International Economics Commons^™

The Effects Of Varied Income And Education Levels On Divorce In The United States, Elizabeth Willmonton

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

In the past decade in the United States we have witnessed a surge in the divorce through the 21st century. Within the past decade these numbers have been slowing, leaving many asking for what the original increase was caused by. This paper looks into the possible driving variables for divorce in couples in the United States from the early 1970s to present. Using data from the Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics, our model will focus on dependent variable divorce and how factors such as income of wife and husband, age married, and education level; possibly impact divorce in couples. …

Corruption: Brazil's Everlasting Parasite, Patricia Vilhena

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore corruption in Brazil, how it has endured for so such a long period, and the effects it has in the country. Understanding the history of Brazil, how the government was established, and how the branches operate is crucial to comprehend the rooting causes of the Brazilian corruption. The focus is not just about what corruption is and the effects it has on education, economy, and infrastructure, but also on the factors that contributed to its expansion and the circumstances that allowed it to sustain until today. Brazil is a country known for …

Mortgage Finance Market And Housing Affordability In Urban Areas In Rwanda: A Case Of Kigali City, Samuel Iyandemye, Jonas Barayandema, Faustin Gasheja

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Rapid urbanization in Rwanda has considerably increased housing demand and the need for a dependable mortgage market. Unfortunately, the capacity of most people to afford to own homes from their own incomes is still a challenge as mortgages products are available at outrageous conditions making mortgage finance unaffordable. For better market readjustment, the effects or mortgage market factors on housing affordability in any locality should be properly evaluated. The objective of this study is to determine how mortgage finance market affects the affordability of housing in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. To attain this objective, data was obtained from …

Food Insecurity In Urban Slums: Evidence From Ibadan Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria, Oluwakemi A. Obayelu

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Food insecurity is a major challenge among the urban poor who reside mainly in slums. The prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among households living in urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria were therefore assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordered probit model. Food insecurity was found to be prevalent among the slum residents, with about 81% being food insecure. Nine out of every 10 (89.1%) households were male-headed. The largest proportion of the mildly food insecure (37%) household heads were less than 30 years old, while the largest proportion of moderately food insecure (45%) and severely food insecure …

Educational Expenditure And Economic Growth Nexus In Nigeria (1987-2016), Abiodun O. Ayeni, Osagie F. Omobude

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

This study empirically investigated educational expenditure and economic growth nexus in Nigeria using secondary and times series data from 1987 to 2016, sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other agencies and sources. Relevant statistical tools were employed in exploring the relationships between these variables. The random characteristics of the variables were tested using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) technique. The links among educational expenditure, education sectoral output and economic growth were tested via the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and bound test approach developed by Pesaran and Shin. Four research hypotheses were tested. …

Remittances, Institutions, And Inequality In Developing Countries, Karla Borja, Joshua D. Hall

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

The private transfers sent by immigrant workers back to their home countries, or remittances, can improve the development of recipient countries through poverty reduction, higher education, and new business formation. However, the effect of remittances on income inequality is still debatable. While some studies suggest that these transfers are sent to the poor, other investigations find that remittances are directed toward higher-income cohorts, widening the gap between rich and poor. This study provides new evidence about potential income inequality reduction driven by remittances and quality of institutions. For instance, weak institutions discourage the usage of remittances toward productive ventures, more …

Drivers Of Agricultural Productivity In Agriculture-Based Economy, Olatokunbo H. Osinowo, Rahman A. Sanusi

Journal for the Advancement of Developing Economies

Stagnation in agricultural productivity, especially in an economy with fast and persistently growing population, would compromise food security. This study examined the factors influencing agricultural productivity in an agriculture-based economy. The study used a 35-year period (1980 – 2014) panel data focusing on Agricultural Productivity (AP), Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Government Agricultural Expenditure (EXP), Agricultural Trade Barrier (ATB), Consumer Price Index (CPI), Farm Machinery (MACH), Fertilizer Consumption (FERT), Human Capital (HCAP) and Irrigation (IRRG). Data were analyzed using Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Panel Least Squares (PLS) regression technique. The IRF revealed that there was a positive and stable …

The Cultural Legacy Of Communism In Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Perceptions And Activity In Central And Eastern Europe, Amy Wu

CMC Senior Theses

Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this paper examines differences in entrepreneurial perceptions (fear of failure, opportunity perception, self-efficacy, public opinion) between CEE and non-CEE countries, before and after the 2008 recession, as well as the effects of these perceptions on entrepreneurial motivation and overall levels of activity. The results suggest that CEE countries have systematically more pessimistic outlooks in terms of fear of failure and opportunity perception, but no difference from non-CEE countries in self-efficacy and public opinion. Additionally, most of the difference in fear of failure and opportunity perception, along with an increase in necessity-motivated entrepreneurship, comes …

The Political Economy Of Participation In The Euro: A Case Study Of Italy And Germany, Thomas Schalke

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis analyses the political economy of the decision of Italy and Germany to participate in the euro. The emphasis is on understanding the economic rationales employed in each country in support of euro membership.

For Italy, the central argument is that Italy outsourced monetary policy management to the ECB in order to delimit deficient domestic policy making and import German monetary credibility. This transferred the costs of monetary orthodoxy to Europe, and the thesis briefly examines places where we might observe those costs.

For Germany, the argument is that, out of respect for the national humiliation and shame of …

The Role Of Conflict In Sub-Saharan Africa, Samy Lemos

CMC Senior Theses

Sub-Saharan Africa is the provider of many critical natural resources. With such resources, one would expect these countries to have thriving economies. Why is the opposite case true? To answer such a question, this paper examines a few critical causes that may justify the current economic situation these African countries are experiencing. Specifically, the paper observes the economic impact of civil war and terrorist conflict in sub-Saharan Africa from 1971 to 2016. To explore the changes in GDP per capita for all these years, this thesis sheds light on three independent variables: year of conflict, education level, and foreign direct …

Why Not Mexico? Policy Recommendations For A Globally-Oriented Economic Strategy, Víctor Manuel Hernández-Rodríguez

CMC Senior Theses

Mexico, one of the world’s largest economies and an increasingly relevant actor in international affairs, is at a crucial point in defining its future policy course. Given the uncertainty surrounding the global economy, as well as the political situation in Mexico, it is important to have a clear vision for policy going forward. This thesis offers a foundation for a national economic strategy with a long-term vision, upon which future administrations can build as appropriate to maximize on the country’s economic potential. The task is undertaken through a three-part approach. First, a thorough and analytical overview of the country’s economic …

Confucius Institute's Effects On China's Higher Education Exports: A Perspective From Cultural Difference And Institutional Quality, Donald Lien, Feng Yao, Fan Zhang

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

This article uses a panel data of international student flows to China from 2000–2014 to investigate Confucius Institute (CI)’s effects on China’s educational service exports. We find that CI, as a comprehensive platform for promoting Chinese language and cultural exchange, has a significant positive effect on China’s education exports. The effects of CI on China’s education exports are transmitted through promoting Chinese language, bridging cultural gaps, and reducing psychic distance. We further find that the effects of CI on China’s education exports are heterogeneous, depending on the level of cultural difference and institutional quality in the host country. The effects …

Three Essays On Exchange Rate And Capital Controls, Yaorong Lou

Theses and Dissertations--Economics

This dissertation consists of essays that study exchange rate pass-through, China’s de facto exchange rate regime, and China’s capital controls.

The first essay studies exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) by using a set of data from ten countries including four advanced economies and six Asian emerging markets. The price indices used in this essay include consumer price, producer price, import price and export price indices. While most literature only include the import price index, this essay also puts emphasis on the export price index. It investigates the asymmetry in the ERPT between depreciation and appreciation of domestic currency by using a …

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 …

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 …

The Euro Effect On Trade In The Emu Core And Periphery: A Pre And Post-Crisis Analysis, Kerri Harner

Honors Theses

As the world financial crisis hit Europe in 2008, the financial shock had asymmetric effects across the eurozone; by 2010, its effects led to a sovereign debt crisis in the euro area. The shock created a clear distinction between strong, core economies in the European Monetary Union (EMU), and a struggling indebted periphery that fared worse in the period of crisis. The sovereign debt crisis revealed inherent fragility in the EMU. In light of recent populist movements, the common currency is under unprecedented scrutiny. This study seeks to assess the euro effect on exports for a clearly distinguished EMU core …

Export Market Destination And Performance: Firm-Level Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa☆, Ousmanou Njikam

Journal of African Trade

This paper uses a novel manufacturing firm-level survey data in 19 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to explore the linkages among a number of export-market destinations (e.g., China, India, other Asia, EU, US, MENA, SSA excluding South Africa, and South Africa) and performance. The paper also examines differences between exporters and non-exporters performance and assesses self-selection. We find superior characteristics of exporters relative to non-exporters. Size, foreign ownership and past export experience enhance the propensity to export while continuing exporters outperform switching ones. Export destination matters: exporting to China leads to improvements in total factor productivity (TFP); India destination enhances the …

The Consequences Of Brexit For Africa: The Case Of The East African Community☆, Andrew Mold

Journal of African Trade

How will Brexit impact on Africa? This paper looks at the available empirical evidence and carries out a Computable General Equilibrium simulation, focusing particularly on the prospects for the East African Community (EAC). The paper makes three main points. First, while the direct impacts through investment, trade and remittances are likely to be relatively small, African countries may benefit from the creation of new export opportunities. However, these are mainly in resource-intensive sectors that are not considered a priority for the development agendas of most African countries. Second, indirect consequences, through Brexit's impact on the global economy, its influence on …

Informal Institutions And Comparative Advantage Of South-Based Mnes: Theory And Evidence, Pao-Li Chang

Research Collection School of Economics

This paper builds a theory to characterize the comparative advantage of South-based MNEs rooted in institutional qualities. MNEs headquartered in countries of poorer state institutions are hypothesized to invest more in `informal institutions', and as an optimal response, undertake FDI in countries of weaker institutions, all else being equal. At the aggregate, MNEs generate more net profits in countries of weaker institutions, the poorer the institutional environment at home. Extensive tests of the theory are conducted using bilateral FDI volumes for 219 economies in year 2001--2010. The results indicate a statistically significant and robust institutional complementarity effect in bilateral FDI …

Maduro Bonds, G. Mitu Gulati, Ugo Panizza

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.