24 research outputs found
The Grameen Bank : Poverty Relief in Bangladesh
No full textEdited by Abu N.M. Wahid.Includes a chapter co-authored by College at Brockport faculty member Baban Hasnat: Housing for the rural poor : the Grameen Bank experience..In the first comprehensive study of Bangladesh\u27s Grameen Bank Abu Wahid brings together a wide range of specialists to examine this unique and highly successful development experiment. Providing small, dedicated loans to a poor rural population, the Grameen Bank is characterized by a practical, realistic system of debt servicing, credit education, and an unusual method of peer monitoring in lieu of nonexistent collateral. The bank offers marginalized groups the initial credit that the contributors consider essential to economic self-improvement. Throughout the book, the contributors examine the theory, performance, impact, structure, and costs of the Grameen Bank. In addition, they explore the replicability and application of the Grameen concept for other countries, including the United States.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bookshelf/1183/thumbnail.jp
Understanding Oil Subsidy in Nigeria
No full textFor several years, Nigeria enjoyed subsidy on gasoline. However, this came to an end on January 1st, 2012, after an announcement from President Goodluck Jonathan, that subsequently, the subsidy was to be removed. While some sort of resolution/middle ground has been reached in response to the reaction that this news generated, the concept and theory behind the oil subsidy removal is worth understanding. This research paper explains the history of the oil subsidy in Nigeria, the rationale behind its removal and subsequently, gives a few recommendations for future reference.SUNY BrockportBusiness Administration and EconomicsSenior Honors These
Patterns of trade and payment: South and Southeast Asian Countries, 1970-1985
No full textThis study analyzes the patterns of trade and payment of eight South and Southeast Asian countries--Bangladesh, Burma, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand--during 1970-1980. The study examines (i) the structure of merchandise trade and transfer and services accounts, (ii) the nature, magnitude, and causes of external payments problems, and (iii) the policy reaction of the countries in response to these problems.
The study finds significant structural changes in the commodity composition and the direction of trade for our countries over the study period. Manufacturing exports, particularly the other manufactured goods category--which includes the cotton and textile products--increased significantly for all countries. On the import side, capital and intermediate goods imports increased substantially. While the developed countries are still the major trade partners, newly industrializing and oil-exporting countries of the Middle East have become important trade partners for our countries. The structure of the services account is unfavorable for our countries, although one component of it--the travel account-- indicates an encouraging trend. South Asian countries also experienced a large inflow of remittance earnings from the oil-exporting countries of the Middle East.
Except for Malaysia, balance of payments deficits are a regular feature for our countries and the magnitude of the problem is large in most cases. There is some association between the trade orientation and the external deficits of our countries: strongly inwardly oriented countries have more deficits than strongly outwardly oriented countries.
The main causes of the external payment problems are evaluated. Three external factors (terms of trade, economic growth in industrial countries, and real interest rates in the international market) and two internal factors (real effective exchange rates and fiscal position) are analyzed. The study finds that both external and internal factors are responsible for the payments imbalance.
Regression analyses are also used to examine the determinants of balance of payments problems. Reduced form models are estimated with current account deficits as the dependent variable and the external and internal variables as discussed above as the independent variables. Poor results are obtained from both time series study of the individual countries and pooled cross-section and time-series study of the groups of countries.
The policy responses of the countries are also analyzed. It is found that the current account deficits are mainly financed through external borrowing, in particular, through official development assistance. Exchange rates, trade policies, or slowing down of domestic economic growth played minor roles
Child Labour in American Imports
No full textChild labour has been the focus of research since the Industrial Revolution, but few provide an econometric examination of the relationship between imports and child labour. This paper fills this gap by presenting a probit model and testing for American imports in 1990 from a broad group of 92 countries. Regression results of various versions of our basic model reveal that the equations are all highly significant and predict at least 80% of the observations correctly, that the signs are generally as expected, and the variables are significant at the accepted level in most cases. We fail to find support for the perception that US imports significantly increase the likelihood of a child labour problem abroad. The paper also recommends directions for future research in this area.
A political economic analysis of Congressional voting on permanent normal trade relations of China
No full textThe paper provides an empirical examination of the determinants of support for Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status (PNTR) for China in the United States Congress. A logistic regression model and control is estimated for both economic and political influences. It is found that business political action committee (PAC) contributions to lawmakers and the skill level of the constituency had a significant positive influence on lawmakers' voting in favour of PNTR. Political affiliation, import-competing industries in the constituency, labour PAC contributions, and lawmakers' political ideology had a significant negative influence on the PNTR vote.
How Can We Predict Performance in Tertiary Level Economics?
No full textThe New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) started to introduce a new qualification; the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in 2002. NCEA level 3 replaced the University Bursary Examinations in 2004. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the number and quality of credits gained at NCEA level 3 by students and their academic performance in a first year economics course - Business Economics and the New Zealand Economy at Waikato University. Other factors that could affect student performance are also investigated. Our analysis suggests that several factors can have an impact on student's performance in ECON100. These factors include nationality, semester, total number of NCEA level 3 credits and the quality of credits at level 3 in NCEA economics and mathematics.Qualification, Education, Testing, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,
