Illuminating the Economic Costs of Conflict: A Night Light Analysis of the Sri Lankan Civil War
by Nicholas Kiran Wijesekera Abstract This paper investigates the economic consequences of the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009) by using event-based data on civilian and combatant fatalities in addition to night light imagery as a proxy for economic activity. By looking at regional economic activity across the island of Sri Lanka, this paper seeks to […]
Economic Effects of the War in Donbas: Nightlights and the Ukrainian fight for freedom
Paper available to internal Duke affiliates only upon request. Professor Charles Becker, Faculty Advisor Professor Grace Kim, Faculty Advisor JEL Codes: F51; H56; O52; N44 View Data
The Impact of Conflict on Economic Activity: Night Lights and the Bosnian Civil War
by Stephanie Dodd Abstract The tendency of violent conflict to suppress economic activity is well documented in the civil war economic literature. However, differential consequences resulting from distinct characteristics of conflicts have not been rigorously studied. Utilizing new conflict data on the 1992-1995 Bosnian civil war from Becker, Devine, Dogo, and Margolin (2018) and DSMP-OLS […]
The Impact of a Fixed Exchange Rate Regime on Growth and Volatility in an Oil-‐‑dependent Economy
By Shihab Osman Malik and Faisal Bandar Alsaadi This study examines the relationship between the fixed exchange rate regime, economic growth, and output volatility in oil-‐‑producing Saudi Arabia over the post-‐‑Bretton Woods period (1973–2016). We assess the implications of the current exchange rate regime on macroeconomic and growth performance, and evaluate its sustainability in the […]
Evaluating the Motivation and Feasibility Theory in Predicting the Onset and Severity of Civil Conflict
By Ishita Chordia This paper looks at 187 countries from 1960-2004 and explores the economic indicators of the onset and the severity of civil conflicts, where civil conflicts are described as small clashes that result in 25 or more battle deaths per conflict. For conflict onset, I test a model that uses the Motivation Theory […]
The Closed-End Fund Puzzle: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of U.S. Closed-End Fund Discounts
by David Lefty Abstract This paper examines the effect of systematic beta risk, expense ratios, and fund size on the cross-sectional variation of closed-end fund discounts. Using a methodology similar to that of Gemmill and Thomas (2002) and Flynn (2004) on a sample of 50 U.S. closed-end funds, the data indicate that expense ratios have […]
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PUERTO RICO: DOES CLASS SIZE MATTER?
by Eddy V. Leal Abstract Even though there is a large literature concerning the effects of class size on educational achievement, no previous research has formally examined the class size reduction policy in Puerto Rico. The evidence in this paper suggests that class size does not have a causal effect on student achievement in Puerto […]
Cultural Capital in Ghana How the cooperative maximizes its potential to create locally driven economic development in rural communities
by Dan Baum Abstract This paper demonstrates how cultural traditions and norms, or “cultural capital” can be used to spark local economic development in rural Ghana. I show that the cooperative fits especially well with rural Ghanaian cultural institutions and, as a result, is the economic structure best suited to maximizing the developmental potential found […]
Occupation Segregation and Gender Earnings Differentials in Slovenia
by Arup Banerjee Abstract In communist Europe, households needed at least two breadwinners to maintain a stable household income. Due to the relatively equal wage rate between men and women, there was a small, if any, wage gap between the two genders. Women and men chose different industries to work in due to their physical […]
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 […]
