Other Economics Commons^™

The Ascendance Of Influencers: Saints Of Capitalism In The Digital Age, Riley R. Hourihan

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This thesis examines the rise of social media influencers as modern-day saints within the cultural and economic framework of late capitalism. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from religious studies, media theory, and cultural criticism, it argues that influencer culture does not replace religion but retools its structures—ritual, authority, devotion, and community—for the digital age. Through detailed case studies ranging from Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift to Ballerina Farm and MrBeast, the paper explores how influencers shape identity, mediate ethics, and mobilize affect through algorithmic rituals and parasocial relationships. Influencers perform a form of digital sanctity that parallels traditional hagiography, guiding followers …

Sports Facilities, Trails, And Travel Cost: A Non-Market Valuation Case Study Of Parks In Montana, Clemens Walter Wilson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study applies the travel cost valuation method to urban parks in the State of Montana in an effort to determine whether parks with attributes related to exercise have greater value for recreationalists. By observing real recreation behaviour of urban park visitors through the use of cellphone mobility data, recreational demand for varying parks can be ascertained. To model recreational demand, the random utility model (RUM) and multinomial logit model (MNL) are leveraged to understand choice probabilities of parks, based on the attributes of parks, including sports facilities and trails. This study finds that there are positive and significant relationships …

The Impact Of Ambient Air Quality On Asthma Outcomes In California, Abigail Obour

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates the relationship between ambient air quality and asthma-related health outcomes in California, focusing on emergency department visits and hospitalizations from 2005 to 2022. Despite California’s strict air quality standards, individuals still face significant pollution challenges contributing to poor respiratory health, particularly among vulnerable populations. Therefore, this study looks at how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) affects asthma outcomes using panel data from 37 counties. A fixed effects regression model is employed to control for unobserved heterogeneities that are constant over time but vary across individual counties, ensuring robust estimates of the impact of pollution on health outcomes. This …

The Effects Of Chronic Absenteeism On Average Daily Attendance Funding In Humboldt County Elementary Schools, Corabelle A. Esmailian

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Chronic absenteeism is linked to poor academic performance and lower social-emotional skills, both of which can have long-term effects on students and their communities. The California Department of Education uses average daily attendance (ADA) to determine most of the funding that public schools receive. When a student is absent, their school loses a portion of potential funding for that day. This study explores chronic absenteeism’s impact on the funding of Humboldt County’s elementary schools with a sequential exploratory research strategy and critical systems lens. Interviews with elementary administrators were conducted using a phenomenological approach to understand how this affects their …

Modeling Inflation Expectations In Forward-Looking Interest Rate And Money Growth Rules, Zhengyang Chen, Victor J. Valcarcel

Faculty Publications

We propose a novel approach that directly embeds rational expectations (RE) into a low-dimensional structural vector autoregression (SVAR) without the need for any mapping to a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model. Beginning from a fully specified “consensus” structural model, we establish an instrumental variable procedure internal to the SVAR to obtain RE-consistent structural responses to identified monetary policy shocks. Our RE-SVAR framework facilitates a comparison across two alternative monetary policy indicators that accommodate long horizons in the formation of inflation expectations in the policy rule. We construct clouds of responses of inflation and economic activity to monetary …

Can Financial Inclusion-Based Interventions For Poverty Alleviation Build Sustainable Livelihoods? Voices From Mutual Solidarity Groups (Muso) In Haiti., Meera R. Bhat

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Scholars, policymakers, changemakers, and social workers have attempted to define, understand, and eradicate poverty. Its endurance raises the prospect that these efforts may be incomplete or faulty. This thesis will probe this concern by examining poverty and poverty alleviation programs through the lens of a holistic intervention-based framework known as the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF). The first paper introduces the SLF and uses it to undertake a conceptual analysis comparing demand and supply driven poverty alleviation interventions that are based on financial inclusion. Next it uses the SLF as a methodological tool to compare financial inclusion programs, as operationalized by …

Three Essays On The Socioeconomics Of Drinking Water Pfas Contamination, Nabin Babu Khanal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 15,000 synthetic compounds widely used for their resistance to heat, stains, grease, and water. While central to many modern conveniences, ingestion of PFAS is increasingly linked to adverse human health outcomes and are now detected globally in drinking water systems. This dissertation investigates three interrelated aspects of PFAS contamination in U.S. drinking water: (1) socioeconomic determinants and spatial patterns of contamination; (2) the economic impacts of contamination on residential property values; and (3) the effect of inconsistent PFAS regulations on public trust in environmental governance.

Using data from the U.S. …

Three Essays On Education And Health Economics, Kalvin Mudrow

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first chapter explores the impact of online education on student outcomes by comparing students pre-2020 school closures to students post-2020 school closures. Using student-level panel data from a large U.S. school district spanning 2017-2023 and two outcome variables, reading tests and end-of-level exams, I estimate the effects on different demographic groups, the dynamics of these effects over time, and how these effects differ across students ages. I find a significant decline in student performance after the move to online learning, with additional adverse effects on students who are classified as low-income, female, special education, or ELL. Mechanisms contributing to …

Equations To Predict Carbon Monoxide Emissions From Amazon Rainforest Fires, Sarah M. Gallup, Bonne Ford, Stijn Naus, John L. Gallup, Jeffrey R. Pierce

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Earth systems models (ESMs), which can simulate the complex feedbacks between climate and fires, struggle to predict fires well for tropical rainforests. This study provides equations that predict historic carbon monoxide emissions from Amazon rainforest fires for 2003–2018, which could be implemented within ESMs’ current structures. We also include equations to convert the predicted emissions to burned area. Regressions of varying mathematical forms are fitted to one or both of two fire CO emission inventories. Equation accuracy is scored on r², bias of the mean prediction, and ratio of explained variances. We find that one equation is best …

Leadership Awakening: Shifting Towards Eco-Consciousness Through Psychedelics, Ladana Edwards

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Corporate leaders, wielding influence and decision-making power over world resources and capital, are key drivers of systemic change to address current social, economic, and ecological crises. To address the myriad complex and interdependent crises, a transformative shift in consciousness is required in leaders and leadership teams, from ego-consciousness towards eco-consciousness, which can be supported through psychedelic experiences. Shifting towards eco-consciousness can facilitate holistic decision making and an expanded sense of leadership responsibility to the planet and all its inhabitants—ultimately supporting the creation of healthier eco-nomics in our Earth community.

Shifts towards leadership eco-consciousness have the potential to open up space …

The Importance Of The Safety Net Program For Informal Workers’ Food Security Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic In Indonesia, Rodhiah Umaroh, Amirusholihin Amirusholihin, Yuliawati Yuliawati

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This study examines the effects of social safety-net programs on food security among vulnerable groups, focusing on households with informal workers. Utilizing data from the High-Frequency Monitoring of the COVID-19 Impacts 2020 (HiFy) and estimates with the Longitudinal Propensity Score Matching (LPSM) method, the findings reveal that cash and food assistance significantly reduce food insecurity among informal workers’ households. The households receiving these safety net programs experienced an 8–11% lower probability of food insecurity compared to non-recipients, as indicated by the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) value. The study highlights the need for continued investment in inclusive and …

Striking A Balance: Market Shock & Responses In Automotive Components Manufacturing, Emma Lane Mcgahey

All Theses

This thesis examines the effects of extreme market shocks on supply chain dynamics within the automotive industry. Through an analysis of demand data from an automotive manufacturer to its component suppliers (January 2018 to May 2024), the study investigates the relationship between market shocks and supply chain responses, providing insights into how auto components inventory management handles downstream responses to market shocks. With supporting public data—from FRED, BLS, and the U.S. Census Bureau resources—we explore two primary relationships: the impact of market shocks on the Average Standard Deviation of Demand (SDO) and the effect of demand variability on expedited pricing …

Do Small Dollar Loans Increase Low Income And Minority Homeownership? Evidence From The Usda Section 502 Lending Program, Luke Petach

Faculty Scholarship

This paper investigates the impact of small dollar mortgage lending on housing affordability and homeownership in the United States. Using data on small dollar mortgage lending at the state level from the USDA Section 502 Lending Program and data on housing affordability and homeownership at the household level from the American Community Survey, I show that an increase in the number of small dollar mortgage loans per-capita at the state level is positively associated with homeownership and housing affordability, particularly for low income households and non-white households. For Black, non-Hispanic households, doubling the number of USDA Section 502 loans per …

From Shocks To Solidarity And Superstition: Exploring The Foundations Of Faith, Aidin Hajikhameneh, Laurence R. Iannaccone

ESI Publications

Additive shocks can substantially increase cooperation in otherwise standard public goods game experiments. We study shocks that randomly adjust players’ earnings by a fixed positive or negative amount reported at the end of each round. These adjustments change neither the return to players’ contributions nor the information about other group members. We compare results across four treatments that employ the same group-level adjustment algorithm but frame it differently, with pre-play descriptions that range from omitting all useful information to accurately revealing its 50/50 random nature. In each treatment, overall contributions run about 50% higher than those obtained in the standard …

How To Discipline Financial Markets: Reputation Is Not Enough, Maria Bigoni, Gabriele Camera, Marco Casari

ESI Working Papers

Historically, shocks originating in the financial sector often spilled over into the real sector with dramatic consequences. We study in the lab how interventions targeting disclosure and capital requirements of financial intermediaries can reduce insolvencies or prevent their negative effects from propagating to the broader economy. In our two-sector economy, consumers and producers can fund financial intermediaries, who, in turn, provide them with liquidity to settle trades. However, intermediaries may undertake risky investments and become insolvent, which depresses real economic activity. In the experiment, insolvencies were frequent. As a consequence, consumers and producers often refused to fund intermediaries, which lowered …

Future Trends In Halal Food: How Innovative Islamic Business Models Are Redefining The Indonesian Market, Jimmi Qizwini, Diki Gita Purnama

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

Indonesia, a leading actor in the global halal food market, is undergoing significant transformations driven by the adoption of innovative Islamic business models. These models, which seamlessly integrate Islamic ethical principles with contemporary market forces, are fundamentally reshaping the structural and operational landscape of Indonesia’s halal food industry. This study aims to systematically investigate emerging trends, evaluate the impact of these pioneering business models, and provide a comprehensive analysis of their influence on consumer preferences and industry practices. Through a descriptive literature review, the research synthesizes insights from academic discourse and case studies to offer a thorough understanding of these …

Subjective Well-Being Across The Life Course Among Non-Industrialized Populations, Michael Gurven, Yoann Buoro, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Katherine Sayre, Benjamin Trumble, Aili Pyhälä, Hillard Kaplan, Arild Angelsen, Jonathan Stieglitz, Victoria Reyes-Garcia

ESI Publications

Subjective well-being (SWB) is often described as being U-shaped over adulthood, declining to a midlife slump and then improving thereafter. Improved SWB in later adulthood has been considered a paradox given age-related declines in health and social losses. While SWB has mostly been studied in high-income countries, it remains largely unexplored in rural subsistence populations lacking formal institutions that reliably promote social welfare. Here, we evaluate the age profile of SWB among three small-scale subsistence societies (n = 468; study 1), forest users from 23 low-income countries (n = 6987; study 2), and Tsimane’ horticulturalists (n = …

Polarization In Multidisciplinary Perspective, Eugen Dimant, Erik O. Kimbrough

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

This article provides an introduction to and overview of the articles in the PNAS Nexus Special Feature on Polarization and Trust.

Measuring Norm Pluralism And Perceived Polarization In Us Politics, Folca Panizza, Eugen Dimant, Erik O. Kimbrough, Alexander Vostroknutov

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

Recent research has shown how norms shape political and economic decision-making. Much of this work assumes that a single norm influences the behavior of all people, but in fact, many situations are characterized by the existence of competing normative viewpoints. We apply a method for measuring belief in the simultaneous existence of multiple norms. Such multiplicity arises naturally when norms are associated with distinctive groups, and thus political polarization can be characterized, in part, as a product of diverging norms between groups. We thus assess the validity of our measurement technique by testing whether it can recover polarization on seven …

Political Ideology, Emotion Response, And Confirmation Bias, David L. Dickinson

ESI Publications

Motivated reasoning can serve to help resolve emotional discomfort, which suggests emotion as a likely moderator of such reasoning. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by examining emotion and confirmation bias in the political domain. Results from two preregistered studies, which involved over 900 unique participants, document a confirmation bias across distinct dimensions of belief and preference formation. Also, ideologically dissonant information significantly worsens self-reported emotion. With some exceptions, the evidence generally supports the hypothesis that negative emotion moderates the strength of the bias, which highlights the importance of emotion response in understanding and potentially counteracting confirmation bias.