Economics Commons^™

Determinants Of Crack Cocaine Trial And Addiction, Elizabeth Taylor '08

Honors Projects

This paper examines how socioeconomic factors contribute to initial use of crack cocaine and to eventual addiction. The paper focuses on two specific questions: what characteristics influence crack cocaine use initially and why do people continue to use crack cocaine? In order to answer these questions the paper utilizes basic supply and demand theory as well as general physiological theory on drug dependence. These theories, coupled with previous literature, suggest characteristics that would increase the probability of a person trying crack cocaine. However they also indicate that once a person has become addicted, these characteristics no longer matter. Ordinary Least …

Wright State University Regional Economic Report, Spring 2008, Thomas L. Traynor

Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Economists, Value Judgments, And Climate Change: A View From Feminist Economics, Julie A. Nelson

Economics Faculty Publication Series

A number of recent discussions about ethical issues in climate change, as engaged in by economists, have focused on the value of the parameter representing the rate of time preference within models of optimal growth. This essay examines many economists' antipathy to serious discussion of ethical matters, and suggests that the avoidance of questions of intergenerational equity is related to another set of value judgments concerning the quality and objectivity of economic practice. Using insights from feminist philosophy of science and research on high reliability organizations, this essay argues that a more ethically transparent, real-world-oriented, and flexible economic practice would …

Continuity And Change In Low-Wage Work In U.S. Retail Trade, Françoise Carré, Chris Tilly, Brandynn Holgate

Center for Social Policy Publications

Retail work is undergoing significant change in the United States. To explore these changes, and their impacts in terms of turnover, skill levels, and other key workforce variables, we conducted 18 case studies of retail businesses. We spoke to employees from top corporate executives to frontline employees, visited stores, and reviewed HR statistics. This paper summarizes major findings from the study.

We start by stating the study’s key questions, principal findings from public data sources, and the study design. We then review field findings on patterns in job quality across four dimensions (schedules, compensation, duties, and turnover/training/mobility). We identify two …

Semiparametric Deconvolution With Unknown Error Variance, William C. Horrace, Chris Parmeter

Economics - All Scholarship

Deconvolution is a useful statistical technique for recovering an unknown density in the presence of measurement error. Typically, the method hinges on stringent assumptions about the nature of the measurement error, more specifically, that the distribution is entirely known. We relax this assumption in the context of a regression error component model and develop an estimator for the unknown density. We show semi-uniform consistency of the estimator and provide Monte Carlo evidence that demonstrates the merits of the method.

Fixed-Effect Estimation Of Highly-Mobile Production Technologies, William C. Horrace, Kurt E. Schnier

Center for Policy Research

We consider fixed-effect estimation of a production function where inputs and outputs vary over time, space, and cross-sectional unit. Variability in the spatial dimension allows for time-varying individual effects, without parametric assumptions on the effects. Asymptotics along the spatial dimension provide consistency and normality of the marginal products. A finite-sample example is provided: a production function for bottom-trawler fishing vessels in the flatfish fisheries of the Bering Sea. We find significant spatial variability of output (catch) which we exploit in estimation of a harvesting function.

Jumpstart Inc: Economic Impact On Northeast Ohio, 2007, Jill S. Taylor, Ziona Austrian

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Reform In New York State’S Education Aid Formula?, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Economic Development Perspectives For Scarborough, Hayrullo Malikov, Bauyrzhan Bekenov

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Over the last forty years, Scarborough has grown from a bedroom community to area commercial and retail center. Obviously, any development or changes in society cause positive and negative impacts on the community, environment, and business. For this reason, the economic growth experienced in Scarborough is an attractive topic in terms of highlighting its positive & negative impacts on local businesses, community and the environment. The purpose of this study is to understand the economic development process in Scarborough by examining the behaviors of certain categories of businesses which played important roles in this process.

An Analysis Of Tuition And Enrollment In Higher Education : Measuring Price Elasticity, Adam C. Wright

Honors Theses

The hierarchical nature of higher education, in which schools compete in small enclaves for the best students, and competition for higher rankings among private, non-profit liberal arts colleges has prompted some schools to drastically increase their tuition in order to correspond with the price changes of rival institutions. Since top liberal arts schools operate with sizable excess demand for enrollment spots, significant tuition alterations generally do not affect the quantity of enrolled students at these schools. However, the extent to which increases in tuition affect the quality of enrolled students has not been thoroughly examined. This study directly analyzes the …

Forest Fires In Southern Europe : An Econometric Investigation Of The Existence Of Economic Incentives For Fire Arson, Radoslava Dogandjieva

Honors Theses

Devastating forest fires during the summer of 2007 resulted in an unprecedented level of destruction in the Mediterranean forests, prompting widespread speculation about profit-motivated arson as one of the principal causes of the fires. Forest protection laws essentially create a scarcity of land, making arson potentially profitable in several ways: the clearing of land for development and construction, expansion of farm size, and salvage logging (Economist 2007). This study seeks to evaluate the validity of these accusations by examining the relationship between land, wheat, and timber prices and incidence of forest fires in four countries: Spain, Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria. …

Nuclear Vs. Coal In Bulgaria, Peter B. Manchev

Honors Theses

In early 2005 the government of Bulgaria commissioned the construction of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) near the town of Belene on the Danube border with Romania. The € 4 billion project will be executed by a consortium appointed in October 2006 by the National Electric Company led by the Russian Atomstroyexport. The work will be overseen by the architect-engineer of the plant, the American company WorleyParsons. The endeavor received a “green light” in December 2006 when the Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Bulgaria approved the Belene site for the construction of a new nuclear power plant.

The need for …

Who Really Made Your Car?, Thomas H. Klier, James M. Rubenstein

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Metropolitan Report - April 2008, Division Of Business And Economic Research, College Of Business Administration, University Of New Orleans

UNO Metropolitan Report (1986-2017)

No abstract provided.

Money Is Time: The Monetary Expression Of Value In Marx's Theory Of Value, David Kristjanson-Gural

Faculty Journal Articles

In this article, I derive the monetary expression of value based upon commodity money and use it to translate values and exchange values from units of labor into units of money. While this analysis has been done at the initial stage of Marx’s analysis where he assumes that commodities exchange in proportion to their values, I derive the monetary expression of value at the more developed stage of Marx’s 10 analysis where commodities exchange according to prices of production. I then develop a macroeconomic measure of the monetary expression of value and link the micro- and macroeconomic determination of the …

The Change In And State Of Recent Economics, John B. Davis

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Analysis Of Macroeconomic And Political Determinants Of Private Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ralph Cann-Tamakloe

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

The general macroeconomic and political difficulties experienced by many Sub-Saharan African countries in the late 1980s has led to economic and political reforms to improve private investment performance. It has been estimated that Sub-Saharan African countries needed to boost private investment in gross domestic product some 25% in the 1990s to achieve sustainable growth and development (Pfefferman and Madarassy, 1989). However, private investment performance has fallen short of the estimated 25%, and remained stagnant between 12.4% and 14.1% per annum from 1993 to 2002.

The purpose of this study therefore is to examine the influence of macroeconomic factors and democracy, …

The Determinants Of Audit Prices For Financial Services Institutions In The United States, Kevin Swanson

Major Themes in Economics

Several studies have sought to establish the link between the characteristics of a corporation and the audit fees charged by its auditor. Many studies have tried to discover whether auditor specialization affects audit fees. Other research has attempted to discover the effects of government regulation on fees. The impact of risk on audit fees has also been examined, but has proved to be an elusive topic. This study uses regression analysis to examine the effect of size and financial position on audit fees. The model shows a direct relationship between measures of both assets and revenues and the audit fees …

Adam Smith And Consumerism’S Role In Happiness: Modern Society Re-Examined, Michael Busch

Major Themes in Economics

In modern America, consumerism has encouraged people to seek happiness through constant expansion of their material standard of living. Consumerism has led to a growth of status consumption and want-creation, both of which increase consumption without contributing to happiness. Adam Smith observed that lasting happiness is found in tranquility as opposed to consumption. In their quest for more consumption, people have forgotten about the three virtues Smith observed that best provide for a tranquil lifestyle and overall social well-being: justice, beneficence and prudence. Applying the virtues to modern society may decrease overall consumption but will lead to a more satisfied …

Health Care Reform: An Examination Of The Case For Individual Mandates, Sarah Schares

Major Themes in Economics

Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton has recently put forth a plan in which individuals would be required to purchase health insurance. Her plan has been the target of intense criticism. Individual mandates would target the free-riders of health care and would likely improve the health of the uninsured. Shortcomings of the mandate are the difficulty of enforcement and the unfair burden placed on lower-middle income people. Careful examination of the evidence suggests that the U.S. should not impose individual mandates for health insurance.

Has Thailand Learned From The Asian Crisis Of 1997?, Kuejai Jungjaturapit

Major Themes in Economics

Many economists have investigated the causes of the Asian crisis of 1997 in order to prevent a repeat of it. There were many issues leading to the crisis, and there is no agreement on what all the causes were. I conclude that for the case of Thailand, there were three main causes: exchange rate policy, weak financial institutions, and actions of the government. The crisis is analyzed, and the results are used to suggest ways to prevent future unnecessary recessions. Finally, the current situation in Thailand is examined to determine whether Thailand has learned from the crisis and made any …

Is Wikipedia A Credible Source For Undergraduate Economics Students?, Sam Meier

Major Themes in Economics

Scholars have debated the quality of collaborative websites such as Wikipedia.org in the 21 century. If credible, Wikipedia has the potential to share st information and stimulate creativity better than any resource the world has known. If not, Wikipedia has the potential to manipulate history. In the field of Economics, Wikipedia is an accurate source of information. While the site may omit important information, the content available was accurate throughout the duration of this study. Yet the volatile nature of the site must be considered at all times. No information is discovered in the study to suggest that Wikipedia will …

Community-Based Income Generation: A Case Study Of Its Effects And Replicability In Urucureá, Santarém, Lucy Midelfort

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the method of income generation through handcraft production used by Projeto Saude e Alegria, or the Health and Happiness Project, in Urucureá, a small community in the region of Santarém, Pará, Brazil. Urucureá is a rural community of ribeirinhos (or caboclos), traditional populations living along the banks of the Amazon River and its tributaries. The project of organizing community-based handcraft production in the community began in 1995, and since then the TucumArte group has been quite successful in strengthening their production of woven basketry from the straw of tucumã, a locally abundant species of palm tree. This …

Alcoa In Juruti, Brazil: A Case Of Environmental Injustice And Colonialism?, Caitlin Schroering

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the visions of development of Alcoa, an American bauxite mining company, and the traditional ribeirinho communities in the area of Juruti Velho, Brazil. These two objectives are pursued in order to determine if Alcoa’s actions in the area constitute environmental injustice and colonialism. An explication of environmental injustice and colonialism is undertaken, and is followed later by a discussion of social invisibility and how circumstances are created that allow for the exploitation of traditional communities. The work and demands of ACORJUVE, a community association that is in opposition to Alcoa, are also discussed. A review of the …

Options For Rural Sustainable Development: An Examination Of Solar Energy In Morocco, Wynne Mcauley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study Project is about on the current situation of energy in Morocco, especially in terms of the electrification of rural villages, as a means of understanding the potential of the country for developing renewable energy methods. It examines major energy companies and renewable energy organizations, as well as the experiences of solar energy technicians and rural development associations in their efforts to bring electricity to rural Moroccan villages. It also focuses on case studies of a few remote towns and the problems they face as they attempt to bring electricity to their homes.

The Blame Game: Water And Sanitation In Kampala’S Urban Slums, Noelle A. Fogg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Urban poor areas of Kampala, Uganda see severe outbreaks of cholera, malaria, typhoid, bilharzia and other fatal water-borne diseases on an all too regular basis. Many people in the slums still lack safe drinking water and a sanitary living environment and despite efforts, the conditions have not reached or even come close to reaching international or national goals. This research explores various approaches to fixing this vital problem. The objective of this research is to compare various approaches to water and sanitation projects in Kampala’s urban slums. More specifically, the intent is to examine various implementation methods in the water …

Lessons Learned From A Workplace Literacy Initiative, Kevin Hollenbeck, Bridget Timmeney

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Northeast Ohio Economic Brief, Jill S. Taylor

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Labor Hoarding Contracts And Coordination Fictions, Nicolas L. Jacquet, Serene Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper considers a directed search model with risk-neutral firms and risk-averse workers. Although each firm has only one job to fill, firms can hire as many workers as they wish, and the wage a worker is paid can be contingent on the queue length at the firm and his position in the queue. We first show that, contrary to standard directed search models, the application subgame does not necessarily have a unique symmetric solution; although uniqueness is guaranteed if all firms post Flat-Wage Contracts (FWCs), i.e., contracts where firms commit to employ a fixed number of workers at a …

How Does Vietnam's Accession To The World Trade Organization Change The Spatial Incidence Of Poverty?, Tomoki Fujii, David Roland-Holst

Research Collection School Of Economics

Trade liberalization is good for growth, and growth is good for the poor. This argument is simple but powerful. It has served as the departure point for discussion of the link between trade and poverty among economists and policy-makers, regardless of whether and to what extent they buy this argument. Krueger (1998) considers the inefficiencies that import substitution strategy creates and argues that trade liberalization undertaken at a period of low or negative growth rates can normally lead to a period of higher growth rates. Bhagwati and Srinivasan (2002) emphasize the empirical evidence of China and India. That is, these …