We examine the stability under learning (E-stability) of sunspot equilibria
in non-convex real business cycle models. The production technology is Cobb-
Douglas with externalities generated by factor inputs. We establish that, with a
general utility function, the well-known Benhabib-Farmer condition (Benhabib
and Farmer, 1994) – that the labor-demand curve is...
This dissertation investigates the effect of endogenous and exogenous events on firm behavior and performance. These are fundamental questions in economics. The contribution of this study is threefold. First, it provides estimates of the impact of mergers on railroad efficiency, which has important antitrust implications. Second, it provides new estimates...
This paper shows the first autocorrelation of basketball shot results is a highly biased
and inconsistent estimator of the first autocorrelation of the ex ante probabilities the
shots are made. Shot result autocorrelation is close to zero even when shot probability
autocorrelation is close to one. The bias is caused...
Biological invasions provide a unique opportunity to study the mechanisms that regulate community composition and ecosystem function. Invasive species that are also ecosystem engineers can substantially alter physical features in an environment, and this can lead to cascading effects on the biological community. Aquatic-terrestrial interface ecosystems are excellent systems to...
This study explores No Child Left Behind's required timetable for English language learners (ELLs) to reach English language proficiency within five years, as outlined in the Annual Measurable Achievement Outcomes (AMAOs), despite the lack of research evidence to support this as a reasonable expectation. Analysis was conducted on the archived...
Two essays are focused on crop choice and the growth of corn production in
the Corn Belt and surrounding areas. The first essay develops a partially
degenerate nested logit model to examine the effect of price islands and local
ethanol capacity on corn production and crop mix. The primary data...
This dissertation consists of two essays that address behavioral economics issues.
In first chapter we analyze the effects of psychological pressure on performance using National Basketball Association (NBA) free throw data from the 2002-2003 through 2009-2010 seasons. We find evidence that players choke under pressure – they shoot on average...
We explore the limitations of the CRRA utility speci cation as applied
to cake-eating problems. We construct a set of conditions under which cake-
eating problems have no optimal solution. Furthermore, we explore how agents
choose their consumption path when an optimization problem has no solution,
and suggest a method...
This thesis is devoted to determining structure results on a group relative to a subgroup, using information about the kernel of the boundary map of associated free resolutions. If Y is a CW-complex with homotopy type K(G,1) then for n ≥ 2 the nth skeletal homotopy module, hn(Y ) =...
Increased efficiency of household energy-using appliances effectively lowers the price of the services these devices provide. Basic consumer theory predicts that ceteris paribus, these lower prices will increase usage, thus making the effect on total energy demand ambiguous. In the literature, this phenomenon
has been called the rebound effect. In...