Economics Commons^™

Ce Winter 2014, Coyote Economist

Coyote Economist

Inside this Issue:

We’re on Facebook.................2

Mandela on Poverty................3

Staying Informed...................4

Recent Faculty Activities........5

Tentative Fall Schedule...........6

Money, Religion, And Tyranny: God And The Demonic In Luther's Antifragile Theology, Guillermo C. Hansen

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Market Simulation Games For Undergraduate Investments Courses: Simple Or Complicated?, Steven Welch

Accounting and Finance Faculty Publications

In an effort to maximize the meaningfulness to the most students by using a market simulation game in the introductory investments course, for five years, varying levels of complexity were incorporated to determine the level at which most students were comfortable participating in the game. It was determined that as the complexity reduced, students had more interest (and participation) in the game. The goal of this experiment was to find the best experience for students to enjoy the game, but be rich enough for a significant learning experience. For the introductory investments course, currencies and derivatives seemed to be too …

Cash Holdings Of S&P Firms Over The Past Decade, Mary Fischer, Treba Marsh, Todd A. Brown

Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, financial research suggests US firms hold a significant amount of cash. This growing amount of cash has attracted attention from economists, the business press and government. A firm’s cash balance could well indicate the firm elects to hold cash rather than invest in suboptimal investments. There are trade-offs between holding too much cash and holding too little. This exploratory study attempts to find financial relationships that explain the cash held by S&P 100 firms over the decade from fiscal year 2002 to 2011.

An Analysis Of A High School Dropout In The United States, Matthew Walsh

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

The study explores the socioeconomic factors that lead to a student dropping out of high school. Unlike other papers this study focuses on the whole United States and the three primary ethnic groups within the country. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics, is used to investigate the crisis facing the future of the American economy across all fifty states. The results show that socioeconomic differences are predictive in the probability of a high school student dropping out prior to graduation

Demographics On Crime: A Look At The U.S.A., Nicolas Eceizabarrena

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This study aims to identify how change in social indicators and demographics affect crime, more specifically, the number of aggravated assaults. As policy makers attempt to reduce crime to improve social conditions, changes to social indicator and demographic variables would allow quantifying these changes. This study uses a cross-sectional data set for the fifty states in the United States of America for the 2005 period.

Taking, Giving, And Impure Altruism In Dictator Games, Oleg Korenok, Edward L. Millner, Laura Razzolini

Economics Publications

We show that, if giving is equivalent to not taking, impure altruism could account for List's (2007) finding that the payoff to recipients in a dictator game decreases when the dictator has the option to take. We examine behavior in dictator games with different taking options but equivalent final payoff possibilities. We find that the recipients tend to earn more as the amount the dictator must take to achieve a given final payoff increases, a result consistent with the hypothesis that the cold prickle of taking is stronger than the warm glow of giving. We conclude that not taking is …

Does Heterogeneity In Transfer Pricing Regulation Affect Foreign Direct Investment?, Quoc Hung Tran

Economics Faculty Publications

Does multinational firm take advantage of arbitrage opportunities when heterogeneity in transfer pricing regulations exist between home and host country? Using data on U.S. based multinational firms’ reinvestment earnings abroad as a proxy for FDI activity, provided by the BEA Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad and the Balance of Payments Survey, we analyze the effect of transfer pricing regulation of multination firm FDI’s decision. The analysis results provide no empirical evidence that differences in transfer pricing regulation between home and host country affect FDI activity by U.S. based multinational firms. Host country’s specific characteristics such as market size, distant …

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 1, 2014, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 2, 2014, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 4, 2014, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 3, 2014, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Profile, 2014, Pittsburg State University. Gladys A. Kelce College Of Business

Pittsburg Micropolitan Reports

The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Profile is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University.

Health Plans For Employment: Nutrition, Catherine Ipsen, Bethany Rigles, Casey Nicole Ruggiero, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Employment

We all know that we should eat “healthy.” But what does that mean? A healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats. Eating these foods gives you energy for the day and can help manage fatigue, anxiety or stress. They also can help protect you against many diseases. Eating the right types of food is important but so is watching how much we eat.

This fact sheet on nutrition provides guidelines on how to do both. This fact sheet also provides tips on how to eat healthy on a tight budget. In addition to the English version …

Inclusive Healthcare Facilities Access And Accommodations Resource Toolkit, Meg A. Traci Ph.D., University Of Montana Rural Institute

Employment

Contents: Includes information on webinars, access to care, dental care, women, communication, emergency preparedness, health reports, and contact information for Montana services.

Data And Resources For A Whole Community Approach To Emergency Planning, Meg A. Traci Ph.D., University Of Montana Rural Institute

Employment

No abstract provided.

Central Bank Of Nigeria Annual Report And Statement Of Accounts For The Year Ended 31st December 2014, Central Bank Of Nigeria

CBN Annual Report

Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the year ended 31st December, 2014. In general, 2014 has been a very eventful and challenging year for the Bank, the country, and the world at large. In the course of the year, the Bank underwent significant changes in its governance composition. In 2014, the global economy witnessed considerable vulnerabilities characterized by fragile growth and weak economic outlook. Global growth recovery was modest and continued to be threatened by strong downside risks, as a result of sharp drop in commodity prices, escalating geo-political tensions, and heightening threats …

State Of The Northwest Arkansas Region 2014 Report, Katherine A. Deck, Mervin Jebaraj

State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report

The State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report is an annual publication that serves as a tool for evaluating the economic performance of the region in comparison with those peers that are most likely to compete with Northwest Arkansas by virtue of a similar industry mix or geographic proximity. As a player in the global economy, Northwest Arkansas has more to offer than superior performance in traditional economic development categories such as employment, establishment growth, and income. This region showcases strengths in diverse categories like knowledge-based sectors and quality of life indicators. This report highlights and presents the indicators mentioned …

Exports, Imports, Government Consumption And Economic Growth In Upper-Middle Income Countries, Minh Dao

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Esfahani (1991) shows that the statistically significant correlation between export promotion and economic growth in semi-industrialized countries (SICs) has been mainly attributable to the role of exports in reducing import ‘shortages’, which have impeded output growth in these countries. As a result, export-promotion policies as a superior development strategy in SICs play an important role in those that cannot secure sufficient foreign aid or investment. Esfahani (1991) also develops a simultaneous equations model to address the simultaneity bias between GDP and export growth rates. In this article we extend the model developed by Esfahani (1991) by incorporating the contribution of …

Drivers Of Economic Growth In Developing Countries, Minh Dao

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This paper examines the impact of the drivers of economic growth in developing countries. We modify the conventional neoclassical growth model to account for the impact of the increase in the number of people working relative to the total population and that of the increase in the value added per worker over time. Based on data from the World Bank for the 1995-2010 period and a sample of thirty-eight developing economies we find that the growth rate of per capita GDP is linearly dependent on technological progress, gross capital formation, the initial level of output per capita, and labour productivity …

Rhode Island Current Conditions Index -- January 2014, Leonard Lardaro

The Rhode Island Current Conditions Index

No abstract provided.

Stewardship In The Interests Of Systemic Stakeholders: Re-Conceptualizing The Means And Ends Of Anglo-American Corporate Governance In The Wake Of The Global Financial Crisis, Zhong Xing Tan

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Visitor Spending At The Bikes, Blues & Bbq Rally, Katherine A. Deck, Mervin Jebaraj

Publications and Presentations

• 59.9 percent of the 2013 Bikes, Blues & BBQ rally attendees came from outside the Northwest Arkansas region. 57.6 percent of all attendees were from outside Northwest Arkansas and primarily visiting to attend the motorcycle rally.
• The average spending of each motorcycle rally visitor from outside Northwest Arkansas was $401.86.
• Visitor spending generated at least $36.17 in state and local sales taxes per person.
• The average out-of-town visitor stayed in the Northwest Arkansas region for 3.8 days and occupied 0.7 room nights.
• Each visitor ate an average of 9.6 meals in Northwest Arkansas. On average, 8.9 meals were consumed in …

A Factor Endowment Explanation For China’S Emergence As An International Trading Power: Calibrating The Dornbusch-Fischer-Samuelson Model For China’S Trade, 1968-2008, Roger White

Economics

Much has been made of the rise of China‘s economy and its emergence as a global trading power. Standard trade theory holds that comparative advantage is the basis for mutually beneficial exchange and, as such, it is the basis for international trade. In this chapter, we examine changes in labor supplies, capital stocks, and technology as possible explanations for the rise of China as an international trading power. Calibration of the Dornbusch-Fisher-Samuelson model suggests that China has gained comparative advantage relative to the US and to the cohort of high income countries considered in this study. Even though US production …

Health Plans For Employment: Sleep, Catherine Ipsen, Bethany Rigles, Casey Nicole Ruggiero, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Employment

How often do you wish that you had gotten a better night’s sleep? Sleep issues have been linked to anxiety, pain, depressed mood, fatigue, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and weight problems. This fact sheet provides tips on developing good sleep habits and strategies to help you fall asleep.

In addition to the English version, it is also available in Spanish and Hmong.

This fact sheet was developed by RTC:Rural for Wisconsin Promise as part of the Health Plans for Employment series. Each of the four fact sheets in this series provides healthy living tips geared towards youth.

Titles As Compensation, Kevin F. Hallock

Economics Faculty Publications

Wages and salaries are just part of total rewards. Insurance, vacation time, bonuses, and working conditions are other important forms of compensation. Each of these costs the organization something. But there are other attributes of jobs -- less easily measured in dollars -- that employees value. These can include colleagues, company reputation, and even job titles. At the margin it is possible to imagine a tradeoff between a higher salary and a job title. In fact, some have argued that some firms offer titles in absence of raises where salary budgets are slim. When thinking about job titles as a …

The Health And Nutrition Effects Of Snap: Selection Into The Program And A Review Of The Literature On Its Effects, Marianne Bitler

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

The goal of this paper is to assess the existing state of knowledge about whether SNAP improves health and nutrition outcomes, and if so, which ones and by how much.

In an era of fiscal crisis, knowing whether SNAP has any significant causal effect on health and nutrition is crucial for informing policy decisions and policy makers. In this review, I pay particular attention to the challenges researchers face in overcoming selection bias and identifying causal effects of the program, and I will assess the literature through that lens. The fundamental challenge in program evaluation in general and in assessing …

Socioeconomic Determinants Of Violent Crime Rates In The U.S., Jacob Gesin

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper looks into socioeconomic factors affecting three racial groups within the United States, and the possibility of their effects on rates of violent crime. This study incorporates US census data in conjunction with FBI crime statistics in order to identify a correlation between select sociological variables experienced by different racial groups, and the rates of violent crime committed within those groups. Based on metropolitan areas by state for the year of 2012, the results of this study show that socioeconomic and family factors have a significant effect on violent crime rates regardless of race. Furthermore, violent crime rate gaps …

Remittances And Economic Growth In Mexico: Long Term Implications, Sean Lambert

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the impact of remittances on economic growth by looking at time series data from 1960 to 2012 from the country of Mexico. Using the OLS method, these data will be analyzed to see what the long term impact of remittances have been on the growth rate of Mexico. Drawing from the heavily established literature in the field of growth economics, this paper attempts to show the relevance of such theory in the case of the well documented phenomenon of remittances. Mexico is the world’s fourth largest net recipient of remittance inflows and the third largest trading partner …

The Effects Of The First Round Of Quantitative Easing On Stock Prices In The United States, William Manak

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the effects that the first round of the large-scale assert purchases known as Quantitative Easing (QE1) had on US stock prices. The paper focuses on the time period starting from the announcement of QE1 to before the second round of Quantitative Easing had been announced. This paper hopes to find a significant effect of stock prices in China as well as the exchange rate between the two countries, as the US and China are major trade partners. The effects of Chinese stocks and the exchange rate will be compared to the lower interest rates that had resulted …