, has been showing a rapid appreciation of the domestic currency, a rise in real wages and the service sector and a slow-down in the industrial production which are all signs of presence of Dutch disease which predicts that a country with large natural resource rents may experience a de-industrialization and a lower long term economic growth. This paper analyses the impact of Dutch disease in Nigeria Ordinary Least square method, Two-Stage Least Square and Autoregressive Distributed Lag with a system of equation from 1981 to 2017 and found that the real wage rate emphasizes on the …

Farm To Label: A Critique Of Consumer Activism In The Sustainable Food Movement, Olivia Whitener

Pomona Senior Theses

“Local,” “organic,” “natural,” and “Fairtrade” are just several of the many claims adorning the food products that line grocery store shelves. These promises of environmental sustainability and social responsibility are pillars of the “good food revolution” sweeping the nation as consumers demand alternatives to the products of the industrial food system. Green consumerism, the premise that consumer demand for environmentally sustainable goods will bring about ecologically beneficial outcomes, is at the heart of the sustainable food movement. This thesis takes a critical look at the operation of green consumerism in the food system. It explores the ideology and shortcomings of …