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Effects of Crop Insurance Subsidies on Risk Choices of Farmers
No full textWith the 2018 Farm Bill expiring this September discussions around agricultural subsidies have taken center stage once again. Among the most controversial programs is federal crop insurance. The program is intended to promote and protect American agriculture by providing a safety net. However, while crop insurance may protect a farmer’s income, it may also encourage behavior changes. A decrease in risk may actually promote the assumption of new risks in order to maintain the preferred level of risk tolerance. This phenomenon is known as moral hazard.
Moral hazard in crop insurance occurs when a farmer engages in new risky behavior as a result of crop insurance. This study will attempt to discover the potential moral hazard associated with an increase in crop insurance premium subsidies. The theory is that as a farmer’s risk is decreased through an increase in crop insurance premium subsidies, they will decrease their farming inputs, increasing the risk of production in order to remain at their basic level of risk tolerance. The results of the regression suggest a correlation where as farmers insurance premiums become more subsidized there is a resulting decrease in farm inputs
Responsible Giving: Foreign Aid Effectiveness and Drivers of Development
Get PDFThis thesis examines how bilateral governments and multilateral organizations interact with recipient countries to alleviate poverty, promote sustainable growth, and address inequalities. This thesis will chronologically outline three aid strategies adopted by the industry. First, the thesis will explore the distribution of aid through sectoral or regional projects, which were constructed with the intention of sparking public investment. Second, the thesis will analyze the transition to structural adjustment loans, which were given to provoke macroeconomic reform. Third, the thesis will explore the present aid effectiveness approach, where donors are encouraged to adhere to certain norms when allocating aid. Next, this thesis will examine how each strategy impacted the growth of Rwanda and Bangladesh. Through a historical analysis of international development theories, this thesis analyzes how aid modalities adapted over time as the industry grew, learned from its mistakes, and responded to changing global environments. Overall, this thesis will shed light on the reality that development, especially in the world’s poverty-stricken and war-torn regions, is difficult and often messy but can nonetheless bring about meaningful change
Nothing Gets in the Way of a Good Argument
Get PDFFor much of Western history, the prevailing process of creating a proof for the existence of a thing (often suggested to be God) outside the causal chain was done by following that very causal chain. One of the most well known of these theories was created by Avicenna. Through following his classification of objects, one was thought to be able to “prove” the necessity for a thing that was necessary in and of itself, and separate from all other things. In this paper I outline the strongest section of Avicenna’s argument, illustrating his classifications. I then turn to Graham Priest’s work to aid in a recreation of Avicenna’s argument via quiddity. Next, I utilize Buddhist metaphysics to demonstrate an alternative option for the classification and maintenance of the universe, eliminating the validity of Avicenna’s classifications, thereby calling into question the many other forms of his argument given by other figures (such as Thomas Aquinas). I finish with a demonstration of the elusiveness of the category of nothing as demonstrated throughout the piece, and the need for further work on this concept
NFL Moneyline Market Efficiency: Predictability of Odds Movements and the Overvaluation of Home-Field Advantage
Get PDFThis thesis evaluates the degree to which the NFL moneyline market - one of the highest volume sports betting markets - aligns with weak-form market efficiency by analyzing high-frequency odds data from the 2020 to 2024 seasons. This study discovers significant predictability in the direction that odds will shift throughout the week leading up to kickoff, as a result of the sportsbooks’ adjustments to sharp action, rather than injury news. Furthermore, this study discovers that the market has overvalued the home field advantage in forecasted close games, leading to a profitable system by betting on away teams in games with predicted win probabilities between 0.3 and 0.7. These findings highlight persistent market inefficiencies, revealing advice for NFL moneyline bettors, as a result of how this market attempts to exploit recreational betting tendencies
Navigating the Laws of Nations: The Case for an American Legal Forum for Nazi-Looted Art Disputes
No full textThis thesis examines the complex legal landscape surrounding the restitution of Nazi-looted art, particularly where claims cross national borders between Europe and the United States. It focuses on the divergent approaches of European civil and American common law systems, highlighting how these distinct frameworks shape the outcome of restitution efforts. This analysis demonstrates that the rigid, codified structures of European civil law often foreclose claims on technical grounds, while the more flexible doctrines of American law, including the denial of good-faith purchaser protections, offer a more promising avenue for justice. To explore this argument, this thesis analyzes the two foremost US Supreme Court Cases on Nazi-looted art, Republic of Austria v. Altmann and Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation. Through close examination of these cases, it argues that the American legal approach more adequately addresses the moral and historical dimensions of Holocaust-era expropriation, ultimately providing a more meaningful framework for achieving redress for victims and their heirs
Macroeconomic Influences on IPO Proceeds: Evidence from China and the United States
No full textThis thesis examines the relationship between four macroeconomic factors (stock market returns, short-term interest rates, industrial production growth, and investor sentiment) and monthly IPO proceeds in the United States and China. Using monthly data from 2000 to 2024 for the US and from 2004 to 2024 for China, the study also segments the data into periods before and after 2010 to capture changes after the global financial crisis. Sector-level analysis is also conducted to explore sectoral differences in responding to macroeconomic conditions. The finding shows that in the US, stock returns consistently drive IPO proceeds positively, while interest rates have a significant negative impact, especially after 2010. Industrial production growth and investor sentiment show limited effects. In China, macroeconomic variables do not show consistent significance overall, with only a few sector-specific effects observed before 2010
The Impact of Greenium on Stock Price Reactions to First-Time U.S. Corporate Green Bond Announcements
No full textThis study investigates whether the magnitude of greenium , the yield discount on green bonds relative to comparable conventional bonds, impacts stock price reactions following first-time U.S. corporate green bond announcements. While the existence of greenium has been well-documented in bond markets, its influence on equity markets remains unclear. Using a dataset of 60 first-time U.S. corporate green bond issuers between 2015 and 2024, I conducted an event study to measure cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) around green bond announcements, and cross-sectional regressions to test the relationship between greenium and CARs
The Cognitive Benefits of Psychoactive Drug Therapy on PTSD
No full textPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that remains highly resistant to conventional treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Emerging research suggests that psychoactive drug therapies, including psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine, may offer novel therapeutic pathways by promoting neuroplasticity, enhancing emotional processing, and increasing cognitive flexibility. The present study proposes a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of these three psychoactive treatments compared to supportive therapy without drug intervention. Participants (N = 120) meeting DSM-5 criteria for PTSD will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions and assessed at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-treatment. Primary outcome measures include PTSD symptom severity (CAPS-5), emotion regulation (DERS), and cognitive flexibility (CFI), with resting-state fMRI collected from a subsample. It is anticipated that psilocybin and MDMA will produce greater reductions in PTSD symptoms and greater improvements in emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility than ketamine or control. Findings are expected to advance neurobiological models of PTSD recovery and support the development of personalized, integrative treatments for trauma-related disorders
State Suspension vs. Termination of Medicaid on Recidivism Outcomes
No full textThis paper seeks to explore the relationship between Medicaid and recidivism through the lens of states suspending versus terminating Medicaid enrollment while an individual is incarcerated. Looking at post-ACA data from 2015, 2017, and 2018, and using a staggered difference-in-difference design, I find that suspension, rather than termination, reduces recidivism when interacted with Medicaid enrollment on a broad scale and among certain populations, including White non-Hispanics, individuals above 25 years old, and males. These findings suggest that policymakers should support more local operations, such as pre-release programs connecting individuals with Medicaid, in conjunction with suspending Medicaid on a statewide basis
Fortress Guam: Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry in the Pacific Theater
No full textThe island of Guam, often overlooked by the American public, plays a critical role in U.S. military strategy and security in the Pacific. As a U.S. territory and key forward-operating base, it hosts advanced missile defense systems and enables rapid force projection across the region—earning its reputation as “the tip of the spear.” Yet this strategic value also makes Guam a primary target in the event of conflict, particularly as China expands its military capabilities and influence across the Indo-Pacific region. This thesis explores Guam’s evolving role in U.S. deterrence strategy and the regional balance of power amid rising geopolitical competition. While Washington has focused heavily on military buildup, this narrow focus risks weakening America’s strategic standing by failing to match China’s more comprehensive approach, which combines military strength with economic influence and diplomatic outreach. It also overlooks key concerns around local consent, environmental sustainability, and human security. As small islands like Guam bear the burden of global rivalry, the U.S. must broaden its strategic lens to ensure lasting security and equity for both the island and its own citizens