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Constructing a State: Canals and the Transformation of the Economy, Politics, and Finance in Nineteenth-Century New York
Get PDFThis dissertation consists of three essays in economic history, unified by a focus on one of America\u27s earliest transportation infrastructures, the canal system, in nineteenth-century New York. Each chapter explores a different aspect of the state\u27s transformation: its economy, politics, and finance, each of which helped construct New York as the Empire State.
The first chapter studies the economic impact of canals on economic modernization from three aspects: sectoral transition, urbanization, and banking development. Contrary to much of the modern literature finds transportation infrastructure leads to decentralization, I find the opposite-evidence of centralization. Specially: (1) canal towns experienced a transition in employment from agriculture to manufacturing and commerce, with larger manufacturing mills and more commercial activities; (2) canals promoted long-term population growth in existing towns and the formation of new towns; (3) canals encouraged the entry of new banks and increased bank size in canal towns; and (4) the geographic influence of the canal is limited in terms of employment and population growth.
The second chapter studies the political impact of canals on regional voting patterns, using this context to explore how transportation-induced changes influence voter behavior. I find that votes for anti-Jacksonians (left-wing) were higher in areas closer to canals. Two main factors explain this pattern: (1) transportation improvement transformed the local economy and labor force, as the rising manufacturing and commercial workers in canal towns became ideologically and economically aligned with anti-Jacksonians; and (2) social movements reinforced these political alignments through information dissemination by newspapers in canal towns.
The third chapter, co-authored with Howard Bodenhorn, studies the evolution and consequences of bank-borrower relationships using a new dataset of 55,000 loans issued to 10,000 unique borrowers over 35 years in mid-nineteenth-century New York. We estimate the effects of a marginal increase in relationship strength, length, and exclusivity. We find that: (1) long-term, exclusive relationships enabled borrowers to access larger loans at modestly lower rates and with less collateral security; (2) banks acted on proprietary borrower information early in the relationship; (3) these long-term relationships continued to benefit borrowers in obtaining relatively larger loans even after default
Essays on Healthcare Regulation and Industrial Regulation
Get PDFThe first chapter explores differences in incentives and consequent behavior between for-profit and not-for-profit firms. I investigate a terrible choice nursing homes faced during the pandemic: isolating residents prevents deaths from COVID-19, but increases non-COVID deaths by aggravating mental illnesses such as dementia. I explore how ownership structure led to differences in isolation measures taken and in resultant health outcomes. I model decisions regarding isolation measures as a trade-off between profits and satisfying staff\u27s demands, with not-for-profit managers more constrained in how they consume profits. The model predicts that not-for-profit facilities will have more restrictive isolation measures and, consequently, lower COVID-19 cases. Using cell phone location data, I find that not-for-profit facilities implemented more restrictive isolation measures during the pandemic and thus had fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths. However, not-for-profit ownership is predictive of substantially more non-COVID deaths, such that they had more total deaths than for-profit facilities.
The second chapter investigates the effects of Certificate-of-need (CON) laws. These laws require that healthcare providers receive approval from a state board before offering additional services in a given community. Proponents of CON laws claim that these laws are needed to prevent the oversupply of healthcare services in urban areas and to increase access in rural areas, which are predominantly underserved. Yet, the policy could lower rural access if used by incumbents to limit entry from competitors. We explore the repeal of these regulations in five U.S. states to offer the first estimate of the causal effects of CON laws on rural and urban healthcare access. We find that repealing CON laws causes a substantial increase in hospitals in both rural and urban areas. We also find that the repeal leads to fewer beds and smaller hospitals on average, suggesting an increase in entry and competition in both rural and urban areas.
The third chapter examines the effects of isolation measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures were intended to mitigate disease spread. Yet, isolation had negative mental health effects on residents. These effects were severe and could be long-lasting, and thus may raise the number of non-COVID deaths even more. Using novel cell phone tracking data to estimate isolation measures, we find that isolation measures are predictive of fewer COVID-19 cases. However, these measures are predictive of much higher rates of non-COVID and total deaths in the second year of the pandemic, especially in facilities that have a large proportion of residents with dementia. At the margin, isolation measures are associated with substantially more total deaths. A one standard deviation decrease in isolation in all nursing homes is predictive of 7,305 fewer overall deaths
Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation as a Sustainable Weed Management Practice in Organic Watermelon Production in South Carolina
No full textCurrently used weed control options are expensive and limited for organic watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] production due to lack of effective practices and the absence of organic herbicides. The available options are either expensive or not very effective. Available organic herbicides are also not labelled for watermelon which increases the risk of crop damage. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) are problematic weed in the Southeastern vegetable plasticulture production system and cause significant yield loss in watermelon. Weed management in organic watermelon production requires alternative and sustainable practices. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has shown potential to fit into organic production. ASD is a promising soil fumigation practice to control weed and soilborne pathogens. The research focused on evaluating various locally available carbon sources and plastic mulches for ASD on weed control, evaluating the performance of cottonseed meal (a promising locally available carbon source), broccoli waste under field conditions, and evaluating the Rhizobacteria SC-27 (a mix of Streptomyces spp.) treatments whether SC-27 addition improved crop vigor and performance under ASD. A series of high tunnel, greenhouse and field experiments were conducted at the United States Department of Agriculture Vegetable Laboratory, Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center (CREC), and Edisto REC. The objective of the first study was to evaluate watermelon genotypes and weed response to ASD treatments in organic watermelon production. The second study was conducted to determine the best plastic mulch for ASD. The third study was carried out to evaluate the grafted and nongrafted watermelon response to ASD and Rhizobacteria SC-27 application. The fourth study was set up to evaluate and compare the response of a locally available carbon sources cottonseed meal with Florida standard carbon sources chicken manure and molasses. The results suggested that ASD treatments significantly improved weed control and suppressed the emergence of yellow nutsedge. ASD also enhanced the watermelon crop vigor and marketable yield. Cottonseed meal (a locally available carbon source) can be utilized in ASD practice to manage weeds in organic watermelon production in South Carolina. Future research should explore the effects of ASD on long-term weed seed bank management
Promising Strategies for Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer Camps
Get PDFAs research on summer camp continues to expand and both scholars and practitioners gain a better understanding of the impact of the experience, it has become important to explore how the experience of summer camp is connected to the larger ecology of youth development. This study explores strategies of Christian summer camps for impacting faith in the home through interviews with 20 Christian summer camp leaders across three faith-based camping organizations: Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), and United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM). Using semi-structured interviews and an appreciative inquiry approach, this study identified six themes that provide an additional framework for understanding continuity of care and ecological partnerships involving summer camps
COVID-19 Adolescent Technology Use and Physical Activities: Cluster Analysis for Mental Health
Get PDFThis study examined how COVID-19 disrupted adolescent education, social interactions, and mental health by conducting exploratory cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of technology use and physical activities, then comparing resulting clusters on demographics, social support, and mental health dimensions. Using the first wave of the longitudinal Oxford Achieving Resilience during COVID-19 (ARC) study of 1,196 United Kingdom adolescents aged 13-18, three clustering algorithms (k-means, k-medoids, and agglomerative hierarchical) identified optimal groupings validated both statistically and empirically. Three distinct clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n = 380) characterized by low media use and moderate activity; Cluster 2 (n = 153) showing high media use and low activity; and Cluster 3 (n = 23) displaying moderate media use and high activity. Follow-up analyses using chi-square tests and ANOVA revealed that Cluster 2 adolescents (high media/low activity) were more likely to be male, heterosexual, and non-white, with increased alcohol consumption, higher depression scores, and lower conscientiousness. These findings demonstrate that technology use and physical activity interact to create distinct behavioral profiles with differential mental health risks, challenging one-size-fits-all interventions. The person-centered approach suggests youth-development professionals should develop flexible, tailored support strategies based on adolescents’ specific behavioral patterns rather than viewing media use or physical activity in isolation, providing crucial insights for supporting adolescent mental health during crisis periods
Item 2: Identifying Local Nonprofit Organizations & Volunteer Opportunities Activity
Get PDFIn this small group/paired activity, students will use the internet to identify a local nonprofit organization, its mission, its work/services (what it does and why), volunteer opportunities, populations served, and the social issues/problems it seeks to address. They will use this information to create a visual about the nonprofit organization. Next, they will present their findings to the class by taking the position of the organization to discuss the significance of their work and try to recruit volunteers. Students will then vote on which organization they would like to (potentially) volunteer with as a class
Item 2: Assignment 1: Deliberation
Get PDFThis assignment gives students an opportunity to apply the concepts they are learning in a course on rhetoric and argumentation in the real world by organizing and facilitating a public deliberation event about an issue of their choice. Students choose the issue they would like to discuss with the community, compose an issue guide to overview and present approaches to the issue, and reflect after the event about their experience in a post-project report. The assignment can be adapted for courses in writing, communication, political science, civic education, and courses emphasizing social justice and practices of civic engagement
Actividad en Clase 2: Vistas Públicas como Mecanismo de Participación Cívica
No full textEn Puerto Rico, las vistas públicas son espacios importantes de diálogo y discusión entre la sociedad civil y los representantes del gobierno. Estos eventos están abiertos al público y representan una oportunidad para presentar diferentes perspectivas antes de que se tomen decisiones oficiales sobre temas importantes. Participar en vistas públicas es una parte fundamental del ejercicio democrático. Los organismos gubernamentales que celebran vistas públicas incluyen el Senado, la Cámara de Representantes y varios Departamentos. La Junta de Supervisión y Administración Financiera de Puerto Rico, creada bajo la Ley PROMESA en 2016, también realiza vistas públicas. La Junta está compuesta por siete miembros nombrados por el presidente de los Estados Unidos y un miembro ex officio designado por el Gobernador de Puerto Rico. Su tarea es trabajar con el pueblo y el Gobierno de Puerto Rico para establecer las bases necesarias para el crecimiento económico en la isla
Item 1: Civic Engagement in/for Puerto Rico Course Syllabus
Get PDFThis syllabus provides students with an in-depth understanding of the current sociocultural, political, economic, and environmental state of Puerto Rico, contextualizing it within its history as a Spanish colony first, and a US territory later. It explores some key historical moments that have shaped Puerto Rico and their lasting impact. Students learn the mechanisms that Puerto Ricans on the islands have for engaging with the US government, and the forms of civic engagement within the island. After completion of this class, students will be able to explain Puerto Rico’s current challenges and its lessons for the rest of the world, and they will be equipped to take civic action on behalf of the archipelago. There is a full Spanish version of this course available