PhD Dissertations in Public Policy

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Better settings for better education: does decentralization work?
(2006) Robles Peiro, Héctor; Ward, Peter M.
This dissertation examines the effect of decentralization on coverage and efficiency of basic education in Mexico. It evaluates whether the transfer of educational responsibilities, resources, and decision-making power to subnational governments is associated with better educational outcomes. The effects of the reform are estimated at the national and the state level using multivariate statistical techniques, and help to unveil the reasons explaining the observed results and outcomes. Three dimensions of explanation are discussed: the institutional setting present in each state before the reform; the role of national compensatory programs after decentralization; and the level of social capital existing in the different regions of the country. The study is based on the educational production function framework. For the analysis, the educational system is understood as a black box where inputs are transformed into outputs by unknown processes, given certain technological setups, organizational structures and institutional settings. At a particular point in time a treatment variable called decentralization is included in the “black box” modifying the processes that generate the educational outcomes such that it is possible to tease out if these outcomes are affected by the treatment. The dissertation also presents a case of study developed using qualitative methods of research such as semi-structured interviews with parents, teachers and public officials, that explores if decentralization effects at the state level are influenced by the state governments capacity to innovate and improve organizational processes after the educational reform; by the level of social participation in education; and by the role of the union of teachers in obstructing or enhancing subsequent educational changes. Results suggest the effect of decentralization is not homogeneous among states and that it varies according to the educational level that is being looked at. The differences are explained by the presence or absence of a state-based educational system before the reform and by the intervention of the central government through compensatory actions. In addition, findings suggest that a favorable institutional and political setting at the state level, coupled with the strengthening of local capacities and a process of educational innovation, will enhance the success of decentralization.
Children's disability policy in Canada, the United States and Mexico: a question of convergence
(2001-08) Baker, Dana Lee; Rodríguez, Victoria Elizabeth
The guiding purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationships between the development of national social policies and the implementation of international frameworks created through multi-national trade agreements. By conducting an in-depth case study of policy designed to address society’s needs associated with children with disabilities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, this dissertation discusses whether or not the framework created through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has resulted in greater social policy and philosophical convergence among these nations than existed before NAFTA. The evidence supporting the dissertation is drawn from data collected through interviews, observation, historical analysis of policies, content analysis, and statistical analysis. The analysis of the data leads to the conclusion that convergence is occurring between the special education and other children’s disability policy in the three countries. This policy harmonization is shaping along the lines of philosophical federalism with increasingly decentralized management and program accountability mechanism.
Creditor committee composition in bankruptcy court : an empirical study
(2011-08) Forero, Andres; Gamkhar, Shama; Granof, Michael; Stolp, Chandler; Buckley, Cynthia; Dickerson, A. Mechele
Creditor committees have been characterized as the “watchdogs” of the bankruptcy reorganization process of large companies. Not only do creditor committees have broad statutory powers to oversee the debtor and its management, but they also play a key role in preventing abuses by professionals and other participants in the often complex corporate bankruptcy process. Furthermore, recent research has provided evidence of abusive fee practices in large corporate bankruptcy cases which point to failures in the oversight mechanisms of the process. This dissertation examines the role of creditor committees in the bankruptcy process and in selected outcomes of this process, with a focus on fees paid to bankruptcy professionals. Based on a unique data set comprised of 1,037 bankruptcy cases over the period 1999-2008, the research first examines committee characteristics along three separate dimensions of analysis: individual characteristics of members serving on committees; changes of committee composition over the life of the committees; and social characteristics of committee interlocks. The Calpine bankruptcy case is used throughout this dissertation to illustrate the research. This research finds a dense network of interlocks that dominates large cases, with financial industry members being significantly more likely to serve on multiple committees than non-financial industry members. Analysis of the data shows that over 50% of creditor committees are never amended and there are no systematic recompositions of the remaining committees. A test of small-world topology in the member creditor committee network fails to show a strong small-world structure in the member social network once it is corrected for imposed network topology. This dissertation then employs econometric models to evaluate whether creditor committee variables help explain professional fees in large bankruptcy cases. It finds a statistically significant and positive relationship between the social centrality measure of the creditor committee case and the professional fees paid. This finding points to potential conflicts of interest among the repeat creditor committee players and their constituents. The research fails to find a significant relationship between the presence of financial firms in creditors’ committees and professional fees paid in the case. The dissertation concludes with policy recommendations and suggestions for further research.
Cumulative effects assessment and sustainable development under the National Environmental Policy Act
(2004-12) Senner, Robert Glenn; Ward, Peter M., 1951-
This dissertation presents a clear and systematic method for conducting cumulative effects assessments in the United States in a manner consistent with the 1997 guidelines of the President's Council on Environmental Quality and the 1999 guidance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Federal Activities. This method has been developed in a collaborative process with federal and State of Alaska regulatory agency scrutiny during the renewal of the federal and state right-of-way leases for the Trans Alaska Pipeline System in 2004 and in the June 2004 Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Final Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region. The dissertation describes the process through which the cumulative effects assessment method presented here was developed and presents this approach as a predictive tool with the potential to improve the implementation of sustainable development in the United States. In this context, the dissertation presents an overview of sustainability theory, distinguishing and reviewing representative examples from two major sectors of the sustainable development literature, called here the intergenerational equity strand and the human development strand. It identifies weaknesses in three key areas of the intergenerational equity strand -- lack of theorectical cohesion, insufficient tools for implementation, and an imbalance between normative goals and practical feasibility -- and argues that the human development strand, with its empirical emphasis on metrics and institutional frameworks, offers a model that can serve as a basis for unifying the two strands by providing a theoretical core, implementation tools, and practicable goals. Finally, the dissertation argues that sustainable development is implemented most effectively when it is enabled by institutions that facilitate public involvement, particularly participation by the broadest feasible representation of the affected stakeholders, and that such institutional mobilization can provide a stable and enduring basis to foster the intergenerational equity that is the central, distinguishing feature of sustainability.
Decentralization, electoral competition and local government performance in Mexico
(2005) Moreno, Carlos Luis; Ward, Peter M.
This dissertation investigates the factors that cause local governments in Mexico to improve their performance. Drawing on a variety of theoretical frameworks, the study concentrates on the ability of competitive elections to motivate policymakers to enhance the quality of local governance, under the assumption that the threat of being removed from office compels local governments to be more accountable to their electorate. In the Mexican case, where the consecutive reelection of local mayors is constitutionally forbidden, it is hypothesized that the connection between electoral competition and government performance stems from the motivation of municipal presidents to assure the victory of their party in the subsequent election. In addition, the dissertation analyzes to what extent the variations in local government performance are explained by demanddriven factors, such as better educated and highly mobilized citizens. The four performance dimensions analyzed in the study are the rates of coverage of basic services under the responsibility of municipal governments, the willingness and ability of municipal officials to build up the institutional capacity of local bureaucratic apparatuses, the formulation of local spending choices, and the enforcement of taxing authority. The hypotheses in this dissertation are tested with the aid of multivariate statistical techniques on the basis of data covering the majority of Mexican municipalities throughout the period 1990-2001. The research also involved the use of qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews with state and local officials, and a focus group. The empirical evidence reveals that competitive elections have expanded the policymaking autonomy of local governments, and also have started to encourage them to increase their levels of investment on public works. In addition, the findings demonstrate that higher rates of basic literacy and voter turnout encourage local authorities to increase the provision of basic services, highlighting the fact that governments are substantially responsive to the pressures of mobilized citizens. However, a highly mobilized political environment may obstruct the institutionalization of municipal governments, particularly when they face strong incentives to use patronage for the allocation of public resources.
Demographic diversity in the measurement and meaning of unintended pregnancy
(2014-08) Aiken, Abigail R. A.; Osborne, Cynthia Anne, 1969-; Potter, Joseph E.
Unintended pregnancy is a significant public policy issue in the United States, yet current understanding of the measurement and meaning of women’s pregnancy intentions is incomplete. The aim of this dissertation is to provide new theoretical insight into women’s childbearing intentions and feelings about pregnancy, particularly when these two measures appear to be incongruent (i.e. women report feeling happy about pregnancy, but at the same time report wanting no more children). Incongruence is particularly common among Hispanic women, and current literature tends to view such women as ambivalent, assuming that they lack a clear and strong desire to avoid conception. Ambivalence, in turn, has been linked to less effective contraceptive use. Using a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation examines the hypothesis that incongruent intentions and feelings are not necessarily a reflection of ambivalence but rather two distinct concepts: women may be quite resolute about avoiding future pregnancies, yet for various reasons still express happiness at the prospect of a pregnancy. In Chapter 1, we examine prospectively measured happiness and intentions among a cohort of Latina pill-users at the U.S.-Mexico border, providing evidence that feelings of happiness about pregnancy may co-exist with effective use of contraception and with plans to continue method use long-term to prevent conception. In Chapter 2, we investigate the relationship between happiness and contraceptive desires, demonstrating that women with incongruent intentions and feelings often desire highly effective or permanent methods that they do not have the ability to access. Finally, in Chapter 3, we explore the concepts of happiness and intentions and the factors underlying each from women’s own perspectives through in-depth interviews, and provide a range of explanations for why happiness about pregnancy may be expressed even when another child would be a significant financial or emotional burden. Findings strongly suggest that automatically classifying women with incongruent intentions and feelings as ambivalent may lead to inaccurate measurement of unintended pregnancy, hinder understanding of the difficulties these women face in obtaining effective contraception, and limit the ability to devise strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy and address disparities across racial and ethnic groups.
Economic inequality, policy and performance in the formal sectors of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile : evidence from regional and sectoral data, 1994 to 2007
(2011-05) Spagnolo Mecle, Laura Tatiana, 1977-; Galbraith, James K.; King, Christopher T.; Roberts, Bryan R.; Sakamoto, Arthur; Ward, Peter
This dissertation focuses on trends in pay inequality in the formal sectors of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile from the early 1990s into the latter part of the first decade of the new millennium. In-depth, single-country studies of inequality of each country of study seek to understand and explain the sources of movement in inequality in each country, relating changes in inequality to shifts in the relative roles of key economic sectors and geographic jurisdictions. In addition to these single-country studies of inequality, this dissertation develops a regional perspective on the dynamics of inequality by synthesizing findings from the three countries of study, identifying both commonalities and differences. This dissertation also evaluates the relationship between trends in inequality and the macroeconomic policies and factors that influence them. By eschewing the inequality of household incomes and focusing instead on measures of inequality in the underlying distribution of pay, this dissertation presents empirical evidence that fluctuations in countries' inequality levels are intrinsically related to macroeconomic factors. This dissertation applies Theil's T statistic, which belongs to the family of generalized entropy inequality measures, to develop new measures of economic inequality. The calculations presented in this dissertation are performed on data obtained from semi-aggregated datasets in which employment and average wage data organized by economic sectors and geographical jurisdictions, as derived from administrative records. Sectoral analysis shows that the changing levels of overall inequality are explained to a great extent by variations in the performance of a reduced number of "key" high-pay sectors, especially finance, extractive industry and civil service. In terms of the dynamics of geographic distribution, the role of these key sectors is observed in the driving role played by key geographic units: those composed of, or containing, the countries' main metropolitan centers, and those with high concentrations of economic activity in extractive industries.
The effect of the policy of reconstitution on student achievement in Texas
(2015-12) Cumpton, Gregory, 1972-; Lincove, Jane Arnold; King, Chris; Reyes, Pedro; Stolp, Chandler; Triesman, Uri
The failure of schools across the country to ensure students meet federal, state, and community standards continuously plagues the education system. More than a quarter of all schools in the nation failed to meet federal requirements in 2007, with 38% failing to do so in 2010. By 2011 that figure rose to nearly 50%. Failing schools ostensibly produce failing students who experience poorer outcomes than their peers including reduced earnings over their lifetime. A potential solution to failing schools is to reconstitute them. School reconstitution requires all staff at a failing school to reapply for their positions with the stated aim of improving student achievement. Started as a court-mandated desegregation action in San Francisco in 1983, school reconstitution quickly spread across the country in the 1990s. Incorporated into local and state accountability systems, scholars estimate thousands of schools reconstituted between 1983 and 2011. Despite its prevalence, information regarding how reconstitution began, spread, and made its way into Texas statute is scarce and theories related to why reconstitution should improve student performance lack cohesion. Even worse, little to no quantitative evidence demonstrates whether reconstitution improves student achievement. This dissertation takes advantage of a Texas law passed in 2003 mandating that schools failing to meet state standards for two years in a row must reconstitute. Estimated effects of reconstitution on student achievement apply state-wide student and school data between 2003 and 2011. Several methods, including regression discontinuity and student-level fixed-effects determine whether reconstitution improves student achievement and if developed theories explain this improvement. Discussion includes national, state, and local policy recommendations.
The effects of international trade on national sovereignty: the case of the Central American Common Market
(2003) Bomba, Michael Stephen; Stolp, Chandler.
The globalization of economic activity has caused some to declare that national borders no longer matter and, therefore, the nation-state has become irrelevant. Others argue that globalization has weakened the nation-state and has made it susceptible to the economic interests that control the global economy. Regardless, countries have become increasingly integrated into the global economy over the past two decades; they have also organized themselves into various regional trading blocs. This study contributes to the debate of how globalization and regionalization have affected the sovereignty of the world’s nation-states, by investigating the effects of the Central American Common Market (CACM) on the national sovereignty of its member countries. To accomplish this goal, the study employed a battery of empirical and qualitative analyses to address three primary questions. First, does the existence of the CACM conflict with the nation-state, resulting in the formation of a de facto, supra-national boundary? Second, does the CACM’s legal and institutional framework possess the strength to compete and challenge the authority of the nation-state? And, third, does regional identity or economic integration strengthen the CACM in its challenge of the nation state? To determine the existence of a de facto, supra-national CACM boundary, the study employed a gravity model to determine its existence and to measure its effect. To understand the ability of the CACM to successfully challenge the authority of its member states, the research included interviews of individuals working at Central America’s multinational institutions, national governments and organizations representing its private-sector. The findings of the empirical analyses did show, from several geographic perspectives, a supra-national CACM boundary between 1980 and 1997. However, despite these findings, there was significant evidence gathered during the interviewing process to question whether this border actually exists. The Central American countries have been unwilling to give up more than the minimal amount of national sovereignty necessary to make the CACM work. Therefore, the findings of this research suggest that participation in the Central American Common Market agreement has not threatened the national sovereignty of its member nation-states.
Emotional and Spiritual Security
(Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, 1960) McDanald, Eugene C. Jr.
An empirical evaluation on how regulatory and market factors affect title insurance charges
(2013-05) Zou, Beibei; Eaton, David J.
The objective of this dissertation is to evaluate how regulatory and market factors affect title insurance charges in different states. As substantial components of home purchase closing costs, title insurance charges have been controversial for decades, and both practitioners and analysts have pointed out apparent variations in title insurance charges among states. Although existing studies have suggested a set of regulatory and market factors as explanations for these among-state variations, empirical evaluations are limited. To fill in this gap, this dissertation empirically assesses whether these factors influence title insurance charges. The research outcomes of these dissertation indicate that after taking into account market factors such as services included in title insurance charges, title-related losses, property values, state populations, home sale volumes, housing prices, and income levels, regulation styles can still partially explain the title insurance charge variations in different states. In particular, states with promulgation regulation can have a higher average title insurance charge than states allowing free competition. This dissertation also tests whether regulation affects title insurance charges by influencing competition in the market and whether regulators' characteristics are related to the effect of regulation on charges. The test results imply that appointed commissioners can be associated with a higher average title insurance charge than elected commissioners. This dissertation provides insights into the title insurance regulatory reform in different states. More broadly, one methodology (multiple model for change) used in this dissertation simultaneously assesses regulation's over-time and state-by-state effects on title insurance charges, which contributes to the development of regulation evaluation methods. The outcomes of this dissertation can also provide empirical evidence to the theoretical debate of regulation versus competition.
Essays in economic development and conflict
(2004) Ali, Hamid Eltgani, 1962-; Galbraith, James K.
My dissertation consists of three chapters dealing with issues related to economic development and conflict. The first and second chapters discuss military expenditures and inequality from global and regional perspectives. The third chapter focuses on the impact of wars on relative wages in the food sector. In the first chapter we show that a substantial body of literature has uncovered a robust relationship between institutions-including unionization and political democracy- and economic inequality. This first chapter examines the effect of military spending on inequality controlling for the size of armed forces, GDP growth, per capita income and other possible determinants. Using a panel regression with country level observations from 1987-1997, we obtained consistent estimates that there is a positive effect of military expenditure on pay inequality. This relationship is robust across variable definitions and model specification. Given the close relationship between pay and income this result suggests that a country’s reduction in military spending could reduce income inequality. Studying the inequality of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries provides an opportunity to assess factors that shape the countries’ suc- cess in distributing the wealth by looking beyond simple measures of wealth creation. This second chapter examines two issues presented in the first chapter with more emphasis on the regional dynamics. The empirical results indicate that again the military spending has strong and positive effect on inequality. A systematic reduction in military spending could reduce the level of inequality since it frees resources for other social and economic development programs. The final chapter introduces a new perspective in considering the impact of wars on relative wages in the food sector. In a state of war people are at risk of losing one of their most basic rights — food. Millions may live in the shadow of famine and poverty. Micro-level analyses of "food-cost ratio" during civil or international wars give us insight into governments’ ability, or inability to mobilize the resources to counter the danger of hunger and famine. Understanding the factors that make the food-cost ratio rise may help to formulate policy responses that mitigate human suffering in wartime environments. Therefore, this paper examines two questions: first, the effect of wars on the food-cost ratio; second, what are policies likely reduce the food-cost ratio? To answer these research questions we use panel data for 50 countries from the 1960s to the 1990s. The results of this paper will show that civil wars positively affect the food-cost ratio, while international wars apparently do not. The policy implication of this analysis is that in the event of a civil war, policy makers lack the resources to exert control on rising food-cost ratio. A rise in the food-cost ratio could be translated into higher food prices or lower purchasing power over food, either of which may havedevastating impacts on social and economic well-being. In the event of an international war, as opposed to civil war, governments have a greater capacity to prioritize and mobilize resources. Food imports remain an effective tool to reduce the rise in the food-cost ratio.
Finding a reasonable aquifer yield : support methods for groundwater policy in Texas
(2013-05) Petrossian, Rima; Eaton, David J.
Managing groundwater can be difficult because there is no common perspective among stakeholders about what they wish for their desired future conditions (DFCs) for Texas' aquifers. Conflicts over how to manage aquifers, whether to mine or sustain groundwater levels are complicated by diverse state and local approaches. This dissertation proposes a decision support method to derive acceptable future aquifer conditions through engaging stakeholders by combining five processes: landowner surveys, stakeholder and decision maker focus groups, contingent valuation, system element identification and scenario-testing. Surveys of water users identified conflicts among water users and decision makers' preferences. For example, how much is groundwater worth in Texas? Responses to two survey questions revealed a willingness to buy groundwater for an average of $2,872 per acre-foot. Most landowners most did not want to sell groundwater at any cost. Those willing to sell revealed an average of $4,069 per acre-foot. A survey of landowners and decision makers indicated that 41 percent of landowners indicated that no new users be issued permits to support stable Trinity Aquifer groundwater levels. Meanwhile, the decision makers chose a DFC of a 30 foot drawdown in the Trinity Aquifer over 50 years. Stakeholder surveys identified the 'best groundwater decision makers' as being the stakeholders or well owners, yet 75 percent of the decision makers preferred the groundwater conservation district board presidents. This suggests that stakeholders would prefer to be the decision makers rather than being asked for their preferences. One decision-maker focus group identified 12 elements representing their understanding of the DFC process. These elements form a system information diagram or preference map. Such a map can help identify alternative pathways for solving problems in the decision process. These complexities remain challenging as Texas moves toward more local regulatory control, more competing interests, and less certainty about Texas' future groundwater supply.
Flexibility in European wage structure and its implications for the European unemployment
(2008-12) RoyChowdhury, Deepshikha; Galbraith, James K.
This dissertation, titled “Flexibility in European Wage Structure and its implications for the European Unemployment,” studies the problem of high rates of unemployment in Europe during the last few decades through the optic of European wage behavior. It examines the European wage structure – within and between European countries – to find out factors that drive wages and thereby, unemployment rates in European countries. A conventional view of European problem of high unemployment argues that European wages are explained by cross-country differences in certain labor market policies and institutions, and that the policies and institutions at the country-level are the principal source of the problem. This dissertation argues instead that European wages are explained by differences in macroeconomic performances and in levels of international competitiveness between countries and also between sectors within the countries, and by certain continental and global level factors, and that a full understanding of the effects of those factors is necessary to explain the European problem of high unemployment. By applying numerical techniques, namely a combination of cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, this dissertation finds that European wages are driven by factors pointed out by the dissertation, which also explain the high rates of unemployment in Europe over the last few decades.
From chaos to harmony : public participation and environmental policy
(2011-12) Dulay, Marcel; Eaton, David J.; Rodriguez, Victoria E.; Spelman, William G.; Browning, Larry D.; Maxwell, Madeline M.
Water quality issues in the Leon River watershed in Texas exemplify the challenges water resource managers and the public face in the ongoing effort to improve water quality in our nation’s water bodies. Some pollutant sources are difficult to regulate and likely managed through non-regulatory means, such as voluntary action. The Leon River challenge is how to go beyond regulations to address the concerns of citizens and produce options they want to develop and implement voluntarily that address a common good. This dissertation argues that voluntary measures work only if those who must take action support the action, otherwise conflict can occur. Thus, it is critical to learn what people are willing to do to promote the public good (e.g., swimmable streams). This can be achieved through an effective public process. Public participation processes may have barriers that impede success, such as inadequate access, intimidation, competing interests, limited accountability, and scientific mistrust. This dissertation developed process enhancements to overcome these barriers based on documented public participation principles. This research tested whether specific enhancements can improve the quality of a public process and achieve desired process outcomes. This dissertation reports on quasi-experiments with stakeholders making actual environmental decisions. The findings suggest that these enhancements are capable of reducing conflict and reducing the time to produce environmental policy. Five process enhancements (representation, film, narratives, deliberative decision-making, and decision support) were put into operation to provide options for government agencies and stakeholders to consider when undertaking public participation processes. The lack of access can be avoided by giving stakeholders voice with representation through different types of meetings levels (e.g., focus groups and town hall meetings). Films, when captured, edited, and shown to others, can remove the mechanisms typically associated with the intimidation perceived by speakers during discussions. Narratives were used to collect information about stakeholders to develop a deeper understanding of the diversity of interests affected by a policy, avoiding gridlock from positional bargaining. Deliberative decision-making (no voting) can assure stakeholders have real and equitable decision-making power, with scenarios collaboratively developed that address the common good. Application of a decision support system (DSS) as an overlay to a scientific model can provide stakeholders direct access to science so they can develop scenarios, evaluate alternatives, and choose solutions.
From growth-based to people-centered : how Chinese leaders have modified their governing strategies to sustain legitimacy in the reform era
(2013-12) Zhang, Wenjie, active 2013; Galbraith, James K.
This dissertation analyzes changes in the ruling strategies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the context of economic reforms, beginning in 1978. By employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this dissertation investigates how Chinese leaders have utilized legitimating strategies, while modifying their governing strategies, in order to a) solidify the population, b) consolidate ruling authority and c) maintain political and social stability. Specifically, this dissertation looks at how Chinese policymakers have developed effective public policies in response to rapidly rising wage inequality, one of the most pressing problems undermining the CCP’s ruling authority. By providing an original estimate of China’s wage inequality and analyzing the government’s response to it, this dissertation provides a unique look at how the CCP has transformed government functions from growth-based to people-centered to meet various social, political and economic challenges. A comparative statistical analysis helps illustrate the philosophical roots and sources of the CCP’s political legitimacy. The technique of Theil Statistics is applied to measure China’s wage inequality during the reform period. A multivariate hierarchical regression analysis is employed to measure the impact of rising inequality on Chinese society. Two models on social welfare system reform are studied in order to understand Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao’s people-centered governing philosophy and the rationale for constructing a service-oriented government.
The influence of neighbors in technology adoption: evidence from farmers in Pakistan and Malawi
(2006) Serajuddin, Umar; Wilson, Robert Hines
This dissertation analyzes the importance of economic and information related barriers to technology adoption, with an emphasis on the role of interpersonal information exchange among social and physical neighbors. The two studies that make up the dissertation are based on the IFPRI Pakistan Panel Survey, 1986-91, and the Malawi Integrated Household Survey, 1997-98. Our research attributes communication or information factors for the slow adoption of new high yield variety (HYV) wheat seeds in Pakistan, and economic or production constraints for the slow adoption of hybrid maize seeds in Malawi. In Pakistan, the usual economic or production related constraints do not appear to hinder adoption since capital requirements for the new technology are only modestly higher. Rather, the slow adoption of new HYV seeds is attributable to a paucity of reliable information regarding the subtle advantages of the new technology. Conversely, in Malawi, the new hybrid maize seed technology is starkly superior to the previous technology, and though farmers are cognizant of these conspicuous differences, they lack the capital to make the conversion. The Pakistan study shows that farmers’ attitudes toward the adoption of new HYV wheat seeds are inter-dependent. Interestingly, farmers appear to be more strongly influenced by their social peers rather than physical neighbors. Social peers are defined as farmers within the same village who share similar economic and social standing, i.e., belong to the same land ownership group. However, there is no evidence of such learning externalities across farmers in different socioeconomic (land ownership) groups. This segregated communication network can potentially lower economic productivity – farmers communicate less across socioeconomic classes contributing to the slow diffusion of new productivity-enhancing technologies. Since the local societal setup in Malawi does not lend itself to a socioeconomic definition of neighbors, the Malawi study focuses on physical neighbors only. We find that physical neighbors likely do not strongly influence household adoption decisions in Malawi. Our findings are consistent with the contrasting agricultural environments in Pakistan and Malawi and reflect the different stages of agricultural development and the distinctive characteristics of the new technologies introduced in these two countries.
Intergenerational transfers over the adult life cycle in three European welfare state regimes
(2013-05) Mudrazija, Stipica; Angel, Jacqueline Lowe
Rapid population aging driven by increasing life expectancy and falling birthrates has resulted in substantial increases in the old-age dependency ratio and decreases in the ratio of workers to retirees in all developed nations. In this context, some policymakers look to the support role of the family to moderate the effects of potentially shrinking public support. Yet, relatively little is known about the flow of transfers between family generations across the life cycle or the influence of public policy on the size and timing of those transfers. A core objective of this dissertation is to study the nature and net value of family transfers, defined in terms of the financial value of various types of transfers parents give to children (e.g., money, care and help, grandchild care, and co-residence) net of the value of the same types transfers they receive from children. Data for this study come primarily from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, and the sample includes 36,095 parent-child dyads from 11 European countries representing social democratic, conservative, and traditional welfare-state regimes. Time transfers are monetized using information on minimum and average hourly wages. The net value of intergenerational family transfers over the adult life cycle is estimated using piecewise linear spline regression. The findings reveal that intergenerational family transfers are nontrivial across mature European welfare states. Their net value follows a nonlinear pattern of positive transfers from parents to grown children until advanced old age when the net value declines sharply and ultimately becomes negative--the point at which the generational exchange starts mostly to benefit parents. The transition starts later and is less pronounced across more generous welfare states in Northern Europe, while the opposite is true of less generous welfare states in Southern Europe. Transfer behavior of parents and grown children across Europe is most consistent with the need for help and ability to give. The results demonstrate that assessments of the effects of public policies affecting intergenerational redistribution of resources would benefit from taking into account how family members of different generations redistribute resources due to changes in those policies.
Internet access in the US
(2005) Chaudhuri, Anindya; Flamm, Kenneth, 1951-
The swift adoption of the Internet by Americans in a little over a decade has few parallels in the world of technology. Access to the Web is now taken so much for granted that not having access is assumed to be a form of economic and social handicap. The debate on bringing Internet service provision under the umbrella of the Universal Service mechanism to bridge the “Digital Divide” has attained maturity, but not resolution. The apparent reluctance of American households to transition to broadband – relative to comparable economies – is a growing cause for concern among policy makers and members of the business community. However, research into the determinants of Internet demand, and factors which inhibit or promote its supply and subsequent use, has been unsystematic and unstructured. No distinction is usually made between those who access the Net from home for a fee, and those who access it from outside of home for free. This dissertation contributes to existing knowledge by (i) analyzing the decision to obtain basic Internet subscription at home in a strictly rational choice framework, with cost as a primary determinant, (ii) extending and modifying the analytical structure in order to study broadband demand, and (iii) squarely addressing the frequently overlooked topic of public access. It uses hitherto unexploited data from multiple sources, including the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PIALP), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The insights gleaned from the exercise should be of value to the scholar, the regulator and the industry insider trying to gauge the public’s taste for new technologies.
Labor and service delivery : training programs for women in non-traditional occupations
(2001-12) Mastracci, Sharon Hogan; Rodriguez, Victoria Elizabeth, 1954-
An evaluation of two programs designed to increase women’s participation in so-called “non-traditional” occupations – Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) and Women in Apprenticeships and NonTraditional Occupations (WANTO) – was done using both empirical statistical analysis as well as case study analysis. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the two grant programs under WANTO and NEW, and provide support for affirmative action in addressing labor market failures like occupational segregation by gender – where women are concentrated in certain jobs, in this case, the skilled trades and crafts. Occupational segregation by gender occurred here, not because women were physiologically incapable of doing certain jobs, but because of sticky flows of information, which could be addressed fairly straightforwardly to help mitigate the institutional discrimination in these workplaces. These results also demonstrate the impact of policymaking by women and for women – and that gender-specific agencies like the Women’s Bureau are necessary for the development and implementation of these policies. Finally, these results also show the important role of the state. Without government involvement, it was shown that a program would fail to institutionalize itself into the decision-making processes of employers, unions, and potential female trainees. Therefore, service delivery for these kinds of programs cannot be wholly turned over to non-governmental entities without some role for the state.

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