Public Economics Commons^™

Mining, Uranium, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides an overview of uranium mining's role and influence in the American West with comparative information on uranium mining in foreign countries.

Subsidies, Agricultural, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides historical and contemporary information on U.S. Government agricultural subsidies and how they affect agricultural policy in the Western U.S.

Do Singaporeans Spend Too Much On Housing?, Sock Yong Phang

Research Collection School Of Economics

According to a 2011 IMF study, Singapore's level of government intervention in housing finance is the highest in the developed world (Slide 3). This level of intervention in housing finance has correspondingly produced the highest level of homeownership amongst advanced countries. This housing outcome is the result of our very unique HDB-CPF housing framework – an institutional framework that was established in the 1960s during the formative period of our country?s history (Slides 4 and 5). Singapore was, at that particular point in time, faced with a situation of chronic housing shortage, low homeownership rates and an underdeveloped housing mortgage …

Identification Of The Common Salient Characteristics Of Successful Intergovernmental Cooperation And Consolidation Of Governmental Services In Kent County, George A. Erickcek, Brad R. Watts

Reports

No abstract provided.

[Sabbatical Report], Claudia Strow

Sabbatical Reports

This document summarizes my sabbatical leave activities for spring semester, 2014. Below my accomplishments are discussed, and the value of the sabbatical leave to my teaching and research is assessed. The main activities I conducted during my sabbatical leave period included work on a new research project examining FMLA's impact on breastfeeding, the writing of a second edition of a textbook, substantial revisions for an accepted publication for the Journal of 'Markets and Morality, a revise and resubmit of a manuscript for the Journal of Applied Economics and Public Policy, an interview for Voice of America, the presentation of a …

Connecticut Economic Outlook For 2013-2015: A Perspective From Sacred Heart University Students In Business Economics, Jack Welch College Of Business

WCBT Undergraduate Publications

Final Research Project for EC392 – Economic and Financial Forecasting. Instructor: Dr. Lucjan T. Orlowski - Professor and Chair, Department of Economics and Finance, John F. Welch College of Business, Sacred Heart University.

The state of Connecticut has been severely impacted by the recent financial crisis, perhaps more greatly than other states. It was our objective to apply the skills we have acquired as an undergraduate class in Economic Forecasting at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, to compare various economic indicators and trends of the State of Connecticut to those of the United States. We ultimately wanted to evaluate …

Designing Affordable Housing For Adaptability: Principles, Practices, & Application, Micaela R. Danko

Pitzer Senior Theses

While environmental and economic sustainability have been driving factors in the movement towards a more resilient built environment, social sustainability is a factor that has received significantly less attention over the years. Federal support for low-income housing has fallen drastically, and the deficit of available, adequate, affordable homes continues to grow. In this thesis, I explore one way that architects can design affordable housing that is intrinsically sustainable. In the past, subsidized low-income housing has been built as if to provide a short-term solution—as if poverty and lack of affordable housing is a short-term problem. However, I argue that adaptable …

Impact Of Food Inflation On Poverty In The Philippines, Tomoki Fujii

Research Collection School Of Economics

We simulate the impact of food inflation between June 2006 and June 2008 on poverty across different areas and between agricultural and non-agricultural households. We explicitly treat the spatial heterogeneity in food inflation and the differences in consumption and production patterns across households by merging household expenditure survey and price datasets at the provincial level or lower. Although some of the poor agricultural households may have escaped poverty, the poorest of the poor, whether they are in an agricultural household or not, are severely and adversely affected by the food inflation.

An Empirical Assessment Of The Performance And Competitive Effects Of Los Angeles County Charter Schools, Sam Trachtman

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper evaluates the performance of charter elementary schools in Los Angeles County in three ways. First, I compare charter school performance to public school performance, controlling for a number of key characteristics. Second, I study the characteristics that appear to influence charter school success as compared to public school success. Third, I study the “competitive effect” of charter schools, examining how geographical proximity to charter schools affects the performance of traditional public schools. I find evidence that, ceteris paribus, traditional public schools score higher than charter schools, except in majority African American schools. Further, I find that the opening …

Civic Engagement In Low Income And Minority Neighborhoods, And The Role Of Public Investment, Saheli Nath

Undergraduate Economic Review

This study uses principal component analysis to measure civic engagement in the low-income and minority neighborhood of Fair Park in South Dallas, and seeks to identify the implications of the influx of public investment in the Fair Park neighborhood on civic engagement.

Tightening Our Belts In The New Healthcare Economy, Laura Pizzi Pharmd,Mph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

China And Global Imbalances From A View Of Sectorial Reforms, Hiro Ito, Ulrich Volz

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper examines the impact of sectorial reforms on current account imbalances, with a special focus on China. In particular, we investigate to what extent reforms pertaining to the financial sector, social protection, and healthcare may contribute to a rebalancing of China’s persistent current account imbalances. Our forecasting results suggest that reforming the financial sector would be a significant contributor to the country’s rebalancing with an effect much larger than that of capital account liberalization. Strengthened provisions of social protection and publicly-funded healthcare are also found to contribute to a rebalancing of the Chinese economy.

A Proposal For Developing An Arts And Cultural District In East Providence, Rhode Island, Lisa Bruce, Nicole Bush, Gregory Ehlinger, Kenya Fullen, Jonathan Lax, Susan Leonardi, Ana Santana, Neuci Silva, Eric Jacobs

Community Development

In an effort to prevent social polarization within the East Providence community amongst various social groups, we are recommending that the project target multiple census tracts in East Providence and the east side area of Providence. These census tracts are comprised of high-income and low-income families and individuals of all ages. Specifically, there are seniors who live within the neighborhood who might take advantage of expanded opportunities if they felt the area was safe and accessible.

Trinity Restoration Inc.: Southside Cultural Center Economic Impact Study, Joel Cooper, Alexi Schwartzkopff, Victoria Moradsky, Billy Keeley, Mohannad Aldaham, Arnold Robinson

Business

Economic development has shifted from location-oriented business models towards a more all-encompassing model that recognizes the advancement of human capital or intellectual property as continuously increasing in value. This microcosmic characteristic of development extends to aid in the growth of society as a whole. The Arts and Culture attract a demographic of inspired and motivated people to the area. It results in the development of the society surrounding art venues. The general population will always seek out entertainment, by installing a venue of artistic expression in South Providence that will motivate the community and propel development. This phenomena has been …

Price Barriers In The Stock Market And Their Effect On The Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, Nathan A. Blyler

Gettysburg Economic Review

The predicted price of an American option by the Black-Scholes (B-S) Option Pricing Model is known to differ from the market price of that option systematically with respect to time to expiration, distance in- or out-of-the-money, and liquidity of the option. We examine the possibility of price barriers in the stock market causing further systemic pricing differences between the market price and B-S predicted price. These differences occur when an option’s strike price is near a price barrier and differ in effect and significance depending on the position of the barrier relative to the underlying stocks’ price. We find round …

The Gettysburg Economic Review, Volume 7, Spring 2013

Gettysburg Economic Review

No abstract provided.

China’S Local Government Debt And Economic Growth, Jia Qi Zhou

Gettysburg Economic Review

This paper explores the impact of China’s local government debt on economic growth. This analysis, based on a panel of 31 provinces over 14 years, takes into account a broad range of economic growth determinants as well as various estimation issues including heteroskedascity and omitted variable. The empirical results suggest an inverse relationship between China’s local government debt and economic growth, controlling for other determinants of growth: on average, a 10 percentage point increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio is associated with a slowdown in annual real per capita GDP growth of around 0.27 percentage points per year.

Optimal Allocation Of Resources In Airport Security: Profiling Vs. Screening, Aniruddha Bagchi

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

State Of The Northwest Arkansas Region 2013 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 off er than superior performance in traditional economic development categories such as employment, unemployment, establishment growth, and income. This region showcases strengths in newer categories of economic development like the knowledge-based sectors, and quality of life indicators such as …

Welfare Incentives And Interstate Migration: An Analysis Of The Migration Decisions Of Poor, Single Mothers, John P. Weis

Gettysburg Economic Review

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of welfare incentives in the decision to move for poor, single mothers. Using micro-level data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and other sources, I develop an econometric model that estimates the influence of state welfare benefits on the interstate migration decisions of poor, single mothers, whether that be moving from states with low benefits or to states with high benefits. This study builds upon previous literature concerning interstate migration by considering new methodological approaches and theoretical models. Ultimately, the evidence suggests that while the welfare benefits offered …

A Book Review Of Capitalist Manifesto: Understanding The Market Economy And Defending Liberty, Brad Ward

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The purpose of this paper is to review the book A Capitalist Manifesto: Understanding the Market Economy and Defending Liberty by Gary Wolfram. In a time of political unrest throughout the industrialized and developing world, Wolfram defends the free market economic system and educates the reader as to the various benefits of capitalism. According to the author, governments should create concise laws and regulations that allow individuals to pursue their ambitions without unnecessary interference. Wealth redistribution, a trait associated with socialism, leads to stagnant economies and minimal innovations. The roles that banks and the government play in the economy are …

Multinational Enterprise Entry Modes In Sub-Saharan Africa: An Eclectic Paradigm Perspective, Isaac Yao Addae, Martinez Vencia Addae

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The use of entry modes by multinational firms has received increased attention from international business scholars. Based on the context of sub-Saharan Africa, this research reviews the locational benefits offered to MNEs by in this region. Borrowing from the eclectic paradigm of international production, the research also examines the effects of each type of entry on the locational advantages offered to MNEs. Propositions are presented to suggest which mode of entry MNEs should pursue in African markets, based on the existence of locational advantages that complement existing firm-specific advantages. Practical and research implications are discussed, in addition to considerations for …

Exchange Rate Volatility And Foreign Direct Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Emmanuel Ekow Asmah, Francis Kwaw Andoh

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an important source of financing development. It enhances efficiency and raises skills of local manpower, facilitates transfer of technology, generates employment and promotes productivity resulting in broad welfare improvements. Although FDI could have a substantial impact on the growth of African economies, poverty reduction and the achievement of various dimensions of human development as articulated in the Millennium Development Goals, its flows to Africa, though growing steadily have been relatively low, volatile, and highly concentrated in a few countries. One of the factors that have been identified in the literature as key drivers of FDI …

Determinants Of Savings Rate In Rural Nigeria: A Micro Study Of Kwara State, Oluwakemi Adeola Obayelu

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The inability of households to save over time has significant influence on the rate of capital accumulation and economic growth in developing countries. In order to understand this trend, this research assesses savings rates and its correlates in rural Kwara state, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to obtain data from 120 households. This was then analyzed using two descriptive statistics: the generalized linear model and the Tobit regression model. Results show that majority of the rural households were male-headed (81.0 percent) and combined farming with other non-farming activities (73.5 percent). The Tobit regression model reveals that age squared …

The Liberalization Of Rail Transport In The European Union, Vinh Pham

Economics Honors Papers

This study presents multiple approaches to examine the liberalization of rail transport in the European Union. A legislative review highlights the importance of unbundling infrastructure management and service operations in railway reforms. Furthermore, simultaneous and sequential decision making models specify how market opening minimizes the social deadweight loss and lead to more competitive pricing. Two production frontier models also analyze the effects of vertical disintegration and market opening on network outputs. Results suggest that both vertical unbundling and increasing competitiveness help improve productivity. Lastly, three case studies compare policy implementations across Europe. The United Kingdom, a front runner in railway …

Strategic Responses To Tax And Transfer Policy: Welfare Competition, Tax Competition And The Elasticity Of Taxable Income, Sarah K. Burns

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

My dissertation consists of three essays focused on identifying the strategic responses of governments and individuals following changes in the tax and transfer system. Two essays contribute to the literature on fiscal competition, focusing on state level polices aimed at redistributing income. A third essay contributes to the literature estimating the responsiveness of individual’s incomes to changing marginal tax rates. A better understanding of these responses contributes to our ability to design an optimal tax and transfer system in a federalist nation.

In essay 1 I employ a spatial dynamic approach to investigate interstate welfare competition across multiple policy instruments …

Narratives Of The European Crisis And The Future Of (Social) Europe, Philomila Tsoukala

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article examines two distinct types of narratives prevalent in academic writing and popular press regarding the causes of the crisis in Europe. The first type, a morality tale, attributes the crisis to profligate southern states that refused to abide by the strictures of the Stability and Growth Pact. The second type is focused on the structural reasons for the crisis, emphasizing the nature of the European Union as a non-optimal currency area, and the euro as a factor in the creation of trade imbalances and competitiveness problems within the euro zone. Each type of narrative suggests a different type …

Eastern Migrations Vs Western Welfare States - (Un)Biased Fears, Kosta Josifidis, John B. Hall, Valérie Berenger

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This inquiry considers some effects of migration on the labour markets and the welfare systems found in the EU-15, and from the perspectives of sustainability of the current welfare state regimes. Our inquiry aims to determine whether and to what extent different approaches in regulation of migration flows between the new and old member states are compatible with related economic and demographic findings. Within this context, our research considers regulations affecting migration flows. Our findings suggest that some effects of migration from the EU8+2 on the labour markets and social protection systems found in the EU-15, both with respect to …

Three Essays On Local Government Debt, Robert Greer

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

The local government tax-exempt debt market is a growing, and complex, sector of public finance. As local governments turn to debt financing the factors that contribute to interest costs of that debt have become important considerations for local government officials and politicians. Governance at the local level involves a network of overlapping governments some of which share a tax base. This system of overlapping governments that share a tax base are subject to externalities that arise from taxation, expenditures, and debt. These externalities are usually analyzed in terms of tax or expenditure reactions, but there are implications for local government …

How Many Barack Obamas Does It Take: An Analysis Of The Effect Of Charter Schools On Real Estate And Crime, Aananditaa Kakkar

CMC Senior Theses

This study looks at the relationship between charter school presence and neighborhood quality in Los Angeles. Using data from the Los Angeles Department of Education, Zillow Real Estate, and the Los Angeles Sheriff, this paper attempts to find whether changes in charter presence influence the price of surrounding real estate or the occurrence of serious and petty crimes. The results find that charter schools tend to be associated with a decrease in home sale prices. The results on crime imply that crime increases upon the opening of charter schools, however they are statistically insignificant.