Three Essays On Local Government Debt,
2013
University of Kentucky
Three Essays On Local Government Debt, Robert Greer
Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration
The local government tax-exempt debt market is a growing, and complex, sector of public finance. As local governments turn to debt financing the factors that contribute to interest costs of that debt have become important considerations for local government officials and politicians. Governance at the local level involves a network of overlapping governments some of which share a tax base. This system of overlapping governments that share a tax base are subject to externalities that arise from taxation, expenditures, and debt. These externalities are usually analyzed in terms of tax or expenditure reactions, but there are implications for local government …
Cafio-Prg Develops Novel Approach To Policy Research,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Cafio-Prg Develops Novel Approach To Policy Research, Konstantinos Giannakas
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture under the Policy Research Centers Program. This grant has supported the establishment of a Policy Research Group (PRG) as part of the Center for Agricultural and Food Industrial Organization (CAFIO) in the Department of Agricultural Economics. CAFIO-PRG is led by the Project Director, Professor Konstantinos Giannakas, and its main focus is on the development of a novel, empirically relevant, integrated, multi-market framework of policy analysis.
Consumer Attitudes And Labeling Regime Key To The Market Potential Of Food Nanotechnology,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Consumer Attitudes And Labeling Regime Key To The Market Potential Of Food Nanotechnology, Miah Tran, Amalia Yiannaka, Konstantinos Giannakas
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
Research shows that, even though most consumers lack knowledge and understanding of the technology, they nevertheless have strong opinions as to its potential risks and benefits. Advocates are determined to not repeat the mistakes of biotechnology. Understanding the factors determining the market acceptance of food nanotechnology and its potential impact on the different interest groups involved can inform the design of effective policies and strategies governing food nanotechnology innovations.
Country-Of-Origin-Labeling Creates Winners And Losers Among Consumers, Producers, And Retailers,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Country-Of-Origin-Labeling Creates Winners And Losers Among Consumers, Producers, And Retailers, Konstantinos Giannakas, Alejandro Plastina, Daniel Pick
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
Public Law 107-171, the United States Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, required country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities, and peanuts. While the aim is to benefit domestic consumers by allowing them to make informed decisions, the effects of COOL have been the subject of a heated on-going debate. Advocates of COOL argue the existence of an “overwhelming” consumer support for country of origin information and benefits that substantially outweigh the costs of this labeling regime. Opposing groups have expressed concerns about the potential competitive disadvantage that non-integrated producers might face due to …
Consumer-Oriented Gm Products Can Hurt Producers,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Consumer-Oriented Gm Products Can Hurt Producers, Konstantinos Giannakas, Rim Lassoued
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
Despite their important agronomic benefits to agricultural producers, GM products (GMPs) have been facing a, rather strong, consumer opposition. This opposition varies significantly between countries and so does the countries’ regulatory response to products of biotechnology. While the US treats biotech products as substantially equivalent to their conventional counterparts and does not require their segregation and labeling, the European Union (EU), based on its “precautionary principle” and consumers’ “right to know,” has instituted a mandatory labeling regime that is regarded as the strictest in the world.
Food Labeling Standards Have Significant Welfare And Distributional Impacts,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Labeling Standards Have Significant Welfare And Distributional Impacts, Konstantinos Giannakas, Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, Alexandre Magnier
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
Discussions on the appropriate regulatory norms for genetically modified (GM) foods date back to the early 1980s. Thirty years later, a consensus on what such norms should be remains elusive. Some countries, including the United States and Canada, consider GM foods substantially equivalent to their conventional counterparts and do not require segregation and labeling of these products. Others, including the European Union, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and China have introduced mandatory labeling regimes.
Empathy Nudging Increases Conservation Of Farming Land,
2013
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Empathy Nudging Increases Conservation Of Farming Land, Natalia V. Czap, Hans J. Czap, Gary D. Lynne, Mark E. Burbach
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
One of the major challenges of environmental policy with regard to conservation is that it must often rely on voluntary and non-selfish actions of individuals. Traditionally policy makers rely on direct regulation and financial incentives, but both approaches face problems. Regulations may lead to resentment and the costs of perfect enforcement are prohibitively high. Financial incentives can be perverse and may lead to unintended consequences, including crowding out of intrinsic motivation. In addition, behavioral economics and economic psychology studies demonstrate that the assumptions of the neoclassical economic models (such as self-interest only, rationality, and willpower) on which the policy design …
2013 Farm Bill: An Experimental Test Of The Senate And House Proposals,
2013
University of Michigan-Dearborn
2013 Farm Bill: An Experimental Test Of The Senate And House Proposals, Natalia V. Czap, Hans J. Czap, Gary Lynne, Mark E. Burbach
CAFIO: Policy Research Group Policy Pagers
The 2008 Farm Bill currently guides agricultural and related environmental/conservation policy. Versions proposed by the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, to be implemented in the 2013 Farm Bill after differences are resolved, aim to achieve environmental (and other food related) goals, while also seeking significant spending cuts. While both versions propose to eliminate the Direct Payments program, they differ with respect to how other crop supports should work and whether crop insurance subsidies should be linked to conservation practices. The Senate Bill supports a policy design based on cross‐compliance, that is, crop insurance subsidies are conditional on …
Three Essays On Large Panel Data Models With Cross-Sectional Dependence,
2013
Singapore Management University
Three Essays On Large Panel Data Models With Cross-Sectional Dependence, Yonghui Zhang
Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)
My dissertation consists of three essays which contribute new theoretical results to large panel data models with cross-sectional dependence. These essays try to answer or partially answer some prominent questions such as how to detect the presence of cross-sectional dependence and how to capture the latent structure of cross-sectional dependence and estimate parameters efficiently by removing its effects. Chapter 2 introduces a nonparametric test for cross-sectional contemporaneous dependence in large dimensional panel data models based on the squared distance between the pair-wise joint density and the product of the marginals. The test can be applied to either raw observable data …
When Parity Promotes Peace: Resolving Conflict Between Asymmetric Agents,
2013
Chapman University
When Parity Promotes Peace: Resolving Conflict Between Asymmetric Agents, Erik O. Kimbrough, Roman M. Sheremeta, Timothy W. Shields
ESI Working Papers
Due to the high costs of conflict both in theory and practice, we examine and experimentally test the conditions under which conflict between asymmetric agents can be resolved. We model conflict as a two-agent rent-seeking contest for an indivisible prize. Before conflict arises, both agents may agree to allocate the prize by fair coin flip to avoid the costs of conflict. The model predicts that “parity promotes peace”: in the pure-strategy equilibrium, agents with relatively symmetric conflict capabilities agree to resolve the conflict by using a random device; however, with sufficiently asymmetric capabilities, conflicts are unavoidable because the stronger agent …
Cheap Talk With Two Audiences: An Experiment,
2013
Middlesex University
Cheap Talk With Two Audiences: An Experiment, Mikhail Drugov, Roberto Hérnan-Gonzalez, Praveen Kujal, Marta Troya Martinez
ESI Working Papers
In this paper we experimentally test strategic information transmission between one informed and two uninformed agents in a cheap-talk game. We find evidence of the "disciplining" effect of public communication as compared to private; however, it is much weaker than predicted by the theory. Adding a second receiver naturally increases the complexity of strategic thinking when communication is public. Using the level-k model, we exploit the within subject design to show how individuals decrease their level-k in public communication. Surprisingly, we find that individuals become more sophisticated when they communicate privately with two receivers rather than one.
Religious Identity And The Provision Of Public Goods: Evidence From The Indian Princely States,
2013
Chapman University
Religious Identity And The Provision Of Public Goods: Evidence From The Indian Princely States, Latika Chaudhary, Jared Rubin
ESI Working Papers
Religious identity affects preferences and can consequently affect policy. We propose two mechanisms through which a ruler's religious identity can affect public good provision: i) greater provision of goods in regions where more subjects are the ruler's co-religionists, and ii) lower provision of goods where private markets provide a substitute to the ruler's co-religionists. Empirically, identifying the causal effect of religious identity on policy is often impossible, since the religious identity of rulers rarely changes over time and place. We address this problem by exploiting the variation in the religion of rulers in the Indian Princely States in the early …
Do Prediction Markets Aid Defenders In A Weak‐Link Contest?,
2013
Chapman University
Do Prediction Markets Aid Defenders In A Weak‐Link Contest?, Cary Deck, Li Hao, David Porter
ESI Working Papers
Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that prediction market prices weakly aggregate the disparate information of the traders about states (moves) of nature. However, in many practical applications one might want to predict the move of a strategic participant. This is particularly important in aggressor‐defender contests. This paper reports a set of such experiments where the defender may have the advantage of observing a prediction market on the aggressor’s action. The results of the experiments indicate that: the use of prediction markets does not increase the defender’s win rate; prediction markets contain reliable information regarding aggressors’ decisions, namely excess bid information, that …
Recalibrational Emotions And The Regulation Of Trust-Based Behaviors,
2013
Chapman University
Recalibrational Emotions And The Regulation Of Trust-Based Behaviors, Eric Schniter, Timothy W. Shields
ESI Working Papers
Though individuals differ in the degree to which they are predisposed to trust or act trustworthy, we theorize that trust-based behaviors are universally determined by the calibration of conflicting short- and long-sighted behavior regulation programs, and that these programs are calibrated by emotions experienced personally and interpersonally. In this chapter we review both the main-stream and evolutionary theories of emotions that philosophers, psychologists, and behavioral economists have based their work on and which can inform our understanding of trust-based behavior regulation. The standard paradigm for understanding emotions is based on mapping their positive and negative affect valence. While Valence Models …
Commitment Problems In Conflict Resolution,
2013
Chapman University
Commitment Problems In Conflict Resolution, Erik O. Kimbrough, Jared Rubin, Roman M. Sheremeta, Timothy W. Shields
ESI Working Papers
Commitment problems are inherent to non-binding conflict resolution mechanisms, since an unsatisfied party can ignore the resolution and initiate conflict. We provide experimental evidence suggesting that even in the absence of binding contractual agreements individuals often avoid conflict by committing to the outcome of a conflict resolution mechanism. Commitment problems are mitigated to a greater extent for groups who opt-in to the conflict resolution mechanism, but only when opting-in is costly. Although conflict rates are higher when opting-in is costly than when it is free or exogenously imposed, commitment problems are greatly reduced amongst those groups who choose to opt-in.
Prediction Markets In The Laboratory,
2013
Chapman University
Prediction Markets In The Laboratory, Cary Deck, David Porter
ESI Working Papers
"The idea that there is wisdom from the collective has been forcefully described in “The Wisdom of the Crowds” by James Surowiecki, who argues that the aggregation of information in groups results in better decisions than those that are afforded by any single member of the group. Markets, like opinion polls, are one mechanism for aggregating disparate pieces of information. The aggregation properties of prices were first noted by Hayek (1945) and were formally examined by Muth (1961). In particular, Hayek argues that market prices serve the purpose of sharing and coordinating local and personal knowledge, while Muth shows that …
The Impact Of Competition On Prices With Numerous Firms,
2013
Chapman University
The Impact Of Competition On Prices With Numerous Firms, Xavier Gabaix, David Laibson, Deyuan Li, Hongyi Li
ESI Working Papers
We use extreme value theory (EVT) to develop insights about price theory. Our analysis reveals detail-independent equilibrium properties that characterize a large family of models. We derive a formula relating equilibrium prices to the level of competition. When the number of rms is large, markups are proportional to 1= (nF' [F^-1 (1- 1/n)], where F is the random utility noise distribution and n is the number of rms. This implies prices are pinned down by the tail properties of the noise distribution and that prices are independent of many other institutional details. The elasticity of the markup with respect to …
Estimation Of Monthly Volatility: An Empirical Comparison Of Realized Volatility, Garch And Acd-Icv Methods,
2013
Singapore Management University
Estimation Of Monthly Volatility: An Empirical Comparison Of Realized Volatility, Garch And Acd-Icv Methods, Shouwei Liu, Yiu Kuen Tse
Research Collection School Of Economics
We apply the ACD-ICV method proposed by Tse and Yang (2011) for the estimation of intraday volatility to estimate monthly volatility, and empirically compare this method against the realized volatility (RV) and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) methods. Our Monte Carlo results show that the ACD-ICV method performs well against the other two methods. Evidence on the Chicago Board Options Exchange volatility index (VIX) shows that it predicts the ACD-ICV volatility estimates better than it predicts the RV estimates. While the RV method is popular for the estimation of monthly volatility, its performance is inferior to the GARCH method.
Testing Conditional Independence Via Empirical Likelihood,
2013
Singapore Management University
Testing Conditional Independence Via Empirical Likelihood, Liangjun Su, Halbert White
Research Collection School Of Economics
We construct two classes of smoothed empirical likelihood ratio tests for the conditional independence hypothesis by writing the null hypothesis as an infinite collection of conditional moment restrictions indexed by a nuisance parameter. One class is based on the CDF; another is based on smoother functions. We show that the test statistics are asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis and a sequence of Pitman local alternatives. We also show that the tests possess an asymptotic optimality property in terms of average power. Simulations suggest that the tests are well behaved in finite samples. Applications to some economic and financial time …
Variable Selection In Nonparametric And Semiparametric Regression Models,
2013
Singapore Management University
Variable Selection In Nonparametric And Semiparametric Regression Models, Liangjun Su, Yonghui Zhang
Research Collection School Of Economics
This chapter reviews the literature on variable selection in nonparametric and semiparametric regression models via shrinkage. We highlight recent developments on simultaneous variable selection and estimation through the methods of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso), smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) or their variants, but restrict our attention to nonparametric and semiparametric regression models. In particular, we consider variable selection in additive models, partially linear models, functional/varying coefficient models, single index models, general nonparametric regression models, and semiparametric/nonparametric quantile regression models.
