147 research outputs found
Entrepreneurship and State Public Policy
No full textMany state and local governments have focused on enacting policies to promote entrepreneurship in an effort to enhance economic growth. This paper will test the relationship between entrepreneurial activity and state economic freedom in a Granger causality framework. We build a panel data set of freedom scores and entrepreneurial activity measures within the fifty US states from 1981 to 2003, and our results show that, as a whole, economic freedom causes entrepreneurship. However, we find evidence that once entrepreneurs are in place, they increase the size of government spending, which is contradictory to economic freedom.entrepreneurship, public Policy, economic freedom
Essays on international monetary institutions, monetary policy, and economic stability
No full textThis dissertation is a collection of essays that focus on how the policy actions and design of monetary institutions affect various economic indicators, such as commodity prices, asset prices, and production. Chapter 1 of the dissertation discusses the role and design of monetary institutions. Chapter 2 outlines the process undertaken during the European economic and monetary unification with an emphasis on the European Central Bank (ECB). Chapter 3 empirically analyzes the effects that the ECB has had on the economic stability of its member countries. Specifically, substantial disagreement exists among economists about the degree to which central banks should pursue discretionary stabilization policy. The formation of the ECB provides a unique opportunity to test whether a shift to a less active central bank has resulted in more or less macroeconomic stability for these countries. Chapter 4 investigates whether barriers to currency competition placed on suppliers of money are associated with higher rates of inflation. First, I look at historical data on average annual inflation rates for nine OECD countries that experienced periods of free banking and compare them to their averages under central banking. Second, using a cross-section of OECD countries, I find that countries allowing citizens to legally hold foreign currency tend to have lower average rates of inflation. My results show that allowing competition among currency issuers heightens the incentives for monetary issuers to pursue lower inflation rates. Chapter 5 analyzes the monetary stability and overall economic performance of transition economies based on their chosen monetary regimes. The transition economies had several prominent monetary arrangements to choose from, such as sovereign central banks or currency boards. This chapter surveys the monetary institutions currently in place in several transition economies and compares them based on their ability to control inflation. Chapter 5 presents concluding remarks and summarizes the major findings of the research included in this dissertation
Do Border Crossings Contribute to Underage Motor-Vehicle Fatalities?
No full textCurrently, Michigan residents can avoid the national drinking age of 21 by crossing into Ontario where the drinking age is 19. This paper explores the impact that border crossings, connecting areas with different minimum legal drinking ages (MLDA), have on motor-vehicle fatalities. We analyze border crossings connecting Michigan to Ontario, as well as to its surrounding states in the period in which Michigan’s MLDA was raised to 21. Using a “differences-in-differences-in-differences” approach we find that the MLDA change did not contribute to increased underage fatalities in border crossing counties.
Non-discretionary monetary policy: The answer for transition economies?
No full textIt is a well-established fact that monetary institutions help shape the
macroeconomic environment of countries by stabilizing prices. In the
early 1990s, transition economies had the opportunity to rearrange their
monetary institutions to better achieve low levels of inflation. Those
economies had several prominent monetary arrangements to choose from,
such as sovereign central banks or currency boards. This paper surveys the
monetary institutions currently in place in several transition economies
and compares them based on their ability to control inflation. More
specifically, we intend to test whether the transition economies have better
inflation performance when they import the monetary policy of a credible
central bank
Importing Credible Monetary Policy: A Way for Transition Economies to Fight Inflation?
No full textIn the 1990s, transition economies were rearranging their monetary regimes. This paper compares the chosen regimes based on the level of discretionary power and the ability to control inflation. Results show that non-discretionary regimes produce lower and more stable inflation.
Non-discretionary monetary policy: The answer for transition economies?
No full textIt is a well-established fact that monetary institutions help shape the macroeconomic environment of countries by stabilizing prices. In the early 1990s, transition economies had the opportunity to rearrange their monetary institutions to better achieve low levels of inflation. Those economies had several prominent monetary arrangements to choose from, such as sovereign central banks or currency boards. This paper surveys the monetary institutions currently in place in several transition economies and compares them based on their ability to control inflation. More specifically, we intend to test whether the transition economies have better inflation performance when they import the monetary policy of a credible central bank. --Transition economies,currency board,European monetary union
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Phase Transitions In Polymorphic In2Se3 Nanostructures
No full textWe show that the amorphization process in phase-change In2Se3 nanowires grown by chemical vapor deposition can be driven by electronic effects and does not require the conventional thermal melt-quench process. In particular, using transmission electron microscopy, in situ single-nanowire Raman spectroscopy, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, and finite-element simulations, we demonstrate that the electronic amorphization can be achieved under optical excitations at temperatures far below the thermal melting point. The mechanism of this electronic amorphization is likely related to the presence of atomic bonds with different strengths in the crystalline phase In2Se3 and the weakening of the weaker bonds by nonequilibrium electrons. Our findings suggest that In2Se3is a promising candidate for phase-change memory applications, with potential advantages including energy-efficient memory switching due to the electronic amorphization process and highly stable data storage as a result of a high melting point compared to Ge/Sb–Te alloys. On a more general level, these results indicate the need to take into account the electronic effects in modeling and understanding the phase transition processes in phase-change memories.We report the observation of the generation of dislocations in single-crystal phase-change In2Se3 nanowires under electrical pulses and the impact of these dislocations on electrical properties. Particularly, we correlated the atomic-scale structural characteristics with local electrical resistance variations, by performing transmission electron microscopy and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy on the same nanowires. By coupling the experimental results with first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that the immobile dislocations are generated via vacancy condensations. Importantly, these dislocations lead to several orders of magnitude increase in the electrical resistance, while maintaining the single crystallinity of the lattice. These results significantly advance the fundamental understanding of the structure-property relation in this phase-change material under transient electrical excitations. From a practical perspective, the significant increase in the electrical resistance, driven by the formation of dislocations and reversible via electrical pulses, can be exploited as a new electronic state in the single-crystalline phase in this phase-change material
Barns estetiska skapande i olika miljöer : En kvalitativ studie om fem förskollärares uppfattningar kring barns estetiska läroprocesser i förskolans olika skapande miljöer
No full textTitle: Children's aesthetic creation in different environments - A qualitative study of five preschool teachers 'perceptions of children's aesthetic learning processes in pre-schools' creative environments. Author: Mafi Misirhanova Supervisor: Karin Ehrlén Term: Spring 2017 The purpose of my thesis is to examine how the five pre-school teachers who participate in my study reflect about aesthetic expressions in relation to children's learning in preschool. Furthermore, I want to find out about the thoughts of the educators concerning the role of social interaction and the importance of the environment in the aesthetic creation process. My first question is about what view the informants have on social interaction during aesthetic creation processes. My second question is about how the informants reflect on studio and creative rooms at the selected three preschools. The study is based on qualitative interview methods where five pre-school teachers reflected on their internship. The essay is based on a sociocultural perspective based on development and learning. As far as the informants' views on social interaction during aesthetic creation processes are concerned, my study showed that there is a strong connection between aesthetic learning processes, language learning and social interaction as these areas interact during a creative activity at preschool. The informants' reflection on the studio and the creative rooms showed that the preschool with a creative room in the department gave the most positive response because the room was considered to enable continuous creation processes. The studio as a separate room and the playroom with a creative corner had shortcomings in accessibility with regard to the use of the room as well as the material
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