Trailer Park Economics
By Caitlin Gorback In this paper, we explore the various reasons behind the development of the American institution of trailer parks. The first two models arise in equilibrium, the last two respond to housing shocks. Models include “Bad Tenants” in which tenants and landowners contract to protect against bad neighbors, a basic “Capital Constraints model […]
Neighborhood Effects and School Performance: The Impact of Public Housing Demolitions on Children in North Carolina
By Rebecca Aqostino This study explores how the demolitions of particularly distressed public housing units, through the Home Ownership for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) grants program, have affected academic outcomes for children in adjacent neighborhoods in Durham and Wilmington, North Carolina. I measure neighborhood-level changes and individual effects through regression analysis. All students in demolition […]
The Comprehensive Optimal Business Location Model
By Mitchel Gorecki In order to ensure long run viability, a firm must understand the idea of optimal business location. In the designing of a strategy, it is important to not only evaluate the present market environment but to also account for possible future change. This paper will demonstrate the core ideas behind a comprehensive […]
Measuring the Likelihood of Small Business Loan Default: Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and the use of Credit-Scoring to Minimize Default Risk1
By Andrea Coravos Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) provide financial services to underserved markets and populations. Using small business loan portfolio data from a national CDFI, this paper identifies the specific borrower, lender, and loan characteristics and changes in economic conditions that increase the likelihood of default. These results lay the foundation for an in-house […]
Currency Crisis Early Warning Systems: Robust Adjustments to the Signal-Based Approach
By Andrew Kindman This research proposes and tests several novel strategies for enhancing the strength of conventional, signal-based currency crisis Early Warning Systems (EWS). Using country level, monthly macroeconomic time-series data, it develops an algorithmic process for identifying periods of elevated currency crisis risk and achieves robust results. The proposed changes to current EWS include: […]
Cell Phones and Cattle: The Impact of Mobile Telephony on Agricultural Productivity in Developing Nations
By Daniel Houghton This paper examines the impact of mobile telephony on productivity in developing nations. Previous studies have suggested that mobile phones have real impacts on economic outcomes in these countries. Using micro-data from Swaziland, Cambodia, and Honduras, this study looks to identify the effects of mobile phone ownership on household productive outcomes in […]
To Work or Not to Work? Labor Supply Decisions of Russia’s Disabled
by Aleksander Andreev Abstract By some estimates, almost 6% of Russians are officially disabled. The Russian government has announced the rehabilitation of disabled individuals into the labor force as one of its goals. This paper investigates labor supply decisions of Russia’s disabled using data from the cross-sectional NOBUS dataset. Particular emphasis will be made on […]
