Economics Commons^™

Economic Freedom And Economic Growth Across U.S. States: A Spatial Panel Data Analysis, Joshua C. Hall, Donald J. Lacombe, Timothy M. Shaughnessy

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

There is a substantial literature estimating the effect of economic freedom on economic growth. Most studies examine the relationship between freedom and growth for countries, while a few examine the relationship for U.S. states. Absent in the state{level literature is consideration of the presence of spatial spillovers affecting the freedom{growth relationship. Neglecting to account for spatial autocorrelation can bias estimation results and therefore inferences drawn. We find evidence of a spatial pattern in real per-capita GSP that affects non-spatial estimates of the freedom{growth relationship. Taking into account the direct and indirect effects of economic freedom on GSP, we find a …

Do New Sports Facilities Attract New Businesses?, Kaitlyn Harger, Brad R. Humphreys, Amanda Ross

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

We examine the impact of new sports facilities on new businesses, an unexplored topic in the literature. We use data from the Dunn and Bradstreet MarketPlace files to examine how new sports facilities affect nearby business activity in terms of the number of new businesses and workers. We find no evidence of increased new businesses openings after the opening of new sports facilities in 13 US cities in the 2000s; employment at new businesses near new facilities is larger than at new businesses elsewhere in the MSA; this increase cannot be linked to businesses in any specific industry.

Adam Smith: Homo Socialis, Yes; Social Preferences, No; Reciprocity Was To Be Explained, Vernon L. Smith

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

I argue that the authors accept too casually the neo-classical framework of thought that was incapable of predicting choices in 2-person and other experimental games in the 1980s and 1990ss. The ex post hoc hypothesis that social preference can describe homo socialis reduces inevitably to a rescue of neo-classical economics in which Max-U (own payoff, other payoff) substitutes mechanically for Max-U (own payoff) in our personal groupings. This static procedure unnecessarily and inappropriately robs human conduct of its sociality as a process relationship. The model I articulate was masterfully developed by Adam Smith, which back-predicts the results of these earlier …

A New Labor Productivity Growth Rate Equation, Paul Kim

Economics Papers and Presentations

This paper presents a new economic growth theory, which enables us to compute labor productivity growth rate (r) as follows:

r = r1 - r2 ....(1)

r1 indicates labor productivity growth rate contributed by the factors which promote or increase the labor productivity such as capital and technology.

r2 indicates labor productivity growth rate reduced by factors which hinder or decrease labor productivity growth rate. Such factors include activities of redistribution of power and income.

Looking Behind The Scenes: An Assessment Of The Interdependence Of Brazilian Cultural Industries, Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, Fernando Perobelli, Alexandre Rabelo

Regional Research Institute Working Papers

How important is Brazil’s cultural industries to its economy? We provide an answer to this question by evaluating the interdependence of the cultural activities in the Brazilian production structure and its evolution over the last few years (2005 – 2009). To accomplish this, we disaggregate 13 cultural economic industries in the Brazilian input-output table and calculate several indexes, such as, the production multiplier, linkage indexes, fields of influence and extraction analysis. Results show that the only cultural sector with high links to other sectors in the production structure is Telecommunication, edition and news agencies and that this sector provides the …

California’S Flawed Surface Water Rights, Michael Hanemann, Caitlin Dyckman, Damian Park

Economics

California sprang into existence following the discovery of gold in 1848. Aside from domestic use, the first major use of water in California was in mining. The first mining consisted of placer mining of alluvial deposits in stream beds throughout the Sierra foothills. As those deposits were depleted, hydraulic mining arose, in which high-pressure jets of water were used to remove overlying earth from upland gold- bearing deposits. That type of mining, first employed in 1853, required substantial water diversions.

When California entered the Union in 1850, the English common law was adopted as the “rule of decision” in courts, …

The Carbon Rush: The Truth Behind The Carbon Market Smokescreen Edited By Amy Miller, Michael Classens

The Goose

Michael Classens reviews The Carbon Rush: The Truth Behind the Carbon Market Smokescreen, edited by Amy Miller.

Does Market Integration Buffer Risk, Erode Traditional Sharing Practices And Increase Inequality? A Test Among Bolivian Forager-Farmers, Michael Gurven, Adrian V. Jaeggi, Christopher Von Rueden, Paul L. Hooper, Hillard Kaplan

ESI Publications

Sharing and exchange are common practices for minimizing food insecurity in rural populations. The advent of markets and monetization in egalitarian indigenous populations presents an alternative means of managing risk, with the potential impact of eroding traditional networks. We test whether market involvement buffers several types of risk and reduces traditional sharing behavior among Tsimane Amerindians of the Bolivian Amazon. Results vary based on type of market integration and scale of analysis (household vs. village), consistent with the notion that local culture and ecology shape risk management strategies. Greater wealth and income were unassociated with the reliance on others for …

Student Loan Debt: The Devil Is In The Details, Christopher R. Bollinger

Issue Brief on Topics Affecting Kentucky’s Economy

Student loan debt has received a great deal of attention on in the popular press recently. However, the statistics and data that are frequently presented fail to fully capture the complexity of student loans and student debt. This brief presents a more complete picture of student loan debt, examining not only average debt of student borrowers, but presenting a full assessment of the distribution of debt and the types of schools.

The Narrative, Michael Hemesath

Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

Medicaid Crowd-Out Of Other Public Health Spending: Modeling Economic & Health Effects, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

MOTIVATION: Thirty states are expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as of 2015, and while federal funds cover most costs for newly eligible recipients, states must share the additional costs of covering previously-eligible state residents who enroll in Medicaid. States, together with their local government counterparts, also provide the vast majority (87%) of public sector funds for public health programs designed to promote health and prevent disease and injury on a population-wide basis. Fiscal constraints and generous federal matching funds create strong budgetary incentives for states to channel their health-related spending to Medicaid rather than to other …

The Effect Of The Earned Income Tax Credit In The District Of Columbia On Poverty And Income Dynamics, Bradley L. Hardy, Daniel Muhammad, Rhucha Samudra

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Using unique longitudinal administrative tax panel data for the District of Columbia (DC), we assess the combined effect of the DC supplemental earned income tax credit (EITC) and the federal EITC on poverty and income dynamics within Washington, DC, from 2001 to 2011. The EITC in DC merits investigation, as the DC supplement to the federal credit is the largest in the nation. The supplemental DC EITC was enacted in 2000, and has been expanded from 10 percent of the federal credit in 2001 to 40 percent as of 2009. To implement the study, we estimate least squares models with …

Urban Density, Human Capital, And Productivity In Service Industries : An Analysis Of Firm-Level Data Of China, Xinyu Li

Lingnan Theses

This thesis aims to empirically investigate the links between urban density, human capital and productivity in service industries. By using firm-level data of manufacturing and service industries in China, I estimate the production function and compare how density effects vary between manufacturing and services and between producer services and non-producer services. Results show there exist significant economies of density in both the manufacturing sector and the service sector, and that doubling city population density increases productivity in services by about 10% to 11%, as compare with around 7.5% that is estimated for manufacturing firms. Moreover, I divide the service-firm sample …

The Post-Imf Agenda, Ishrat Husain Dr.

Faculty Research - Newspaper and Magazine Articles

In August 2016, Pakistan will complete the final review of its extended arrangements with the IMF. In the absence of major hiccups, the country would be able to heave a sigh of relief. The crisis risks that loomed large in 2013 would have eased and stabilisation reduced macroeconomic imbalances. Fiscal deficit would be down to 3.5pc to 4pc. Inflation would be around 5pc to 6pc. The current account deficit would be contained to less than 1pc. Forex reserves would cover three months imports. The power to issue SROs has been transferred from the Federal Board of Revenue to parliament. These …

Examining The Outcomes Of The Balanced Scorecard (Bsc) As An Integral Tool Of Public Sector: Reform In Selected Sectors Of The Oromia Regional Government, Tolla Berrisso Geda, Daniel Beyera

International Journal of African Development

Over the last two decades Ethiopia has been actively engaged in reforming its public sector in an attempt to make it more responsive, transparent, flexible, and compatible with the demand of its public and its constituencies to ensure good governance. Nevertheless, despite repeated comprehensive reform programs applied and acclaimed success stories by public authorities, the public outcry for responsive public service remains an outstanding challenge. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the application of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) using a blend of survey and case study methods in 12 organizations selected from three major sectors in four major cities. …

Convalescent Serum Therapy As Rapid Advance Treatment For Ebola In West Africa, J Bankole Thompson Md, Phd, Patricia F. Mejabi Msc., Olugbenga O. Mejabi Phd, S Ahmed Tejan-Sie Md

International Journal of African Development

The 2014 public health crisis in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has brought Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) to everyone’s attention. Discovered in 1976, this deadly disease infrequently struck in remote areas of Africa. This article will critically review the literature and describe the pathobiology, transmission, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of EVDwhich, was predicted by the Centers for Disease Control to potentially infect 1.4 million persons in Liberia and Sierra Leone by January 2015 (“Questions and Answers”, 2014). Thankfully this worst case scenario did not occur and we may be experiencing natural burn out of the outbreak along …

Determinants Of Farm And Non-Farm Family-Controlled Child Labor, Kofi Acheampong

International Journal of African Development

Ninety five percent of the child labor in Africa takes place in private households where children are controlled by their relatives. While this is a major problem, the literature provides little discussion on the determinants of this form of child labor. To fill this gap, I examine the determinants of farm and non-farm family-controlled child labor using data from the 2009 Ghana Time Use Survey. The findings indicate that school networks, the education level of the head of household, and religion play important roles in determining children’s activities in both farm and non-farm work.

Ethnographic Study To Understand The Culture Of Technology Manufacturing In Ghana, Yao-Martin Donani

International Journal of African Development

Sub-Saharan African countries are characterized by low or absent technological growth. Scholars and the international community have endeavored to solve the long-standing problem, but none of these have produced the expected growth. While the rest of the world is advancing rapidly, Africa is noticeably lagging, even in comparison to other developing regions. It is apparent that previous international strategies cannot solve Africa’s technological underdevelopment This study argues that a solution to the problem depends on Africans, who must choose to want a solution and work towards it. An ethnographic study was therefore conducted to investigate the attitudes and worldview of …

Icts And Regional Economic Integration: An Anticipatory Scenario For The Horn Of Africa, Ali Noor Mohamed

International Journal of African Development

Development experts are telling increasingly fascinating stories about how human development indices (HDI) among the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have been buoyed by the diffusion of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) over the last two decades. According to data compiled by the World Economic Forum, ICTs have facilitated faster and more reliable communication with regard to almost all important spheres of life including healthcare, education, agriculture, commerce, e-banking, the environment, etc. Perhaps the greatest impact of ICTs has been in their democratizing effect and their role in promoting gender equity, especially with regard to access to information …

False Consciousness As A Major Hindrance To Control Of Corruption In Africa, John O. Ouko

International Journal of African Development

Corruption is rampant in Africa despite the effort to fight it. An effective fight against corruption requires a clear and firm understanding of the factors that cause and conduce it. Using Kenya as an example, I will examine some of the social, economic, political, and legal factors that have been given as causal explanations of corruption. By focusing primarily on political corruption, I will argue that false consciousness among the masses and leaders has to be overcome for the fight against corruption to be effective, and, by extension, for meaningful development to take place in Kenya and many other African …

Challenges Facing Female Leaders Of Color In U.S. Higher Education, Fredah Mainah, Vernita Perkins

International Journal of African Development

Despite a myriad of challenges including the slow pace of rising to the top and the low compositional diversity in most university leadership, women of color are becoming increasingly visible in higher education leadership. This paper investigates the phenomena of the growing numbers of women of color in top positions, with the aim of debunking the myth of the invisibility of black women in leadership positions in higher education. The findings indicate that although women in the U.S. earn the majority of postsecondary degrees and 26.4% of college presidents are women, with 4.5% of them being women of color, women …

Editorial Note, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

No abstract provided.

International Journal Of African Development, Vol. 2, Issue 2

International Journal of African Development

Complete issue of International Journal of African Development, Volume 2, Issue 2 - Spring 2015.

Review Of Developing Quantitative Literacy Skills In History And The Social Sciences: A Web-Based Common Core Approach By Kathleen W. Craver, Victor J. Ricchezza, H L. Vacher

Numeracy

Kathleen W. Craver. Developing Quantitative Literacy Skills in History and Social Sciences: A Web-Based Common Core Standards Approach (Lantham MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2014). 191 pp.
ISBN 978-1-4758-1050-9 (cloth); ISBN …-1051-6 (pbk); ISBN…-1052-3 (electronic).

This book could be a breakthrough for teachers in the trenches who are interested in or need to know about quantitative literacy (QL). It is a resource providing 85 topical pieces, averaging 1.5 pages, in which a featured Web site is presented, described, and accompanied by 2-4 critical-thinking questions purposefully drawing on data from the Web site. The featured Web sites range from …

Democratic Governance, Ishrat Husain Dr.

Faculty Research - Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Governance under a democratic dispensation has been under attack in Pakistan. The yearning for a messiah or strong authoritarian leader who can fix the ‘mess’ created by the democratically elected leaders remains quite strong. The frequent transitions from the elected governments to the military government and vice-versa have created political instability and uncertainty and we have not learnt the lessons. Political uncertainty leads to a wait-and-see attitude on the part of investors. Lack of investment – both domestic and foreign – retards the pace of economic growth. Low growth rates result in high open unemployment and rise in poverty. Furthermore, …

Constitutional Bargaining, Eminent Domain, And The Quality Of Contemporary African Institutions: A Test Of The Incremental Reform Hypothesis, Roger D. Congleton, Dongwoo Yoo

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

According to the incremental reform hypothesis, constitutions are rarely adopted whole cloth; thus the starting point, scope for bargaining, and number of reforms, jointly determine the trajectory of constitutional history. We test the relevance of this theory for Africa by analyzing the formation and reform of the independence constitutions negotiated and adopted during the 1950s and early 1960s. We find historical evidence that independence occurred incrementally and that the African countries that experienced the fewest constitutional moments and narrowest domain of bargaining after independence have better contemporary institutions than states that began with less restrictive constitutional rules and experienced more …

The Impact On Health Of Recurring Migrations To The United States, David Ortmeyer, Michael A. Quinn

Economics Faculty Publications

Considerable research has focused on whether or not immigrants’ health declines to match that of comparable native-born people. This immigrant health convergence is hypothesized to be driven by immigrants’ acculturation to American society and habits. This is particularly problematic for a country such as the United States which combines a high number of immigrants, bad health habits among the native born, and an expensive health care system. Previous research in this literature uses the duration of an immigrant’s current stay in the United States as the measure of exposure to acculturation. Using the duration of the immigrant’s current stay in …

Do Immigrants Reduce Bilateral Trade Costs? An Empirical Test, Roger White, Bedassa Tadesse

Economics

We use the first comprehensive estimates of bilateral trade costs to test the extensively stated, but rarely evaluated, hypothesis that immigrants reduce trade-related transaction costs. Our results provide robust and direct evidence supporting this often-posited hypothesis. We examine the period from 1995 through 2010 using data that represent 174 immigrant home countries and 19 OECD member host countries. We find that a 10% increase in the stock of immigrants from a given home country that reside in a given host country corresponds with a 1.04% decrease in the overall bilateral trade costs between the home and host countries. While different …

Boom & Bust: The Perils Of Guaranteed Long Term Contracts. Evidence From Ops100 Performance Over The Contract Cycle, Heather M. O'Neill

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

This study focuses on panel data of 256 MLB free agent hitters under the 2006-2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to demonstrate that hitters, on average, increase their offensive production, measured by OPS100, during the last year of their contract and subsequently underperform the first year of the newly signed long term contract. The contract year phenomenon arises from the incentive to land a lucrative guaranteed contract for players not intending to retire. Signing a long term guaranteed contract creates an incentive to shirk (underperform) the first year of the new contract because performance and pay become unlinked and the need …

Patient Experiences With Family Planning In Community Health Centers, Susan F. Wood, Tishra Beeson, Debora Goetz Goldberg, Holly Mead, Peter Shin, Aliyah Abdul-Wakil, Anna Rui, Bhakti Sahgal, Maya Shimony, Hallie Stevens, Sara Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Women of childbearing age represent one of the single largest groups of community health center patients, and family planning plays a critical role in the health, economic, and social circumstances of women, their children, and families. Family planning is a required service at all health centers, and the major expansion of health centers under the Affordable Care Act means that for low-income women of reproductive age this service should be increasingly available. The Quality Family Planning (QFP) Guidelines, jointly developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) and released in 2014, …