Martin Bronfenbrenner: An Economist in the American Occupation of Japan
By Michael Potts Martin Bronfenbrenner (1914-1997) was one of the last of a generation of generalist economists. His involvement in the U.S. Occupation of Japan changed his life and his career. This paper examines the mutually stabilizing relationship between his persona and his work in light of his experiences in Japan. Access to Bronfenbrenner’s previously […]
Martin Bronfenbrenner and Japan’s Post-WWII Economic Recovery
By Nitish Basandra This paper explores the economic recovery of post-World War II Japan through the eyes of the late Duke professor and American economist Martin Bronfenbrenner. Specifically, we address the period of US Occupation from 1947-1952, detailing how Bronfenbrenner sensitized America to Japanese economics. Along the way, Bronfenbrenner faced several obstacles as his loyalty […]
The Predictability of the Chilean Yield Spread as an Economic Indicator
By Cong Ding A country’s yield spread, defined as the difference between its long term and short term interest rates, has historically been used in developed countries as a proxy for projecting the economy’s future gross domestic product. Because interest rates are so liquid, data on rates are accessible and up to date. This means […]
Effects of Wages of Government Officials on Corruption in Developing Countries
By Vansh Muttreja In a world where a majority of countries are suffering from corruption, it is important to study the causes of corruption and how it can be removed. There are many factors that affect corruption, and the one that this thesis focuses on is wages. The goal of this thesis is to understand […]
Do Political Connections Help Firms Gain Access to Bank Credit in Vietnam?
By David Brunnell One of the major contributing factors to Vietnam’s macroeconomic instability has been the massive growth of credit inflows and its often inefficient allocations. Vietnam is in a state of economic transition from state-planned to open market based. The private sector has grown very rapidly but private firms’ demand for credit is still […]
A Superstar Dreaming: An economic analysis of the Aboriginal Desert Paintings Market
by Karen Francis Abstract Two artists each have total auction sales greater than AU$10 million in a single decade. In that same market and decade, over 20% of painters failed to sell a single painting offered at auction. There is no question that superstars dominate the Aboriginal Desert Paintings Market (ADPM) in Australia. But what […]
Measuring Capital Mobility in China: 1999 – 2005
by Huanjie Wang Abstract This paper examines the level of capital mobility in China during Jan. 1999 to Apr. 2006 by estimating the covered interest rate differentials during this time period. This study was made possible by data from the fairly newly established offshore RMB Nondeliverable Forward market. It concludes that China had not been […]
Analysis of Auction Price Risk: An Empirical Study of the Australian Aboriginal Art Market
by Ilya Voytov Abstract Auction theory economists have shown that auctions can be structured to maximize the expected revenue to the seller. In this thesis, I show that they can also be optimized to minimize the sellers’ risk through an understanding of the driving factors behind seller’s auction price risk. I derive a general form […]
The Senegalese Experience: Rethinking Fertility Theory for Highly Religious Societies
by Corinne S. Low Abstract Despite improvements, traditional fertility theory still remains unprepared to cope with developing countries, such as Senegal, where deep religious beliefs dictate a passive acceptance of natural fertility. Because of an unwillingness to use modern contraception, factors that can reduce fertility in these societies will be primarily factors that influence natural […]
