Growth and Development Commons^™

A Lesson In Learning: Improving Learning Outcomes In India Via Pedagogical Innovation, Rhea Handa

Scripps Senior Theses

When delivered well, education is key to addressing a host of individual and societal ills, from poverty and disease to crime and poor voter engagement. India has demonstrated considerable progress in improving various aspects of its primary education system, including infrastructure and buildings, teacher-student ratios, and school enrollment. However, student learning outcomes remain consistently low across the country. A review of the literature surrounding learning outcomes has highlighted gaps in school instruction and has shown the dire need for innovations in pedagogy and curriculum to improve student learning. This paper assesses the long-term impact of one such pedagogy, called Teaching …

Voices Of Women: The Impact Of Women's Political Reservations On Female Child Mortality In India, Kohsheen Sharma

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper uses state-level variation in the implementation of the 73rd amendment in India to observe the relationship between political reservations for women in local government and female child mortality. Nationally, reservations for women are not associated with a statistically significant difference in female child mortality. However, a state by state analysis shows variations in the level of impact of reservations on the topic of female child mortality. This paper examines the constraints on female representatives and their level of effectiveness in executing pro-female policies given the political and social environment. The two case studies on Kerala and Haryana explore …

Unveil The Mysterious Reality Of Management Healthcare In China: A Case Study On Institutional Arrangement, Yasha Zhang

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis identifies and analyzes current problems in the healthcare market in China. Although many health indicators of China such as life expectancy and child mortality rates have improved significantly and suggest that the healthcare reform in China is successful, there have been many more reports of patient's violent attack towards the doctor, the sudden death of doctors, and decreasing doctor supplies that suggest otherwise. I observed that the relationship between doctors and patients are intense, doctors experience enormous working pressure, and many doctors are leaving the market. It makes me wonder how did government fail to improve its healthcare …

What Contributes To Winning Gold? A Cross-Section Analysis Of Olympic Success, Shannon Gay

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the relationship between Olympic success and economic factors, does it take more than just athleticism to win a medal at the Summer Olympic Games? This study is a cross-section analysis of eighty-three countries at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics who won at least one medal, using share of medals won at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games as the dependent variable and factors including gross domestic product, country population, life expectancy, HDI, host country status, political environment, and past Olympic performance as the independent variables. The results show that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between …

Impact Of Behavioral Finance/Economics On Investment Decisions, Vidur Relan

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the impact of certain behavioral and psychological factors on financial investment decisions. The study of behavioral finance underlines the impact of psychological elements on financial markets progression. This paper will further explain how certain cognitive and emotional factors influence irrational decision making by people. Generally financial investors have very limited number of deviations from rational behavior. They lay emphasis on taking rational decisions which are focused on achieving the maximum amount of returns from their investments with a certain degree of bearable risk involvement. The behavioral finance paradigm suggests that financial decisions are largely influenced by emotional …

A Data Analysis Of Fdi Inflows And Poverty Rates In Central America, Scott Jarrett

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the impact of Foreign Direct Investment on poverty rates in Central America. The study incorporates a data analysis to discover whether FDI improves (lowers) poverty rates in Central American countries. this paper found that FDI Inflows did have significant and positive impacts on life expectancy and household consumption while having no impact on infant mortality rate.

Effect Of Climate Change On Economic Growth In At Risk African Nations, Bryan Gilbert

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper looks at the possible negative effects climate change could create on the growth of at risk African Nations. This study takes known climate change metrics and puts them into an economic growth model to shine light on environmental issues becoming more prevalent in our world today. Climate change indicators will be modelled alongside economic growth indicators to paint a picture of the positive or negative effect that could slow African Nations’ Economies now and into the future. The results of this regression are predicted to be that the climate change indicators will have a negative effect on economic …

Official Development Assistance And Social Capitals Impact On Economic Growth, Thomas D. Hanley

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This study intends to increase the understanding of the impact social capital has on economic growth in countries that receive official development assistance. By analyzing these relationships further, it may be possible to develop strategies to increase economic growth and prosperity in these regions. The results show that economic growth is not contingent upon high levels of trust but trust rich environments conditions the effectiveness of oda in stimulating growth.

Does Night Skiing Save Ski Areas? A Survival Analysis, Andrew Krom

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper conducts a survival analysis on New England ski areas to examine the factors that cause a ski area to exit the industry. The main variable of interest in this case was whether or not the mountain conducted night time operations. Very specific criteria was used for the areas included in the study. This paper also suggests improvements that could be made to future studies on the subject.

Trade Dependence, Liberalization, And Exports Diversification In Developing Countries☆, Patrick N. Osakwe, Amelia U. Santos-Paulino, Berna Dogan

Journal of African Trade

This paper explores the relationship between trade, trade liberalization, and exports diversification in developing and Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The non-parametric analyses indicate that developing countries that are more open to trade (based on trade intensity) tend to have more diversified exports structures than those that are classified as less open. However, for SSA countries the non-parametric test shows that countries that are more open to trade have less diversified exports structures. Regarding the parametric analysis, the findings provide further evidence that trade liberalization, in the form of lower tariffs, contributes to exports diversification in developing countries, and the results …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Public Policy On Spatial Concentration And Company Linkages In The Martitime Sector, Eoin G. Moynihan

PhDs

Industry clusters (Porter, 1990, 1998b) have been the focus of numerous studies, and public policy programmes in recent decades (Ketels, 2013b). The maritime sector in particular has seen a number of maritime cluster organisations established in recent years as policy tools for regional development. Cluster analysis has focused on identifying and mapping clusters, yet comparatively little research has been undertaken on the optimal structure for cluster organisations (or initiatives) as additionality policy tools, to achieve the aim of strengthening cluster linkages and boosting the innovation capacity of cluster firms.

Therefore this research addresses the following questions:

1. To what extent …

Monitoring The Philippine Economy Year-End Report For 2017, Mitzie Irene P. Conchada, Won Hee Cho

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Growing at 6.7% in 2017, the Philippine economy realized robust full-year forecasts despite domestic and international economic challenges. Economic performance: Aggressive government spending on infrastructure projects, the growth of the manufacturing sector, and an uptick in the agriculture sector strengthen the Philippine economy.

Welfare-To-Work: The Effect Of Childcare Subsidies On Labor Force Participation Rates For Low-Income Single Mothers, Ariana Cubela

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The allocation of funding toward childcare has historically been debated due to conflicting views on the effect childcare subsidies have on low-income, single mothers. Some suggest that federal, state and local funding could put the money allocated for childcare subsidies to better use – or perhaps that there is no need for additional federal, state and/or local funding. However, there is sufficient evidence that children raised in a family structure with low-income single mothers may face long-term negative consequences not only socially, but also economically. An increase in labor force participation rates as a result of childcare subsidies not only …

Easing Growing Pains: Supporting The Growth Of Small Businesses In The Philippines, Paulynne Castillo

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

In explaining the 2015 survey findings that the Philippines has the second to the lowest existing business rate in the ASEAN region, the Philippine Entrepreneurship Report, 2015-16 stated that “business operations become more burdensome as they grow due to the more restrictive regulations on large enterprises” (Velasco et al., 2017, p. 40). Established businesses, particularly firms operating in the formal sector, shoulder higher taxes and are subject to social security contributions, minimum wage, and industry-specific regulations (Velasco et al., 2017; Auriol, 2014).

Strengthening early-stage entrepreneurial activities and supporting their quest for expansion, however, require access to financial, legal, and public …

Exploring Critical Success Factors Of Community Development Projects, Kevin Wanjama Muchiri

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The utilization of Community Development Projects in developing nations continues to increase in significance. In the wake of the latest Sustainable Development Goals, developing nations are working towards eliminating poverty, promoting sustainable cities and communities, gender equality, and health and well-being. Although Community Development Projects have become prevalent, the challenge has been that some are successful, while others fail. This dissertation investigates what makes Community Development Projects successful.

This dissertation implemented a comprehensive quantitative analysis using data collected from over one hundred community development projects obtained from The World Bank database. These projects took place in developing nations around the …

An Assessment Of The Sharing Economy And Its Policy Solutions Through The Lens Of Sustainability, Chloe An

Pomona Senior Theses

This senior thesis in environmental analysis explores the promise of sustainability of the sharing economy, its shortcomings from this positive potential, and possible policy solutions to help it reach its fullest, positive potential. At its core, the sharing economy enables shared access to goods and services that would otherwise sit in idle or underutilized capacity – popular platforms such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and craigslist all fall within the sharing economy. By enabling affordable and convenient access to goods that would otherwise sit idle, the sharing economy encourages maximal use of a good that already exists rather than seeking out …

Trade Openness, Government Spending, Institutions And Their Effects On Economic Growth In Selected Mena Countries, Saif Mohammad Alqahtani

Masters Theses

The objective of this study to examine how import, export, government spending, and institutions impact on economic growth. Of the four selected North African countries, (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), six periods of five years from 1985-2015, we used the panel data model. In this model, we used panel data which consist of random effect and fixed effect, based on Hausman test, we selected one of them. The GDP per capita growth was used as a dependent and import, export, government spending as independent main variables. Also, gross capital formation (GCF), inflation, population growth, and HDI which consist of life …

The Impact Of Fiscal Policy On Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence From Four South Asian Countries, Tasnia Symoom

Masters Theses

There is a constant debate about the effectiveness of fiscal policy on economic growth of developing countries. Policy makers in developing countries generally attempt to address socioeconomic issues such as poverty, unemployment, hunger, poor investment, and illiteracy while adjusting the levels of public spending and determining tax rates. This thesis examines the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth in four countries of South Asia. For reasons of data availability I choose four of these countries – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – for the period 1980 to 2016. I use the Error Correction Model (ECM) and Autoregressive Distributed …

Investigating The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Domestic Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study Of Kenya And South Africa, George Anaman

Masters Theses

In the progression towards economic growth, countries consider investment as a critical feature in raising productivity levels by boosting technological progress and reducing the unemployment rate. In recent years, the government of South Africa and Kenya have both enacted policies to entice Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the view of creating more jobs and bolstering the economy. However, in the bid to attract these foreign investors, FDI may either end up complementing or stifling local investments over time. From this perspective, the objective of the study is to investigate the impact of FDI on Domestic Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) …

Adaptation Of Customary Quechua Indigenous Political Organization In The Face Of Modern Resource Extraction: A Case Study In The Apurimac Region Of The Andes Of Peru, Yojana Miraya Oscco

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This research focused on the forms and structure of customary political organization in Quechua indigenous communities of the Peruvian Andes that extend from the villages to their associated migrant communities in the capital. As the mining industry has been expanding rapidly throughout the Andes in recent decades, describing the political organization of these remote communities is a key aspect of their negotiation practices with these external industries. This research was conducted utilizing grounded theory in a comparative case-study format by analyzing two villages and their associated migrant communities from the Andean District of Juan Espinoza Medrano. This research utilized a …