Economics Commons^™

An Empirical Analysis Of The Status Of Income Inequality New England In 2022, Aidan Wilkinson

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the status of income inequality within the New England states in 2022. The empirical analysis conducted within this paper uses a similar model within Fadi Fawaz et al. for high income countries to analyze and predict the Gini coefficient within the six New England States. More specifically, the model that is tested analyzes monthly unemployment rate, the labor force participation rate, welfare spending, and the top 1% wealth distribution. The results show that Rhode Island and Maine Gini indexes could only be described by the top 1% wealth distribution and welfare spending, respectively. We also find that …

Hdi And Standard Of Living: A Panel Data Analysis Of Latin America, Matthew Susich

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the correlation between the Human Development Index and other significant measures of standard of living. The study incorporates data for upper- and middle-income countries in Latin America (Mexico, Costa Rica, Columbia, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Guatemala, Jamaica, Belize, and Bolivia) surrounding standard of living, including GDP per capita, public spending on education, public spending on health, GNI per capita, unemployment, infant mortality, and inflation. The conclusions from this study are drawn from regression analysis and tests of correlation between the Human Development Index and alternative measures of standard of living. The results show that unemployment and infant …

Hitting The Books: An Empirical Analysis Of The Effect Of Education Expenditure On Gdp Per Capita And Economic Growth, Matt Simmons

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the link between education spending in Mexico and Central American countries and illegal immigration to the United States. Despite challenges like poverty and governance issues, these nations experience significant migration to the U.S., underscoring the need for deeper insights. Analyzing economic motivations and migration costs, the study emphasizes education expenditure's role in economic growth. Through empirical analysis, it highlights the importance of addressing root causes and offers policy recommendations. Overall, this research contributes to understanding the intricate relationship between education, immigration, and economic development.

How Unsdgs Are Reflected In Folklore, Jacob Mann

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the relationship between the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in a country and the prevalence of those goals in that country’s folklore. The study incorporates folklore collected into an aspect-based sentiment analyzer to examine the prevalence of, and attitude towards various aspects of the text. A combination of ConceptNet and the widely available Natural Language Toolkit is implemented to retrieve polarity scores related to key aspects of the texts. The results indicate that there are correlations between the attitude towards a theme in folklore, and the attitudes towards that theme in a country. JEL

Shifting The Ice: Analyzing The Impact Of The 2013 Nhl Cba To The Competitive Balance Of The League, Ryan Lacy

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates whether the 2013 National Hockey League (NHL) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which hardened the existing salary cap, increased team revenue sharing, and instituted additional restrictions on player contracts, results in a more competitively balanced league. The study incorporates an OLS regression and Quantile regression to examine the impact of the 2013 CBA on the competitive balance of the league. The results show that the changes allow for a dispersion of talent, specifically offensive talent, and demonstrated a positive relationship between spending and points obtained by teams in the top 25% of the league. Conversely, teams that did …

The Causes All Time High Chronic Homelessness: A Panel Analysis, Robert Knight

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates what economic indicators affect the rate of homelessness in the United States. By combining both the personal issues of the homeless people themselves along with economic structural issues in U.S. this study finds what the largest determinants of chronic homelessness. The study includes variables such as median house prices from the Case Shiller Index, the poverty rate, unemployment rate, health care expenditures per capita and demographics to find what causes a higher homeless rate. The data used to determine the conclusions will be pulled from twenty different major U.S. metropolitan cities to showcase how different economic variables …

Time Series Analysis Of The Impact Of Climate Change On The Rocky Mountain Ski Industry, Charlotte Christo

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the correlation between climate change and the ski industry. This study will incorporate the annual snowfall and mean temperature and annual visitations to American ski resorts. The model studied will investigate if the rising temperatures affect snow fall totals in popular ski areas as well the visitor amounts per season. This model will be used to run a multiple regression that will account for various controls including the distribution of snow fall throughout the season.

Does Money Really Buy Success? Empirical Analysis Of Money Spent Effect On English Premier League Team’S Performances/Success: A Panel Data Analysis, Barnaby Brandon

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the empirical relationship between the wages of English Premier League teams and their success. This study incorporates information from the league regarding each team’s spending and the performance of each of these teams every year. Each team has a specific spending structure based on the magnitude of the club and ability of the players. The research will look at all teams that have stayed in the premier league for the past 10 years as some teams come in and out of the Premier League with the relegation and promotion system. The results will show whether having higher …

The Role Of Institutional Quality Factors On Inequality In Upper-Middle Income Countries In Latin America, Alexia Brandao

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the influence that institutional quality factors have on the power or spread of inequality across low-income countries, as opposed to high income countries. As such, an empirical study and analysis will be conducted to measure the impact of the following institutional quality factors: control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability and absence of violence/terrorism, regulatory quality, rule of law, and voice and accountability. Specifically, cross-sectional or panel data from the World Bank will be utilized to look at upper-middle income nations in Latin America. The factors will be simultaneously measured against the Gini Coefficient. These countries include …

Beyond The Arc: Investigating The Impact Of 3-Point Shots On Nba Revenue: An Empirical Analysis, Cameron Bolduc

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the impact of Stephen Curry’s revolution of the three-point shot and its impact on NBA’s revenues. The study will incorporate the five years prior to Stephen Curry’s back-to-back MVP’s and the five years after those MVP’s. The model will examine three-point makes and percentage per game, along with a player’s effective field goal percentage, as well as playoff wins and attendance in home games. The study’s results showed that in the five years after Stephen Curry changed the game and won his MVPs, the three-point shot was a big driver in a team’s revenue. These results do …

Broken Asset Bubbles: The Factors Affect Japan's Economy From Prosperity To Decline, Mark Yang

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

Japan was in the most prosperous period of the economy in the 1980s, during which the GDP growth rate of Japan was high-speed, and the economic scale of Japan was second only to the United States in the world. Japan became the second largest economy in the world. But the boom was the unsustainable illusion of a bubble economy of rising house and stock prices. In the early 1990s, the collapse of Japanese real estate and stock market prices severely affected the Japanese economy, leaving many banks and companies heavily indebted. Japan's economy fell into a decade-long stagnation known as …

A Cross-Section Analysis Of Factors Affecting Interstate 11 Migration In The United States, Kasey Thomas

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the factors influencing interstate migration in the United States of America. This study incorporates political affiliations and income and property tax policy into an existing migration determinants model. This is done to examine the influence of policy or potential future policies on an individual’s decision-making in addition to household factors. The greatest factors influencing an individual's decision to move are the average January temperature, the income tax rate, and the number of hazardous waster sites in the state.

The Causal Nexus Between Government Expenditure On Education And Individual Savings Behavior In Argentina, Amanda Spielman

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the possibility of interdependence between education and savings by looking at the relationship between a country’s government expenditure on education and the saving rate. Public education expenditure has been studied as an explanatory variable for economic growth, but similar studies determining its impact on household savings behavior are lacking. This research looks to determine Granger Causality using the Vector Error Correction Model between this measure of the quality of education and savings rate for Argentina. The results show bidirectional causality between the savings rate and government expenditure on education, as well as unidirectional causality with government expenditure …

What Gives? Trust, Risk, Altruism, And Reciprocity Across 76 Countries, Sherwin Mosavat

Master's Theses

Abstract:

The decades-long literature pertaining to gender-specific preferences lies at the intersection of economics and psychology with a primary focus on the correlation between economic development and gender-specific preferences. Better understanding of this correlation has helped researchers understand how individuals make decisions for their education, finances, and occupation. Falk & Hermle (2018) assess the correlation between GDP and various gender-specific preferences including trust, risk, altruism, and reciprocity. In order to better understand the relationship between economic development and gender-specific preferences, I expand on the Falk & Hermle 2018 framework by introducing new macroeconomic, prosocial, and cultural variables as additional explanatory …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Well-Being In Cancer Survivorship: Implications For Counselors, Hallie M. Sylvestro, Lindsey K. Umstead, Heather Delgado, Christopher Lawrence, Keith Mobley, Kelly L. Wester, Andrew Wood

Adultspan Journal

Adult cancer survivors represent an important–and growing–population that could benefit from counseling services. This study employed consensual qualitative research to examine the well-being experiences of eight cancer survivors. Findings suggest a broad range of changes to individual well-being following cancer diagnosis and treatment, and indicate counseling can provide an ideal setting for processing such changes. Recommendations for counseling practice and future research are provided.

Report Cards: Parental Preferences, Information And School Choice In Haiti, Michael Borger, Gregory Elacqua, Isabel Jacas, Christopher Neilson, Anne Sofie Westh Olsen

Discussion Papers

This paper studies school choice and information frictions in Haiti. Through a randomized control trial, we assess the impact of disclosing school-level test score information on learning outcomes, prices, and market shares. We find evidence that in markets where information was disclosed, students attending private schools increased test scores. The results also suggest private schools with higher baseline test scores increased their market share as well as their fees when the disclosure policy is implemented. While prices and test scores were not significantly correlated in the baseline survey, they exhibited a significant and positive correlation in treatment markets after information …

Describing Trends In Virginia's Dentist And Dental Hygienist Workforce: Challenges And Opportunities, Shillpa Naavaal, Yetty Shobo, Barbara Hodgdon

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Regular assessment of the dental workforce is essential to improve the population's oral health. This analysis aimed to understand the trends in the distribution of dentists and dental hygienists (DHs) in Virginia.

Methods: Annual survey data (2013-2022) of dentists and DHs from the Virginia Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center was used to examine the trends in provider distribution by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geography across Virginia.

Results: In 2022, there were 5,720 dentists and 5,290 DH licensees in Virginia. In the dentist workforce, there was a high representation of those aged ≥60 years (23%), males (58%), …

Analysis Of Inequality In Household Internet Utilization And Policy Implications, Shanisara Chamwong, Thoedsak Chomtohsuwan, Narissara Charoenphandhu

Journal of Demography

This research investigates the pervasive inequality in household internet access and use that contributes to the digital divide. As the internet becomes an integral part of daily life, variations in access and use carry significant implications for social and economic opportunities. A quantitative approach is applied, analyzing data from The National Statistical Office of Thailand to capture a comprehensive understanding of inequality in household internet access and use, as measured by the Gini coefficient. Five aspects of internet access and use are considered as the determinants of inequality, including internet connectivity, internet affordability, internet quality, device availability, and flexibility and …

Does Higher Socioeconomic Status Associate With Better Mental Health Outcomes Among Primary Caregivers In Rural China?, Wenwen Zhang

Master's Theses

This study explores the intricate relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the mental health outcomes of primary caregivers in rural China, focusing on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) context in Ya'an. Anchored in a major intervention project launched in 2023, the study critically examines the hypothesis that higher socioeconomic status correlates with lower levels of negative emotions among caregivers.

Utilizing cross-sectional data, the research investigates how educational attainment and household income influence caregivers' mental health, measured through the DASS-21 score in three dimensions: stress, anxiety, and depression. The findings reveal that higher household income and educational levels are significantly associated …

Leveling Up Financial Literacy: Evidence From Game-Based Intervention With Aspiration Treatment Amongst Rural Women In India, Akash Shaji

Master's Theses

In India, rural women exhibit notably low financial literacy levels, necessitating effective and scalable educational interventions. Our randomized controlled trial evaluated a novel approach, combining game-based financial literacy education with a video documentary-based aspirations intervention, targeting women in self-help groups in Karnataka. The study included 348 participants and employed an ANCOVA model adjusted for clustering to analyze the effects. The results demonstrate significant improvements in financial literacy and aspirations, particularly when interventions are combined. The game-based intervention alone significantly enhanced digital literacy, financial confidence, and behavioral indices such as agency, pathways, and aspirations. The aspirations intervention also independently affected financial …

Matrilineal Ethnic Affiliation And Female Empowerment: Investigating Attitudes Towards Female Autonomy And Health In Ivorian Households, Martine Hind Stølan

Master's Theses

Kinship structure is a fundamental aspect of anthropology, however, there is still a gap in literature on its impact on economic research, particularly regarding female autonomy and health. This study aims to address this gap by examining the influence of matrilineal ethnic affiliation on attitudes towards female autonomy and health within Ivorian households. Using data from the 2011 IPUMS Demographic and Health Survey for the Ivory Coast, using female responses, this study investigates the complex dynamics shaping attitudes towards female autonomy and access to health care. Analysis on these aspects is done using ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic estimations. …

Can Aspiration And Financial Literacy Interventions Relieve Internal Constraints? Evidence From Uganda And India, Veronika Divis

Master's Theses

Can aspiration and financial literacy interventions relieve internal constraints? We address this question through a novel experiment in Uganda and India, using 617 participants in 89 already existing borrowing groups of microfinance institutions. We carry out aspiration and financial literacy treatments as well as a combined treatment group which received both treatments to measure effects on aspirations, hope, agency, and pathway indices. Results show that receiving the aspirations treatment led to 0.34, 0.42, 0.18, and 0.40 standard deviation increases in aspirations, agency, pathways, and aspirational hope, respectively. The game and combined treatment groups also showed positive effects but lacked statistical …

Exploring The Relationship Between Load Shedding And Crime In Gauteng, Bhavesh Ram

Master's Theses

This study investigates the impact of load shedding, a recurring power outage phenomenon in South Africa, on crime rates in the densely populated Gauteng province. Using a novel dataset that combines Eskom's load shedding schedules with detailed crime statistics from 2015 to 2022, a fixed-effects regression model is employed to examine the relationship between blackout hours and various crime categories. Findings reveal that while load shedding does not significantly affect overall crime rates, it significantly increases the incidence of contact crimes and sexual offenses, particularly during daylight hours. Additionally, our results provide evidence that load shedding diminishes the ability of …

Labors Of Love And Loss: Exploring Relationships In Remitting Latine-American Families, Sequoyah Sv Hilton

Master's Theses

This paper examines the impact remittances have in Latin-American families across borders through qualitative interviews. Remittances, or international transfers of money, are a common support strategy of global migrant communities. There are divergent opinions on remittances, either positioning them as a great potential for developing lower and middle-income countries, or critiquing them as too heavily depended on by states and created as a survival support mechanism by communities to compensate for state neglect. While they are a massive cash flow at the international level, there is a greater need to blend analyses of remittances at the international level at the …

Emotion Regulation Strategies And Perceived Emotional Intelligence: The Effect Of Age., Iwanna Sepiadou

Adultspan Journal

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. We also investigated the possible effects of age on the aforementioned variables. The total sample consisted of 379 people (158 men, 220 women, 1 unreported). Across participants, 273 were young (20-39 years old) and 106 were middle-aged (40-65 years old). We found statistically significant positive correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and negative primarily correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of …

Uganda’S Parish Development Model In Practice: Rationale, Impact And Relevance For Bottom-Up Economic Development In Africa, Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

The Parish Development Model (PDM), launched by the Ugandan authorities in early 2022, is the country’s latest attempt at making devolution work for local development, financial and social inclusion at the national level, and growth-enhancing economic transformation more broadly. The introduction of the PDM in Uganda raises the question of whether state-led local development initiatives, when undertaken in partnership with the private sector and civil society are feasible in a resource-constrained country. To succeed, the PDM will require a “whole-of-government” approach and strong institutions, both are still in the making. The paper looks at four specific challenges of PDM implementation: …

Evaluating The Applicability Of Hernando De Soto's Theories In Context Of Bangladesh's Informal Housing Sector, Md Mohotasim R. Khan

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This research project examines Bangladesh's urban informal housing sector, aiming to understand the dynamics considering Hernando de Soto's theories, as articulated in "The Other Path." With 52% of urban residents living in slums, the study adopts a mixed-method approach, analyzing De Soto's framework, conducting literature reviews, case studies, and utilizing secondary data on urban informal housing. The objective is to identify structural and operational aspects of informal housing in Bangladesh and compare these with De Soto's observations in Peru. The significance is underscored by its focus on socio-economic perspectives, offering insights into the informal housing sector's impact on development indicators. …

What Impact Did The Tcja Tax Cuts Have On The Manufacturing Sector?, Ryan Parker

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout this paper I will examine positive effects the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 had on the manufacturing sector. To do this I begin by outlining the key provisions in the TCJA that directly benefit the manufacturing sector. This includes the corporate tax rate reduction from 35 percent to 21 percent, the changes to the repatriation tax for foreign funds, and the treatment for capital assets. I then analyze key metrics including pre-tax income, income tax provision, dividends, changes in retained earnings, and spending on property plant and equipment. I will show the interactions between the increase in …

The Effects Of Short-Term Rentals On Communities And How To Legislate Them: An Expanded Literary Review, William Cherry

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

A literary review of the economic and socioeconomic effects of short-term rental properties, specifically the commercialization of the industry based upon other research studies. An in-depth look at how commercialized short-term rentals effect the younger generation, hospitality industry, housing market, communities they reside in, and other externalities. A further review of different legal case studies of short-term rental legislation in major cities across the globe and their varying degrees of effectiveness.

How Do Immigration And Technological Growth Affect One Another? Providing Guiding Principles For Policymakers, Nate Karren

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The relationship between immigration and technological growth is more nuanced than a simple statement of positive or negative correlation. How one affects the other varies depending on the skill level of the immigrant and the field where they work. Conclusions drawn by the literature form patterns that can be used to best understand the relationship between immigration and technology. High-skilled immigration boosts technological development through a complementary relationship, but low-skilled immigration can be a complement or a substitute with technological growth depending on the sector. Policymakers interested in promoting long-term economic growth through technological growth should have a clear picture …