Economic Policy Commons^™

New York State’S Missing Data, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Jesus With A Kalashnikov: Examining Marxist Elements In Liberation Theology And Soviet Influence On Its Origins, Todd "Cameron" Swathwood Jr

Senior Honors Theses

Liberation theology emerged as a prominent feature of religion and politics in the 1960s. Since the beginning, detractors have noted the overtly Marxist tendencies within this ideology. This thesis introduces the core concepts and presuppositions of liberation theology itself, and then focuses on specific and varied allegations concerning any influence the Soviet Union may have had on its formation and propagation. Particular weight is lent to the testimony of Lieutenant General Ion Mihai Pacepa, formerly the head of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s national intelligence service and the highest-ranking defector ever received from the Soviet Bloc. Pacepa has shared his insider …

Leadership And Corruption In Governance: A Case Study Of Liberia, Theresa Okpokwu

Capstone Collection

Writers like Mutasa (2009) and Ebegbulem (2012) argues that Africa is both the poorest continent in the world and one of the richest in terms of natural resources. Consistent with this observation the history of Liberia indicates that corrupt leadership deprives the general population of its fair access to Africa’s rich resources while exacerbating ineffective government bureaucracy and underdevelopment. The bureaucratized central government in turn entrenches corrupt practices which give rise to more serious underdevelopment as well as insurgencies and a possible state failure.

Given this background, this study examines how leadership and corruption in governance affects socioeconomic development. To …

The Impact Of Geopolitical Factors On The Future Economic Integration Of Asean +3, Michael Corrigan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

East and Southeast Asia have benefited greatly from China’s growth and are gaining significantly more economic and political power in comparison to the West. The growing interdependence in this region has led to the continuing economic integration of the ASEAN Plus Three countries. The research paper analyzes the geopolitical factors that impact this integration, such as historical tension, regional security conflicts, social, cultural and economic differences, as well as economic rivalries. In addition, the strategic agendas of the main actors, including the U.S., are analyzed to provide a comprehensive argument concerning the impact these geopolitical factors will have on future …

Factors Influencing The Variation In Gms Prescribing Expenditure In Ireland, Aisling Conway Lenihan, S. Ahern, J. Cronin, N. Woods

Dept. of Management & Enterprise Publications

Background

Pharmaceutical expenditure growth is a familiar feature in many Western health systems and is a real concern for policymakers. A state funded General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in Ireland experienced an increase in prescription expenditure of 414 % between 1998 and 2012. This paper seeks to explore the rationale for this growth by investigating the composition (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Group level 1 & 5) and drivers of GMS drug expenditure in Ireland in 2012.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on the Health Service Executive-Primary Care Reimbursement Service (HSE-PCRS) population prescribing database (n = 1,630,775). Three …

Reconciling The Rhetoric And Reality Of Student Loan Debt, Elizabeth Akers

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Student loan debt has increased over the past three decades. This lecture will identify the factors that led to that increase in student loan debt what economic and social factors drove that increase. The talk will also consider the economic effects of increased or decreased earnings generated by individuals with student loan debt. This analysis will present data to assess the validity of several widely-held beliefs about the impact of student loan debt in the United States (e.g., increased student loan debt is depressing the housing market) and apply data-backed evidence to determine ways in which current and proposed policies …

Economic Impacts Of Climate Adaptation Strategies For Southern Monterey Bay, Kelly Leo, Sarah Newkirk, Walter Heady, Brian Cohen, Juliano Calil, Philip King, Fernando Depaolis

Publications

Local governments along Monterey Bay’s shores are undertaking a number of initiatives for which sea level rise adaptation planning is required. Governor Schwarzenegger’s 2008 Executive Order S-13-08 and the 2011 Resolution of the California Ocean Protection Council on sea level rise led to the proliferation of individual agency guidance documents (e.g., CalTrans (2011), BCDC (2011), CCC (2015)) that require emerging best available science (e.g., Pacific Institute Report (Heberger et al. 2009), NRC Report (2012)). These guidance documents stipulate that sea level rise and coastal hazards need to be considered in planning (e.g., Climate Action Compact, Climate Action Plans, Integrated Regional …

Sustainable Development Goals Worth Sharing, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The international community has agreed upon another set of goals for the next 15 years. On the table are no less than 169 objectives and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new aspirations are summarized and the merits and demerits of further elaboration and measurement including country-specific deadlines and targets are discussed. The hefty budget to achieve all 17 goals is estimated at more than $4 trillion US a year. North American policy-makers need to be aware of humankind’s shared aspirations as they consider the new and expensive SDGs. Foreign aid is one of the instruments of North American foreign …

Asymptotic Power Of The Sphericity Test Under Weak And Strong Factors In A Fixed Effects Panel Data Model, Badi H. Baltagi, Chihwa Kao, Fa Wang

Center for Policy Research

This paper studies the asymptotic power for the sphericity test in a fixed effect panel data model proposed by Baltagi, Feng and Kao (2011), (JBFK). This is done under the alternative hypotheses of weak and strong factors. By weak factors, we mean that the Euclidean norm of the vector of the factor loadings is O(1). By strong factors, we mean that the Euclidean norm of the vector of factor loadings is O(pn), where n is the number of individuals in the panel. To derive the limiting distribution of JBFK under the alternative, we first derive the limiting distribution of its …

From The Orderly World Of Frameworks To The Messy World Of Data: Canada’S Experience Measuring The Economic Contribution Of Maritime Industries, Alejandro De Maio, Christine Irwin

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

This paper extends the frameworks developed by Park and Kildow (2014) to explore the use of supply chains to classify and organize ocean industries. Canada’s experience with measuring the economic contribution of ocean related sectors is discussed; with particular emphasis on illustrating the supply chain approach and of highlighting the multiple practical challenges that arise in defining and measuring the ocean economy. The overall conclusion is that Canada has succeeded in developing a methodological framework that allows it to report, on an annual basis high level estimates of gross domestic product, employment and labour income generated directly and indirectly by …

The New Blue Economy: The Future Of Sustainability, Mark J. Spalding

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The world’s ocean is the world’s life support. Many human activities have defined a negative relationship with the ocean. Simply put: we dump too much bad stuff in, and we take too much good stuff out. The traditional ocean economy—those ocean-based and ocean-related activities from which humans derive economic benefit— did not acknowledge or honor the ocean’s natural services, nor its finite capacity to take human abuse without undermining those services on which we depend. The “new blue economy” is the term of art for identifying those activities that improve the human relationship with the ocean and for aligning our …

Economic Assessment Of Oceans For Sustainable Blue Economy Development, Maria Corazon M. Ebarvia

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

This paper presents the common approach on blue economy assessment adopted by selected countries in the East Asian Seas region, and results of initial assessment studies. There are many discourses on the definition and scope of blue economy as the ocean space is evolving, driven by innovations, shifting demands, and pressures from changing environment and climate. The ocean economy contributes to the GDP of the EAS countries in varying degrees: 3 % in RO Korea, 4.5 % in the Philippines, 9 % in China, and 13 % in Indonesia. In addition to the ocean economic activities, the ocean also generates …

Ocean Economy Valuation Studies In The Asia-Pacific Region: Lessons For The Future International Use Of National Accounts In The Blue Economy, Alistair Mcilgorm

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

There have been several projects that have addressed the challenges of measuring the ocean economy in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper examines some lessons from these projects and the implications for the future use of national accounts.

Following the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Bali declaration, the APEC Marine Resource Conservation Working group’s “Measuring the Marine economy” project promoted consistent measurement of the marine economy across the 21 APEC economies against a list of agreed marine industry categories which was developed by an APEC workshop on Easter Island in 2004.

In 2008-09 a Partnership for the Environmental Management of the …

Accounting For The Ocean Economy Using The System Of National Accounts, Raymundo J. Talento

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The increasing importance to measure the ocean economy cannot be discounted. A number of countries attempted to measure the ocean economy based on their needs and perceptions. At this point, however, there is no agreed scope and coverage of the ocean economy nor is there an agreed operational definition of the variables needed for its measurement. Moreover, there is no internationally endorsed framework that will guide and lead to comparable estimates across countries or regions.

Utilizing the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA) as a framework, this paper endeavors to estimate the contribution of the ocean economy in the Philippines …

A Statistical Assessment Of Maritime Socioeconomic Indicators For The European Atlantic Area, Javier Fernandez-Macho

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Ever since the introduction into marine and maritime policy strategies worldwide of the relatively new concept of Blue Growth there has been an increasing interest in developing integrated systems of indicators for the maritime economy.

The Marnet project has been a recent attempt to develop a comparative maritime socioeconomic framework for the European Atlantic area and its database contains a large number of socioeconomic indicators for many maritime activities at different territorial levels that provide the information needed to help analyze and compare the maritime economy of the European Atlantic regions.

However, there are still many gaps with respect to …

Maritime Accounts In The European Union: Coping With Limited Information, Regis Kalaydjian

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The European Commission's effort to define the scope and components of the maritime economy was initially motivated by the "Integrated Maritime Policy" (2007). This policy package, principally based on coastal environment protection, maritime safety and security, and the European marine observation and data network, also included the development of an EU-wide economic and social database on maritime activities. The IMP database (2009) used experience from EU member states in terms of maritime database development, and conversely was an opportunity to update national contributions.

Later, two other packages contributed to broadening EC's approach. 1) The "Marine Strategy Framework Directive" (2008) was …

Introduction To Special Edition: The Oceans And National Income Accounts: An International Perspective, Charles S. Colgan

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Introduction to articles in the special edition.

U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings On Korea During The 113th Congress 2013-2014: Overseeing Multifaceted Aspects Of Washington's Peninsular Interests, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Numerous U.S. government agencies are involved in developing and implementing U.S. policy toward Korean Peninsula events, trends, and developments. Those studying U.S. government policies toward this region need to pay particular attention to the role played by U.S. Congressional committees in this policymaking. Congressional committees are responsible for approving new legislation, revising existing legislation, funding U.S. government programs and conducting oversight of these programs. This work examines Congressional committee hearings and debate during the 113th Congress (2013–2014) and reveals that multiple Congressional committees with varying jurisdictions seek to shape U.S. government Korean Peninsula policy and that this policymaking covers more …

The Changing Geography Of Poverty & Opportunity In Nevada, Elizabeth Kneebone

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Today, suburbs are home to the largest and fastest growing poor population in the country. Regions like Las Vegas have been at the forefront of that trend since 2000. Elizabeth Kneebone, co-author of the book Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, will discuss the rapid growth of poverty and concentrated disadvantage in the suburbs; how these trends intersect with the changing location of affordable housing, services, transit, and jobs; and what the changing geography of poverty means for policymakers and practitioners in Nevada working to promote economic opportunity throughout the state.

Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership’S Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation, July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2015, Brandynn Holgate, Julia Tripp, Sylvia Singleton, Priyanka Kabir, Wendel Mirbel, Donna Haig Friedman

Center for Social Policy Publications

The final report on Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership's (MBHP) Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program evaluation aims to improve our collective understanding of how the FSS program works, who benefits from the program and how they benefit, and the circumstances that are associated with success. The research findings are divided into five sections:

• A comparison of MBHP’s FSS program outcomes to the national average
• A description of how FSS graduates spend their escrow savings
• A comparison of FSS graduates with those who terminate from the program
• Mini-case examples on MBHP partnerships
• An assessment of goals and outcomes for MBHP under the TBF …

The Politics Of Middle Class Decline And Growth In Industrialized Democracies, 1980 To 2010, Young-Hwan Byun

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research explains why some industrialized democracies have experienced middle class decline while others have experienced middle class growth since the 1980s. The prevailing political science literature based on the median voter theory predicts that middle class decline should not occur in democracies, whereas economic theories fail to explain national variation of middle class decline by attributing the decline to common developments such as globalization or technological change. I analyze data from the Luxembourg Income Study Database, the Comparative Welfare States Dataset, and the Comparative Welfare Entitlement Dataset, and demonstrate a significant partisan effect on middle class decline. I argue …

Agricultural Policy Reform: An Argument For A Soil Erosion Tax, Alex M. Ingulsrud

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

The purpose of this research is to examine the history of soil erosion and US agricultural policy in order to show why a soil erosion tax would be a good policy. Part A of this essay focuses on the dust bowl as an archetype for modern agriculture and ecological limits. Historical lessons are drawn from the dust bowl that illustrate why a soil erosion tax would be more practical than past policies for agricultural policy to coerce farmers into implement soil conversation practices. Part B of this essay examines the current dilemma of soil erosion and agricultural policy, why a …

The Gettysburg Economic Review, Volume 9, Spring 2016

Gettysburg Economic Review

No abstract provided.

The Cost Of Poverty: The Perpetuating Cycle Of Concentrated Poverty In New Jersey Cities • A Comprehensive Budgetary Analysis Of Four Urban New Jersey Municipalities, John S. Watson Institute For Public Policy Of Thomas Edison State University, New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, The Anti-Poverty Network Of New Jersey, Fund For New Jersey

Urban Mayors Policy Center

This report examines the problem of concentrated poverty in the State of New Jersey. Both the individual and the long-term economic consequences of concentrated poverty are well- documented in social science research. The report adds to that knowledge by examining the practical, budgetary consequences faced by urban centers that are characterized by high poverty levels. The report focuses on four cities, which are represented in the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA) — Bridgeton, Passaic, Perth Amboy, and Trenton. While these regions vary considerably, they all share one important fact: their poverty rates are double or triple the New Jersey …

Evaluation Of Financial Trends And Fundraising Program Of Stap, Jay Mcmahon

Capstone Projects 2015-Present

Every non-profit organization faces challenges with funding. This project examines fundraising trends and threats facing the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP). The project began out of concerns about the impact changes in Medicaid legacy rates and Governor Cuomo’s plan for the end of AIDS 2020. Government grants and Medicaid are the largest revenue streams for the organization, changes in these streams could have a devastating impact on the organization. Along with identifying the impact of the funding changes I will evaluate the current fundraising programs and make recommendations based on the past trends and projections of the impact of funding …

Modeling The "Gravity" Of Foreign Aid: A Dyadic Panel Analysis On The Impact Of Bilateral Aid Commitments On Bilateral Immigration From 1994 To 2011, Miles D. Williams

Masters Theses

While research shows policymakers increase bilateral foreign aid commitments in response to an increase in bilateral immigration, supposedly as a means for reducing the demand for immigration, the effectiveness of this strategy is given only passing consideration in the literature. Many doubt this approach's success, but little effort has been made to empirically justify this doubt. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature and proposes a novel hypothesis. It is argued here that aid, more than simply failing to promote development quickly enough to reduce the demand for immigration, functions as a signal of donor wealth. When …

When You Need More Than Just An Apple A Day: A Review Of The Empirical Evidence Relating To Disparities In Access To Health Care And A Preliminary Perspective On The Effects Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Alexis Coulis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The concept of medical care is twofold, made up of both prevention and treatment. Prevention itself consists of three distinct levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention includes actions protecting healthy people from developing a disease in the first place. Secondary goes on to refer to management of a diagnosed condition that works to keep symptoms at a minimum. Finally, tertiary prevention encompasses measures taken in an attempt to control an existing disease. Three individual case studies – the influenza vaccine, asthma management, and control of congestive heart failure – exemplify these primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive measures. Together, they …

Effects Of Fiscal Policy On Consumer Confidence, Sara Omohundro

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

It has long been debated which type of fiscal policy is most effective in a recession, a tax cut or an increase in government spending. Throughout the history of the United States, many administrations have tried to implement various forms and combinations of tax cuts and spending hikes to jump start the economy. Some were effective, and some were not. By determining what it is that makes fiscal policy effective, the government can be better prepared and more informed when designing fiscal policy in the future. Consumer confidence is one relevant metric for this analysis because it is sensitive to …

The Use Of Catastrophe Bonds As A Means Of Economic Development In Emerging Economies, Lauren Mattucci

Honors Theses and Capstones

Catastrophe bonds offer a way for entities located in natural disaster prone regions to safely and efficiently transfer the risk of insuring property to the financial markets and subsequently, create a financially attractive environment for insurers and investors. The opportunity for investors to utilize modeled loss analytical platforms such as those created by AIR, Risk Management Solutions, and EQECAT, could be used to bridge the growing gap in emerging economies between economic losses created by natural disasters and insured losses. Bridging this insurance gap in emerging economies could have positive global implications for the insurance industry, global trade, foreign direct …

Assessment Of Impacts Of The Biomedical Careers Program – Just-A-Start Corporation Of Cambridge, Ma, Brandynn Holgate, Françoise Carré, Michael Mccormack, Wendel Mirbel

Center for Social Policy Publications

In 2015, Just-a-Start Corporation (JAS) of Cambridge, MA asked the UMass Boston Center for Social Policy to conduct an assessment of the impacts of the Biomedical Careers Program on the region and state, examining individual impacts for graduates as well as the economic contributions of program graduates to the biomedical industry.

The Biomedical Careers Program (hereafter “BioMed”) is described by JAS as an eight month program designed to enable local residents to complete “a Certificate in Biomedical Sciences to prepare them for entry level jobs at local biotechnology companies, universities, research institutions, clinical laboratories and hospitals. The program includes a …