Regional Economics Commons^™

Keeping It Real: Information Literacy, Numeracy, And Economic Data, Diego Mendez-Carbajo, Charissa O. Jefferson, Katrina L. Stierholz

Numeracy

We describe a pedagogical strategy aimed at developing both quantitative and information literacy skills through a social justice lens. This lesson plan is suitable for a variety of high school and introductory college courses. The student learning goals associated with this pedagogical strategy span three intellectual domains: social justice, through a critical exploration of either the purchasing power of minimum wages across states or the earnings gap between men and women employed full time; numeracy, through the computation of ratios between variables with different rates of growth over time; and information literacy, through a series of activities …

A Legacy Of Disease, Arthur L. Frank

Journal of Appalachian Health

In Appalachia, like much of America, there are important health issues that have not always been appropriately predicted or dealt with when they occur. Lifestyle issues in Appalachia lead to obesity and heart disease, not surprisingly due to extensive use of sugary drinks. The current opioid crisis could have been better predicted given the trauma of mining and the past abuse of less-potent narcotics. A continuing major problem in the whole country is inadequate support for preventive health activities.

Using Mini-Grants To Build Multi-Sector Partnerships In Rural Tennessee, Ginny Kidwell, Kristine Bowers, Taylor M. Dula, Randolph F. Wykoff

Journal of Appalachian Health

Rural counties in Tennessee, including those located in Appalachia, face some of the greatest health challenges in the nation. Unpublished data collated by the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health (ETSU) show that Tennessee’s 52 Appalachian counties vary dramatically from its 43 non-Appalachian counties in virtually all socioeconomic, behavioral, and health outcome metrics. Since 2011, the Tennessee Institute of Public Health (TNIPH) has actively encouraged local communities to address behavior change, enhance educational achievement, and improve economic conditions as essential components for improving health and well-being in rural Tennessee.

Improving Access To Addiction Recovery Care In Central Appalachia Through Organizational Collaboration, Katy Stigers

Journal of Appalachian Health

Fahe, a Network of 50+ members throughout Appalachia based in Berea KY, has brought together a coalition to finance, build, and manage several addiction recovery care centers across Kentucky and West Virginia, increase access to employment, and deploy vouchers for supportive services.

Disparities In Quality Of Life By Appalachian-Designation Among Women With Breast Cancer, Robin C. Vanderpool, Ann L. Coker, Heather M. Bush, Sarah E. Cprek

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Few studies have examined the association of geography and quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients, particularly differences between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky women, which is important given the cancer and socioeconomic disparities present in Appalachia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether women with breast cancer residing in Appalachian Kentucky experience poorer health outcomes in regards to depression, stress, QOL, and spiritual wellbeing, relative to those living in non-Appalachian Kentucky after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors.

Methods: Women, aged 18–79, recruited from the Kentucky Cancer Registry between 2009 and 2013 with an …

Investigating The Impact Of The Diseases Of Despair In Appalachia, Michael Meit, Megan Heffernan, Erin Tanenbaum

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Appalachia is one of the regions most significantly impacted by the opioid crisis. This study investigated mortality due to diseases of despair within the Appalachian Region, with an additional focus on deaths attributable to opioid overdose.

Methods: Diseases of despair include: alcohol, prescription drug and illegal drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) Multiple Cause of Death database were analyzed for this study, focusing on individuals aged 15–64.

Results: Over the past two decades, the mortality rate due to diseases of …

Root Causes Of Appalachia’S Deaths Of Despair, F. Douglas Scutchfield Md

Journal of Appalachian Health

The U.S. is experiencing a decline in life expectancy, particularly among rural white males in their most productive years. Appalachia is disproportionally represented in mortality rates, accounting for 30% of the U.S. population, but 50% of the excess mortality attributed to the “deaths of despair”: drug overdose, suicide, and alcoholic cirrhosis. A substantial proportion of that excess mortality is related to the current opioid crisis we are experiencing. We have data on evidence-based solutions to the treatment of addiction, but little information on prevention of addiction as well as the other deaths of despair, likely with the same etiologic agent. …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: July 3, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Business confidence fell sharply in Nebraska during June 2019 and consumer confidence dropped modestly. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) fell to 104.4 in June, above the neutral value of 100 but below the May value of 105.3. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) fell to 100.3 in June, at the neutral level and down 13 percent from 113.2 in May. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 35 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 21 mentioned the quality and availability of labor, 16 percent mentioned competition from other businesses and 9 percent flooding …

Economic Impact Of The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve On West Virginia, Christiadi, John Deskins

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Better Understanding Human Capital In West Virginia, Christiadi, John Deskins

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Is There An Economic Case For The Olympic Games?, Chris Dempsey, Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

The Olympic Games are a major undertaking that promise both large costs and potentially large benefits to host cities. This paper lays out the potential economic benefits of hosting the Olympics and details how, in the vast majority of cases, these gains are unlikely to cover the costs of hosting the event. The ideas are then applied to the experience of Boston in its ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Socioeconomic Class And Race In Higher Education Paths And Outcomes: The Case Of Ohio, James Harlow

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

The paper reviews literature that examines how race, class and incomes influence students entering college, focusing on the entire U.S. and on Ohio. The paper investigates he following. 1) Does racial demography and household income predict the type of public college or university Ohio seniors choose to attend? 2) Is there a relationship between household income and public college (both two and four-year schools) enrollment immediately after high school? The paper discusses how the provided analysis fit within the broader literature, and help in understanding the problem and in formulating solutions. The goal of this research is to examine some …

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 22, Number3, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 3, Number 7, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate, Ignacio Santana

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: June 19, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 0.63% during May of 2019. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, implies moderate economic growth in Nebraska through the end of 2019. Strong business expectations were the sole reason for the increase in the leading indicator. Respondents to the May Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. Other components were mixed with airport passenger enplanments, initial claims for unemployment insurance and building permits for single-family homes pointing …

Place-Based Jobs Policies, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: June 7, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence rebounded in Nebraska during May 2019 and business confidence also improved. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) rose to 105.3 in May, above the neutral value of 100 and well above the April value of 95.6. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) rose 113.2 in May, well above the neutral level and up from 107.8 in April. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 30 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 21 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 18 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Fifty-two percent of responding households …

Effects Of Water Funds Projects On Forest Loss And Water Quality In Ecuador And Brazil, Allen Blackman, Laura Villalobos

Forest Collaborative Research

Presentation focuses on Water Funds Projects

The Nepal Community Forestry Program And Member Mental Health - June 2019, Randall Bluffstone

Forest Collaborative Research

This presentation asks - Do Community Forestry's (CFs) and better forest quality yield mental health benefits?

Indonesia, Forest Fires, Haze, Height: Case For Planetary Health Economics - June 2019, Subhrendu K. Pattanayak

Forest Collaborative Research

Presentation focuses on environmental health economics in low and middle income countries.

Economics Of Modern Plantation Forests In China - June 2019, Jintao Xu, Miaoying Shi

Forest Collaborative Research

Presentation focuses on eucalyptus forest development in Guangxi, China

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 3, Number 6, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 22, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The Leading Economic Indicator – Nebraska (LEI-N) rose by 0.79% during April of 2019. The increase in the LEI-N, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, implies moderate economic growth in Nebraska through the end of 2019. Strong business expectations were again the primary reason for the increase in the leading indicator. Respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase both sales and employment at their businesses over the next six months. There also was growth in manufacturing hours-worked during the month.

Measuring Cocoa Agricultural Productivity: A Spatio-Temporal Econometric Approach, Yurlady Chaverra-Palacios

Master's Theses

A significant increase of 50.5 percent in the national production of cocoa was registered between 2011 and 2015 in Colombia. Nevertheless, 5,890 tons were imported in 2015 to supply domestic demand. Unlike other crops, the production of cocoa has made a significant contribution to the income of approximately 38,000 families of which 90 percent are small farm-producers with very little capital. Facilitating credit for investment is one of the main strategies of the national government to increase cocoa productivity. Correspondingly, the impact of the credit for investment on the cocoa agricultural productivity and if those investments have a spillover effect …

Connecticut Waterfront Property Premium In Areas With Flood Risk, Conor O'Donnell

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper investigates the premium paid for waterfront property along the Connecticut shoreline and how that premium is affected by its vulnerability to coastal flooding as measured by its location relative to the FEMA 100-year and 500-year flood zones. The primary analysis is a comparison of the rate of appreciation of properties within each flood zone relative to coastal properties outside the flood-zone. An analysis of the impact of Super Storm Sandy in 2012 on the appreciation rate is also presented. It is hypothesized that the rate of appreciation of properties within the 100-year flood zone is lower following Hurricane …

Market And Non-Market Valuation Of Renewable Energy, Jamal Mamkhezri

Economics ETDs

This dissertation is an assessment of market and non-market valuation of renewable energy, specifically within the electricity sector. It contributes to the energy and economics literature through a battery of three chapters. This dissertation utilizes New Mexico as a case study, which is an economically poor and natural-resource rich state that produces and consumes electricity in the southwestern United States. It is also one of the four states that have adopted a policy for 100% clean energy by 2045.

The first chapter models state- and county-level economic (e.g., employment, economic output, etc.) and environmental (e.g., externality, health impact, water use, …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: May 3, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence dropped sharply in Nebraska during April 2019 while business confidence remained strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 95.6 in April, below the neutral value of 100 and well below the March value of 110.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 107.8 in April, well above the neutral level and down slightly from 108.9 in March. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 29 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 27 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 19 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Fifty-three percent …

Nebraska Business And Consumer Confidence Indexes: May 3, 2019, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

Consumer confidence dropped sharply in Nebraska during April 2019 while business confidence remained strong. The Consumer Confidence Index – Nebraska (CCI-N) stood at 95.6 in April, below the neutral value of 100 and well below the March value of 110.0. The Business Confidence Index – Nebraska (BCI-N) stood at 107.8 in April, well above the neutral level and down slightly from 108.9 in March. When asked about the most important issue facing their business, 29 percent of respondents chose customer demand while 27 mentioned the quality and availability of labor and 19 percent mentioned competition from other businesses. Fifty-three percent …

The Effects Of Demographic Changes On State Fiscal Balances In The U.S., Patrick Nartey

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

The share of the population that is 65 or older keeps on rising over the years in the U.S. According to the 2017 US population projection, the rate of growth of older population is much faster than other age groups. The growing aging population will affect the economy in many ways, especially in fiscal balance of regional governments. The main goal of the study is to examine the fiscal implication of increasing old-age population in U.S states. The old-age dependency ratio is used to measure aging population, which derived by diving the population 65 years and over by the 18 …

The Farmers’ Federation: Regional Racial Mythologies As Agricultural Capital, Jama Mcmurtery Grove

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1927, the Farmers’ Federation agricultural cooperative in Western North Carolina launched an organization to solicit funds from wealthy donors. The money raised through philanthropic campaigns enabled the cooperative to fund large-scale agricultural projects, which helped members navigate the dramatic agricultural transformations of the early twentieth century. Although the cooperative advocated a progressive program of business-minded, scientific farming, its leadership modified programs to reflect farmer members’ limited resources and the realities of mountain production. As a result, the co-op provided a crucial bridge between white farmers and new methods of agricultural production that reached deep into peoples’ familial and productive …