Economics Commons^™

Historical Trends In The Degree Of Federal Income Tax Progressivity In The United States, Timothy Mathews

Faculty Articles

This study examines how the degree of progressivity of the U.S. Federal income tax evolved between 1929 and 2009. Data from the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and Bureau of Economic Analysis is used to construct annual tax concentration curves and income concentration curves. Numerical values of four tax progressivity indices are determined. These values suggests that: (i) the degree of progressivity has varied greatly over time, (ii) taxation outcomes have become more progressive over the past four decades, (iii) the period from the early 1950s through 1974 was one of relatively low progressivity, whereas the period from 1975 …

The Budget Arithmetic, Ishrat Husain Dr.

Faculty Research - Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Pakistan's economic growth in the last four years has been quite disappointing both in relation to the preceding four years and compared to other South Asian countries. Austerity measures to contain fiscal deficit, achieve macroeconomic stability and reduce external borrowing have squeezed the space for public sector development programme. The uncertainty and lack of direction, political instability, energy shortages, security concerns and high interest rates have played to the fear of private sector which has withheld productive investment. Consequently, total investment-GDP ratio which had reached 23 percent has declined to 13 percent. Assuming that investment ratio and the incremental capital-output …

The Full Cost Of Renewables: Managing Wind Integration Costs In California, William Savage

Pomona Senior Theses

Wind power will be an important component of California's aggressive strategies to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets by the year 2020. However, the costs of integrating wind power's variable and uncertain output are often ignored. I argue that California must take prudent action to understand, minimize, and allocate wind integration costs. A review of numerous studies suggests that for wind penetration levels below 20%, integration costs should remain modest. However, costs are heavily dependent on market structure, and I suggest numerous ways that California can optimize its market design to manage wind integration costs.

Female Labor Force Participation In Argentina, 1980-2003: Gendered Trends And Responses To Crisis, Natalie Butterfield

Scripps Senior Theses

How do the experiences of women in the labor market differ from the experiences of men? Do economic crises affect their labor market decisions differently? Economists have investigated the responses of women to specific moments of crisis in Argentina – the country lends itself well to this analysis, as the last three decades of its history have seen both economic growth and financial collapse. With the crisis literature in mind, I investigate trends in female labor force participation rates in Argentina between 1980-2003, finding that while some evidence supports the “added worker effect” hypothesis, more research must be done to …

The Growing Concern Of Poverty In The United States: An Exploration Of Food Prices And Poverty On Obesity Rates For Low-Income Citizens, Catherine Gillespie, Kathy Gray, Ethan Bailey, John Zivalich

Undergraduate Economic Review

Studies demonstrate the link between income and obesity, determining factors to explain the strong correlation between high body mass index and low socioeconomic status. Many focus on uncovering predictors but few use a systems approach: identifying the interaction among predictors and their relative magnitude concerning obesity. This study asks: do poverty or food price indicators have a statistically stronger relationship with obesity?

By collecting data, evaluating trends, and analyzing statistics, this study extends research by revealing a stronger relationship between obesity and food prices as opposed to obesity and poverty.

Immigrants, Medicaid, And The Deficit Reduction Act, Nicholas T. Fritsch

Undergraduate Economic Review

This study examines the effects of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on immigrant Medicaid participation using data from the 2005 and 2007 March supplements of the Current Population Survey. The DRA made changes to Medicaid coverage laws by requiring proof of citizenship for eligibility rather than a sworn statement, as was the case prior to the DRA, thus reducing the non-citizen/non-legal permanent resident use of Medicaid. A difference-in-difference methodology is used, and the research finds that the laws were effective in decreasing non-citizen use of Medicaid relative to citizens, though there is a possibility of “chilling effects” on eligible non-citizens.

Public Pension Crisis And Investment Risk Taking: Underfunding, Fiscal Constraints, Public Accounting, And Policy Implications, Nancy Mohan, Ting Zhang

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

Public pension funds that cover retirement benefits for almost 20 million active or retired employees have been significantly underfunded. An important, though largely overlooked, issue related to pension underfunding is the excessive investment risk levels assumed by public plans. Our analysis suggests government accounting standards strongly affect public fund investment risk, as higher return assumptions (used to discount pension liabilities) are associated with higher investment risk. Public funds undertake more risk if they are underfunded and have lower investment returns in previous years, consistent with the risk transfer hypothesis. Furthermore, pension funds in states facing fiscal constraints allocate more assets …

Parallel Session: Building Pakistan’S Country Of Origin Image Through The Corporate Image: Exploring Optimal Corporate Brands For The Image Transfer, Ishrat Hussain

International Conference on Marketing

Pakistan is facing a multi-dimensional attack on its country image. While it is imperative to triumph over negative factors causing Pakistan’s bad country image, it is also necessary to explore additional images to strengthen favorable associations with Pakistan and support a distinguishing image. Such image will be beneficial for increasing tourism, foreign investment, exports of goods/services and generating favorable condition for achievement of economic and other strategic objectives in the world. Corporate image is one such image. But what are the optimal corporate brands for image transfer to build Pakistan’s country of origin (CoO) image overseas? This research aims to …

Keynote: The Role Of Marketing In Economic Development And Business: Trends And Challenges For Pakistan, Mushtaq Luqmani

International Conference on Marketing

This paper examines the role of marketing in economic development and business for developing countries and the marketing challenges for Pakistan within the context of some key emerging global trends.

Keynote: Branding A Nation In The 21st Century, Kriengsak Chareonwongsak

International Conference on Marketing

The concept of a ‘’Nation as a Brand’’ is not new, but has already been a historical reality. In the 21st Century however, it is necessary for each country to pay much more attention to this topic due to the greater and increasing interconnectedness and globalization of our world in every aspect; economically, politically and socially, as illustrated by the KOF Index of Globalization in 2011 which collected the data of 186 countries from 1970 to 2008, concluding that our world is more globalized (KOF Swiss Economic Institute, 2011).

Does Gender Inequality In Education Affect Educational Outcomes?, Kevin Sheehan

Honors Scholar Theses

There is little doubt that education has a major effect on economic growth. Studies have traditionally used years of schooling (a quantitative variable) to measure education, but there has a shift towards using qualitative measures of education when trying to test the relationship between education and growth. In fact, there is strong evidence that the quality of education is much more important for economic growth than the quantity of education. The best way to measure the quality of education in a given country is to measure educational outcomes, and the best way to measure outcomes across countries is to look …

Short-Time Compensation: Factors Leading To Its Adoption And Its Success In Connecticut, William Kimball

Honors Scholar Theses

The recent financial crisis has reawakened the U.S to the possible effects of a rapid economic downturn. Poor economic conditions have forced both households and government to tighten their budgets. Still, unemployment persists and the growth rate of the U.S has not been as robust as past recoveries. Worksharing, or short-time compensation (STC), is an unemployment insurance program where a pool of workers shares a reduction in their hours to avoid layoffs. The program offers both benefits and possible issues for firms, employees and state governments alike. This paper attempts to determine why certain states have elected to adopt STC …

Analyzing The Effects Of Brand Mascots On Social Media: Johnson City Power Board Case Study., Kristopher Caufield

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the effects of a brand character or mascot on the brand and social media interactions. A case study was conducted on the recent introduction of Johnson City Power Board's new mascot Will Power. Facebook statistics were used to determine the amount of interaction certain posts received on the Johnson City Power Board's Facebook Page. Will Power posts received more interactions than any other topic for the Power Board.

Financial Solvency Of The American Government., Jamie Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The main topic of this paper is the financial solvency, or “the ability to pay all debts,” of the United States government (“solvency,” n.d.). The questions posed and analyzed are 1) is the American government solvent, 2) did Standard and Poor’s accurately downgrade the American debt, and 3) how does the national debt affect the solvency of the American government. To determine the solvency and effects of debt, analysis of financial information for America and nine other countries, grouped according to their credit rating is used. Solvency is determined by credit rating for this analysis; a country with a high …

Political Globalization And Civil War In Former British Colonies, Luke O. Feltz

Student Publications

The purpose of this paper to determine why civil war onset reduces political globalization in former British colonies. I set out by testing the relationship between being a former British colony and civil war presence, demonstrating a positive, though not statistically significant, relationship. I also examine the history of British colonialism. Through setting up specific system of indirect rule, British colonizers created conditions that contributed to intra-state conflict. Furthermore, through constructing a unique institutional system and maintaining ties to its former colonies, the British have created an atmosphere conducive to international political engagement after the onset of civil war. Yet, …

The Determinants Of Voluntary Job Turnover In Chinese Medium And Small Enterprises: A Case Study, Jia Jia Li

Bachelor of Social Sciences – Senior Theses

The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China are developing rapidly. They are becoming more and more important to China’s economic restructuring and to the national economic development. However, since SMEs started appearing relatively late and the development history in China is relatively short, a lot of aspects are still unripe and a series of problems exists. Especially, the job turnover rate is commonly high in Chinese SMEs. The high level of turnover will badly affect the survival and development of SMEs. This research focuses on the factors that affect job turnover in China. The factors are divided into six …

Cdfi Industry Analysis: Summary Report, Michael E. Swack, Jack Northrup, Eric Hangen

Carsey Publications

The Carsey Institute, under contract to NeighborWorks® America and the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, conducted a detailed analysis of a large sample of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) on issues of capitalization, liquidity and portfolio, and risk management by CDFIs from 2005 to 2010. This work is part of the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative. The purpose of the report is to explore issues of capitalization, liquidity, and portfolio and risk management by CDFIs.

Cdfi Industry Analysis: Summary Report, 508 Compliant Version, Michael E. Swack, Jack Northrup, Eric Hangen

Carsey Publications

The Carsey Institute, under contract to NeighborWorks® America and the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, conducted a detailed analysis of a large sample of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) on issues of capitalization, liquidity and portfolio, and risk management by CDFIs from 2005 to 2010. This work is part of the CDFI Fund's Capacity Building Initiative. The purpose of the report is to explore issues of capitalization, liquidity, and portfolio and risk management by CDFIs.

Do Commercial Banks’ Foreign Claims Affect Sovereign Bond Yields In The Euro Zone?, William Creedon

Award Winning Economics Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Infrastructure Development And Taxation On Current And Future Earnings, Mukta Mukherjee

Economics - Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of three essays, each of which studies a policy in India that provides a unique circumstance affecting directly or indirectly earnings. The purpose of this work is to analyze how taxation and infrastructure development aspects the current and future earnings using these policies

In the first essay, I use a national infrastructure development program initiated in India in 2001 to construct new all-season roads (roads that can be used in all-weather especially monsoons) in villages that previously had only had dry-season roads (roads that are difficult to use in monsoons). In the second, I use …

Rhode Island Current Conditions Index — May 2012, Leonard Lardaro

The Rhode Island Current Conditions Index

No abstract provided.

Does School Quality Affect Real Estate Prices? The Effect Of Top-Tier Elementary Schools On Property Prices In Shanghai, Wanyi Li

Economics Honors Projects

This study adapted the hedonic pricing model and inspected how varying elementary school quality affects property prices in Shanghai. Because the variation of school quality appeared before the capitalization of the housing market, the obtained results suggest a causal relationship. The data set comprises top-tier elementary school information from eWOM, the yearly school attendance zones published by the government, and the Shanghai Existing Property Index, which has a sample of similarly structured apartments. Main results show that prices on average increase 41.9% more in the top-tier school districts under the standardized housing system, and range from 15.5% to 69.7% among …

The Country-Specific Nature Of Apparel Elasticities And Impacts Of The Multi-Fibre Arrangement, Lauren A. Martinez

Economics Honors Projects

Beginning with Krugman and Helpman’s theory of demand for differentiated products, this paper estimates 104 direct price elasticities of demand for apparel in the United States. While the literature has established that apparel elasticities vary by category and across countries, I examine how price elasticities of demand for apparel vary by country, regions, product characteristics, and after the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement. Results suggest that the country has the greatest single explanatory power in predicting price elasticities, and additionally, the “race to the bottom” hypothesis in the apparel industry is supported through increasing elasticity of 3.4% from the mean …

The Cupboard Is Full: Public Finances For Public Services In The Global South, Sarah T. Romano, Ronnie Lipschutz

All Faculty Work

No abstract provided.

Revisiting The Economic Impact Of The Natural Gas Activity In The Fayetteville Shale: 2008-2012, Katherine A. Deck, Viktoria Riiman

Publications and Presentations

In 2008, the Center for Business and Economic Research released a study that estimated the economic impact of projected Fayetteville Shale activities from 2008 to 2012. This updated report revisits the assumptions of the initial study, reviews the impact of actual activities in the Fayetteville Shale from 2008 to 2011, and delivers some insights into projected impacts for 2012.

Exploration and production of natural gas in the Fayetteville Shale area generates direct effects from drilling wells and causes the need for supporting activities such as construction, transportation, storage, and distribution. Moreover, investments made by oil and gas companies produce indirect …

What Factors Influence Consumers’ Decisions To Purchase Energy Star Appliances?, Rosamond Mate

Economics Honors Projects

This paper examines how differences in operating costs and market availability affect ownership of Energy Star dishwashers and clothes washers. I use logistic regressions and data from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey and the EPA’s Energy Star program to quantify these effects. Results indicate that controlling for temporal changes is very important; after doing so I find that differences in availability of efficient appliances do not affect ownership patterns. Overall, the frequency of appliance use does not increase the household’s responsiveness to electricity prices, which suggests that consumers do not fully value efficiency when choosing among appliances.

The Essays On Unintended Consequences Of Public Policy, Andrew Ira Friedson

Economics - Dissertations

This dissertation studies three examples of public policies having consequences other than those intended when the policy was passed. They demonstrate that due to the interconnectedness of the economy, the intended effect of a policy is rarely the sole effect.

The first essay examines the Texas Top 10% Plan. This policy guarantees automatic admission to their state university of choice for all high school seniors who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class. The essay shows evidence that households reacted strategically to this policy by moving to neighborhoods with lower-performing schools, increasing property values by 4.9 percent …

Is Analyst Over Optimism Creating Price Inefficiency In The Stock Market?, Juan Mauricio Guiliani

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study aims to uncover the relationship between market frictions, measured by price delay, and consensus analyst recommendations on stocks. Analyst recommendations are publicly available to investors, and under the framework of the Efficient Market Hypothesis, should contribute to the efficiency of a stock’s pricing mechanism by providing information to the market that would otherwise not be available. We find evidence that the more favorable recommended stocks in our sample command a higher price delay than less favorably recommended stocks. In other words, the most optimistically recommended stocks are priced less efficiently than other less favorably recommended stocks. We also …

The Politics Of Economics: A Study On The Effect Of Political Affiliation On Economic Aptitude, Anthony Nader

Honors Projects in Economics

This research is based on a June 2010 Wall Street Journal article outlining a study conducted on the economic literacy of adults versus their political affiliation (Klein, 2010). Adults were surveyed on eight questions regarding simple economic knowledge and then asked their political affiliation. The study found that people who consider themselves very conservative on average answered 1.3 questions wrong, versus an average of 5.26 questions wrong for people who consider themselves very liberal. This same effect was to be measured in the classroom as to whether or not conservatives tended to fare better in economics classes than liberals. The …

The Evolution Of The “Southwest Effect”, Daniel Webb

Honors Projects in Finance

The “Southwest effect” - a large decrease in fares paired with an increase in traffic - has been discussed around the airline industry since the term was first coined in a government study in the early 1990s. But the airline industry has drastically changed since then - Southwest has become the largest domestic airline, and many of its competitors have had the chance to restructure through bankruptcy.

This study examines some of Southwest's latest city additions, as well as a few of the airline’s intra-California routes where it is now a dominant player. Using publically-available government data, the change in …