Economics Commons^™

Financial Fitness: Selecting A Credit Card, Liz Gorham Ph.D, Marsha A. Goetting Phd

All Archived Publications

Consumers who want to save interest charges on large loans, such as a home mortgage or auto loan, usually comparison shop for the "best deal." Comparison shopping for a credit card is also an excellent practice because terms and conditions of the account can make a difference in how much consumers pay for the privilege of borrowing. Consumers are often amazed at some of the "hidden" costs of some credit cards. With information in this fact sheet, Utahns can compare credit card terms they have already accepted with offers received in the mail and or over the telephone. The goal …

An Empirical Study Of The Real Exchange Rate Misalignment And Its Effects On The Macro-Economic Performance Of Bangladesh, Md. Shahnawaz Karim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper provides empirical study of whether there was a misalignment of the real exchange rate (RER) in the Bangladesh economy during 1976-1991. The time series of multilateral and bilateral RER indexes were computed for the period 1976-1991. The computed series of RER were indexed to a base year of when the RER attained its highest level and thereby appeared to be closer to the actual long-run equilibrium RER.

In the empirical part of this thesis, five different RER indexes were computed: multilateral real exchange rate index 1 (MRER1), multilateral real exchange rate index 2 (MRER2), bilateral real exchange index …

Price And Trade Relations And Market Integration In Pacific Pork Markets, Jau-Rong Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Market integration testing is important to agricultural marketing, industrial organization, international trade, and international model design. With reliable market integration information, decision makers can undertake appropriate actions to maximize profits, welfare, or both. Level I market analysis, which uses price data solely, has proved unreliable especially in the presence of discontinuous or bidirectional trade, or significant or nonstationary transaction costs.

Level II market analysis methods, which incorporate both transactions costs and prices, permit spatial markets to be integrated in some periods and segmented in others, thereby obviating many level I method problems. However, level II methods still fail to distinguish …

Buying A Used Car, Liz Gorham

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Economic Development And Growth Of Cities: A Retrospective Synthesis, Herbert H. H. Fullerton

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

This paper provides an overview of development strategies and historic growth patterns among major cities in industrialized countries. The papers objective is to identify patterns which may be repeated in the further growth and development of emerging urban centers, such as the Inchon metropolitan complex in Northeast Asia. Selected empirical results and conclusions drawn from recent published work in. regional/urban economics and development economics are synthesized. Topics addressed include: (i) contemporary development issues, strategies, and uncertainties; (ii) long-term growth patterns of cities in industrialized economies; (iii) impacts of agglomeration economies on growth and emergence of networks among major urban centers; …

Utah's Transportation Solution: Future Vision, Bryan Ray Farris

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the vision statement for the future of the State of Utah drafted by the Utah Tomorrow Committee one of the primary objectives outlined is to “Build a statewide economy and infrastructure that supports a broad spectrum of opportunity for all citizens while advancing the standard of living and maintaining a high quality of life.” This statement has been reiterated by many over the last several years as the state continues to grow, experiencing along with that growth many pains along the way.

A Partial Equilibrium Analysis Of Nafta And Its Impact On U.S. Beef Trade With Canada And Mexico, Srinidhi Ananthramiah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In September 1993, the United States Congress formally ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in conjunction with the legislatures of Canada and Mexico. NAFTA phases out tariff barriers between the United States, Canada, and Mexico over a period of several years.

The primary purpose of this study is to provide an empirical tool for evaluating the effects of NAFTA on beef trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Trends were identified in U.S. beef exports and imports to Canada and Mexico over a period of several years. From the data on import/export quantities and prices, relevant elasticities …

Financial Innovation, José C. Blanco

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation was a study of the impact of financial innovation upon financial institutions and some of the collateral macroeconomics effects. Financial innovation has impacted the distribution of household assets throughout the Group of Seven (G-7) countries and indirectly negatively influenced the usage of traditional monetary aggregates as a reliable tool to forecast the growth in the domestic money supply between 1960 and 1990.

The empirical results indicate that the adoption of financial innovations by large U.S. commercial banks has not influenced their return on equity and the return of assets between 1990 and 1994. The variability of the return …

Time Series Analysis Of Macroeconomic Conditions In Open Economies, Gover Barja

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three macroeconomic issues are examined in separate self-contained studies. The first study tests the business cycle theory with application of an enhanced Augmented Dickey-Fuller test on the U.S. time series of real gross national product. Unlike previous studies, the null hypothesis of a unit root is rejected. The second study tests for IS-LM conditions in the U.S. during the post-Bretton Woods era by combining the Johansen's approach to cointegration with bootstrap algorithms. The estimated model produces a dynamic version of the IS-LM that permits short-term evaluations of fiscal and monetary policies. The third study seeks to explain the observed persistence …

Measuring Nonuse Values For Wilderness Designation In Utah-By Contingent Valuation Method, Van R. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since 1964, when Congress wrote the Wilderness Act, there has been an increasing amount of controversy between opponents and advocates of wilderness. Wilderness areas in Utah are not immune to this controversy. Public policy makers and land managers are in the middle of this debate. They have the responsibility to assess the resource and estimate the benefits and costs associated with creating policy.

This thesis focusses on helping policy makers and land managers recognize a benefit currently not being assessed. Nonuse values are values other than in situ use, where individuals have a value for existence of wilderness or a …

Property Tax Capitalization: Theory And Empirical Evidence, Jay M. Lillywhite

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In an environment of increasing government expenditures financed largely viii through taxes, including a relatively visible and large residential property tax, the issue of whether property taxes are capitalized into market values is increasingly important. Property tax capitalization is the reflection of property taxes in the value of real property. The capitalization of property tax does not necessarily pose a problem; rather, problems arise when homes identical to each other have different taxes and these differentials are then capitalized into market values. These capitalized tax differentials result in large capital gains and losses to owners of real estate.

This study …

Agribusiness Management In Utah Dairies, Rick L. Hirschi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis outlines the theoretical factors impacting dairy profitability. The theoretical portion includes: a general review of production and profit maximization theory, a review of related studies, and an outline of the variables impacting dairy profitability.

An empirical study follows using data gathered from three applied technology centers in Utah in conjunction with dairy herd improvement production records for the farms where these data were available. The empirical section includes a synopsis of the methods and procedures used to collect and analyze the data. Regression analysis was used to determine the significant production and financial factors influencing returns per cow; …

Alternative Exchange Rate Theories (Mundell-Fleming, Monetary, And Equilibrium Approach): An Empirical Investigation, Joon-Ho Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the shift to a system of floating exchange rates among major currencies in 1973, there was a shift of emphasis from the external balance to the exchange rate determination. Attempts have been made to explain the behavior of the exchange rate both theoretically and empirically over the last 20 years. Most models could not explain what happened, as in the 1980s, when the exchange rate moved a lot. Alternative models based on different approaches give different explanations and suggest different policies. This study examines the implications of the models to see what light the empirical results shed on the …

Utah Boating And Fishing Survey: Applying Contingent Valuation And Travel Cost Methods To Estimate Recreation Values In Northern Utah For The Bear River Water Development Project, Jeff T. Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The intent of this thesis is to compare contingent valuation methods (CVM) and travel cost methods (TCM) to estimate consumer surplus for boaters and anglers in northern Utah. TCM results are about three times that of CVM. Several limitations are noted, specifically that CVM solicits given willingness to pay (WTP for specific reservoir sites. TCM analyzes aggregated trips to reservoirs with a wide array of site characteristics.

Three Essays On Labor Force Participation Rates Among The Fifty States, With Empirical Tests Using Panel Data, John D. Groesbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation examined the theoretical foundations of an individual's labor force participation decision. Further, this dissertation provided empirical analysis of the impact of state tax rates, the duration of unemployment, and household size on male, female, and combined labor force participation rates of the fifty states from 1985 to 1990. Empirical tests showed that: 1) no significant relationship existed between tax variables and participation rates; 2) the duration of unemployment was positively related with participation rates while unemployment was negatively related; 3) service sector growth was positively correlated with longer durations of unemployment; and 4) household size was negatively related …

Integration Of Short-Run Exchange Rate Dynamics With Long-Run Equilibrium: An Empirical Analysis, Sugata Biswas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigates the linkage between long-run and short-run dynamics of exchange rate determination for the German mark/U.S. dollar quarterly rate for the period 1973-1990. Earlier investigations failed to explicitly take into account the possible nonstationarity of the data set they were using. This study continues the work performed in this area by applying modern econometric techniques to empirical tests of the Dornbusch model. In essence, this study revives the monetary model and determines if the empirical analysis using the German/U.S. case derives elements which are compatible with the monetary theory of exchange rate determination.

A Comparison Of Models To Forecast Annual Average Potato Prices In Utah, Glade R. Erikson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Potatoes are a capital-intensive crop. A farmer who is considering expanding his potato acreage must carefully consider revenue requirements to offset the high costs of raising the crop. A method to forecast annual farm potato prices would be useful not only to the farmer, who is considering potato acreage expansion (or contraction), but also to the potato buyers.

Seven forecasting models were considered: (1) a simultaneous equation model (with five equations); (2) a Box-Jenkins type ARIMA model; (3) an exponential smoothing model; (4) a moving-average model; (5) a trend model; (6) an "opposite" model; and (7) a current, or naive, …

Can Duration -- Interest Rate Risk -- And Convexity Explain The Fractional Price Change And Market Risk Of Equities?, David L. Cheney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the last two decades, duration analysis has been largely applied to fixed-income securities. However, since rising and falling interest rates have been determined to be a major cause of stock price movements, equity duration has received a great deal of attention.

The duration of an equity is a measure of its interest rate risk. Duration is the sensitivity of the price of an equity with respect to the interest rate. Convexity is the sensitivity of duration with respect to the interest rate.

The analysis revealed that the fractional price change and market risk of equities can be explained by …

Factors That Explain Changes In The Level Of Human Capital Of Children With Disabilities, Linda D. Goetze

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation combines concepts from the human capital and early intervention literature to develop a theoretical and empirical model of child development relationships. This model is empirically estimated using data from the Early Intervention Research Institute's Longitudinal Study on the effects of intervention for young children with disabilities. The model is estimated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) relating the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) scores to child, family, and early intervention variables. These relationships are also examined using a type of Sequential Method of Moments (SMM) estimation strategy that accounts for data and other problems such as endogeneity, censoring, and selectivity. …

Measurement Of The Economic Effects Of Trade Liberalization Policy In Taiwan, Shu-Lan Huang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the conclusion of World War II, Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), has developed into an industrialized country following a long period of severe inflation. Taiwan has produced a successful example of economic development through export expansion. Exports and imports of Taiwan increased from approximately 10 percent of the gross national product (GNP) in the 1950s to more than 45 percent in the 1980s. The role of Taiwan's foreign exchange rates and traderelated policies on exports and imports was examined in this study.

Trade-related policies implemented by the government of ROC were documented from 1950 to 1980 by categorizing …

Economic Comparison Of Selected Processing Alternatives For Alfalfa, Dan J. Bates

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Processing alfalfa for export is of significant interest to areas like Millard County, the largest hay-producing county in Utah. In the past year there have been significant reductions in the price of hay as a result of increased supplies in the central and western United States. This thesis analyzes the benefits and costs of processing alfalfa into cubes and recompressed bales in order to enter the export market.

Costs of production were estimated through the use of enterprise budgets first for the farmer to establish the costs and returns for raising the hay, and secondly for cubing and recompressing the …

Economic Analysis Of Dryland Wheat Tillage Practices In Box Elder County, Utah, Michael Dale Bond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the economic viability of various dryland wheat tillage systems, many of which were developed from years of cooperative research efforts.

In the study three conventional tillage methods were analyzed along with ten conservation tillage practices. The study farm consisted of 2000 acres, of which 1000 acres are classified as land 1 and its wheat yield is assumed to be 35 bushels per acre for non-continuous tillage methods and 23 bushels per acre for continuous tillage methods. The remaining 1000 acres are classed as land 2 and its assumed wheat yield is 30 …

The Soviet Union And The Gatt: An Impossible Combination?, Gregory L. Waddoups

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In considering the relationship between the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs and any given state, one must examine not only the economic reasons for acceptance and participation, but also the political. This is especially true when dealing with the Soviet Union. In researching this topic, I have found that economics and politics are deeply interwoven into the fabric of international dealings with the Soviets on any level and at any given time.

Soviet participation in the GATT goes back to the very beginnings of the Bretton Woods institutions and of the International Trade Organization. While this participation runs contrary …

A Simulation Of The Economic Effects Of Alternative Soil Types And Nitrogen Sources On Nitrate Leaching On Irrigated Agriculture In Utah, Gilbert D. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The economic impact of reducing the amount of nitrate leached out of the root zone under irrigation in the arid West was examined. A general introduction into the nature of the problem and a review of the literature was provided in chapter I. In chapter ll the economic incentives of irrigation management were evaluated under the assumptions of both profit-maximizing and utility-maximizing (in reducing cost and effort expended in irrigation) decision-making criteria. The results indicate that there is a coincidence of interests of the farmer and the environment. Both behaviors result in less nitrate leaching than less profitable or less …

Electron Microscopic Studies On The Ultrastructure Of Curdlan And Other Polysaccharides In Gels Used In Foods, Tokuya Harada, Yoshimi Kanzawa, Kazuko Kanenaga, Atuo Koreeda, Akira Harada

Food Structure

Curdlan gels form either by neutralization of alkaline solutions or by heating aqueous suspensions. The former gels consist of long rnicrofibrils, 20 to 25 nm wide, made up of subunits, 2-3 nm wide. The microfibrils disintegrate on sonication into fibril units which on heating loosen and release thinner elementary fibrils, 1-3 mm wide.

Heated gels are composed of electron-dense structures in pseudocrystalline form. Preparations having their average degree of polymerization (DPn) 200, are unable to form gels.

Agar, K- and t-carrageenans, and konjac glucomannan gels formed by cooling of heated sols have structures similar to gels produced by neutralization of …

A National Survey Of Enterprise Budget Development And Use By The Extension Service, Douglas W. Eck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis investigates the development and use of viii agricultural enterprise budgets. An enterprise is a single crop or livestock commodity, and enterprise budgets are valuable management tools. They serve as the basic building blocks of complete farm planning.

Two separate surveys gathered information from the Extension Service concerning the use and development of enterprise budgets. Analysis of the survey results identified the most common methods used to create enterprise budgets as well as factors that contribute to their use.

A regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing the number of times county agents directly refer to published …

Tourism Dependency And Its Correlation To Selected Socioeconomic Indicators In Utah, Diane S. Gooch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper investigates the relationship between tourism and well being, or quality-of-life, within eighteen counties in Utah. To evaluate the relationship, comparisons of the counties' differing levels of tourism versus their levels of welfare are necessary. To make these comparisons, three basic steps were followed. First, a social ordering model was derived. The proposed social ordering model was based upon Maslow's theory of the hierarchy of human needs. By utilizing his theory, both economic and noneconomic indicators were identified, and a basis was provided upon which to judge the differing positions of well-being. Factor analysis was applied to this model …

Production And Inefficiency, Arunava Bhattacharyya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The overall purpose of this three-part dissertation is to specify and estimate various components of inefficiency in the production and profit-generating processes. Flexibility in inefficiency-measurement techniques is introduced using stochastic functional forms to overcome the restrictions of the simplifying assumptions used in previous studies. In addition, the profit function approach is used to measure firm specific inefficiency and to view profit inefficiency in the multiple output context. Empirical application of each approach is also attempted. Application of the measurement of the inefficiency component in the first two essays is made using data taken from Indian agriculture. The multiple output model …

An Analytical Study Of The Short-Run Variability Of Korea's Balance Of Payments, 1961-85: Application Of Keynesian And Monetary Approaches To The Problem, Dong Yeub Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationships among the balance of payments and other macroeconomic variables in the Korean economy for the period 1961-85 are analyzed in this study. Theoretical studies on the effects of government policies on the economy and the balance of payments were conducted under both the Keynesian and monetary approaches. The Keynesian approach concentrates on the commodity and capital market adjustment factors and does not focus on the money market factors, whereas the monetary approach considers the balance of payments adjustments as a symptom of money market disequilibrium alone.

The basic assumptions of those two approaches, taken seperately, are not fully …

Banking In China: Fiscal Policy Under Pressure, Thor Roundy

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The radical changes occurring in China can be both exciting and frightening. Attempting to keep in reign a skyrocketing economy, Chinese Leaders such as Liu Hongru and Zhang Wei have become modern day entrepreneurs in creating a new national economy. Like typical entrepreneurs, Chinese leadership is making decisions by the seat of their pants, attempting to control growth under volatile new conditions of reform.