Economics Commons^™

The Russian Food And Agricultural Import Ban, Marianna Khachaturyan, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

In 2014 the United States, European Union (EU), and several other countries imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response to its annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine (Nelson, 2017; Europa, 2017). Prior to the 1990s, the use of economic sanctions to challenge the behavior of foreign governments was fairly rare as the target country could easily turn to the cold-war adversary of the sanctioning country to avoid their effects. With the end of the Cold War, sanctions, usually comprehensive in nature restricting economic relations across the board, became a major foreign policy tool. Because comprehensive …

The New North: Patents And Knowledge Economy In Alaska, Salma Zbeed

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Alaska's economy has taken a direct hit as world oil prices plunged from a high well above $100 per barrel to very low prices per barrel, the analysts predicting output will continue to dwindle in the years to come. As a result of Alaska's full-blown dependence on oil money, the state now faces a budget deficit. Investment in knowledge –based economy seems to be appealing, and involving the human capacities is necessary. As the Alaska economy continues to recover from the recent financial crisis, the focus is now shifting towards how new sources of economic growth can be fostered that …

How Well Does Snap Protect Families Against The Risk Of Food Insecurity And Poor Health During Economic Downturns?, Thomas Deleire, Bradley Hardy, Jay Bhattacharya

University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series

Our research project addressed the question of how well SNAP and the social safety net protects families against the risk of food insecurity and poor health during economic downturns. Previous research has documented the relationship between reductions in family incomes and food insufficiency and has examined the effects of resources that mitigate the effects of income volatility. The U.S. social safety net, including SNAP, exists to mitigate the deleterious effects of swings in family income, particularly among low- and moderate-income households. This work compares outcomes for lower income families and higher income families in response to economic downturns. To the …

Technical Document For Computing Coal Dependent Employment Estimates, Randall Jackson

Regional Research Institute Technical Documents

This document presents the basis for estimating coal-dependent employment in a reference region, then establishing a weighting factor for each industry that can be used to provide a quantitative estimate of the existing employment or employment change in a county that can be attributed to existing or change in coal employment. The Matlab function is provided. Although coal is the industry of interest in this document, any other industry could be targeted for similar study.

Profitable Horizontal Mergers Without Efficiencies Can Increase Consumer Surplus, Charles J. Thomas

ESI Working Papers

In a simple model I show consumer surplus can increase after competing sellers consummate a profitable merger that generates no cost savings. This finding contrasts sharply with the conventional wisdom that horizontal mergers without efficiencies must enhance sellers’ market power to be profitable, thereby harming buyers. The model fits industries in which individual buyers conduct distinct procurement contests for which sellers incur costs to participate, say to assess their product’s fit with the buyer’s preferences. Mergers benefit buyers by inducing stronger contest-level entry, echoing common claims from merging parties that their merger is beneficial because it creates a stronger competitor.

Divestment And Climate Change, William J. Mcnally

Economics Faculty Publications

In January of 2016, a number of Laurier faculty signed a letter (hereafter “The Letter”) urging the University to divest from fossil fuel companies in all endowment funds and the employee pension.1 This research note addresses a number of issues related to the divestment strategy—in particular, the stranded asset thesis, financial strategy alternatives, implementation challenges and the financial effects of divestment strategies. This note does not consider alternative strategies for decarbonizing the economy. The Letter itself does not explain why divestment is superior to alternatives like promoting research into clean energy generation, renewable energy sources, climate science, and environmental economics. …

Ce Spring 2017, Coyote Economist

Coyote Economist

Inside this Issue:
Commencement......2
New faculty member!......2
Staying informed......2
Toruno semi-retiring......3
Fall 2017 classes......8
Tentative classes......8

East Asia Pacific Economies: Looking Good, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The World Bank expects recovering global trade and commodity prices to buoy regional prospects

Will Politics Trump Economic Growth?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

While economic uncertainties remain, investors should not worry about the White House jeopardising the U.S. economy

Introduction, Ken Mccormick

Major Themes in Economics

No abstract provided.

Maternal Autonomy And Child Health Care Utilization: Evidence From Bangladesh, Ashiqul Alam

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2017

My research looked into the relationship between maternal autonomy and how child health care is utilized in third world countries. I worked with my professor, Dr. Bibhudutta Panda, to specifically look at Bangladesh as our country of interest. The country itself is smaller than Florida but is ranked number 8 for the most populated country. In Bangladesh the infant mortality rate is 6 times more than the US, at 30.7 per 1000 live births and government expenditure is also low. The main reason behind to pick Bangladesh is also that it is a third world country and also a patriarchal …

Weather Variability And The Tourism Industry: A Panel Data Analysis, Carmela Coppola

Honors Projects in Economics

Increasing weather variability around the world has led to many researchers examining the impacts of weather variability on vulnerable industries. For example, the tourism industry can make up a large portion of an economy’s growth, with some of the most dependent countries relying on tourism for over 40% of GDP (World Travel & Tourism Council 2014). In an attempt to better understand the relationship between weather variability and the tourism industry at the country level, this study employs a series of fixed effects panel regression models to analyze the impact of rainfall and temperature on tourism levels and growth rates …

Determinants Of Health Expenditures In Oecd Countries, Giang Phi

Honors Projects in Economics

Around the world, governments are coping with spiraling health care spending. This spurs the need for further insight in the determinants of such expenditures. This study investigates the determinants of health care expenditures for a sample of thirty five countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 2000 to 2013 in order to understand the impact of different factors on health care spending growth. Besides Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the study accounts for many different driving forces such as demographics, medical progress, health system characteristics, public financing, and other non-medical determinants of health spending such as alcohol …

Rhode Island Current Conditions Index -- April 2017, Leonard Lardaro

The Rhode Island Current Conditions Index

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Housing Prices In Micropolitan Areas, Steven Beets

Paper and Posters Presentations

Housing costs are the most significant costs for the average household budget and have significant implications for quality of life and standard of living. Most studies on determinants of housing costs have been on metropolitan ar- eas. Micropolitan areas were first classified in 2003 by the Office of Management and Budget and are defined as having at least one urban cluster with a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000. Micropolitan areas are therefore a new classification of urban areas and there have not been many studies on the cost of housing in micropolitan areas. This paper examines …

Determinants Of Crime In Micropolitan Areas, Blake Barto

Paper and Posters Presentations

Most cities and populated areas have crime related problems. Crimes have bad social and economic consequences and are very costly for society. This paper analyzes the determinants of crime in micropolitan areas. The Office of Management and Budget first defined micropolitan areas in 2003. Since the classification of micropolitan areas is fairly recent then most studies on the determinants of crime in the economic literature have been on metropolitan areas. There is therefore a wide gap in the knowledge on determinant of crimes between metropolitan areas and micropolitan areas. The contribution of this paper to the economic literature is to …

Interactions Between United States (Vix) And United Kingdom (Vftse) Market Volatility: A Time Series Study, Jacob Friar

WCBT Undergraduate Publications

Financial markets have become increasingly more dependent on calculated measures of volatility. Many of the leading economies have developed their own indices that reflect the expectations of market volatility, including the United States (VIX) and the United Kingdom (VFTSE). This study uses these two indices in particular to conduct a time series analysis as a means to identifying potential relationships between the value of the VIX and VFTSE, over time. The analysis concludes that there is a two-way relationship between the indices, and therefore the VAR Model was implemented. Further evaluation of the impulses reveals that while values of each …

La Lucha Por Kimsakocha: Resistencia Contra La Minería En Azuay, Ecuador \ The Struggle For Kimsakocha: Resistance Against Mining In Azuay, Ecuador, Lydia Petroske

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Ecuador, hay una “reprimarización” de la economía, un fenómeno por el que se produce una creciente dependencia en exportaciones de productos primarios como recursos no renovables. Este fenómeno ha sido acompañado con una retórica estatal sobre pobreza y deuda social. Para el gobierno del estado, la industria extractiva es parte importante de su estrategia y retórica para hacer inversión social y combatir la pobreza, lo cual ha justificado una rápida expansión del sector extractivista. En el sur de Ecuador, la gente de las parroquias de Victoria del Portete y Tarqui ha estado luchando por más de 15 años contra …

Kali Gandaki: The Road From Lower Mustang To A Global Food Market, Austin Van Wart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Development in Nepal continues to be a major issue in both metropolitan and rural areas of the country. Of the many obstacles standing in the way of this objective, one of the most challenging is the mountainous geography that shapes the country’s lands, culture, and people. To overcome this obstacle, Nepal has followed many other developing countries by making rural road development a main priority in hopes of increasing connectivity, travel, trade, education, and accessibility to other benefits. One such example of this is the Kali Gandaki road in Lower Mustang.

The purpose of this research paper is to identify …

Barriers To The Diffusion Of Renewable Energy Technology In Mongolia Lee, Madeline Academic Director: Sanjaasuren, Ulziijargal Claremont Mckenna College International Relations Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, Salkhit, Hatgal Nomadism, Geopolitics, And The Environment Sit Study Abroad Spring, Madeline Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the international community looks promote sustainable development in developing countries, many policies have focused on the introduction of renewable energy technology (RET). For Mongolia specifically, RET is both a viable and optimal option, considering the country’s vast natural resources and the unsustainability of the country’s existing energy system. However, Mongolia has faced challenges with the development of its RET sector and still largely relies on international assistance and funding to develop largescale projects.

This study analyzes the barriers that Mongolia faces to the effective diffusion of RET into Mongolian society. Over the course of four weeks, 10 individuals were …

Foreign Business Entrepreneurship In Cape Town: How To Start A Business - Stories Of 6 Cape Town Based Immigrants, Aleksandra Bogoevska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

South Africa has become a shelter for immigrants from all over the world (Wilkinson, 2015). Combined with its internationally recognized economy, it is a tempting location for foreigners to establish a business (“Starting a Business in South Africa as a Foreigner – A Complete Guide”, n.d.). With this in mind, the intent of this study is twofold. First, this project aims at analyzing how foreigners establish businesses in Cape Town. Its objective is to trace the entrepreneurial process from the initial stages to its recent development. Second, it aims at outlining their experiences in Cape Town, thus serve as a …

Daycare, Decision-Making, And The Determinants Of Health: A Mother-Centric Approach To Understanding Childcare And Child Health In Rural Dharamshala, Arielle Rawlings

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indian children have long suffered from some of the world’s worst rates of malnutrition. However, there is an evident mismatch between the macro proliferation of India’s intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and the micro ways in which it is often approached, as established views that place blame on mothers for the poor health status of their children have systematically removed blame from underlying structural determinants of health such as government policies, social inequalities, and economic conditions. Taking a mother-centric approach, this study examines the links between childcare practices and maternal decisionmaking in the context of Dharamshala, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. Interviews …

The Effects Of Income Inequality On Economic Growth Evidence From Mena Countries, Hamid Lahouij

2017 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity – Documents

The main focus of this research paper is to investigate the impacts of income inequality and other economic growth determinants on economic growth of some selected oil-importing MENA countries using a panel data for the time span 1980-2007. This paper contributes to the literature on income inequality, economic development indicators, and economic development in novel ways. Our findings indicate that income inequality decelerate the rate of change of economic development. However, the results of this research might conflict with others’ results if their research combines oil-exporting and oil-importing MENA countries in their sample or use different methodologies. Therefore, the policy …

Contribution Of International Trade To Economic Growth In Nigeria, Kehinde Abiodun

2017 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity – Documents

Views differ on the impact of international trade on economic growth in developing countries. Whilst some scholars on the subject uphold the view that international trade leads to economic growth based on empirical evidence, others, albeit, in the minority, express a dissenting opinion.

This paper looks at the contribution of international trade to economic growth in Nigeria, a developing country, and establishes a nexus between international trade and economic growth. The variables considered are real GDP, a proxy for economic growth, export volumes, import volumes, trade openness, gross capital formation and exchange rate as independent variables. Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test …

Getting Down To Cannabusiness: How To Proceed With Morocco’S Cannabis Industry & The Resulting Economic And Social Impacts, Laura David

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cannabis is one of Morocco’s top industries, and Morocco is one of the world’s top cannabis providers. However, the growth, sale, and consumption of cannabis is very much illegal under the current legislation. In 2016 a bill was proposed in parliament to partially legalize cannabis cultivation and was supported by both the Party of Authenticity and Modernity and the Istiqlal Party, though it ultimately failed centrally due to opposition from the Islamist Party. Within this study, I examine Morocco’s current relationship with its cannabis industry and the three central potential paths from this point. The first is a continuation of …

Facing Racial Discrimination In The Labor Environment, Ya Xu

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

Almost 50 years after the signing of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, and over 150 years after the official end of slavery in the US, the labor market is still far from equal. Minorities, especially those who racially identify as black and Latino, still face higher unemployment rates, lower median salaries (Wilson, 2015), and higher difficulty in obtaining interview opportunities (Bertrand and Mullainathan, 2004). The overarching question for my Capstone is as follows: How does perceived racial discrimination affect a person in the labor environment1? To investigate this question, I conducted a survey for Bryant University alumni which asked the …

Ex-Dividend Price Behavior In Spanish Speaking Markets: Do Stocks Behave Differently In Spain, Mexico, And Chile?, Kayla E. Nikosey

Honors Projects in Finance

The main focus of this thesis is to analyze the behavior of stock price on ex-dividend day of ADRs in Spain, Mexico, and Chile. Announcement date, and ex-dividend date for each ADR is collected to be analyzed against the other ADRs. One would expect different behaviors in the different markets because of different tax treatments in Chile, Mexico, and Spain. Traditional event testing is being used to analyze the stock price behavior on and around ex-dividend days. The event test measures the impact of regulatory events and allows for abnormal changes in stock prices that occur in conjunction with dividend …

Social Media Influence: Metrics Matter, Juliana Houldcroft

Honors Projects in Marketing

It is imperative for companies to engage in social media marketing as consumers are often dependent on online information and electronic word-of-mouth. Past literature claims that consumers evaluate the influence of communications differently on social media than they would in a traditional environment because of the nature of the internet. This study aims to analyze user’s perceptions of social media marketing influence and determines if user’s perception of influence changes based on the number of social media metrics (likes, comments, and shares) that accompany a Facebook post. The study also investigates if perceptions of influence vary depending on a user’s …

Human Capital And Collegiality In Academic Beehives: Theory And Analysis Of European Economics Faculties, João R. Faria, Franklin Mixon, Jr., Kamal Upadhyaya

Economics & Business Analytics Faculty Publications

This study investigates the importance of the quality of human capital investment and collegiality (i.e., good colleagues) in achieving the type of acclaim in economics captured by receipt of the Yrjö Jahnsson Award, arguably the second-most prestigious award that a European economist can receive as recognition of the importance of his or her research endeavors. We provide an economic model as a foundation for both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Our results indicate that four institutions, namely the Toulouse School of Economics, University College London, University of Oxford and the London School of Economics generally rank highest in supporting a position …

Cover - Table Of Contents

Major Themes in Economics

No abstract provided.