Economic Policy Commons^™

Essays On The Dynamics Of Subnational Public Finance In Indonesia, Much Rosidi

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that collectively explore the intricacies of subnational public finance in Indonesia: vehicle tax amnesty, property tax competition, and corruption. The research aims to understand the dynamics shaping fiscal policies at the subnational level.

In the first essay, I examine vehicle tax amnesty programs in Indonesia that have been very popular in dealing with high delinquency rates. From 2008 to 2020, provincial amnesties occurred every 2.5 years on average. Using the variation in the timing of the province’s amnesty adoptions, I estimate the effect of vehicle tax amnesty on vehicle tax revenue using difference-in-differences. The short-run …

Essays On Public And Nonprofit Financial Dynamics, Yunjun Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation consists of three essays that explore different dimensions of financial dynamics in the public and nonprofit sectors. Each chapter examines how the fiscal behavior of neighboring jurisdictions, policy interventions, and financial practices influence fiscal decision-making and financial performance within these entities.

In the first essay, I investigate yardstick competition in local government spending in South Korea by leveraging the exogenous variation introduced by by-elections. This approach allows me to estimate the influence of neighboring jurisdictions on local expenditures. Contrary to previous empirical studies from other countries, my findings reveal no significant interdependence in spending among South Korean municipalities, …

Policy Brief, Zachary Owen

Libraries Award for Undergraduate Scholarship

The US grapples with a housing crisis, exacerbated in part by a shortage of conventional mortgage loans. Data from 2020 reveals a severe racial disparity, with 27.1% of Black mortgage applicants denied compared to only 13.6% of White mortgage applicants. These denial trends are highly correlated with homeownership rates. Current trends in homeownership by race mirror or exceed those present during the discriminatory practices of the 1960s. Lenders often cite low credit scores and high debt-to-income ratios as grounds for denial. Therefore, proposed solutions include mandating the inclusion of rental payment history in credit scores, offering free homebuying education, and …

Removing Development Incentives In Risky Areas Promotes Climate Adaptation, Hannah Druckenmiller, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Sophie Pesek, Margaret Walls, Shan Zhang

Economics Faculty Publications

As natural disasters grow in frequency and intensity with climate change, limiting the populations and properties in harm’s way will be key to adaptation. This study evaluates one approach to discouraging development in risky areas—eliminating public incentives for development, such as infrastructure investments, disaster assistance and federal flood insurance. Using machine learning and matching techniques, we examine the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), a set of lands where these federal incentives have been removed. We find that the policy leads to lower development densities inside designated areas, increases development in neighbouring areas, reduces flood damages and alters local demographics. Our …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Emerging From Behind The Curtain: A Comparative Analysis Of Polish And Czech Reforms Based On Quality Of Life Improvements, Summer Ellis

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the economic reforms undertaken by Poland and the Czech Republic during the 1990s transition period. It seeks to ultimately differentiate reform quality between the Czech Republic and Poland in terms of well-being. The basis of reform success is determined using a quality of life scale that spans economic, health, and environmental indicators. Reform quality is then assessed based on improvements in well-being, instead of high-level economic metrics that often evaluate in a manner that fails to capture individual citizen sentiment. From this point, it is possible to determine which transitioning country underwent the most optimal reform process …

Rhetorical Demagoguery: An Exploration Of Trump’S And Hitler’S Rise To Power, Tanner Horne

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While many scholars have examined the rhetoric of President Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler individually, there is a void of scholarly work that highlights the similarities between the two leaders’ use of grandiloquent language to stoke the passions of their perspective nations. In the past one hundred years, rhetoric and propaganda have been employed to push political agendas that are divisive and dangerous. Trump’s incendiary vocabulary–“enemy of the people,” “vermin,” “retribution,” etc., employed frequently throughout his campaign and presidency, in many ways echoes Hitler's speeches and declarations. While their political strategies ultimately differed greatly, a close analysis of their speeches, …

A Polyphonic Debate On Social Equity Budgeting, Bruce D. Mcdonald Iii, Laurence Ferry, Sean A. Mccandless, Meagan M. Jordan, Ileana Steccolini, John R. Bartle, Thomas Ahrens, Jim Haslam, Philip G. Joyce, Tobias Polzer

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This paper is polyphonic (i.e., a debate involving multiple perspectives) and highlights emerging interdisciplinary thoughts on past, current, and future social equity budgeting (SEB). We present a vision for the field and emphasize the potential impact of this paper. We hope to enliven debates regarding context, underpinning philosophies, and methods, thus fostering a greater theoretical and practical reconsideration of SEB. The impact of this paper is significant, as it leads to a fundamental rethinking of SEB and related research, profoundly influencing the field. To do so, this paper has brought together 10 international scholars to foster an interdisciplinary approach regarding …

Tax Streams, Land Rents, And Urban Land Allocation, Yugang Tang, Zhihao Su, Yilin Hou, Zhendong Yin

Center for Policy Research

This paper examines the fiscal motives behind municipal governments' decisions to allocate commercial and residential land when two categories of land use are subject to different fiscal revenue alternatives: business-related tax and/or land rent. We use urban parcel-level land transfers during China’s peak period of urbanization, match commercial parcels with residential parcels, and find significant price discounts on commercial parcels relative to adjacent residential parcels. The observed discounts arise from the future tax flows from commercial use, i.e., expected taxes from developed commercial land reduce its transfer price. We conduct a structural estimation to examine the implications on land use …

Singapore’S Emerging Regulatory Approach To Stablecoins, Rachel Phang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Monetary Authority of Singapore's vision to develop "an innovative and responsible digital asset ecosystem" has placed stablecoins firmly on the regulatory agenda. Stablecoins, as cryptoassets designed to maintain a stable value, are regarded as having the potential to serve as a tenable medium of exchange for the digital asset ecosystem - so long as they are well-regulated and securely backed. Both this vision of a flourishing digital asset ecosystem, as well as the specter of the instability wrought by the recent algorithmic stablecoin collapse, speak to the need for sound regulation of stablecoins. This article therefore seeks to critically …

A Bargaining Theory Of Us-China Economic Rivalry: Differentiating The Trade And Technology Wars, Cathy Xuauxuan Wu

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines the outbreak and persistence of US–China economic war, which comprises both the trade war, featured with retaliatory tariffs, and the technology war, featured with restrictions on Chinese access to US technologies. Building on the analytical framework of bargaining and war, I argue that different components of the economic war emerged from distinct causes. The outbreak of the trade war was primarily driven by the information problem, characterized by mutual uncertainty and the lack of effective communications. The technology war was largely a result of the commitment problem driven by the existing power’s concern regarding potential future changes …

Forecasting Crude Oil Price Using Multiple Factors, Hind Aldabagh, Xianrong Zheng, Mohammad Najand, Ravi Mukkamala

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we predict crude oil price using various factors that may influence its price. The factors considered are physical market, financial, and trading market factors, including seven key factors and the dollar index. Firstly, we select the main factors that may greatly influence the prices. Then, we develop a hybrid model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) network to predict the prices. Lastly, we compare the CNN–LSTM model with other models, namely gradient boosting (GB), decision trees (DTs), random forests (RFs), neural networks (NNs), CNN, LSTM, and bidirectional LSTM (Bi–LSTM). The empirical …

Three Essays On Energy Related To State Policies And Low Carbon Transitions, Pinky Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays on energy-related state policies and energy transition. Each paragraph below refers to the three abstracts for the three chapters in this dissertation, respectively.

The first essay is entitled: “Impacts of State Tax and Resource Ownership Policies on Extraction: Evidence from U.S. Natural Gas Production”. The innovation of combined use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies during the 2000s has allowed natural gas producers in the United States to extract natural gas and liquids from deep shale formations in a cost-efficient manner. This essay evaluates whether unconventional gas production responds to tax changes, and …

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Who Marries Whom Matters: Kesamaan Pendidikan Orangtua Dan Berat Badan Saat Lahir Di Indonesia, Mudya Johanna, Omas Bulan Samosir

Jurnal Ekonomi Kesehatan Indonesia

Despite ongoing efforts and commitment to reducing Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies, globally, the incidence of LBW has stagnated. This study uses a combined factor of maternal and husband/partner education variables to analyze the complexity of LBW incidents. This research uses secondary data from the 2017 SDKI with a multilevel logistic regression analysis method to look at the relationship between the similarity of parental education and the baby's birth weight at the individual and community levels. The results of the research show that mothers who have husbands/partners with equivalent education and higher education (≥high school or equivalent) have a lower …

Pelayanan Kesehatan Primer Sebagai Gatekeeper Dan Kebijakan Diskusi Peer Review: Antara Kualitas Dan Realitas Untuk Menurunkan Kasus Rujukan Non Spesialistik, Zahrina Zahrina, Royasia Viki Ramadani, Khairun Nisa Il Hulwah, Siti Nurlatifah, Aldi Andalan, Ascobat Gani, Golda Kurniawaty, Ery Setiawan

Jurnal Ekonomi Kesehatan Indonesia

Almost 80% of the source of funds is spent on hospital. This situation indicates the failure of the gatekeeper function in primary health care. Performance-based capitation is implemented to ensure the cost and quality of primary care, with non-specialist referral rate as one of the particular parameters. The peer review policy is a discussion between BPJS Health, District/City Health Services, IDI, provincial and branch Team of KMKB and other relevant stakeholders to determine which diagnoses must be handled at FKTP also to accommodate and improve the capacity of FKTP to handle patients and minimize referral cases. This study aims to …

Estimasi Biaya Produktivitas Yang Hilang Akibat Kematian Dini Pasien Covid-19 Di Rs Pku Muhammadiyah Gamping, Yuni Andriani, Sugiyono Sugiyono

Jurnal Ekonomi Kesehatan Indonesia

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 virus infection has had an impact on the global health and economic system, including in developing countries. This research is an observational study by estimating the indirect costs of lost productivity due to premature deaths in COVID-19 patients at PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital in 2021 and knowing the characteristics of the patients. This hospital was chosen as the research site because the percentage of Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) was the highest in Sleman Regency in 2021, reaching 68.94%. The results of the research show …

Menakar Kesiapan Puskesmas Dalam Penuntasan Penanganan Penyakit: Analisa Data Riset Fasilitas Kesehatan 2019, Harimat Hendarwan, Suparmi Suparmi

Jurnal Ekonomi Kesehatan Indonesia

The completion of disease treatment at the health center was important for payment of Capitation Based on Fulfillment of Service Commitment (PCFSC/KBPKP) and the Non-Specialist Case Outpatient Referral (NSOR/RRNS) was one of the key indicators. This study aimed to assess public health center readiness in the completion of disease treatment for those stipulated in Ministerial Decree number 514 of the year 2015. This study used Health Facility Research (Rifaskes) data conducted in 2019 with a total of 9831 health centers as observations. Analysis was conducted by comparing the availability of equipment, laboratories, and medicines with existing regulations. Health center readiness …

Exploring Local Elected Officials' Capacity To Govern Effectively, Mario King

Dissertations

A successful local government exemplifies inclusivity, innovation, and deliberate decision-making, all advancing responsible management of taxpayers' resources. In this qualitative investigation, a phenomenological approach is employed to delve into the lived experiences of local elected officials. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the capacity of these local elected officials for success in governance. Subsequently, the insights from these local elected officials' experiences are harnessed to evaluate their influence and impact on municipal performance.

The management of municipal performance encompasses the provision of social services, the maintenance of fiscal operations, and adherence to statutory obligations (Avellaneda, 2008). …

Economic Analysis Of Population-Based Next Generation Sequencing For Breast Cancer, Sapphire Curelaru

University Honors Theses

Breast cancer develops due to accumulated DNA replication insults which causes cancer to uncontrollably proliferate. An individual's predisposition to developing cancer, as well as the composition of a tumor, can be sequenced using genetic tests. Myriad's BRACAnalysis CDx^® seems to be the most utilized genetic test. However, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) seems to be a better genetic test for breast cancer when compared to Myriad's BRACAnalysisCDx^® in terms of return-time, accuracy, efficiency, and healthcare cost. By using Next Generation Sequencing tests, stakeholders can save money on genetic testing which can be invested in more genetic tests. Payers can …

What Is The Potential Of Non-Battery Energy Storage To Increase Grid Resilience?, Andrew Withers

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper seeks to evaluate different technologies in energy storage to determine which ones have the most potential to benefit the energy grid. Technologies like pumped hydro, thermal, gravity, hydrogen, and compressed air storage will be evaluated based on overall costs, marginal costs, unique applications, and efficiency. This paper compares the technologies to batteries on the previous criteria. I also provide a discussion on the policy and economic barriers to the further use of non-battery technologies to support grid reliability during the transition to a cleaner grid that is more reliant on variable renewable generators.

Greening The Cement Industry In Egypt: Exploring Decarbonisation Policies For The Cement Industry, Saleh Elghamrawi

Theses and Dissertations

The cement industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 7% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Cement is the most consumed material on earth, second only to water, and its demand is fueled by continuous urbanization and the lack of alternative materials. In Egypt, the cement sector is responsible for 14% of CO2 emissions, emitting over 800 kilograms of CO2 per ton of cement, surpassing the global average of 600. In 2016, Egypt ratified the Paris agreement to address climate change and has committed in its National Determined Contributions (NDC) to reduce CO2 emissions. However, …

Reflections On Empowering China’S Digital Economy To Enhance International Competitiveness Through Tax System Reform, Yang Xue, Lina Hu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

At present, promoting the continuous improvement of the international competitiveness of the digital economy has become a new track for countries to compete. The study stands that the tax reform in the digital economy era is based on the accelerated evolution from the industrial economy to the digital economy, the wider application scenarios of digital technology, and the continuous improvement of the breadth and depth of digital infrastructure coverage. This study analyzes the problems arising from the development of the digital economy at this stage, such as the decline in the regulatory role of traditional tax functions, the loss of …

Investment Fraud In The Mountain West, Riley Ruff, Vanessa Booth, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet focuses on investment fraud data in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The original report includes data from “The 2023 State of Investment Fraud” study conducted by Carlson Law.

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Work From Home, 2019-2021, Maryam Raja, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data from the American Community Survey (ACS) Report, “Home Based Workers and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected commuting patterns and workplace systems. The data examine how the pandemic shifted norms in work culture and conditions in Mountain West states and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

Road Maintenance Challenges: The Greatest Obstacle To Sustainable Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Road infrastructure plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of any nation. It connects communities, facilitates trade, and enables essential service delivery. However, road maintenance is one of the most significant challenges hindering sustainable development in South Sudan. The poor roads hinder economic growth, access to essential services, and social cohesion and are in dire need of repair and upkeep. Thus, I developed this qualitative multiple-case study to explore challenges that hinder road maintenance in South Sudan. I collected data through document review and semi-structured interviews with four road engineers, and then thematically analyzed the gathered data. Three themes …

Distribution Of Federal Expenditures And Receipts In The Mountain West, 2019-2021, Isabelle G. Graham, Emily J. Daclan, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Elections & Governance

This fact sheet presents data on state and federal fiscal relations from 2019 to 2021 in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The original report from The Rockefeller Institute of Government is published each fiscal year and includes information on state and federal government expenditures and the net difference between state and federal spending for all 50 states. The original report sources data from the “Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2023.”

Review Of Making Livable Worlds: Afro-Puerto Rican Women Building Environmental Justice, Ava L. Corey-Gruenes

Feminist Pedagogy

Making Livable Worlds: Afro-Puerto Rican Women Building Environmental Justice, by Hilda Lloréns, highlights Black Puerto Rican women’s efforts to create equitable futures for their communities in the face of capitalism, racism, colonization, and ecological collapse. This review covers key concepts in Making Livable Worlds, including matriarchal dispossession, decolonizing ethnography, the myth of a homogenous Puerto Rico, and myths of inherent economic self-interest. Analyses of these concepts through an absence lens are suggested to enrich formal and informal feminist learning spaces.

Insurance, Policy, And Education For Livestock Producers, Milan Chauhan, Bradley D. Lubben

Cornhusker Economics

Federal crop insurance programs have existed since the 1930s, but for livestock producers, federal insurance programs were virtually nonexistent until the past 20 years. Livestock producers may not face exactly the same production risks that crop producers face, but they do face similar production risks related to grazing capacity and forage production and of course face price risks just like crop producers do.