Regional Economics Commons^™

Race To The Bottom? Local Tax Break Competition And Business Location, Evan Mast

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Disaster And Recovery: The Effects Of Post-Disaster Aid On Economic Development, Joshua M. Drouin

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The effects of aid on economic development is topic typically studied from the perspective of corruption and allocative efficiency. We examine aid to less developed nations from a different viewpoint; assuming aid reaches the intended recipients, does it actually benefit them? We utilize Indonesia and the 2004 earthquake and tsunami as a natural experiment to observe the influx of aid, and compare the regions development before and after the disaster. By establishing a baseline before the disaster, and utilizing a new start point after the destruction, we can gauge the reconstruction efforts and observe whether aid is beneficial or harmful. …

Business Development And Entrepreneurship On The Navajo Reservation, Sierra Hoffer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In this paper, I explore the underdevelopment of the business sector on the Navajo reservation. I investigate why the Navajo reservation continues to be economically depressed and find that institutions unique to the reservation create barriers that disincentivize formal business development. I first conducted a literature review on general barriers to entrepreneurship. Second, I reviewed the institutional analysis of the Navajo reservation to understand how institutions affect potential entrepreneurs. Next, I summarized a three-phased entrepreneurship training program on the reservation. Finally, I assessed the results of the program and how it was effected by barriers to business development.

I conclude …

Estimating The Impacts Of Plazacorp Investments Related To The Acquisition Of The Arcadia Ramp In Downtown Kalamazoo On The Region, Jim Robey, Randall W. Eberts, Claudette Robey, Kathleen Bolter

Reports

No abstract provided.

Tax Credits As A Tool Of State Economic Development Policy, Howard J. Wall

Center for Applied Economics

Tax credits come in many forms and serve an array of purposes, although economic development is central to their existence. Although tax credits come in many forms, they all share a basic structure: They are provided to a private entity for a specific project, usually to enhance the entity’s ability to obtain financing. The holder of a tax credit can apply it against his or her tax liabilities according to its redemption value, its redemption date, and other rules governing the credit.

This paper summarizes the findings in the economics literature on the effectiveness of state tax credits in spurring …

The Economic Impact Of City-County Consolidations: A Synthetic Control Approach, Joshua Hall, Josh Matti, Yang Zhou

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Although more rapid development is a primary motivation behind city-county consolidations, few empirical studies explore the impact of consolidation on economic development. No studies look at government consolidation in the United States using modern causal inference methods. We use the synthetic control method (SCM) to examine the long-term impact of city-county consolidations on per capita income, population, and employment. The results from the three cases explored indicate that consolidation does not guarantee development and actually can have negative effects. Additionally, consolidation can deepen the urban-rural divide by accelerating the decline of rural populations relative to those of urban areas. The …

The Employment Impact Of The New Economy Initiative (Nei) On The Detroit Region And The State Of Michigan, Brian Pittelko, Bryan Bommersbach, George A. Erickcek

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of The Electric Supply Industry On Economic Growth In Less Developed Countries, Edward Richard Bee

Dissertations

This study measures the impact that electrical outages have on manufacturing production in 135 less developed countries using stochastic frontier analysis and data from World Bank’s Investment Climate surveys. Outages of electricity, for firms with and without backup power sources, are the most frequently cited constraint on manufacturing growth in these surveys.

Outages are shown to reduce output below the production frontier by almost five percent in Africa and by a lower percentage in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. Production response to outages is quadratic in form. Outages also increase labor cost, reduce exports …

I-69 Thumb Region Asset Mapping Of Work-Based Programs And Initiatives: Final Report, Lee Adams, Bryan Bommersbach, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Jim Robey, Bridget Timmeney

Reports

No abstract provided.

Labor Market Analysis Of The Kenosha, Wisconsin Region, Bryan Bommersbach, Don Edgerly, George Erickcek, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Jim Robey, Bridget Timmeney

Reports

No abstract provided.

Responses To Change In The Global Political Economy Of Innovation – The Role Of Sub-National States In Industrial Transition, Dan Herman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation seeks to explore how sub-national levels of the state promote the development of new industrial sectors. To do so this dissertation builds on a series of theoretical perspectives on the role of the state in the economy and develops a unique view of how sub-national states coalesce and contrast within these perspectives. It does so through a series of empirical case studies focused on sub-national jurisdictions in North America that highlight diverse varieties of state actions that contribute, if not lead, industrial transitions and the development of new innovation-oriented industrial sectors. In so doing, the dissertation presents a …

Benefits Vs. Costs Of Business Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

What Will The Neighbors Think? Perceptions Of Failure Intolerance On Individual Entrepreneurial Intention In The Rural Midwest, Brock M. Stout

Dissertations

Entrepreneurship is increasingly considered the most efficacious economic development intervention, but employing research-informed efforts is important. Extensive literature links the perception of a local culture’s intolerance of business failure to extinguishing of entrepreneurial intention in a community. Some research refutes that link. This study investigated the influence of perceived failure intolerance (PFI) on entrepreneurial intention—and the influence of self-efficacy on perceived failure intolerance—in the rural Midwestern United States. The study employed a modified Delphi methodology to analyze the decision-making processes of potential entrepreneurs as interpreted by experts in rural entrepreneurship. The study provides data about the interaction of human capital …

Research Highlights From The 2015 Inner City Economic Summit, Kim Zeuli, Haifeng Qian

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Institutions Of Higher Education And Cultural Heritage Tourism: A Case Study Of The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, Terence Michael Gilley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The southwest region of Virginia has an unstable economy, which cycles through periods of growth and decline. The strategic plans for southwest Virginia propose cultural heritage tourism as a sustainable industry for economic development of this rural region. Institutions of higher education provide education and training for a qualified workforce and community service. This qualitative, single case study on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail examines the roles of institutions of higher education with regard to cultural heritage tourism for sustainable community and economic development in rural areas. The data sources for this study are the administrators of …

Economic And Fiscal Impact Of The Proposed South Haven Community Event Center, George A. Erickcek

Reports

No abstract provided.

Accelerate: Economic Development Strategy And Prosperity Plan For The I-69 Thumb Region, George Erickcek, Bryan Bommersbach, Don Edgerly, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Jim Robey

Reports

Accelerate is the culmination of a collaborative planning process for a seven-county area spearheaded by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce and the Genesee Lapeer Shiawassee (GLS) Region V Planning & Development Commission, resulting in a coordinated Federal Economic Development Strategy and State Prosperity Plan. This document ties together the U.S. Economic Development Administration Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and the Region 6 Prosperity plans into a single, unified plan expressing a shared economic vision for Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Tuscola, Huron, and Sanilac counties. Accelerate creates an economic roadmap for unified actions in the region leading to …

Southcentral Michigan Five-Year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy: Final Report, George Erickcek, Don Edgerly, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Bridget Timmeney

Reports

No abstract provided.

Economic Development And Female Labor Force Participation In The Middle East And North Africa: A Test Of The U-Shape Hypothesis, Kelsey A. Chapman

Gettysburg Economic Review

This paper investigates the relationship between economic development and female labor force participation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Using a panel data set of 20 countries in the region for the period of 1990-2012, I develop an econometric model that tests the U-shape hypothesis. This study builds upon previous literature examining the U-shape hypothesis in time series studies for developing countries, and cross-country studies. The results of this paper suggest that there is a U-shaped relationship between economic growth and female labor force participation rates. The MENA region’s low female labor force participation rates can be explained …

Examining The Impact Of Casinos On Economic Development: A Spatial Analysis Of The Counties In The Mid-Atlantic Region, Andrew J. Economopoulos

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

Few have formally evaluated the economic impact of casinos, and yet most agree that it is crucial in estimating the net benefit to society. A new casino investment should stimulate economic activity in the immediate region, but its operations could potentially reduce employment and incomes within the industry. Grinols outlines the factors that could lead to positive or negative growth from the investment, but what is critical to the empirical validation of the investment is the definition of region. Since data is geographically limited to political boundaries, it is necessary to employ a spatial methodology that captures the impact beyond …

Promise Nation: Transforming Communities Through Place-Based Scholarships, Michelle Miller-Adams

Upjohn Press

Miller-Adams describes how the various "Promise-type" place-based scholarship programs impact college access, financial aid, and community transformation.

Do Economic Development Efforts Benefit All? Business Attraction And Income Inequality, Xiaobing Shuai

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

This paper extends the current literature on county-level income distribution in the United States by explicitly exploring the effect of business-attraction efforts by state governments. Using county-level job attraction and retention data from 2000 to 2005 in Virginia to explain the income distribution from 2006 to 2010, while controlling for demographic and socioeconomic conditions of local communities, this study shows that bringing in manufacturing jobs can reduce income inequality at the local level while attracting jobs in professional and business services tends to increase local income inequality. The results indicate that state and local governments’ efforts to attract and retain …

Economic Impact Of Northwestern Michigan College: Final Report, George Erickcek

Reports

No abstract provided.

Power America's — And Nevada's — Advanced Industries: State By State, Region By Region, Mark Muro

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

With the U.S. economy still flat, economic experts and leaders continue to search for the next source of U.S. and regional growth. One key component of the next era of prosperity can be projected: It is what the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program calls the advanced industry (AI) sector. The nation’s most strategic R&D — and STEM worker intensive industries, AIs like aerospace and IT are prime movers of regional and national prosperity, because they are key sources of technology innovation and generate domestic and international exports. Accordingly, the AI swatch of 50 discrete industries has emerged as an important new …

Economic Development Recommendations That Focus On The "Working Poor": Lessons From Waco, George Erickcek, Don Edgerly, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Bridget Timmeney, Jim Robey

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Economic Development Strategic Plan For The City Of Waco, Texas, George A. Erickcek, Don Edgerly, Brian Pittelko, Claudette Robey, Bridget Timmeney, Dennis Burnside, Claudette Robey

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Road Through The Rust Belt: From Preeminence To Decline To Prosperity, William M. Bowen Editor

Upjohn Press

The chapters in this book explore reasons for the decline of "Rust Belt" cities and the often innovative responses of local leaders and entrepreneurs that are helping to revive these areas.

Ubiquitous Consumer-Centric System To Combating Product Counterfeiting And Boosting Entrepreneurship In Developing Economies, Kingsley C. Nwosu

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Counterfeiting has been a menacing problem to global economies; however, it has been more devastating to developing and under-developed countries as a result of its impacts on various aspects of the economic development and health conditions of those countries. The consequences are abundantly documented, evidential and troubling. In addition to the fact that counterfeiting results in distribution of fake, cheap, and substandard products, it has very dissuasive effects on the entrepreneurial fabrics of a society. As various governments and agencies attempt to combat the menace and mitigate the consequences, the perpetuators are becoming even more sophisticated and resolute – encouraged …

Development Of An Economic And Social Dashboard For Berrien County, George A. Erickcek

Reports

No abstract provided.

Valuation Of The Ecosystem Services Provided By Coastal Ecosystems In Shandong, China: Developing A Non- Market Valuation System, Jing Guo

Working Papers

Non-market valuation assesses the contributions of ecosystem services to human well-being by determining the preference of users. That is how much money users are willing to pay for ecosystem improvements or how much they are willing to accept for ecosystem losses. Through exploring these preferences, the natural capital can be accounted for economically and quantitatively. It can not only lead to better understanding of ecosystem benefits, but also make it possible to compare ecosystem services with other conventional goods and services (e.g. real estate) in monetary terms.

Shandong is a coastal province of China, which is located on the eastern …