Public Economics Commons^™

Empirical Essays In Household Economics, Hao Li

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is consist of three empirical studies in economics. The first part empirically examines the effect of universal pre-k on labor force participation of fertility age women in Oklahoma. I investigate the policy effect from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. I apply the synthetic control method (SCM) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) data to identify the causal relationship between universal pre-k and female labor outcomes. I find that universal pre-k increases labor supply of women aged 25 to 45 in Oklahoma. The second empirical study focuses on how the birth outcomes of US children respond to exposure to …

Comparisons Of Ad Valorem And Unit Tax In Two Different Industries, Kai Zhang

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the comparisons between unit and ad valorem tax in two different industries.

Chapter 1 considers an industry with one upstream monopolist and a fixed number of asymmetric downstream firms. I compare market outcomes from unit and ad valorem tax under three pricing schemes that the upstream monopolist can use, uniform pricing, third-degree price discrimination, and two-part tariffs. I find that ad valorem tax is always tax revenue preferred to unit tax when both are charged at the same layer as long as profit margin is positive. Downstream ad valorem tax improves total social welfare by relocating production …

Transitions From Higher Education To The Labor Market: Merit Aid, Time To Degree Signals, And Major Choice, Christopher P. Erwin

Economics ETDs

Human capital production is central to economic wellbeing from a national perspective: it improves productivity, spurs technological innovation, and promotes sustainable economic growth over time. Equally important, investments in human capital are central to economic wellbeing at the individual level. College graduates tend to earn more money, are more employable, are better able to manage economic downturns, and have even been shown to have better health. Moreover, for many students, the college experience is an important lesson in living independently, developing social and professional networks, and generally taking on more responsibility in one’s life. It has been said that pursuing …

2018 Chapman Environmental Audit: Sustainable Purchasing Policy, Kc Hoppel

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Chapman University maintains its commitment to a “campus culture that promotes a sustainable future” in its Sustainability Policy, which was implemented in 2014. However, the University currently has no mechanism to ensure this sustainable decision-making process occurs. One of the surest ways to guarantee this change is to enact a University-wide sustainable purchasing policy that ensures consistency between departments. Institutions benefit from sustainable procurement by receiving more efficient and long-lasting products, protecting and enhancing the local and global environment, supporting innovative technologies, creating a diverse supply chain, and gaining a competitive edge as a leading institution. A few cost-benefit analyses …

Do Homebuyers Care About Good Grades? Evaluating The Effect Of Nyc School Accountability Program On Housing Values, John I. Campagna

Theses and Dissertations

This paper looks at the effect of the New York City school accountability grades on the residential property market. Grades by themselves are found to have some effect on residential property market, but the inclusion of test scores along with grades diminishes the strength of their effect.

A Commentary On Litigation Involving Uber Technologies, Inc., Catherine Hagemeier

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Uber Technologies, Inc. is a peer-to-peer ridesharing, food delivery, and transportation network managed in San Francisco, California. Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp developed the idea for the ridesharing app in 2008, after experiencing difficulty hailing a cab. They originally designed the app to be used in major metropolitan areas, but the business inevitably took off; it now operates in 633 cities worldwide. In 2017, Uber claimed that the company earned roughly $7.5 billion in revenue, employed more than 12,000 “independent drivers,” and connected over one billion people (“Finding the Way”). Though widely successful and heralded as a major influencer in …

Literacy Rates Analysis: An International Comparison, Macarena Arce

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to provide a more complete reckoning of the economics of literacy rates around the world. It consists on a literature review about the economic benefits and costs of literacy rates and then it shows two econometrics models that attempt to predict literacy rates based on GDP, government expenditure, and several other independent variables.

California Redevelopment 2.0: Implementation Of Community Revitalization And Investment Authorities, Christopher Hoem

Master's Projects

This research aims at revealing the challenges and opportunities in implementing Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities (CRIAs) in California.

This study will focus on the implementation of CRIAs, but it is worth examining alternative economic development tools to draw comprehensive comparisons and understand their advantages and disadvantages.

Understanding economic development tools may be valuable for the commercial and industrial growth and prosperity of cities and local governments. It may also be important to increase the number of affordable housing units in an area. Businesses and low-income families alike share the benefits of successful redevelopment. It may be possible to reveal …

The Effects Of Food Security On Socioeconomic Mobility In The United States: A Case Study In Allendale County, South Carolina, Taylor St Clarke

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between food security – defined as accessibility to an affordable, nutritious, and sustainable source of food – and socioeconomic mobility in the continental United States. This thesis is primarily focused on the effects of food insecurity on both individuals and communities, examining the chronic long-term effects of such insecurity on areas known as “food deserts,” which are often given status as areas of persistent poverty. This research further examines the effects of a sustained poor diet, brought about by food insecurity, on the individual and overarching community in a food desert and how such a …

The Controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: America's Most Expensive Weapons System And Its Global Impact, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

Provides an overview on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program involving the U.S. and many allied countries. Describes the costs of this program, the technical problems it has experienced, its economic impact on the U.S. and allied countries, the JSF's operational capabilities, potential combat scenarios in which it could be used, and the campaign finance impact aerospace companies and unions have in the electoral process.

Economic Impact Of Imposing Excise Tax On Plastic Bottles Of Drinks, Eugenia Mardanugraha

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This research simulates the effect of imposing excise tax on plastic container of drinks towards economic performance of beverage industry in Indonesia and governments ´Zs tax revenue. The results showed that by imposing excise tax on plastic cups and plastic bottles the government would lose tax revenue from value added tax (PPN) and corporate income tax (PPh badan) more than they gain additional revenue from excise tax. Hence, imposing excise tax on drink containers should serve a clear purpose and an undeniable reason. This paper recommends the government to develop proper excise infrastructure to extend the goods or services to …

On Nonlinear Relationship Between Inflation And Economic Growth: A Study Of Asean-5 Countries Period 2000€“2016, Ambar Galih, Sugiharso Safuan

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

Money (inflation) has played a vital role in economic growth. However, the nexus between them has always drawn mesmerizing debates. From the thoughts of Classical and Keynes which argued the existence of money neutrality, to the level of empirical studies which find either positive or negative correlation between inflation and economic growth. Recent studies concerning the debatable relationship have evolved it into a hypothesis whether the relation is nonlinear with a threshold or a point where the link switches. This study aims to re-examine the causality between inflation and economic growth in ASEAN-5 countries period 2000Q1-2016Q4. The results based on …

Indonesia Poverty Reduction Strategies: Shifting Policies To Promote Employment In The Poorest Four Deciles, Ardi Adji, Sri Hartini Rachmad

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This paper observes the working status and conditions of people who fall into the poorest four deciles in Indonesia. The research aims to provoke policy shifts in the drive to accelerate poverty reduction in Indonesia, taking a longer view of people being more employable and less dependent; also identifying the dominant factors preventing people from moving out of poverty and improving their life quality. By comparing elements of gender, age, education and health against employment status and opportunities. Simultaneously social assistance and protection programs are evaluated in relation to their stated target groups to determine their suitability and their impact.

Provinces And Local Government Revenues Structures And Intra-Province Economic Disparity, Riatu Qibthiyyah

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

One of major policies of Indonesia Decentralisation is the adoption on various type of revenue sharing among provinces and local governments and also the devolved of taxes to lower level government in particular to the province level. Challenges of policy toward higher degree of revenue autonomy, is that an increase in revenue sharing as well as devolved taxes would enhance economic disparity among regions. Further, our finding shows that different types of revenue sharing seem to have different effect on intra-province economic disparity.

Connecticut Economic Outlook For 2018-2020: A Perspective From Sacred Heart University Students In Business Economics, Jack Welch College Of Business

WCBT Undergraduate Publications

The United States economy has been through its fair share of struggles in recent years. Following the 2008 Financial Crisis, many people were uncertain of how it was going to impact the future of American business, policies, and individual states economic potential. After the election of President Donald Trump, it is evident that there has been a great amount of growth in the United States economy, and the growth that has been made can be reflected in multiple ways. Using the tools and knowledge we have obtained in our Economic and Financial Forecasting course at Sacred Heart University, we are …

Can Risk Models Extract Inflation Expectations From Financial Market Data? Evidence From The Inflation Protected Securities Of Six Countries, Arben Kita, Daniel L. Tortorice

Economics Department Working Papers

We consider an arbitrage strategy which exactly replicates the cash of a sovereign inflation-indexed bond using inflation swaps and nominal sovereign bonds. The strategy reveals a violation of the law of one price in the G7 countries which is largest for the eurozone. Testing the strategy's exposure to deflation, volatility, liquidity, economic and policy risks suggests that the observed pricing differential is an economic tail risk premium which is more pronounced in the eurozone. We conclude that inflation expectations implied by models that view this pricing differential as compensation for risk are likely to be accurate and useful for policy-making.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: March 9, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Nebraska consumer and business confidence fell during February 2018, dropping from the near-peak levels seen in January. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 101.6 in February from a value of 115.2 in January. The February value remains above the neutral level of 100.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell to 107.4 In February from 112.2 in January. Both monthly readings were well above the neutral value of 100.0 suggesting that business confidence remains strong. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 38 percent of respondents. But, there …

Entrepreneurship Education Empowers Youth To Change Their Lives, Marianna Brashear, Jason Riddle

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) aims at equipping Title 1 schools with free, hands-on, engaging materials that any teacher can facilitate either individually or in a classroom setting with no background in entrepreneurship necessary. These versatile lessons, courses, and workshops teach the entrepreneurial mindset optimizing opportunities for grades 8-12 students no matter which life/career path they choose.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: February 2, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer and business confidence rebounded in Nebraska during January 2018. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 115.2, well above the neutral level of 100.0 and a value of 93.3 in December 2017. This is the highest level recorded for the CCI-N since it was first released in February of 2016. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose to 112.2 in January from 107.5 in December. Both monthly readings were well above the neutral value of 100.0. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 40 percent of respondents. The …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: January 5, 2018, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer and business confidence declined in Nebraska during December 2017. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 93.3 in December, well below the neutral level of 100.0. The index had reached a record level of 106.2 in November, but that high level of confidence was not sustained. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell from 114.1 in November to 107.5 in December. While lower, the December reading remains well above the neutral value of 100.0. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, customer demand was mentioned by 38 percent of respondents. The availability and …

State Of The Northwest Arkansas Region 2018 Report, Mervin Jebaraj

State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report

The State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report is an annual publication, commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council, that serves as a tool for evaluating economic performance. In July 2018, the Northwest Arkansas Council created a new blueprint for development that outlines the peer regions and a strategic action agenda for 2018-2021. In this plan, the performance of Northwest Arkansas is benchmarked with other contemporary, high-performing regions, namely Austin, Des Moines, Madison, Durham-Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Provo-Orem. The 2018 State of the Region Report compares Northwest Arkansas with these geographies in the areas of gross domestic product, employment, unemployment, establishment …

A Multifaceted View Of Ceo Compensation And Performance: A Case Study, John Nirenberg

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This case addresses CEO pay, a topic that annually stimulates the question of whether or not executive compensation is based on performance or something else and why it is so high in absolute terms. The societal impact of the new class of executives among the largest companies in the United States set apart from the rest of the world in a cocoon of wealth and privilege inflames resentment among workers, widens an already unfathomable distance between those at the top and the rest of us, and endangers the social amity among citizens of the polity . Positive social change might …

Mortgage Finance Market And Housing Affordability In Urban Areas In Rwanda: A Case Of Kigali City, Samuel Iyandemye, Jonas Barayandema, Faustin Gasheja

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Rapid urbanization in Rwanda has considerably increased housing demand and the need for a dependable mortgage market. Unfortunately, the capacity of most people to afford to own homes from their own incomes is still a challenge as mortgages products are available at outrageous conditions making mortgage finance unaffordable. For better market readjustment, the effects or mortgage market factors on housing affordability in any locality should be properly evaluated. The objective of this study is to determine how mortgage finance market affects the affordability of housing in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. To attain this objective, data was obtained from …

Food Insecurity In Urban Slums: Evidence From Ibadan Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria, Oluwakemi A. Obayelu

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Food insecurity is a major challenge among the urban poor who reside mainly in slums. The prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among households living in urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria were therefore assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordered probit model. Food insecurity was found to be prevalent among the slum residents, with about 81% being food insecure. Nine out of every 10 (89.1%) households were male-headed. The largest proportion of the mildly food insecure (37%) household heads were less than 30 years old, while the largest proportion of moderately food insecure (45%) and severely food insecure …

Educational Expenditure And Economic Growth Nexus In Nigeria (1987-2016), Abiodun O. Ayeni, Osagie F. Omobude

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

This study empirically investigated educational expenditure and economic growth nexus in Nigeria using secondary and times series data from 1987 to 2016, sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other agencies and sources. Relevant statistical tools were employed in exploring the relationships between these variables. The random characteristics of the variables were tested using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) technique. The links among educational expenditure, education sectoral output and economic growth were tested via the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and bound test approach developed by Pesaran and Shin. Four research hypotheses were tested. …

Remittances, Institutions, And Inequality In Developing Countries, Karla Borja, Joshua D. Hall

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The private transfers sent by immigrant workers back to their home countries, or remittances, can improve the development of recipient countries through poverty reduction, higher education, and new business formation. However, the effect of remittances on income inequality is still debatable. While some studies suggest that these transfers are sent to the poor, other investigations find that remittances are directed toward higher-income cohorts, widening the gap between rich and poor. This study provides new evidence about potential income inequality reduction driven by remittances and quality of institutions. For instance, weak institutions discourage the usage of remittances toward productive ventures, more …

Drivers Of Agricultural Productivity In Agriculture-Based Economy, Olatokunbo H. Osinowo, Rahman A. Sanusi

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Stagnation in agricultural productivity, especially in an economy with fast and persistently growing population, would compromise food security. This study examined the factors influencing agricultural productivity in an agriculture-based economy. The study used a 35-year period (1980 – 2014) panel data focusing on Agricultural Productivity (AP), Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Government Agricultural Expenditure (EXP), Agricultural Trade Barrier (ATB), Consumer Price Index (CPI), Farm Machinery (MACH), Fertilizer Consumption (FERT), Human Capital (HCAP) and Irrigation (IRRG). Data were analyzed using Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Panel Least Squares (PLS) regression technique. The IRF revealed that there was a positive and stable …

Towards A Rule-Based Model Of Human Choice: On The Nature Of Homo Constitutionalus, Roger Congleton

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Anglo-American jurisprudence emphasizes the rule of reason; it grossly neglects the reason of rules. We play socioeconomic-legal-political games that can be described empirically only by their rules. But most of us play without an understanding or ap-preciation of the rules, how they came into being, how they are enforced, how they can be changed, and most important, how they can be normatively evaluated. (Bren-nan and Buchanan, 1985, preface).

A Test Of The Institutionally Induced Equilibrium Hypothesis: On The Limited Fiscal Impact Of Two Celebrity Governors, Roger D. Congleton, Yang Zhou

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

We test for the stabilizing effects of political institutions on fiscal policies by examining the impact of two unlikely governors on their state’s fiscal policies. Fiscal policies are joint products of executive and legislative decisions. These institutional factors tend to moderate the effect of changes in the chief executive, as does partisan competition for office. Jesse Ventura of Minnesota’s and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California were unique—surprise—governors of their respective states. Although both governors were arguably less constrained by partisan loyalties than most others, the other institutional factors would still tend to limit their impact on public policy. Our evidence suggests …

Educational Test Scores, Education Spending, And Productivity In Public Education: National Trends And Evidence Across States And Over Time, 1990-2015, John Garen, Rex Bray

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

We examine national trends in educational funding, test score outcomes, and productivity as well as variations in funding and test scores over time and across states to assess how changes in educational spending are (or are not) related to changes in educational test score outcomes for states. National trends show small increases in test scores, large increases in educational funding (until the last recession), and a continued fall in educational productivity. The cross-state, over time analysis indicates a statistically significant but very small association of state funding to test scores; so small that large changes in funding have little effect …