Intergenerational Economic Transfers and Wealth Inequality in the United States
by Parinay Gupta Abstract Using longitudinal data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 2007-2021, this paper investigates the role of economic transfers (inheritances and gifts) in asset accumulation processes of US households, in both short-term and long-term. Analysis is done through dimensions of race, wealth quartile, and age. Examining quartiles reveals significant wealth […]
Price Determinants and Depreciation of Used Cars Post-COVID-19
by Ayaan Sundeep Patel Abstract Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of used cars has fluctuated greatly due to numerous factors. Inflation and supply chain issues have been at the forefront of the news and have affected not only cars but most consumer goods. While the majority of society has seemingly progressed past COVID-19, its […]
Reconstruction following Destruction: Entrepreneurship in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
by Richard Lombardo Abstract Entrepreneurship is thought to be the engine of growth in many developing countries. There is, however, a paucity of evidence on the role that entrepreneurship plays in rebuilding economic livelihoods both in the short and longer-term in the aftermath of a large-scale shock. This is an important gap in the literature […]
Withdrawal: The Difficulty of Transitioning to a Cashless Economy
by Praneeth Kandula Abstract In 2021, modern payment methods such as mobile pay have increased nearly fivefold since their introduction in 2015. This shift to an increasingly cashless, digital economy has been marked by inequitable financial and technological divides. Historically, Black and Latino adults have had less access to financial systems and are less likely […]
Evolution of Wealth and Consumption in the Aftermath of a Major Natural Disaster
By Ralph Lawton Natural disasters can have catastrophic personal and economic effects, particularly in low-resource settings. Major natural disasters are becoming more frequent, so rigorous understanding of their effects on long-term economic wellbeing is fundamentally important in order to mitigate their impacts on exposed populations. In this paper, I investigate the effects of the […]
The Effect of Marriage on the Wages of Americans: Gender and Generational Differences
By William Song and Theresa Tong A substantial body of literature on the wage effects of marriage finds that married American men earn anywhere from 10% to 40% higher wages than unmarried men on average, while married American women earn up to 7% less than unmarried women, even after controlling for traits such as background, […]
Is Inclusionary Zoning a Proper Remedy for the Affordable Housing Crisis? —A Case Study of IZ Programs in New Jersey and North Carolina
By Xinchen Li The recent decade witnessed a worsening of the affordable housing crisis across the country. Inclusionary zoning (IZ) has been a popular municipal remedy for the crisis. However, it is unclear whether IZ actually adds to the affordable housing stock, and whether it achieves its goal at the expense of average homeowners. Through […]
Social Capital and Financial Development after Economic Shocks: Evidence from Italy after the Financial Crisis of 2007-2009
By Sujay Rao & Ethan Lampert Like traditional forms of capital, social capital – an intangible measure of an individual’s social networks, trust in institutions, and participation in civic life – has implications for personal and financial behavior. Individuals from educated, well established backgrounds with fruitful family ties may be more amenable to opening new […]
The Impact of Originality in a Transitioning Movie Industry
By Jacob Graber-Lipperman The thesis explores the increasing success of non-original films distributed through traditional theatrical releases, and asks whether new distributors, such as Netflix, may serve as better platforms for original content. A dataset incorporating the top 100 highest-grossing films at the domestic box office each year from 2000 to 2018, as well as […]