Economics Commons^™

The Guaranteed Minimum Price And Price Stabilization In The Wheat Market, Therese L. Soullier

Economics Theses & Dissertations

The government of the United States offers a guaranteed minimum price per bushel to farmers in return for a reduction in acreage planted. Through this program, the government attempts to control the supply of wheat and stabilize the price of wheat. There is growing debate in the United States as to the effectiveness and prudence of the current program.

This thesis will examine the effectiveness of the guaranteed minimum price program, using the two-stage least squares procedure to examine a demand and supply model. The study will look at the relative stability of the price of wheat and how and …

The Truncated Cauchy Distribution: Estimation Of Parameters And Application To Stock Returns, Paul G. Staneski

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The problem addressed in this dissertation is the existence and estimation of the parameters of a truncated Cauchy distribution. It is known that when a number of distributions with infinite support are truncated to a finite interval that the maximum likelihood estimator of the scale parameter fails to exist with positive probability. In particular, necessary and sufficient conditions which give rise to instances of non-existence have been found for the exponential (Deemer and Votaw (1955)), gamma (Broeder (1955), Hegde and Dahiya (1989)), Weibull (Mittal and Dahiya (1989)) and normal distribution (Barndorff-Nielsen (1978), Mittal and Dahiya (1987), Hegde and Dahiya (1989)). …

Economic Considerations For Artificial Reef Development In Coastal Virginia, Dean Thomas Devereaux

OES Theses and Dissertations

The contingent valuation method, recommended by the U. S. Water Resources Council, was used to estimate the economic value of sport fishing and diving at the Chesapeake Light Tower Artificial Reef. The study is based on a random sample of 170 anglers and 33 divers who participated in telephone, personell and mail-in surveys in 1985 and 1986.

The average user value (consumer surplus) was $21.13, $110,75, and $13.30 for head boat anglers, private boat anglers and sport divers, respectively, who claimed to have used the reef in 1985. Variation in consumer surplus was statistically affected by trip expense, distance from …

Bark Or Bite Perspectives On Economic Sanctions For Foreign Policy Objectives, Rodney W. Skotty

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Economic sanctions have been used throughout history to coerce target nations to acquiesce in the objectives of nations that impose them. The record of achievement, using sanctions as a tool of foreign policy, has been poor. Regardless, nations continue to use economic sanctions to attain their goals despite their relative ineffectiveness. And as nations apply sanctions frequently to resolve international conflicts, such frequency tends to impair the credibility of sanctions as an implement of foreign policy. The fact that they are imposed frequently, also reflects that they are used to rectify lesser violations of the international norm. In view of …

Small Farmers' Cooperatives In Brazil, 1964-1984 Reasons For Success Or Failure, Henry H. Gerber

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study is concerned with cooperative business enterprises of small farmers. The topic has been chosen because peasants' association in supply and marketing cooperatives is considered an essential element in rural development. The author's field experience leads him to agree in principle with this assumption. But, as exemplified by Brazil, a variety of factors (ecological, sociohistorical, legal, economic and so forth) may hinder or help the inception and survival of cooperatives.

Thus, if a government aims at integrating the small producer into the national economy as supplier and consumer (as in Brazil), measures to implement t~is policy must not be …

Economics Of The Pacific Whiting, Merluccius Productus, Fishery, Eric Anderson

Economics Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Interest in the economics of Pacific whiting, Merluccius productus, production and consumption has been simulated in recent years by expanding U.S. participation in the fishery formerly dominated by foreign fishing and processing. This has raised several questions within the U.S. fishing industry: 1) Will it be profitable for additional U.S. fisherman and processors to enter the fishery? 2) What configuration will the U.S. Pacific whiting industry take? and 3) What will be the nature of markets for Pacific whiting products? This paper summarizes the conclusions of several reports and studies which bear on these questions.

I.G. Farben's Petro-Chemical Plant And Concentration Camp At Auschwitz, Robert Simon Yavner

History Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the history of the petrochemical plant and concentration camp run by I.G. Farbenindustrie (the dominant German chemical company during World War II) at Auschwitz to decide upon the degree of Farben’s involvement with Hitler and the Holocaust. The study traces the construction of the plant to determine Farben's participation at Auschwitz. The main sources consulted were the transcripts of the postwar Farben trial at Nuremberg along with eyewitness accounts of members of the prosecution staff. Based on the court's verdict, one might conclude that I.G. Farben operated in a state of coercion during the war and could …

Princess Anne County: A Study In Material Wealth, Todd Grant Duncan

History Theses & Dissertations

This is a study of material culture in Princess Anne County, Virginia, from 1691 to 1823, based on court records. These documents allow the historian to determine the economic worth of a group of individuals, analyze the types of people comprising this group, categorize the types and quantities of possessions owned, and differentiate between economic groups according to possessions and currency listed. Trends of ownership for the whole period, the determination of individual occupations, and the occupational content of the people of the county at large are also discussed. Other areas focused on included the level of literacy, the role …

The Banker's Briar Patch: The American Banker's Association And The Glass-Owen Bill Of 1913, Robert Drake Scull

History Theses & Dissertations

In order to compete with the British in international finance, leading bankers in the United States began to agitate for a central bank and "elastic" currency at least as early as 1905. Although the Panic of 1907 helped stir interest in banking reform, the political climate was so prejudiced against the banking profession that it became necessary for ABA spokesmen to condemn publicly the proposed legislation in order to insure that it would be passed. Privately, these same bankers worked closely with Woodrow Wilson and helped elect him president in 1912. Wilson returned the favor with the Federal Reserve Act …

Core Size, Pricing, And Cost Structure, William K. Edwards

Economics Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents a proof of an inverse limit theorem of the core of an economy. The implication of the theorem is that a larger core can be obtained by the formation of coalitions. A large core contains multiple Pareto optimal allocations from which society may select in order to maximize its welfare. Furthermore, this paper places an emphasis on pricing schemes that guarantee a core allocation under increasing returns to scale. Two pricing models are introduced that guarantee a non-empty core under increasing returns to scale.

Conservation According To The Pure Theory Of Exhaustible Resources, George Lymbouris

Economics Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop a theory for defining optimal conservation and applying definition to the prevailing rate of domestic petroleum production. Optimal conservation is defined as action designed to achieve or to maintain, from the point of view of society as a whole, the maximum present value of natural resources (or of a natural resource). The proper "action" is defined according to the pure theory of exhaustible resources. The literature survey is a chronological series of articles concerning this theory.

Through building a model which shows that optimal conservation occurs when the marginal internal rate of …

United States Foreign Policy And Mesopotamian Oil 1923-1928, Robert Francaviglia

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis views the efforts of American oil interests to participate in the exploitation of Middle East oil resources in the 192Os as a point of departure in United States foreign policy. In its opposition to official involvement in the affairs of private business, the United States Government insisted that American oil companies negotiate directly with the British Government­ dominated companies which controlled the Near and Middle East. By placing the execution of its international oil policy under the control of private industry, the United States Government surrendered its capacity to conduct diplomacy with regard to a vital strategic resource. …

James H. Burton And The Development Of The Confederate Small Arms Industry, Eugene K. Wilson Iii

History Theses & Dissertations

James H. Burton was a key figure in the development of the Confederate small arms industry. It was largely through his efforts that the C.S. Armory, Richmond was placed in operation as quickly as it was. The plan to establish a central, or national, armory in the deep South was attributable to him. Burton's European contacts, cultivated while organizing the Royal Armory at Enfield, professional acumen, personality and loyalty all contributed to a large degree to the success of the Confederate Ordnance Bureau despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The Concept And Theory Of Value-Added Taxation, Stacy R. Barnes

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Economic Aspects Of Water Pollution By Naval Vessels In The Port Of Charleston, South Carolina, John Edward O'Connor

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Railroads And Urban Rivalries In Antebellum Eastern Virginia, Peter C. Stewart

History Faculty Publications

Railroad construction provided a focus for the acceleration of economic rivalry between Richmond, Petersburg, and Norfolk from the 1830's through the 1850's. Richmond's place as a political center provided legislative leverage and attracted able promoters and sufficient capital. Richmond outdistanced its rivals handily, with Petersburg gaining little more than Norfolk. The rivalry left an enduring legacy. Based on railroad archives, manuscripts, and newspapers; 60 notes.

The Fur And Skin Trade Of Colonial Virginia, Shirley-Virginia Parrish

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

Motivation And The Poor Worker, Charles Barry Pfitzner

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

An Assessment Of The Validity Of The Unemployment Variable As A Determinant Of Changes In Money Wages In Wage-Estimation Models, James L. Jennings

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

Portsmouth, Virginia: The Growth And Burdens Of Property Taxes 1952-1967, Nicholas C. Kyriakides

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Commercial Development Of Ante-Bellum Elizabeth City, Wayne H. Payne

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

An Empirical Test Of Linder's Trade Hypothesis, James Norman Carnes

Economics Theses & Dissertations

Attempts have been made recently to empirically test several theories of the basis of international trade. These efforts have been concentrated mainly on the empirical testing of the Heckscher-Ohlin and the classical international trade theorems. The results so obtained are both complementary and conflicting. Although a greater degree of empirical relevance has been observed in the Ricardian model than in the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem, so far no sophisticated effort appears to have been made at the empirical testing of Linder's trade hypothesis.

Linder's thesis is that a country cannot achieve comparative cost advantage in that line of production for which there …

Income Velocity In The United States, 1961-1968, William F. Kennedy

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Economic Base Study Of The Southeastern Virginia Planning District, Toby Lee Jarman

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

The Elasticity Of Investment Demand: An Empirical Survey, Donald E. Schatz

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Neo-Classical Contributions To The Theory Of International Trade, Mohammed Arifeen

Economics Theses & Dissertations

In a dynamic economy some of the most challenging policy problems tend to originate in the realm of international economic relations. In the post World War II period, these problems have been intensified and become more complex. Students of international economics often feel perplexed by numerous divergent and diametric views that well-trained and prudent men frequently offer for the solutions of what appear to be rather simple problems. Lack of understanding of the theoretical framework of international trade is largely responsible for students' puzzlement.

It is the purpose of this thesis to assemble a minimum framework of the theoretical issues …

Britain And The Free Trade Area Negotiations Of 1956-1958, George Y. Ballentine

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

An Empirical Examination Of Selected Aspects Of The Coffee Market, John Michael Morgan

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

Oil And Planning In The Economic Development Of Iran, Jahangier Saleh

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

The Progress Of The Japanese-American Commodity Trade And The Commercial Policy Since 1945, Akio Mitake

Economics Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.