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Dissertations from 2023 2023

Essays on International Trade and Economic Growth , Mateo Hoyos, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON MACROECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT , Guilherme Klein Martins, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON ALLOCATION OF COSTS AND BENEFITS, CREDIT, AND TIME , Anamika Sen, Economics

Dissertations from 2022 2022

THREE ESSAYS on GROWTH and DISTRIBUTION in DUAL ECONOMIES , Adam Aboobaker, Economics

WORK, WORKERS, AND REPRODUCING SOCIAL CONTROL: RACIAL POST-FORDISM AND ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS , Hannah Rebecca Archambault, Economics

Employer Power: Consequences for Wages, Inequality and Spillovers , Ihsaan Bassier, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES: HEALTH, GENDER, AND POLICING , Travis B. Campbell, Economics

CREATION OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMPETITION THROUGH GREEN-INDUSTRIAL POLICIES , Camilo A. Gallego, Economics

Essays on Unpaid Care and Gender Inequality in India , Leila Gautham, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, THE STATE, AND EMPLOYMENT , Baris Guven, Economics

CONSTRAINTS AND ACCOMMODATED PREFERENCE: ESSAYS ON GENDER AND SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN PAKISTAN , Sana Khalil, Economics

Essays on Anti-Discrimination Legislation Enforcement and Sex-Based Discrimination in U.S. Labor Markets , Carly McCann, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE CFA FRANC , Francis Perez, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CULTURAL PRODUCTION AND CREATIVE LABOR , Luke Pretz, Economics

FOUR ESSAYS ON PEACE CONSOLIDATION AND ETHNIC RECONCILIATION IN POSTWAR SRI LANKA , Narayani Sritharan, Economics

The Political Economy of Consumer Credit Expansion and Real Exchange Rate Policy in Dual Economies , Esra Nur Ugurlu, Economics

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Three Essays on Learning and Conflict Applied to Developing Countries , Amal Ahmad, Economics

The Political Economy of the Cost of Foreign Exchange Intervention , Devika Dutt, Economics

CARE WORK IN CHILE’S SEGREGATED CITIES , Manuel Garcia, Economics

ESSAYS ON EXCHANGE RATE SHOCKS AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF LOCAL FISCAL POLICY IN BRAZIL , Raphael Rocha Gouvea, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GLOBAL INACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE , Tyler A. Hansen, Economics

Three Essays on Socio-Institutional Ecosystems & Labor Structures , Jonathan Donald Jenner, Economics

CONSTRUCTING A MARXIAN INPUT-OUTPUT MODEL CONSIDERING THE TURNOVER OF CAPITAL AND REVISITING THE FALLING-RATE-OF-PROFIT HYPOTHESIS , Junshang Liang, Economics

Three Essays on Structural Change and Labor Market Adjustment in Developing Countries , Karmen Naidoo, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS OF LABOR MARKET POLICIES , Simon Dominik Sturn, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON LABOR AND MARRIAGE MARKETS: FARM CRISIS AND RURAL-TO-URBAN MIGRATION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1920-1940 , Jennifer Withrow, Economics

Dissertations from 2020 2020

THREE ESSAYS ON GENDER-SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES OF MACROECONOMIC POLICIES , SELIN SECIL AKIN, Economics

A New Economic History of Deindustrialization: Class Conflict and Race in the Motor City , Jackson Allison, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL ECONOMY: EXPLOITATION, TECHNICAL CHANGE, AND MULTISECTORAL ANALYSIS , Weikai Chen, Economics

Essays on Food Security, Gender and Agriculture , Berna Dogan, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE , Kuochih Huang, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON POLITICAL ECONOMY OF UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT: SPACE, CLASS AND STATE IN PAKISTAN , Danish Khan, Economics

ESSAYS ON WOMEN AND WORK IN INDIA AND ON OTHER-REGARDING PREFERENCES , Sai Madhurika Mamunuru, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE , Kartik Misra, Economics

Neoliberal Capitalism and the Evolution of the U.S. Healthcare System , Samantha Sterba, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE PAST AND FUTURE OF SOCIALISM , Mihnea Tudoreanu, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE “SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE” , Anastasia C. Wilson, Economics

Endogenous Money, Corporate Liquidity Preferences and the Transformation of the U.S. Financial System , Yeo Hyub Yoon, Economics

Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Historical and Legal Creation of a Fissured Workplace: The Case of Franchising , Brian Callaci, Economics

Essays on the Minimum Wage, Immigration, and Privatization , Doruk Cengiz, Economics

Bangladesh's Energy Policy: Economic, Environmental, and Climate Change Impacts , Rohini Kamal, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ENVIRONMENT , An Li, Economics

REVISITING THE EAST ASIAN MIRACLE: LABOR REGIMES, PROFITABILITY AND ACCUMULATION , Zhongjin Li, Economics

Dimensions of US Global Financial Power: Essays on Financial Sanctions, Global Imbalances, and Sovereign Default , Mariam Majd, Economics

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ACCUMULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: Resource Extraction, Financialization, and Capital Flight as Barriers to Investment and Employment Growth , Seeraj Mohamed, Economics

STATE-LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING, MACROECONOMIC FISCAL POLICY, AND THE BUSINESS CYCLE , Amanda Page-Hoongrajok, Economics

Essays on Monetary Policy in Developing Countries: Income Distribution, Housing and Unemployment , Zhandos Ybrayev, Economics

Resource Rents, Public Investment and Economic Development: The Case of Bolivia , Raul Zelada Aprili, Economics

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Three Essays on Governments and Financial Crises in Developing Economies, 1870-1913 , Peter H. Bent, Economics

Constraining Labor's “Double Freedom”: Revisiting the Impact of Wrongful Discharge Laws on Labor Markets, 1979-2014 , Eric Hoyt, Economics

SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF ACCUMULATION IN TURKEY (1963 – 2015) , Osman C. Icoz, Economics

Stumbling Toward the Up Escalator: How Trends in International Trade, Investment, and Finance Have Complicated Latin America’s Quest for Sustainable, Diversified Economic Development , Mary Eliza Rebecca Ray, Economics

Forms of Naturalism in Seminal Neoclassical Texts: An Analysis and Comparison of Léon Walras, John Bates Clark, and William Stanley Jevons , Mark Silverman, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON CHILD WELFARE IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE , Didier Wayoro, Economics

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Currency Mismatch and Balance Sheet Effects of Exchange Rate in Turkish Non-Financial Corporations , Serkan Demirkilic, Economics

The Impacts of Foreign Labor Migration of Men on Women's Empowerment in Nepal , Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar, Economics

Real and Nominal Effects of Exchange Rate Regimes , Emiliano Libman, Economics

Three Essays on International Economics and Finance , Juan Antonio Montecino, Economics

THREE ESSAYS ON “DOING CARE”, GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE WORK DAY, AND WOMEN’S CARE WORK IN THE HOUSEHOLD , Avanti Mukherjee, Economics

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Colonial and Post-Colonial Origins of Agrarian Development: The Case of Two Punjabs , Shahram Azhar, Economics

Three Essays on the Social Determinants of Early Childhood Health and Development , Andrew Barenberg, Economics

ELITE CAPTURE, FREE RIDING, AND PROJECT DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN CEARÁ, BRAZIL , Jessica Carrick-Hagenbarth, Economics

Three Essays on Sustainable Development in China: Social, Economic and Environmental Aspects , Ying Chen, Economics

Three Essays on Women's Land Rights in Rural Peru , Rosa L. Duran, Economics

Three Essays on Economic Stages and Transition , Ricardo R. Fuentes-Ramírez, Economics

Three Essays on U.S. Household Debt and the Sources of Systemic Financial Fragility , Thomas Herndon, Economics

Essays on Household Health Expenditures, National Health Insurance and Universal Access to Health Care in Ghana , EVELYN KWAKYE, Economics

Microfinance, Household Indebtedness and Gender Inequality , Theresa Mannah-Blankson, Economics

Three Essays on Labor Market Friction and the Business Cycle , Jong-seok Oh, Economics

Three Essays on Sustainability , Mark V. Paul, Economics

The Political Economy of Smallholder Incorporation and Land Acquisition , Alfredo R. Rosete, Economics

Employment and Family Leave Mandates: Three Essays on Labor Supply and Demand, Nontraditional Families, and Family Policy , Samantha Schenck, Economics

Endogenous Capacity, Multiple Equilibria and Thirlwall's Law: Theory and an Empirical Application to Mexico: 1950 - 2012. , Juan Alberto Vázquez Muñoz, Economics

Three Essays on the Macroeconomic Impacts of Rent Seeking , Kurt von Seekamm, Economics

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Essays on Growth Complementarity Between Agriculture and Industry in Developing Countries , Joao Paulo de Souza, Economics

Structural Transformation, Culture, and Women’s Labor Force Participation in Turkey , yasemin dildar, Economics

Essays on Information, Income, and the Sharing Economy , Anders F. Fremstad, Economics

Essays on Inequality, Credit Constraints, and Growth in Contemporary Mexico , Leopoldo Gómez-Ramírez, Economics

Three Essays on Macroeconomic Implications of Contemporary Financial Intermediation , Hyun Woong Park, Economics

The Labor Share Question in China , Hao Qi, Economics

Three essays on economic inequality and environmental degradation , Klara Zwickl, Economics

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Common Pool Resources and Rural Livelihoods in Stung Treng Province of Cambodia , Pitchaya Boonsrirat, Economics

The financialization of the nonfinancial corporation in the post-1970 U.S. economy , Leila Emami Davis, Economics

The Financial Underpinnings of the EU Crisis: Financial Deregulation, Privatization, and Asymmetric State Power , Nina Q. Eichacker, Economics

THE FINANCIAL SECTOR AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: ESSAYS ON ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN SOUTH SUDAN AND KENYA , James A. Garang, Economics

OUTPUT FLUCTUATIONS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LATIN AMERICA IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GREAT RECESSION , Gonzalo Hernandez Jimenez, Economics

TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS INEQUALITY IN SOUTH KOREA , Hyeon-Kyeong Kim, Economics

Three Essays in Macroeconomic History , Joshua W. Mason, Economics

Essays on the Evolution of Inequality , Cem Oyvat, Economics

FINANCIALIZATION OF THE COMMODITIES FUTURES MARKETS AND ITS EFFECTS ON PRICES , Manisha Pradhananga, Economics

Productive Stagnation and Unproductive Accumulation in the United States, 1947-2011. , Tomas N. Rotta, Economics

Advertising and the Creation of Exchange Value , Zoe Sherman, Economics

Understanding Income Inequality in the United States , Mark J. Stelzner, Economics

CARE TIME IN THE U.S.: MEASURES, DETERMINANTS, AND IMPLICATIONS , Joo Yeoun Suh, Economics

Essays on the minimum wage , Ben Zipperer, Economics

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Credit Chains, Credit Bubles, and Financial Fragility: Explaining The U.S. Financial Crisis of 2007-09 , Thomas L Bernardin, Economics

A Knife Hidden in Roses: Development and Gender Violence in the Dominican Republic , Cruz Caridad Bueno, Economics

Sustaining Rural Livelihoods in Upper Svaneti, Republic of Georgia , Robin J Kemkes, Economics

Contract as Contested Terrain: An Economic History of Law and the Rise of American Capitalism , Daniel P MacDonald, Economics

Essays on the Rising Demand for Convenience in Meal Provisioning in the United States , Tamara Ohler, Economics

Social Emulation, the Evolution of Gender Norms, and Intergenerational Transfers: Three Essays on the Economics of Social Interactions , Seung-Yun Oh, Economics

Decollectivization and Rural Poverty in Post-Mao China: A Critique of the Conventional Wisdom , Zhaochang Peng, Economics

Capitalist Crisis and Capitalist Reaction: The Profit Squeeze, the Business Roundtable, and the Capitalist Class Mobilization of the 1970s , Alejandro Reuss, Economics

The Economics of Same-Sex Couple Households: Essays on Work, Wages, and Poverty , Alyssa Schneebaum, Economics

The Political Economy of Cultural Production: Essays on Music and Class , Ian J. Seda Irizarry, Economics

Essays Of Human Capital Formation , Owen Thompson, Economics

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Knowledge, Gender, and Production Relations in India's Informal Economy , Amit Basole, Economics

Macroeconomic and Microeconomic Determinants of Informal Employment: The Case of Clothing Traders in Johannesburg, South Africa , Jennifer E Cohen, Economics

The Relationship Between Mass Incarceration and Crime in the Neoliberal Period in the United States , Geert Leo Dhondt, Economics

Fair Trade, Agrarian Cooperatives, and Rural Livelihoods in Peru , Noah Enelow, Economics

Organic Farming and Rural Transformations in the European Union: A Political Economy approach , Charalampos Konstantinidis, Economics

The Sources of Financial Profit: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of the Transformation of Banking in the US , Iren G. Levina, Economics

A Minskian Approach to Financial Crises with a Behavioural Twist: A Reappraisal of the 2000-2001 Financial Crisis in Turkey , Mathieu Perron-Dufour, Economics

Essays on Urban Sprawl, Race, and Ethnicity , Jared M. Ragusett, Economics

Agriculture and Class: Contradictions of Midwestern Family Farms Across the Twentieth Century , Elizabeth Ann Ramey, Economics

Women In Conflict, Peacebuilding And Reconstruction: Insights From The Aftermath Of Nepal's Maoist Insurgency , Smita Ramnarain, Economics

Money, Reality, and Value: Non-Commodity Money in Marxian Political Economy , Joseph Thomas Rebello, Economics

Three essays on oil scarcity, global warming and energy prices , Matthew Riddle, Economics

The Political Economy of Agrarian Change in the People's Republic of China , Zhun Xu, Economics

Dissertations from 2011 2011

State Hegemony and Sustainable Development: A Political Economy Analysis of Two Local Experiences in Turkey , Bengi Akbulut, Economics

Financial evolution and the declining effectiveness of US monetary policy since the 1980s , Hasan Comert

Why China Grew: Understanding the Financial Structure of Late Development , Adam S. Hersh, Economics

Solving the "Coffee Paradox": Understanding Ethiopia's Coffee Cooperatives Through Elinor Ostrom's Theory of the Commons , Susan Ruth Holmberg, Economics

Migration, Remittances And Intra-Household Allocation In Northern Ghana: Does Gender Matter? , Lynda Joyce Pickbourn, Economics

Youth and Economic Development: A Case Study of Out-of-School Time Programs for Low-Income Youth in New York State , Kristen Maeve Powlick, Economics

The Real Exchange Rate And Economic Development , Martin Rapetti, Economics

Essays on International Reserve Accumulation and Cooperation in Latin America , Luis Daniel Rosero, Economics

Three Essays on Racial Disparities in Infant Health and Air Pollution Exposure , Helen Scharber, Economics

Dissertations from 2010 2010

Capitalism in Post-Colonial India: Primative Accumulation Under Dirigiste and Laissez Faire Regimes , Rajesh Bhattacharya, Economics

Uneven Development and the Terms of Trade: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis , Bilge Erten, Economics

Gendered Vulnerabilities After Genocide: Three Essays on Post-Conflict Rwanda , Catherine Ruth Finnoff, Economics

The Employment Impacts of Economy-wide Investments in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency , Heidi Garrett-Peltier, Economics

Household Employer Payroll Tax Evasion: An Exploration Based on IRS Data and on Interviews with Employers and Domestic Workers , Catherine B. Haskins, Economics

Racial Inequality and Affirmative Action in Malaysia and South Africa , Hwok-Aun Lee, Economics

Essays on Behavioral Labor Economics , Philip Pablo Mellizo, Economics

Three Essays on the Political Economy of Live Stock Sector in Turkey , Hasan Tekguc, Economics

The Impact Of Public Employment On Health , Wei Zhang, Economics

Dissertations from 2009 2009

Effort, work hours, and income inequality: Three essays on the behavioral effects of wage inequality , Michael Carr

Essays on investment, real exchange rate, and central bank in a financially liberalized Turkey , Deger Eryar

Essays On Investment, Real Exchange Rate, And Central Bank In A Financially Liberalized Turkey , Deger Eryar, Economics

Labor Turnover in the Child-Care Industry: Voice and Exit , Lynn A. Hatch, Economics

Three Essays on Conflict and Cooperation , Sungha Hwang, Economics

Economic Reforms in East African Countries: The Impact on Government Revenue and Public Investment , Adam Beni Swebe Mwakalobo, Economics

Post-Marxism After Althusser: A Critique Of The Alternatives , Ceren Ozselcuk, Economics

Essays on Financial Behavior and its Macroeconomic Causes and Implications , Soon Ryoo, Economics

Skill Mismatch and Wage Inequality in the U.S. , Fabian Slonimczyk, Economics

Linkages Between Inequality And Environmental Degradation: An Interregional Perspective , Marina S Vornovytskyy, Economics

Dissertations from 2008 2008

Migrant women and economic justice: A *class analysis of Anatolian -German women in homemaking and cleaning services , Esra Erdem

Emigrant or sojourner? The determinants of Mexican labor migration strategies to the United States , Florian K Kaufmann

Macrofinancial risk management in the U.S. economy: Regulation, derivatives, and liquidity preference , Marcelo Milan

Essays on behavioral economics , Wesley Jose Pech

The impact of land ownership inequality on rural factor markets , Fatma Gul Unal

Three essays on family care, time allocation, and economic well -being , Jayoung Yoon

Dissertations from 2007 2007

Capital flight and foreign direct investment in the Middle East and North Africa: Comparative development and institutional analysis , Abdullah Almounsor

Investment under financial liberalization: Channels of liquidity and uncertainty , Armagan Gezici

Three essays on social dilemmas with heterogeneous agents , Mark Howard

Between the market and the milpa: Market engagements, peasant livelihood strategies, and the on -farm conservation of crop genetic diversity in the Guatemalan highlands , S. Ryan Isakson

Late neoclassical economics: Restoration of theoretical humanism in contemporary mainstream economics , Yahya Mete Madra

Inequality and the Human Development Index , Elizabeth Anne Stanton

Dissertations from 2006 2006

Institutional settings and organizational forms: Three essays , Alper Duman

Labor market characteristics and the determinants of political support for social insurance , Anil Duman

State power, world trade, and the class structure of a nation: An overdeterminist class theory of national tariff policy , Erik E Guzik

Unions and the strategy of class transformation: The case of the Broadway musicians , Catherine P Mulder

Children's work and opportunities for education: Consequences of gender and household wealth , Sevinc Rende

The economics of immigration: Household and employment dynamics , Maliha Safri

Dissertations from 2005 2005

Capital flight from Southeast Asia: Case studies on Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand , Edsel L. Beja

Rethinking municipal privatization: A Marxian class analysis of the privatization of New York City's Central Park , Oliver David Cooke

Financial liberalization and its distributional consequences: An empirical exploration , Arjun Jayadev

Three essays on gender, land rights, and collective action in Brazil's rural political economy , Merrilee Mardon

Land markets, female land rights and agricultural productivity in Paraguayan agriculture , Thomas Masterson

Workers' struggles and transformations of capitalism at industrial enterprises in Russia, 1985–2000 , Maxim V Maximov

Economy and society: Class relations and the process of economic growth , Erik K Olsen

Gender, liberalization and agrarian change in Telangana , Smriti Rao

The contradictory imperatives of New Deal banking reforms. , Ellen D. Russell, Economics

Equity in community -based sustainable development: A case study in western India , Priya Parvathy Sangameswaran

Mandated wage floors and the wage structure: Analyzing the ripple effects of minimum and prevailing wage laws , Jeannette Wicks-Lim

Public enterprises in mixed economies: Their impact on economic growth and social equity , Andong Zhu

Dissertations from 2004 2004

An economic analysis of prison labor in the United States , Asatar P Bair

Three essays on income, inequality and environmental degradation , Rachel A Bouvier

The implementation and enforcement of environmental regulations in a less developed market economy: Evidence from Uruguay , Marcelo F Caffera

Race, altruism and trust: Experimental evidence from South Africa , Justine Claire Keswell

Exchanging entailments: The contested meaning of commodity exchange , Philip M Kozel

Three essays on capital account liberalization and economic growth: New measures, new estimates and the experience of South Korea , Kang-Kook Lee

Enterprise hybrids and alternative growth dynamics , Kenneth M Levin

Social interaction and economic institution , Yongjin Park

Research and policy considerations in the valuation and the allocation of environmental and health commodities , Mihail Samnaliev

Immiserizing growth: Globalization and agrarian change in Telangana, South India between 1985 and 2000 , Vamsicharan Vakulabharanam

Social networks and labor market outcomes: Theoretical expansions and econometric analysis , Russell E Williams

Dissertations from 2003 2003

Three essays on the evolution of cooperation , Jung-Kyoo Choi

Economic size and long -term growth: An empirical analysis of the consequences of small economic size on investment, productivity and income growth , Pavel E Isa

Essays on categorical inequality, non-linear income dynamics and social mobility in South Africa , Malcolm M Keswell

The effectiveness of tax incentives in attracting investment: The case of Puerto Rico , Carlos F Liard-Muriente

A theoretical and statistical exploration into the effects of morals, personality and uncertainty on hypothetical bias in contingent valuation , Joseph D Ogrodowczyk

The role of the stock market in influencing firm investment in China , Feng Xiao

Dissertations from 2002 2002

Essays on the threat effects of foreign direct investment on labor markets , Minsik Choi

An international analysis of child welfare , Nasrin Dalirazar

Fiscal faux pas? An empirical analysis of the revenue and expenditure implications of trade liberalization , Barsha Khattry

Property from the sky: The creation of property rights in the radio spectrum in the United States , Elizabeth M Kruse

Three essays on China's state owned enterprises: Towards an alternative to privatization , Minqi Li

From welfare rights to welfare fights: Neo -liberalism and the retrenchment of social provision , John Arthur O'Connor

Political community and individual gain: Aristotle, Adam Smith and the problem of exchange , Kimberly Kaethe Sims

Rethinking prostitution: Analyzing an informal sector industry , Marjolein Katrien van der Veen

Dissertations from 2001 2001

Land and labor markets among paddy producers in the Nepalese Tarai , Ravi Bhandari

What drives equity values: fundamentals or net flows? An empircal analysis of the 1982--1999 United States stock market boom , Lawrence Lee Evans

Investment, labor demand, and political conflict in South Africa , James S Heintz

Education, Inequality and Economic Mobility in South Africa , Thomas Nathaniel Hertz

Employer work -family programs: Essays on policy implementation, employee preferences, and parental childcare choices , Sally Jane Kiser

Valuing environmental health risks: A comparison of stated preference techniques applied to groundwater contamination , Tammy Barlow McDonald

Endogenous quality and intra-industry trade , Edward Allan McPhail

Perceptions of Massachusetts family and consumer sciences education professionals regarding the importance and use of the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences Education in Massachusetts , Jo Ann Pullen

From feudal serfs to independent contractors: Class and African American women's paid domestic labor, 1863–1980 , Cecilia M Rio

A home of one's own: Overcoming gender and familial status barriers to homeownership , Judith K Robinson

Springfield Armory as industrial policy: Interchangeable parts and the precision corridor , Bruce K Tull

Dissertations from 2000 2000

Intergroup inequality, social identity and economic outcomes , Katherine E Baird

Engendering Globalization: Household Structures, Female Labor Supply and Economic Growth , Elissa Braunstein

Capital, conditionality, and free markets: The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the effects of the neoliberal transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean , Andres Carbacho-Burgos

Rural institutions, poverty and cooperation: Learning from experiments and conjoint analysis in the field , Juan-Camilo Cardenas

Understanding the equal split as a bargaining convention and the role of residual claimancy in team production: Three essays in behavioral and experimental economics , Jeffrey Paul Carpenter

Enforcing market -based environmental policies , Carlos A Chavez Rebolledo

A comparative analysis of three economic theories focusing upon the international trade of hazardous waste (the case of electric arc furnace dust) , Amy Silverstein Cramer

The political economy of transformation in Hungary , Anita Dancs

Cross -media transfers of pollution and risk , Janine Marie Dombrowski

Essays on endogenous preferences and public generosity , Christina Margareta Fong

Con nuestro trabajo y sudor: Indigenous women and the construction of colonial society in 16th and 17th century Peru , Karen B Graubart

Banks, insider lending and industries of the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts, 1813–1860 , Paul Andre Lockard

Existence value: A reappraisal and cross -cultural comparison , Billy Manoka

Quality management systems and the estimation of market power exertion , Corinna Michaela Noelke

The power of personality: Labor market rewards and the transmission of earnings , Melissa Anne Osborne

Accumulation and European unemployment , Engelbert Richard Stockhammer

Modeling Superfund: A hazardous waste bargaining model with rational threats , Mary Anderson Taft

Welfare, inequality, and resource depletion: A reassessment of Brazilian economic growth, 1965–1993 , Mariano Torras

Dissertations from 1999 1999

Steadying the husband, uplifting the race: The Pittsburgh Urban League's promotion of black female domesticity during the Great Black Migration , Nina Elizabeth Banks

The origins of parallel segmented labor and product markets: A reciprocity-based agency model with an application to motor freight , Stephen V Burks

R&D, advertising, and profits: Economic theory, empirical evidence, and consequences for transfer pricing policy , David W DeRamus

Rethinking demand: A critique and reformulation of Marxian theories of price , David Leo Kristjanson

Wealth, the power to set terms, and the financing and control of firms , Paul N Malherbe

Intra -family transfers and the household division of labor: A case study of migration and remittance behavior in South Africa , Dorrit Ruth Posel

Transportation network policy modeling for congestion and pollution control: A variational inequality approach , Padma Ramanujam

The political economy of organized baseball: Analysis of a unique industry , Ross David Weiner

Dissertations from 1998 1998

The internationalization of production and its effects on the domestic behavior of United States manufacturing multinational firms , James Michael Burke

Neoliberal and neostructuralist theories of competitiveness and flexible labor: The case of Chile's manufactured exports, 1973-1996 , Fernando Ignacio Leiva

An econometric study of the export sector of Somalia , Mohamed A Osman

Financial liberalization, multinational banks and investment: Three essays on the cases of Hungary and Poland , Christian Erik Weller

Dissertations from 1997 1997

Structuralism and individualism in economic analysis: The "contractionary devaluation debate" in development economics , S Charusheela

Financial liberalization in Mexico, 1989-1993 , Colin Danby

CEO pay, agency, and the theory of the firm , Frederick Dexter Guy

Food quality regulation under trade agreements: Effects on the supply of food safety and competitiveness , Neal Hilton Hooker

Agency problems in the capital markets and the employment relationship: The possibility of efficiency-enhancing institutional innovation: An empirical case-study , Pierre Laliberte

New directions in the political economy of consumption , Allan Henry MacNeill

Capabilities and processes of industrial growth: The case of Argentina and the Argentine auto industry , Marcela Monica Miozzo

Manufacturers' responses to new nutrition labeling regulations , Eliza Maria Mojduszka

Rethinking rural development: Making peasant organizations work. The case of Paraguay , Jose R Molinas Vega

Property regimes, technology, and environmental degradation in Cuban agriculture , Hector R Saez

International multi-sector, multi-instrument financial modeling and computation: Statics and dynamics , Stavros Siokos

Three essays on government decision-making to implement and enforce environmental policies , Kristin Ellen Skrabis

Dissertations from 1996 1996

An economic critique of urban planning and the 'postmodern' city: Los Angeles , Enid Arvidson

Dissertations from 1995 1995

Trade liberalization and income distribution: Three essays with reference to the case of Mexico and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) , Mehrene E Larudee

Dissertations from 1994 1994

Subjectivism and the limits of F. A. Hayek's political economy , Theodore A Burczak

International currencies and endogenous enforcement , Roohi Prem

Three essays on key currencies and currency blocs , Ellen Tierney

Dissertations from 1993 1993

Capitalist regulation and unequal integration: The case of Puerto Rico , Jaime Eduardo Benson

Production and reproduction: Family policy and gender inequality in East and West Germany , Lynn Susan Duggan

Dissertations from 1992 1992

Capital controls and long-term economic growth , Jessica G Nembhard

Dissertations from 1990 1990

Concentration and product diversity in culture-based industries: A case study of the music recording industry , Peter James Alexander

Dissertations from 1987 1987

THE DETERMINANTS OF THE ECONOMIC POLICIES OF STATES IN THE THIRD WORLD: THE AGRARIAN POLICIES OF THE ETHIOPIAN STATE, 1941-1974 , HENOCK KIFLE

Dissertations from 1986 1986

The Political-Economy of Nuclear Power 1946-1982 , Steven Mark Cohn, Economics

Dissertations from 1985 1985

THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT ON RACIAL INEQUALITY: 1950 TO 1984 (BLACK, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, GOVERNMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT, LABOR) , PETER GEORGE BOHMER

THE GROWTH OF NONMARRIAGE AMONG U.S. WOMEN, 1954-1983 (MARRIAGE, FAMILY, HOUSEHOLDS, UNITED STATES) , ELAINE DENISE MCCRATE

Dissertations from 1983 1983

TAXATION AND PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE REFORM IN CONNECTICUT , MICHAEL ROBERT FEDEROW

Dissertations from 1982 1982

Evolution of a Hospital Labor System: Technology, Coercion, and Conflict , Jean E. Fisher, Economics

Dissertations from 1981 1981

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARKET ECONOMY IN COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS , RONA STEPHANIE WEISS

Dissertations from 1980 1980

Justice and economic theory. , Barry Stewart Clark, Economics

Dissertations from 1976 1976

EVALUATION OF NEOCLASSICAL THEORY OF PRICE, PRODUCTION AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME. , MANUCHER DARESHURI

Dissertations from 1970 1970

COST PROBLEMS OF THE RUTLAND RAILROAD AND ITS SUCCESSORS FROM--1937 TO 1968 , ROBERT DAVID SMITH

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Undergraduate Honors Theses (archives)

These are examples of Economics Honors theses. Theses are posted with their permission of the author. This is not a reflection on the quality of their work. All work is © 2009-2019 by the individual authors. All rights reserved.

• "U.S.-Backed Coups in Latin America: An Empirical Inquiry" - Basil Farooq Abdur Raquib
• "Violations of Neoclassical Economic Theory in the NBA Labor Market" - Jordi Adoumie
• "Measuring Income Inequality in Pakistan: Constructing Distributional National Accounts" - Ali Ahmed
• "The Resilience of Islamic Banks in the Wake of Crises: Comparing Islamic and Conventional Banks in the MENA Region" - Nuh Bahemia
• "Analyzing the Effects of School Spending on Student Achievement" - Anoop K. Baliga
• "Does Sexual Harassment Affect Labor Market Choices?" - Aakash Bhalothia
• "Does Inflation Targeting Reduce Exchange Rate Pass-Through?" - Gabriele Buontempo
• "Trump, Tariffs, and Tweets: How Trade Negotiations and Presidential Communication Impact Auto Manufacturers" - Yann Decressin
• "The Effect of Wildfires on Labor Markets: A California Case Study" - Martha Fiehn
• "Priced-Out: The Impact of Home Prices on the Age of Homebuyers" - Matthew Forbes
• "Analyzing Factors in Political Systems that Affect Fiscal Prudence: An Empirical Study" - Tianlang Gao
• "Understanding the Opioid Epidemic: How Pain Management Policy Contributed to Opioid Mortality" - Thea Hanson
• "The Effect of Play Style on NBA Revenues" - Jake Harrison
• "Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act and Household Financial Outcomes" - Angel Yin-Hua Hsu
• "Public Debt and Economic Growth: Is There a Change in Threshold Effect?" - Xinruo Hu
• "Does a Causal Relationship Between International Trade and Travel Really Exist? Evidence from the U.S. and Its PTA Partner Countries"  - Danlin Huang
• "Leaving the Nest: The Effect of Moving Out on Victimization Rates Among Young Adults" - Eugene Hui
• "Always in Motion is the Future: The Accuracy of Historical CBO Debt Projections" - Ammar Inayatali
• "Does Political Instability Lead to a Culture of Individualism?" - Baran Iscen
• "The Effect of Weather on Stock Trading" - Dasol Jeong
• "Investigating Peer Effects on Student Choices to Continue Foreign Language Enrollment" - Hoyun Kim
• "Effects of Minimum Wage Increase on Employment in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Korea" - Hyunah (Julia) Kim
• "Incentives, Demographics, and Biases of Ethical Consumption: Observation of Modern Ethical Consumers" - Laura Kim
• "The Effect of New BART Stations on Housing Prices" - Kasha Clark LaRoche
• "Demographics and the Implications for Voter Participation in US Counties" - Julia Lewis
• "School Shootings and Academic Achievement: A Look at the 2014 Isla Vista Killings" - Frankie Lin
• "Institutions and Missing Women: Evidence from Qing China" - Shaoyu Liu
• "How Internal Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape of the United States: An Empirical Study" - Jaya Mantovani
• "The Effect of ACA Medicaid Expansion on Ambulance Demand" - Sam Melville
• "Death Rates in California Prisons Post Realignment" - Devin Montgomery
• "The Impact of Infrastructure and Access to Markets on Lange Values in Rwanda" - Zain Nanji
• "Acquiring Economic Stability: M&A Activity as an Automatic Stabilizer for Unemployment" - Caroline Newman
• "Differences in Industry Responses to Monetary Policy Shocks: A Study of Industry Financials, Equity Prices, and Valuation" - Javier Bravo Nieto (winner of 2019  Mark A. Schimbor award for outstanding thesis)
• "The Role of Autonomy and Information in Patient-Physician Clinical Decision-Making" - Anoeil Odisho
• "Competition, Public Funding and Innovation: The Case of the Pharmaceutical Industry" - Carlos Paramo (winner of 2019  Mark A. Schimbor award  for outstanding thesis)
• "The Effect of School Quality on Prices versus Rents" - Isaac Pariser
• "A Potential Crisis or a Profit Machine: An Analysis of the Subprime Auto Lending Market" - Sahil Patel
• "STEMinism: Evaluating the Attitudes of Middle-School Girls Towards their STEM Abilities in an All-Female Environment" - Alexis Polevoi
• "Comparing Automation and Income Inequality in the United States: Impact of the Automated Teller Machine" - Daniel Rosales
• "Smooth or Lose: Natural Disasters and Child Outcomes in Vietnam" - Leon Sim
• "The Impact of Education on Social Equality Beliefs in East Africa" - Somara Sabharwal
• "Differences by Race and Gender in Persistence Rates After Taking Introductory Classes in Economics and Computer Science" - Sakthi Ponnuswamy
• "Solving Pandora's Matrix: A Search Theory Model" - Anirudh Viswanathan
• "Asymmetric Cross-Price Elasticities of Private Label and National Label Organic Product" - Mitchell James Wong
• "E-cigarettes and Cigarettes: Complements or Substitutes?" - Juliana Zhao
• "The Effect of Teachers' Unions on Educational Outcomes" - Simon Zhu
• "State Feedback Control in Macroeconomic Policy" , Polina Alexeenko
• "Does Stop and Frisk Deter Crime? Evidence from the Aftermath of Floyd vs. City of New York" , Nathaniel Barlow
• "Offshore Deposits and Tax Policy" , Asha Bharadwaj
• "The Income Elasticity of Demand for Health Insurance" , Sarah Goodman
• "The Impact of Race and Effort on Social Preferences in an Experimental Setting" , Allison Green
• "Smoking Cessation Success and Labor Market Productivity" , Daniela Grinblatt
• "Social Dynamics in Lending Opinions" , Hengyu Kuang
• "The Role of Prosecutorial Discretion in Creating Racial Disparities in Sentence Length" , Kenny Lo
• "Capital Mobility Incentives: Foreign Direct Investment and Shareholder Protection Under Periods of Financial Distress" , Carlos Ramos de la Vega
• "Breaching the Zero Lower Bound: Are Negative Interest Rates an Effective Monetary Policy Tool?" , Daniel Saedi
• "Analyzing Bitcoin Price Volatility" , Julio Soldevilla
• "The Assessment on Free Trade Agreements in the Asia-Pacific Area" , Caren Suciono
• "Analyzing the Expenditure Share of Smoking in China" , Shu-hui Wee
• "Capital Expenditures and the Heterogeneous Response of Equity to Monetary Policy" , Michael Wei
• "Assessing the Impacts of State Regulations on the Usage of Alternative Financial Services" , Lucas Zhang
• Regression Discontinuity Designs with Multiple Assignment Variables , Yizhuang Alden Cheng
• Mind the Gap: Early Consequences From Medicaid Expansion Decisions , Sowill Chu
• The Monetary Policy Effects of Sweden's Transition Towards a Cashless Society , Therese Dalebrant
• Unconventional Monetary Policy Spillovers: Evidence from Emerging Markets , Tejas Dave
• The Earned Income Tax Credit and Educational Attainment for its Recipients: Evidence from Personal Level Data of the Current Pop , Timothy Han
• A Detailed Look into Peer to Peer Lending , Kyle Jackson
• Decriminalizing Indoor Sex Work: Effect on Quantity of Transactions , Andrea Kwan
• Effects of Board Gender Diversity on Firm Performance and Director Compensation in India , Christopher Siantar
• Understanding Public Transit Ridership Through Gasoline Demand: Case Study in San Francisco Bay Area , Hansen Sun
• The Relative Value of Draft Position in the NBA , Adhiraj, Watave
• Multi-Unit Uniform Price Auction Applied to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California , Giovanni Castaldo
• How Does Foreign Aid Affect Political Stability? , Jeffrey Chao
• Who Cares About the Neighborhood? Gentrification and Educational Outcomes in Oakland Unified School District Elementary Schools , Sanat Daga
• Land Reform, its Effects on the Rice Sector, and Economic Development: Empirical Case Study in Taiwan,  Li Duan
• Reexamining Ferguson: The Effect of Police Officers on Arrests by Race , Bhargav Gopal
• An Analysis of Global Homicide Patterns , Rachel Hart
• Traffic Jams in Japan: Does Public Transit Have an Impact? , Gordon Heaton
• Impacts of India's Rural Workfare Program on Child Development , Anushah Hossain
• Trade Specialization and the Occupational Wage Distribution: Evidence from OECD Countries , Trace Levinson
• Potential Methods of Structural Estimation of Loewenstein's Anticipatory Utility Model , Saul Rosen
• A Study of the Microfinance Penetration Imbalance in India , Avika Saraf
• Travel Mode Choice Since the 2007 Beijing Public Transit Fare Reform: A Study of the Effect of Crowding and Thermal Comfort , Diwen Shen
• Firm Size Effects on Targeted Prizes to Incentivize Innovation in Neglected Tropical Diseases , Jodi So
• Evaluating Demand for Courses at UC Berkeley , Matthew Symonds
• The Effect of the 2008 Great Recession on Child Poverty in California: A Fixed Effects Model , Laura Tsui
• The Cost of Punishment: Fairness in High-Stakes Ultimatum Games , Kent Van Donge
• Illegal File-sharing & The Film Industry , Daren Zhang
• An Analysis of the Effect of Income on Adult Body Weight in China , Ruizhi Zhang
• Trends in Income Distribution in China and Implications on Migrant Workers , Shuhan Zhou
• The Impact of Postgraduate Education Attainment on Legislators' Progressive Voting Patterns , Andrew Chang
• Returns to School: A College Athlete's Perspective , Alex Dombrowski
• An Analysis on the Effect of Old Age Dependency Ratio on Domestic Saving Rate , Jinwoo Hyung
• Possible Causes and Implications of Seasonality of Birth , Carmen Ng
• A Model of Exchange Rates in Iceland , Andy Pham
• Does the Implementation of Affirmative Action in a Competitive Setting Incentivize Underrepresented Public School Applicants' Performance? , Dounia Saeme
• Explaining Regional Disparities of China's Economic Growth: Geography, Policy, and Infrastructure , Zhengyun Sun

Spring 2013

• The Synergies of Hedge Funds and Reinsurance , Eric Andersen
• The Effect of Children on Voter Turnout , David Arnold
• When Unemployment Strikes - Age, Income, and Sector Factors , Noa Dreymann
• The impact of presidential approval rate and unemployment rate in imposition and outcome of the United States sanctions , Yooseon Hwang
• Isolating the School Quality Premium in Housing Markets , Arman Khachiyan
• The Greek Tragedy: How the Euro Failed to Promote Greek Bilateral Trade , Paul Matsiras
• Islamic Finance and Banking in the Great Recession: A Comparison of Profitability with Conventional Banks , Muhammad Memon
• An Exploration of Renminbi-USD Exchange Rate: China's Foreign Exchange Intervention , Ching Wai Ng
• Homeowners Insurance Market in Texas with Catastrophic Effects: Market Competition, Supply and Demand , Jingting Yi
• Inequality does cause underdevelopment: Comprehensive analyses of the relationship , SooSun Tiah You
• The Bigger the Better? An Analysis on the Effect of Conference Size on NCAA Football Team and Conference Profit , Trevor Abbott
• The Role of Asset Prices in Monetary Policy , Shuonan Chen
• Measuring the Non-Observed Economy: A Survey-Based Study of Demand in the Korean Prostitution Market , WonSoon Kim
• China's Influence on the World's Iron Ore Market: A Supply-Side Perspective , Lingxiao Ou
• Pirates Acting for the Public Good: An Experimental Study , Seung-Keun Martinez 
• Stock Price Forecasting Using Information from Yahoo Finance and Google Trend , Selene Yue Xu

Spring 2012

• Food for Thought: Evaluating the Impact of India’s Mid-Day Meal Program on Educational Attainment , Stephanie Bonds
• The Implication of the Exchange Rate Floor in Current Times , Shuangshuang Chen
• Testing for Robustness in the Relationship between Fatal Automobile Crashes and Daylight Saving Time , Joseph Crawley
• Do Individuals "Strategically Divorce" To Maximize Marital Settlements? , James Fan
• Comparing Active and Passive Fund Management in Emerging Markets , Klemens Kremnitzer
• Market Efficiency: Is the NFL Betting Market Efficient? , Alexander Kuper
• Magnitude Statements in Abstracts: A Content Analysis and Evaluation of Information Clarity , Marston Litvinsky
• The Financial Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on Small vs. Large US Public Companies , Stephen Primack
• Predicting the Effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 , Adrienne Sabety
• The Effect of Sports Participation on GPAs: A Conditional Quantile Regression Analysis , Andreas Santucci
• Monetary Policy in the Eurozone: Evaluating the European Central Bank’s interest rate decisions, Tejasvi Srivangipuram
• The Value of Pace in the NBA , Tim Xin
• Adverse Selection in Health Insurance Purchasing in Cambodia , Hongyu Zhang (Schimbor Prize for Best Thesis recipient)
• The Impact of Microfinance Loans On Children's Educational Attainment In Rural Thailand , Evelyn Hytopoulos
• Analyzing the Determinants of Contract Renegotiation: A Case Study of Eighteenth- Century British Turnpike Trusts , Hannah Markee

Spring 2011

• The Impact of Changing East Asian Trade Dynamics on Japanese Growth , Rahim Dharssi
• Measuring Cultural Fluency in Berkeley Unified School District: Steps Toward an Effective Parent Involvement Strategy , Sachi Takahashi-Rial
• Stock Market and Consumption: Evidence from China , Leslie Hau
• Impact of Rural-to-Urban Migration on Agricultural Commodity Inflation in China , Kan Liu
• The Temporal Component of Reference Point Determination , Mikaela Aziz
• Persistent Discrimination in Residential Mobility Between Cities and Suburbs: Flight from Minority Suburbs Succeeds Flight from , Jeanette Ling
• Religion and Economic Development - A study on Religious variables influencing GDP growth over countries , Wonsub Eum
• Stock Market Repurchases: The Undervaluation and Negative Outlook Theories , Tammy Tieu
• Housing Wealth and Consumption in the Chinese Urban Economy: Evidence from Micro-Data , Yizhou Jin (Departmental Citation & Earl Rolph Prize recipient)
• True Value in the NBA:An Analysis of On-Court Performance and Its Effects on Revenues , Harrison Li
• NAFTA and Female Labor Market Outcomes in Mexico , Emily P Tsitrian
• To Host or Not to Host? A Comparison Study of the Long-Run Impacts of the Olympic Games , Anita Mehrotra
• The Role of Contractionary Monetary Policy in the Great Recession , Charlie Deist
• The Costs and Returns to Medical Education n , Nicholas Roth
• Online Sports Gambling: A Look into the Efficiency of Bookmakers' Odds as Forecasts in the Case of English Premier League , Jasmine Siwei Xu
• The Effect of Drug Decriminalization in Portugal on Homicide and Drug Mortality Rates , Daniel Reuben Yablon

Spring 2009

• An Examination of International Drivers of Educational Achievement , Benjamin Bruno Johnson
• Voter Uncertainty and Economic Conditions: A Look into Election Competitiveness , Christopher V. Lau
• The Economics of Signing Petitions: Social Pressure versus Social Engagement , Diane Alexander
• Testing the Efficient Markets Hypothesis: A Behavioral Approach To the Current Economic Crisis , Iulia Stefan
• Nuclear Proliferation and the Deterrence of Conventional War: A Proposal , Justin Pollard
• Changing Endowment Sizes and Prices of Giving in Ultimatum Games , Kevin Haas
• Selective Beliefs over Preferences , Luke A. Stewart
• Difference of Percentiles: A New Look at the Ability Bias , Paul Lewicki
• The Effect of Mass Transit Systems on Price of Condominium in Bangkok , Peson Sirikolkarn
• The Sour Side of Today’s Housing Market: Testing internal relationships and understanding the composition of today’s market , Peter Lewicki
• The Impact of Sovereign Wealth Fund Investments on Listed United States Companies , Richard Schimbor
• The Transformation of the Demographic Differential Between the U.S. Military and the U.S. Population , Ryan Moffett
• Not Just a TRIP! Two Cases of Business Strategy and Economic Incentives to Patent in Beijing , Shelley Jingyi Jiang
• The Effect of Fertility Levels on The Educational Attainment of Children in Uganda , Tara Roach
• Unionization and Incentives: Evidence from the Field , Thomas Winberry
• Education and Wage Differential by Race: Convergence or Divergence? , Tian Luo
• Job Security and Productivity: Evidence From Academics , William Leung
• A Survey of the Ratio of Mortgage Assets to Total Assets and Its Relation to Regulation , Yelena Bakman

Current Thesis Examples (Fall 2019-present)

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Senior Thesis

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Through their Senior Thesis, majors learn to identify interesting economics questions, survey the existing academic literature and demonstrate command of theoretical, empirical, and/or experimental methods needed to critically analyze their chosen topic.

All seniors are encouraged to browse the Senior Thesis Database for examples of past work.

To see examples of papers that won Senior Thesis Prizes, see this article about the Class of ’22 student winners.

Senior Thesis Coordinator Professor Alessandro Lizzeri [email protected]

Key Resources for Seniors

Senior Thesis Handbook Senior Thesis At-a-Glance Senior Thesis Advisors and Their Advising Interests Senior Thesis Proposal/Advisor Request Form Senior Thesis Advisor Assignments Senior Thesis Grading Rubric Exit form: Senior Thesis Research Integrity Form Exit form: Senior Thesis Advisor Evaluation Exit form: Departmental Survey

Senior Prizes

At the end of senior year, the department awards several prizes to acknowledge the best Senior Thesis projects from each class. Available awards are listed below.

• John Glover Wilson Memorial Award: Awarded to the best thesis on international economics or politics.
• Walter C. Sauer ’28 Prize (joint eligibility with Politics, SPIA): Awarded to the student whose thesis or research project on any aspect of United States foreign trade is judged to be the most creative.
• The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies Prize: Awarded annually to the best five policy-relevant theses.
• Burton G. Malkiel ’64 Senior Thesis Prize in Finance: Awarded for the most outstanding thesis in the field of finance.
• Elizabeth Bogan Prize in Economics: Awarded for the best thesis in health, education, or welfare.
• Daniel L. Rubinfeld ’67 Prize in Empirical Economics: Awarded for the best thesis in empirical economics.
• Hugo Sonnenschein Prize in Economic Theory: Awarded for the best thesis on economic theory.
• Wolf Balleisen Memorial Prize: Awarded for the best thesis on an economics subject, written by an economics major.
• Halbert White ’72 Prize in Economics: Awarded to the most outstanding senior economics major, as evidenced by excellence in departmental coursework and creativity in the Junior Paper and Senior Thesis.

• Leeds University Business School
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Undergraduate papers

We publish our undergraduate papers annually to highlight the breadth and quality of work produced by our undergraduate students. 

Volume 3: Autumn 2019

‘the economics of terrorism: an empirical investigation into the long-run effects of terrorism on economic growth’ by abdullah farhad.

Download: The economics of terrorism: An empirical investigation into the long-run effects of terrorism on economic growth by Abdullah Farhad

Terrorism has become an increasingly important topic following the attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001. Following this incident, an array of literature has evaluated the effect of terrorism on various economic indicators; the most widely covered of these indicators being economic growth. We seek to build upon this existing literature to modernise the research on terrorism and long-run economic growth. We seek to estimate this relationship using regression analysis to investigate the question: Does terrorism have an adverse effect on longrun economic growth? Our results present some evidence of a long-run impact of terrorism on economic growth when excluding for time-effects, although these effects are not sustained into the next period.

‘Rolling Dice and Being Nice: Using Behavioural Economics to Understand the Link between Socioeconomic Status and Prosocial Behaviour’ by Jamie Haley

Download: Rolling Dice and Being Nice: Using Behavioural Economics to Understand the Link between Socioeconomic Status and Prosocial Behaviour by Jamie Haley

This paper applies behavioural economics using the board game Monopoly in order to examine how socioeconomic status -determined by income, occupation, and education- affects prosocial behaviour -activity that benefits the wellbeing of others. Existing literature was surveyed to establish a hypothesis and then an experiment was conducted to test against it. Monopoly was used as a proxy for real life with competitors playing multiple 1v1 rounds with winners awarded £5 per win and an opportunity to make donations to charity. Rules of the game were amended to create high and low in-game socioeconomic statuses (SES). Logistic and linear regression modelling was used to assess how in-game SES, real-life SES, and other factors affected propensity to donate and size of donations. Analyses found mixed results and a weak conclusion was formed suggesting a negative correlation between SES and prosocial behaviour, both in probability and donation size.

‘How does Coral Reefs Degradation Impact upon Marine Capture Fisheries, and How Can the Tragedy of the Commons Be Solved? A Case Study of the Philippines 1997-2015’ by Marina Fuentes Juan

Download: How Does Coral Reefs Degradation Impact upon Marine Capture Fisheries, and How Can the Tragedy of the Commons Be Solved? A Case Study of the Philippines 1997-2015 by Marina Fuentes Juan

Coral reefs and fisheries ecosystems have become increasingly important for the Philippines’ population. This paper explores the ecological indicators of these ecosystems to identify possible degradation and overfishing. Moreover, economic and social indicators will show the impact of the degradation of these ecosystems on the economy and the society. This dissertation looks at the tragedy of the commons literature and follows the appropriate frameworks to recognise the nature of the problem looking at governance indicators. Findings show that if the institutions of the Philippines had been more robust over the past decades, the coral reefs and the fisheries would be in better conditions.

‘Can Human Capital Theory Alone Explain the Variation in the Gender Pay Gap throughout the United Kingdom? A Comparative Case Study of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’ by Courtney Owens

Download: Can Human Capital Theory Alone Explain the Variation in the Gender Pay Gap throughout the United Kingdom? A Comparative Case Study of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by Courtney Owens

Human capital theory has been widely used to explain the gender wage differentials predominantly in the US. This dissertation explores the relationship between human capital and the gender pay gap in the context of the United Kingdom (UK). The paper looks at the gender pay gap variations between nations within the UK and attempts to determine whether these variations are attributable to differences in human capital alone. Past literature is examined to provide an understanding of the development of human capital theory. The critiques of feminist economists are also reviewed to evaluate the theory. The methodology is then discussed, with the key weaknesses and limitations being identified. The paper then analyses the data in an attempt to determine the cause of gender pay gap variations throughout the different countries in the UK. Finally, the dissertation concludes that human capital theory alone cannot explain the gender pay gap. The paper finds that public sector employment may be a contributory factor.

‘Is There Evidence of Real Economic Convergence in the European Union Before and Following the Financial Crisis of 2008?’ By Edward Rushworth 

Download:  Is There Evidence of Real Economic Convergence in the European Union Before and Following the Financial Crisis of 2008? By Edward Rushworth 

Economic convergence enhances the effectiveness of policy, increases resistance to asymmetric shocks, and encourages greater levels of economic prosperity and macroeconomic equality. With regards to the European Union (EU), whilst literature confirms pre-crisis convergence, works on post-crisis Europe has fallen victim to short time-samples, and incomplete data sets due to the omission of newer members of the Union. This paper calculates up to date regressions using a fixed-effects model, and measures dispersion using coefficients of variation to test for β and σ-convergence for real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Unemployment. In conclusion, this paper finds statistically significant evidence of βconvergence for pre-crisis Europe (1995-2008) and the entire period considered (1995-2014) for both real GDP and unemployment rates, but no evidence of post-crisis (2009-2014) convergence for either. Pre-crisis σ-convergence tends downwards for real GDP, though this is largely driven by rapid falls in dispersion across the EU-13, as the EU-15 experiences gradual divergence almost constantly. Unemployment rates converged between 2000 and 2007, but have sharply diverged following the crisis, spelling fears of hysteresis and permanent damage to the labour market.

‘Why Unemployment in the United Kingdom did not Increase as much as Expected During the Great Recession?’ by Anastasia Tsangaridou

Download: Why Unemployment in the United Kingdom did not Increase as much as Expected During the Great Recession?  by Anastasia Tsangaridou

Following the recent financial crisis, the United Kingdom came up against the worst diminutions of Gross Domestic Product compared to past experience. However, patterns of unemployment have surprisingly been lower than expected. This dissertation is commissioned to demonstrate the reasons why unemployment did not increase as much as expected during the Great Recession compared to past experience. The main reasons presented in the literature were: the increase in labour flexibility, the reduction on productivity and macroeconomic policies. This paper goes further and examines the effect of bank rescue plan as a possible explanation to the unemployment patterns in 2008. The main conclusions to be derived is that, even though all motives can be partly supported to some extent, macro policies and flexibility are mostly supported by evidence as the motives for unemployment trending emphasizing the important role of policymakers during the Great Recession. It is also suggested that bank rescue plan had mainly short run and non-sustainable effects.

‘The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment in Romania: A Panel Data Investigation’ by Oana-Corina Tuinea

Download:  The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment in Romania: A Panel Data Investigation  by Oana-Corina Tuinea

This dissertation aims to establish the existence, size and significance of the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on employment across sectors in Romania. The question stems from approaching FDI through a microeconomic perspective and hypothesizing on what its impacts would look like at a higher level. As highlighted in the literature features of new foreign investments, such as entry mode or investor motivation may create and destroy jobs in the host economy. These effects may aggregate themselves at a sector level since each sector has its specific points of attraction to investors. Hence the key hypothesis tested is whether FDI unilaterally increases employment across all sectors or whether its benefits are unevenly distributed and sector-specific. The hypothesis is verified through panel data fixed effects and random effects regressions. The estimated coefficients on FDI stocks are indeed positive yet of rather different magnitudes across sectors. The results are discussed at length in relation to Romania’s position as a transition economy in the hope of bringing another perspective on the Romanian government’s one-size-fits-all approach to foreign investment attraction.

Volume 2: Autumn 2018

'parental leave in the uk – an investigation from a company perspective' by james carrick.

Download: Parental leave in the UK – an investigation from a company perspective by James Carrick

This dissertation thesis researches the current parental leave policies offered in the UK from a company perspective. A business case argument for offering parental leave policies above and beyond the statutory minimum was also constructed. As a result, this thesis has attempted to fill a gap in current literature surrounding this topic by offering an updated view of parental policies in the UK from a company perspective. A qualitative research design was adopted using in-depth semi-structured interviewing as a means for data collection. Findings highlighted three common themes, financial affordability, talent management and gender diversity. Interviewees expressed strong views in favour of the new shared parental leave policy recently introduced. However, the importance for paid leave above and beyond the statutory minimum was also stressed. It was, however, recognised that the ability of firms to offer such policies is dependent on firm size and industry sectors. A general consensus also developed where interviewees felt generous parental leave policies provides a vehicle for effective talent attraction and talent retention. Finally, it was felt that gender diversity and gender equality would be enhanced, thus benefiting business. Overall, it was found that the implementation of said policies is profitable for business according to the sample.

'The implications of population ageing for the stock market in the United Kingdom' by Edward Cave

Download: The implications of population ageing for the stock market in the United Kingdom by Edward Cave

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether population ageing has implications for the FTSE all share stock market in the UK. This paper first identifies if population ageing is occurring in the UK by examining the proportion of the population above 65, before then investigating fertility rates and life expectancy to determine if population ageing will continue. This paper then reviews the life cycle hypothesis, which suggests a theoretical relationship between demographics and the stock market exists. To identify if this is the case a time series econometric study is constructed from 1963 to 2014, using vector error correction and vector autoregression, as well as Wald Granger causality, variance decomposition and impulse response functions, to determine long run and short-run relationships. This paper finds that population ageing is in fact occurring in the UK and that there is a weak statistical relationship between the prime saving 40 to 64 cohort and the stock market, consistent with the lifecycle hypothesis. However, a relationship was not found for the population ageing 65+ cohort, suggesting that population ageing does not currently have implications for the stock market in the UK. Following these results this paper critically evaluates the reasons for statistical insignificance in the UK 65+ cohort and suggests future developments in the methodology.

'How has the European Central Bank’s Targeted Longer-Term Refinancing Operations (TLTROs) affected lending to households and non-financial corporations in Italy?' by Lara Ferguson

Download: How has the European Central Bank’s Targeted Longer-Term Refinancing Operations (TLTROs) affected lending to households and non-financial corporations in Italy? by Lara Ferguson

Since June 2014 the European Central Bank (ECB) has implemented unconventional monetary policies to tackle weak growth, persistent below-target inflation and to support lending to the real economy. One of these policies was the Targeted Longer-Term Refinancing Operations (TLTROs) which provided ultra-cheap loans to banks, provided that banks increase lending to non-financial corporations (NFCs) and households. This paper investigates the policy’s impact in Italy, where the annual growth in lending to NFCs has been negative since 2012 and interest rates are elevated above their European counterparts. The analysis addresses the gap in the literature by investigating the effect of the programme on households and firms, extending the inquiry beyond the financial conditions that previous literature has focused on. A narrative approach is used to estimate the effect of the TLTROs on interest rates and loan supply, whilst investigating loan demand by the real economy assesses whether this acted as a constraint. This paper also investigates whether critiques of the programme have hindered its success in Italy. The results show the TLTROs success has been to considerably lower interest rates in Italy. Despite slowing the pace of decline of lending to NFCs and households, considerable improvements are needed before lending returns to pre-crisis trends.

'To what extent do investment barriers influence FDI flow into China?' by Vivian Wangari Karanja

Download: To what extent do investment barriers influence FDI flow into China? by Vivian Wangari Karanja

The People’s Republic of China has recently experienced an incredible rise in FDI inflow despite being totally closed to foreign investors as recently as 1979. Despite this increase, several investment barriers into China persist. Many different authors have empirically investigated the determinants of FDI into developing countries. However, this study employs a panel data method to analyse the relationship between investment barriers and FDI inflows in the time between 2006 and 2014 from a sample of 83 countries. This is done in conjunction with other explanatory variables, namely: GDP, human capital investment, investment in infrastructure, Corporate Tax rate and Real Effective Exchange Rate. This study finds that investment barriers have a negative but statistically insignificant effect on FDI inflows into China.

'What motivates altruistic behaviour? How could policymakers incentivise future blood donation rates in the UK?' by Olivia Kiernan

Download: What motivates altruistic behaviour? How could policymakers incentivise future blood donation rates in the UK? by Olivia Kiernan

This paper offers an interdisciplinary exploration of behavioural theory beyond the conventional microeconomic framework, in an attempt to better understand why agents act in the interests of others. It then uses these behavioural ideas to propose how UK policymakers could better incentivise future blood donation rates, in response to an anticipated supply shortage induced by an ageing population. The three themes of reputation, reciprocity and social integration as motivators for altruistic behaviour are derived from lessons of the social sciences beyond the field of economics and their relevance in the case of blood donation is tested by investigating survey response data and the character profiles of existing donors. It is concluded that if policymakers accept that agents are not motivated solely by self-interest and monetary gain, a whole continuum of well-designed, theoretically informed incentive options exists in between the current system, where donors are entirely unrewarded for their blood product, and a commercialised one.

'Are Worker Cooperatives in the UK Liable to the Issue of Adolescence?' by Georgina O’Sullivan

Download: Are Worker Cooperatives in the UK Liable to the Issue of Adolescence? by Georgina O’Sullivan

Historically, the cooperative movement in its various global forms has been surrounded by debate. Within existing literature, most empirical exploration has been focussed on countries outside of the UK. As such, little is known about worker cooperatives in the UK. Using new data, with a maximum of 3,287 observations across 10 years, this dissertation aims to add to the literature by closely examining the survival rates and nonparametric hazard curves of worker cooperatives in the UK, broken down by geographical location and industry. These comparisons will be drawn in order to assess whether geographical and industry differences influence the survival chances and hazard rates of worker cooperatives in the UK.

'The Nature of The UK’s Endogenous Money System, and Basel III’s Impact on Post-Crisis Lending' by Guy Edward James Poxon

Download: The Nature of The UK’s Endogenous Money System, and Basel III’s Impact on Post-Crisis Lending by Guy Edward James Poxon

This study aims to determine the impact of Basel III on the UK’s credit supply. Endogenous money theory is used to discuss the credit supply. Horizontalism implies unrestricted short term lending, while structuralism incorporates liquidity preference of central banks and commercial banks in the short run. Basel III’s regulatory framework is then outlined, and its theoretical effect on the UK endogenous money system is discussed, attempting to put Basel III into the theory’s framework. In order to provide evidence on Basel III’s impact, time series econometric analysis to compare M4 growth, M4 lending growth, and the rate of change of UK commercial banks’ assets is used. M4 growth represents the level of reserves accommodation by the Bank of England, and M4 lending growth represents UK commercial bank lending. The inclusion of the rate of change of UK banks’ assets captures the broad effect of Basel III’s framework, and determines how the Bank of England as well as UK banks respond to increased capital requirements. This study tests for structural breaks in tandem with Figureical analysis to determine that changes in the relationship between banks and the Bank of England correspond with Basel III’s date of implementation.

'Does unemployment lead to hazardous drinking?' An empirical study by David Sadler

Download: Does unemployment lead to hazardous drinking? An empirical study by David Sadler

Establishing a link between unemployment and alcohol use can be beneficial for both advising macroeconomic policy, and targeting alcohol education and treatment programs. The link is especially important when applied to the U.K. context, given the current cost to England’s National Health Service of alcohol related harm, following the worst economic recession the economy has seen for decades. This dissertation explores the effect of unemployment on alcohol use, by using econometric analysis in the form of a binary dependent variable model, whilst controlling for income and demographic variables. The regression analysis shows that being unemployed does increase the likelihood of hazardous drinking, whereas a respondent’s level of income has little impact. Thus, this dissertation concludes that unemployment does increase the likelihood of hazardous drinking due to the societal stress impact of being unemployed.

'The Effect of Childcare Costs on Maternal Labour Force Participation in the United Kingdom' by Eleanor Travers

Download: The Effect of Childcare Costs on Maternal Labour Force Participation in the United Kingdom by Eleanor Travers

This dissertation investigates the effect of childcare costs on maternal labour force participation in the UK. A bivariate probit model is used to estimate the joint decision of British mothers participating in the labour force and using a formal childcare provider, controlling for the effects of demographic, income and household composition characteristics. Selectivity-corrected estimates of wages and childcare costs are used to eliminate sample selection bias. The results are contrary to previous research, showing childcare costs no longer significantly, negatively affect maternal labour force participation. Childcare costs are found to be positively associated with formal childcare use and labour force participation, whilst wage is found to have no significant effect. Policy changes have been considerable since the majority of research has been published and could partly explain the differing outcomes of this model.

'The Impact of School Quality on Property Prices' by Joseph Wild

Download: The Impact of School Quality on Property Prices by Joseph Wild

This dissertation applies a hedonic house price model to the city of Sheffield, England to assess the impact of school quality on property prices. Best practice methodology typically applied in US studies has been applied to UK data, using the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to control for neighbourhood characteristics at a highly disaggregated level. For the first time in the UK, actual school catchment areas are used, distinguishing this dissertation from the existing literature, which typically applies a ‘straight line distance to the nearest school’ approach. A robust OLS regression model is built sequentially to control for property and neighbourhood characteristics, before isolating the impact of school quality. The findings show that houses in catchment areas with 10% more children achieving 5A*-C at GCSE level can command 7.85% higher house prices. A review of the literature is presented and the rationale for the chosen methodology and variables is discussed, followed by a presentation of the results, which were found to be highly robust.

Volume 1, Autumn 2017

'the effects of weather on wheat yields in victoria, australia: an empirical study' by jess arkesden.

Download: The effects of weather on wheat yields in Victoria, Australia: an empirical study by Jess Arkesden

This study looks at the impacts that weather variables have on wheat yields in the state of Victoria, Australia. Both basic measures (temperature and precipitation) and complex measures (evapotranspiration rate and the Standardised Precipitation Index) are used. Econometric analysis is used to estimate the effect these variables have on wheat yields for 1953-2011, whilst including non-linear, interaction terms and dummy variables for extreme weather events. The regression results show that variations from the average temperature and rainfall have a negative impact on yields. However, drought has a larger and more significant impact on wheat in Victoria than changes in precipitation.

'The impact of quantitative easing on financial markets in the United Kingdom' by James Barrie

Download: The impact of quantitative easing on financial markets in the United Kingdom by James Barrie

Following the global financial crisis, the Bank of England was forced to take dramatic measures in an attempt to improve the UK economy. In March 2009, the Bank of England launched an unprecedented, large-scale asset-purchasing programme called quantitative easing. By October 2012, the Bank had bought £375bn worth of assets, primarily government bonds. This paper attempts a provisional evaluation of the impact of quantitative easing on financial markets in the UK and, to a lesser extent, the economy more generally. At this point in time, it is very difficult to assess these impacts by conventional means. As a result, prior studies have typically used event study analysis in attempts to quantify the policy’s impact. After reviewing the event study literature, the findings from the paper’s own qualitative survey of financial market experts are presented. We are able to draw two main conclusions. Firstly, the policy has had a significant effect on financial markets in much the way that was both intended and expected. In so doing, it is believed that quantitative easing will also have played an important role in stabilising the economy following the recession. This study points to a negative effect of around 50 basis points on gilt yields. However, it remains difficult to estimate the exact size of the effect that the policy has had. Secondly, the evidence suggests that the policy’s main influence came through a portfolio rebalancing channel. As always, there is more research that can, and will, be done and it’s hoped that the survey-based approach adopted by this paper can be extended in the future.

'The Impact of the ‘One-Child Policy’ on China’s Aggregate Household Savings – An Econometric Analysis' by Lele Ding

Download: The Impact of the ‘One-Child Policy’ on China’s Aggregate Household Savings – An Econometric Analysis by Lele Ding

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the impact of the One-Child Policy on China’s aggregate household savings. There are four proxies for the One-Child Policy: the total fertility rate, annual population growth rate, age structure, and gender ratio. The purpose of this dissertation thus has been achieved by investigating the statistical relationships between these four demographic factors and China’s aggregate household savings, in light of the theory of Life-Cycle Saving. An ordinary least squares regression model has been conducted based on the cross-sectional annual data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and the World Bank for the period of 1980-2012. The results of multiple regressions illustrate that the One-Child Policy has a statistically significant relationship with China’s aggregate household savings.

'How Has Inequality Been a Cause of Violence in Post-dictatorship Brazil?' by Samson Hart

Download: How Has Inequality Been a Cause of Violence in Post-dictatorship Brazil? by Samson Hart

This thesis explores the relationship between violence and inequality, beginning with an assessment of the historical context of violence and inequality in Brazil, and a review of the literature on these topics. The thesis goes on to qualitatively assess relevant theoretical frameworks, namely from Amartya Sen on inequality and Johan Galtung on violence, to develop a theoretical understanding of both the concepts of inequality and violence, in order to provide a more focused conceptualisation and a basis for their measurement. Finally, this thesis sets out a quantitative case study analysis of the relationship between violence and inequality in Brazil from 1985-2012, referring to different sources of data. The paper concludes that, given the limitations of the study, the data does not necessarily prove a causal relationship between inequality and violence. It does, however, provide enough evidence to call for the use of redistributive economic policy as a long-term preventative measure of violence.

'Is a trade-off between justice and efficiency inevitable? A comparative study of European welfare states between 2001 and 2013' by Kasia Lipka

Download: Is a trade-off between justice and efficiency inevitable? A comparative study of European welfare states between 2001 and 2013 by Kasia Lipka

The trade-off between justice and economic efficiency is a key debate in welfare state economics. This study addresses whether a trade-off is inevitable and whether the financial crisis of 2008 has influenced this. An index measure of efficiency and justice is produced in order to conduct both cross-country and cross-time comparisons of performance across three European welfare states: Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom, before and after the financial crisis. Detailed case studies are conducted to in order to explain the results in policy terms and to determine the conditions under which a trade-off may exist. The following findings are presented; 1) A trade-off between justice and efficiency is not inevitable, but it occurs in certain circumstances, 2) The existence of a trade-off is largely determined by the extensiveness of the tax system and the role of core societal values, 3) The financial crisis of 2008 has had a mixed impact on the existence of a trade-off in European welfare states

'Prison Labour: Should the UK follow the US’s example?' by Jake Lush McCrum

Download: Prison Labour: Should the UK follow the US’s example? by Jake Lush McCrum

This paper seeks to assess the impact of the growth of prison labour in the US on its three main stakeholders: the prisoners; the firms employing the prisoners; and society as a whole. It will then explore whether the UK should follow a similar expansion, using in-depth interviews with eight important figures both in- and outside the UK prison industry as well as existing research into current practice. No previous study has compared prison labour in the UK with that in the US. Following analysis of the literature on prison literature in the US and interviews with relevant UK individuals, the paper concludes that prison labour has the potential to have a positive net effect on society.

'How are rating agencies perceived following the US financial crisis? What were their main shortfalls? Insights from academics and professionals' by Timothy Sapsford

Download: How are rating agencies perceived following the US financial crisis? What were their main shortfalls? Insights from academics and professionals by Timothy Sapsford

This research project looks at how academics and professionals with economics or finance backgrounds perceive rating agencies and their shortfalls following the US financial crisis. The paper attempts to fill a gap in the present literature, namely, the lack of qualitative research depicting people’s perceptions on the subject matter. The researcher engaged in in-depth interviews to retrieve this data, where four central themes were identified: (i) loss of reputation, (ii) conflict of interest, (iii) complexity and lack of judgement and (iv) lack of competition in the industry. The sample believed that rating agencies’ reputation has been negatively affected. Nevertheless, at least some of the interviewees continue to see their overall function in financial markets as positive. The data was inconclusive in regard to whether a change in the business model affected the way rating agencies operate. It showed, however, that the sample believed that conflicting interests were inherent in the current system. The participants also showed their concerns about the complexity of the structured debt and the inability of raters to decipher the risk associated with them. The view that raters lost a grip on reality and lost their sense of judgement was also prevalent. Whilst the majority of participants believed the lack of competition in the industry affected rating

'An econometric study into the impact of the current account on house price growth in the United States' by George Vernon

Download: An econometric study into the impact of the current account on house price growth in the United States b y George Vernon

This dissertation investigates the impact of the current account on house price growth in the United States between Q4 1977 and Q4 2013. An econometric analysis is used to estimate the effect of changes in the current account balance on house price growth over the period, whilst accounting for a range of control variables. The regression results show that throughout the period, negative changes in the current account balance were associated with higher levels of house price growth. This finding holds even when controlling for potential reverse causality. However, the econometric model fails to account for all of the variation in house price growth and as such omitted variable bias cannot be ruled out.

'The Effect of the UK’s Smoke Free Law on Smoking Prevalence, Tobacco Related Hospital Admissions and NHS Expenditure – A Discussion Seven Years following the Public Smoking Ban' by Kate Wales

Download: The Effect of the UK’s Smoke Free Law on Smoking Prevalence, Tobacco Related Hospital Admissions and NHS Expenditure – A Discussion Seven Years following the Public Smoking Ban by Kate Wales

The consumption of tobacco is a widely researched and discussed area, particularly in terms of health effects. This dissertation aims to add to current and past literature by discussing the impact the smoke free legislation has had on smoking prevalence, tobacco related hospital admissions and consequently NHS expenditure on tobacco related diseases. Particular analysis will be given in terms of age, gender and occupational classification. The methodology and data used is discussed, giving limitations and reference to the quality. The results present the data between years 1974 and 2013, giving interpretation to the trends found. In conclusion, this dissertation finds that smoking prevalence has been largely uninfluenced by the introduction of the smoking ban and hospital admissions due to tobacco related diseases are yet to decline.

'The Impacts of Immigration on Wages and Unemployment in England: An Empirical Investigation' by George Wibberley

Download: The Impacts of Immigration on Wages and Unemployment in England: An Empirical Investigation by George Wibberley

The economic effects of immigration have become increasingly important within the UK over recent decades but there is no general consensus on the impact of immigration on unemployment and wages. Within the existing literature, a number of authors have attempted to empirically measure the impacts of immigration on labour market outcomes within the UK at a national level. However, my study aims to use regional level data from England across the period 2005 to 2012 to analyse the impacts of immigration on unemployment and wages. My results show that immigration has no significant effects on either unemployment or wages at a regional level.

'The Impacts of Digital Currency on China's Monetary System' by Qianru Xiang

Download: The Impacts of Digital Currency on China's Monetary System by Qianru Xiang

This dissertation contributes to the evaluation of how digital currency would affect the monetary system by studying the influence on money demand and supply, as well as the velocity of money. After exploring the characteristics of digital currency and comparing functions with fiat currency, this dissertation establishes an econometric model to explore further the relationship between digital currency, money supply and the velocity of money in the China monetary system. In order to quantify the effects of digital currency on the changing amount of fiat currency, by analysing cash ratio, electronic currency level, financial electronic level and interest rate, this research suggests that the extension of digital currency could bring variation to the velocity of money in both the long and short term. Although the initial stage of digital currency limits the results analysis, by discussing the impacts of digital currency on the central bank of China, this dissertation concludes with China’s monetary policy recommendations.

Home > School, College, or Department > CUPA > Economics > Economics Honors Theses

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Theses from 2023 2023.

Exploring the Relationship Between Green Space and Academic Performance , Audrey Demeaux

The Past, Present, and Future of the Latino Paradox , Sheila Flores

Designing the Future: The Influence of Lloyd J. Reynolds on American Product Innovation , Bander Qadan

Theses from 2022 2022

The Effect of STEM Education on Women , Jasmine Gloden

School Lunch Policy and Parental Working Trends , Sophia D. Paniagua

Covid's Impact on Nurses & Their Labor Market , Joshua Stanfill

Theses from 2021 2021

The Meghan Markle Effect: An Analysis of a 21st Century Celebrity through a Veblenian Perspective , Lucy Jensen

Police Union Contracts and Impediments to Accountability: A Case Study Analysis of PPA Bargaining Agreements , Elizabeth Ott

The Development of Community Relations with Low-Socioeconomic Status, Black Communities and Provisional Equity of Fire and Emergency Medical Services , Claire R. Rutgers

What is the Impact of Economic Stimulus Measures on COVID-19 Mortality Rates? , Stephanie C. Santaguida

Theses from 2020 2020

Economic Analysis of Green Marketing: The Correlation Between Consumers and Firms Through Environmental Incentives , Naomi Joyce

Nigerien Fertility Choice in the Face of Desertification , Samson R. Swan

Theses from 2019 2019

Impacts of a Parental Consent Law on Teen Birth and Abortion Rates in Kansas , Cameryn Carr

Reference-Dependence Performance: Managing and Meeting Expectations , Jose A. Rojas-Fallas

Theses from 2018 2018

Reform in the European Union: the Need for Tighter Integration , Adriana Acuna

Exploring Cap-and-Trade: a California Case Study , Madison Daisy Hathaway

The Effects of Aging, Prolonged Life Expectancy and Retirement on the American and Japanese Social Security Systems , Torgen Karns

Bitcoins in Venezuela: Examining the Origins, Nature, and Viability of Cryptocurrencies in the Hyperinflated Country of Venezuela , Connor Wulf

Theses from 2017 2017

Spotify, Piracy and Patronage: How Consumers Make Decisions Regarding Musical Consumption in the Streaming Age , Joseph K. Drevets

Theses from 2016 2016

The European Coal and Steel Community: the Path Towards European Integration , Nicholas Hudson

Wholesale Peak Demand Pricing , Jarek R. Hunger

Mills and Veblen: An Institutional Analysis , Matthew Klosterman

Collective Intervention: an Analysis of the Political Issues Regarding Secession, Self-Determination, and Sovereignty in the Republic of Kosovo , Benjamin Werthan

Theses from 2015 2015

Understanding Patterns of Localized Poverty in the United States: Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses in Contemporary Statistical Analysis , Gregory Dyck

The French Economy: An Examination of Competition and Regulation , Katherine Quick

Theses from 2014 2014

How has India's Rapidly Growing ICT Sector Impacted its Rural Poor? , Jasmine Bartolome

Selected Critiques of the Philosophical Underpinnings of the Neoclassical School , Thomas Howell

Theses from 2013 2013

How Old Regimes Help New Economic Growth , Bondon Kawamoto

An Assessment of Hydroelectric Feasibility at Colonel Charles D. Maynard Dam in Tucker, Arkansas , Connor Quigley

An Inquiry into the Division of Labor , Raul Reyes

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Thirlwall's Law and Krugman's 45-degree Rule: Mathematically Identical, Mutually Exclusive , Karl Garbacik

Innovation, Markets, and Evolution , Mitch Green

Financial Illiteracy: Prevalence, Consequences, and Solutions , Gerald Matasy

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

The Impact of Corruption on the Timing and Mode of Entry by U.S. Firms in China , Jacob Billings

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

The Science of Persuasion in Recent Discourse on T.R. Malthus: An Exercise in the Analysis of Rhetoric in Economics , Laila Winner

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ECON3012: DISSERTATION IN ECONOMICS

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Prerequisites

• Microeconomics (ECON2021) AND Macroeconomics (ECON2011) AND Econometrics (ECON2061) OR Economic Theory (ECON2291) AND Econometrics (ECON2061)

Corequisites

Excluded combinations of modules.

• The dissertation should be a substantial piece of work that provides a detailed and critical examination of a particular topic. Empirical research is encouraged where appropriate to the topic, but is not compulsory.
• The dissertation aims to encourage students to acquire the skills of independent research by pursuing a substantial project requiring research reading and/or data collection.
• There is a highly structured plan of work involving lectures and consultations between individual students and their dissertation supervisors.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Enhance student's knowledge of a specific topic in economics

Subject-specific Skills:

• By completing a dissertation, students will learn to plan and design a substantial piece of written work on an area of economics of their choice which requires literature searches, and the collection/analysis of relevant data.

Key Skills:

• Written communication - by completing the summative assessment
• Planning Organisation and time management - by observing strict deadlines
• Initiative - by searching relevant literature and other information
• Computer literacy - by word-processing the dissertation

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching is by lectures and consultations. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in consultations and private study. Formative assessment is by means of preparation of a draft chapter. Summative assessment is by means of a written piece of 12000 words.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative assessment, formative assessment, more information.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our  FAQ webpages , Help page or our glossary of terms . If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us .

Current Students: Please contact your department .

• Study and research support
• Academic skills

Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

• email: Email
• Phone number 617-495-2461

Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

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Dissertations

The dv410 dissertation is a major component of the msc programme and an important part of the learning and development process involved in postgraduate education., research design and dissertation in international development.

The DV410 dissertation is a major component of the MSc programme and an important part of the learning and development process involved in postgraduate education. The objective of DV410  is to provide students with an overview of the resources available to them to research and write a 10,000 dissertation that is topical, original, scholarly, and substantial. DV410 will provide curated dissertation pathways through LSE LIFE and Methods courses, information sessions, ID-specific disciplinary teaching, topical seminars and dissertation worksops in ST. With this in mind, students will be able to design their own training pathway and set their own learning objectives in relation to their specific needs for their dissertation. From the Autumn Term (AT) through to Summer Term (ST), students will discuss and develop their ideas in consultation with their mentor or other members of the ID department staff and have access to a range of learning resources (via DV410 Moodle page) to support and develop their individual projects from within the department and across the LSE. 

Prizewinning dissertations

The archive of prizewinning dissertations showcases the best MSc dissertations from previous years. These offer a useful guide to current students on how to prepare and write a high calibre dissertation.

2022-OW (PDF) The Politics of Political Conditionality: How theEU Is Failing the Western Balkans Pim W.R.Oudejans Joint winner of Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Development Management 

2022-GN (PDF) An Empirical Study of the Impact of Kenya’sFree Secondary Education Policy on Women’sEducation Nora Geiszl Winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc Development Management 

2022-JC  (PDF) Giving with one hand, taking with the other:the contradictory political economy of socialgrants in South Africa Jack Calland Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Development Studies

2022-GL (PDF) State Versus Market: The Case of Tobacco Consumption in Eastern European and Former Soviet Transition Economies Letizia Gazzaniga Joint winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Health and International Development

2022-ER (PDF) Reproductive injustice across forced migration trajectories: Evidence from female asylum-seekers fleeing Central America’s Northern Triangle Emily Rice Joint winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Health and International Development

2022-LICB  (PDF) The effects of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) on child nutrition following an adverseweather shock: the case of Indonesia Liliana Itamar Carillo Barba Winner Prize for Best Dissertation MSc Health and International Development 2022-SC (PDF) Fiscal Responses to Conditional Debt Relief:the impact of multilateral debt cancellation on taxation patterns Sara Cucaro  Joint winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2022-RM  (PDF) Navigating humanitarian space(s) to provideprotection and assistance to internally displacedpersons: applying the concept of ahumanitarian ‘micro-space’ to the caseof Rukban in Syria Miranda Russell  Joint winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2021-CC  (PDF) International Remittances and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Investigating Resilient Remittance Flows from Italy during 2020 Carla Curreli Joint winner of Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance and Winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc Development Management 

2021-NB  (PDF) Reluctant respondents: Early settlement by developing countries during WTO disputes Nicholas Baxtar Joint winner of Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Development Management (Specialism: Applied Development)

2021-CD  (PDF) One Belt, Many Roads? A Comparison of Power Dynamics in Chinese Infrastructure Financing of Kenya and Angola Conor Dunwoody  Winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc Development Studies

2021-NN  (PDF) Tool for peace or tool for power? Interrogating Turkish ‘water diplomacy’ in the case of Northern Cyprus Nina Newhouse Winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Development Studies

2021-CW  (PDF) Exploring Legal Aid Provision for LGBTIQ+Asylum Seekers in the American Southwest from 2012-2021 Claire Wever Winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2021-BP  (PDF) Instrumentalising Threat; An Expansion of Biopolitical Control Over Exiles in Calais During the COVID-19 Pandemic Bethany Plant Joint winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2021-HS  (PDF) A New “Green Grab”? A Multi-Scalar Analysis of Exclusion in the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) Project, Kenya Helen Sticklet Joint winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2021-GM  (PDF) Fuelling policy: The Role of Public Health Policy-Support Tools in Reducing Household Air Pollution as a Risk-Factor for Non-Communicable Diseases in LMICs Georgina Morris Winner of Prize for Best Dissertation MSc Health and International Development 

2021-LC  (PDF) How do women garment workers employ practices of everyday resistance to challenge the patriarchal gender order of Sri Lankan society? Lois Cooper Joint winner of Prize for Best Overall Performance MSc Health and International Development 

2020-LK  (PDF) Can international remittances mitigate negative effects of economic shocks on education? – The case of Nigeria Lara Kasperkovitz Best Overall Performance Best Dissertation Prize International Development and Humanitarian Emergengies 

“Fallen through the Cracks” The Network for Childhood Pneumonia and Challenges in Global Health Governance  Eva Sigel Best Overall Performance Health and International Development 

2020-AB  (PDF) Fighting the ‘Forgotten’ Disease: LiST-Based Analysis of Pneumonia Prevention Interventions to Reduce Under-Five Mortality in High-Burden Countries Alexandra Bland Best Dissertation Prize  Health and International Development   

2020-TP  (PDF) Techno-optimism and misalignment: Investigating national policy discourses on the impact of ICT in educational settings in Sub-Saharan Africa Tao Platt Best Overall Performance Development Studies 

2020-HS  (PDF)  “We want land, all the rest is humbug”: land inheritance reform and intrahousehold dynamics in India Holly Scott Best Dissertation Prize Development Studies   

2020-PE  (PDF)  Decent Work for All? Waste Pickers’ Collective Action Frames after Formalisation in Bogotá, Colombia  Philip Edge Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management

2020-LC  (PDF)  Variation in Bilateral Investment Treaties: What Leads to More ‘Flexibility for Development’? Lindsey Cox Best Dissertation Prize Development Management

2019-GR (PDF) Political Economy of Industrial Policy: Analysinglongitudinal and crossnationalvariations in industrial policy in Brazil andArgentina Grace Reeve Best Overall Performance Development Studies 

2019-MM (PDF) The Securitisation of Development Projects: The Indian State’s Response to the Maoist Insurgency Monica Moses Best Dissertation Prize Development Studies 

2019-KM (PDF) At the End of Emergency: An Exploration of Factors Influencing Decision-making Surrounding Medical Humanitarian Exit Kaitlyn Macneil Best Overall Performance Prize Health and International Development

2019-KA (PDF) The Haitian Nutritional Paradox: Driving factors of the Double Burden of Malnutrition Khandys Agnant Best Dissertation Prize Health and International Development   

2019-NL (PDF) Women in the Rwandan Parliament: Exploring Descriptive and Substantive Representation Nicole London Best Dissertation Prize Development Management 

2019-CB (PDF) Post-conflict reintegration: the long-termeffects of abduction and displacement on theAcholi population of northern Uganda Charlotte Brown Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management 

2019-NLeo (PDF) Making Fashion Sense: Can InternationalLabour Standards Improve Accountabilityin Globalised Fast Fashion? Nicole Leo Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management 

2019-AS (PDF) Who Controls Whom? Evaluating theinvolvement of Development FinanceInstitutions (DFIs) in Build Own-Operate (BOO)Energy Projects in relation to Market Structures& Accountability Chains: The case of theBujagali Hydropower Project (BHPP) in Uganda Aya Salah Mostafa Ali Best Dissertation Prize African Development 

2019-NG (PDF) Addressing barriers to treatment-seekingbehaviour during the Ebola outbreak in SierraLeone: An International Response Perspective Natasha Glendening India Best Overall Performance Prize African Development 

2019-SYJ (PDF) The Traditional Global Care Chain and the Global Refugee Care Chain: A Comparative Analysis Sana Yasmine Johnson Best Dissertation Prize Best Overall Performance Prize International Development and Humanitarian Emergengies 

2018-JR (PDF) Nudging, Teaching, or Coercing?: A Review of Conditionality Compliance Mechanisms on School Attendance Under Conditional Cash Transfer Programs Jonathan Rothwell Best Dissertation Prize African Development 

2018-LD (PDF) A Feminist Perspective On Burundi's Land Reform Ladd Serwat Best Overall Performance African Development 

2018-KL (PDF) Decentralisation: Road to Development or Bridge to Nowhere? Estimating the Effect of Devolution on Infrastructure Spending in Kenya Kurtis Lockhart  Best Dissertation Prize and Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management 

2018-OS (PDF) From Accountability to Quality: Evaluating the Role of the State in Monitoring Low-Cost Private Schools in Uganda and Kenya Oceane Suquet Mayling Birney Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management 

2018-LN (PDF) Water to War: An Analysis of Drought, Water Scarcity and Social Mobilization in Syria Lian Najjar Best Dissertation Prize International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2018-IS  (PDF) “As devastating as any war”?: Discursive trends and policy-making in aid to Central America’s Northern Triangle Isabella Shraiman  Best Overall Performance  International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

2017-AR (PDF) Humanitarian Reform and the Localisation Agenda:Insights from Social Movement and Organisational Theory Alice Robinson Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

2017-ACY (PDF) The Hidden Costs of a SuccessfulDevelopmental State:Prosperity and Paucity in Singapore Agnes Chew Yunquian Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Managament 

2017-HK  (PDF) Premature Deindustrialization and Stalled Development, the Fate of Countries Failing Structural Transformation? Helen Kirsch Winner of the Best Dissertation in Programme Development Studies

2017-HZ  (PDF) ‘Bare Sexuality’ and its Effects onUnderstanding and Responding to IntimatePartner Sexual Violence in Goma, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC) Heather Zimmerman Winner of the Best Dissertation in Programme International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

2017-KT  (PDF) Is Good Governance a Magic Bullet?Examining Good Governance Programmes in Myanmar Khine Thu Winner of the Best Dissertation in Programme Development Managament 

2017-NL  (PDF) Persistent Patronage? The DownstreamElectoral Effects of Administrative Unit Creationin Uganda Nicholas Lyon  Winner of the Best Dissertation in Programme African Development 

2016-MV  (PDF) Contract farming under competition: exploring the drivers of side selling among sugarcane farmers in Mumias             Milou Vanmulken  Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation                                                      Dev elopment Management                

2016-JS  (PDF) Resource Wealth and Democracy: Challenging the  Assumptions of the Redistributive Model              Janosz Schäfer  Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Studies                

2016-LK   (PDF) Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction             Lajos Kossuth Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance                                     Development Studies  

2015-MP (PDF) "Corruption by design" and the management of infrastructure in Brazil: Reflections on the Programa de Aceleração ao Crescimento - PAC.             Maria da Graça Ferraz de Almeida Prado                                                          Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation                                          Development Managment                                                                                  

2015-IE (PDF) Breaking Out Of the Middle-Income Trap: Assessing the Role of Structural Transformation.                                                                               Ipek Ergin                                                                                                   Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

2015-AML (PDF) Labour Migration, Social Movements and Regional Integration: A Comparative Study of the Role of Labour Movements in the Social Transformation of the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community.             Anne Marie Engtoft Larsen                                                                                Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation                                   Development Management

2015-MM (PDF) Who Bears the Burden of Bribery? Evidence from Public Service Delivery in Kenya                     Michael Mbate                                                                                                   Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation and Best Overall Performance Development Management

2015-KK (PDF) Export Processing Zones as Productive Policy: Enclave Promotion or Developmental Asset? The Case of Ghana. Kilian Koffi Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation African Development

2015-GM (PDF) Forgive and Forget? Reconciliation and Memory in Post-Biafra Nigeria. Gemma Mehmed Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

2015-AS (PDF) From Sinners to Saviours: How Non-State Armed Groups use service delivery to achieve domestic legitimacy. Anthony Sequeira Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation and Best Overall Performance International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

2014-NS (PDF) Anti-Corruption Agencies: Why Do Some Succeed and Most Fail? A Quantitative Political Settlement Analysis. Nicolai Schulz Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

2014-MP (PDF) International Capital Flows and Sudden Stops: a global or a domestic issue? Momchil Petkov Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

2014-TC (PDF) Democracy to Decline: do democratic changes jeopardize economic growth? Thomas Coleman Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

2014-AK (PDF) Intercultural Bilingual Education: the role of participation in improving the quality of education among indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. Anni Kasari Excellent Dissertation and Best Overall Performance Development Management

2014-EL (PDF) Treaty Shopping in International Investment Arbitration: how often has it occurred and how has it been perceived by tribunals? Eunjung Lee Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Management

2013-SB (PDF) Refining Oil - A Way Out of the Resource Curse? Simon Baur Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

2013-NI (PDF) The Rise of ‘Murky Protectionism’: Changing Patterns of Trade-Related Industrial Policies in Developing Countries: A case study of Indonesia. Nicholas Intscher Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation and Best Overall Performance Development Studies

2013-JF (PDF) Why Settle for Less? An Analysis of Settlement in WTO Disputes. Jillian Feirson Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

2013-LH (PDF) Corporate Social Responsibility in Mining: The effects of external pressures and corporate leadership. Leah Henderson Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

2013-BM (PDF) Estimating incumbency advantages in African politics: Regression discontinuity evidence from Zambian parliamentary and local government elections. Bobbie Macdonald Excellent Dissertation and Best Overall Performance Development Studies

WP145 (PDF) Is History Repeating Itself? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of Women in Climate Change Campaigns. Catherine Flanagan Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP144 (PDF) Disentangling the fall of a 'Dominant-Hegemonic Party Rule'. The case of Paraguay and its transition to a competitive electoral democracy. Dominica Zavala Zubizarreta Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP143 (PDF) Enabling Productive Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: Critical issues in policy design. Noor Iqbal Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP142 (PDF) Beyond 'fear of death': Strategies of coping with violence and insecurity - A case study of villages in Afghanistan. Angela Jorns Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

WP141 (PDF) What accounts for opposition party strength? Exploring party-society linkages in Zambia and Ghana. Anna Katharina Wolkenhauer Joint Winner, Best Overall Performance Development Studies

WP140 (PDF) Between Fear and Compassion: How Refugee Concerns Shape Responses to Humanitarian Emergencies - The case of Germany and Kosovo. Sebastian Sahla Joint Winner, Best Overall Performance Development Management

WP139 (PDF) Worlds Apart? Health-seeking behaviour and strategic healthcare planning in Sierra Leone. Thea Tomison Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP138 (PDF) War by Other Means? An Analysis of the Contested Terrain of Transitional Justice Under the 'Victor's Peace' in Sri Lanka. Richard Gowing Best Overall Performance and Best Dissertation International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

WP137 (PDF) Social Welfare Policy - a Panacea for Peace? A Political Economy Analysis of the Role of Social Welfare Policy in Nepal's Conflict and Peace-building Process. Annie Julia Raavad Joint Winner, Best Overall Performance and Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP136 (PDF) Women and the Soft Sell: The Importance of Gender in Health Product Purchasing Decisions. Adam Alagiah Joint Winner, Best Overall Performance Development Management

WP135 (PDF) Human vs. State Security: How can Security Sector Reforms contribute to State-Building? The case of the Afghan Police Reform. Florian Weigand Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP134 (PDF) Evaluating the Impact of Decentralisation on Educational Outcomes: The Peruvian Case. Siegrid Holler-Neyra Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Management

WP133 (PDF) Democracy and Public Good Provision: A Study of Spending Patterns in Health and Rural Development in Selected Indian States. Sreelakshmi Ramachandran Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP132 (PDF) Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer to Developing Countries: a Reassessment of the Current Debate Marco Valenza Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP131 (PDF) Traditional or Transformational Development? A critical assessment of the potential contribution of resilience to water services in post-conflict Sub-Saharan Africa. Christopher Martin Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies (IDHE)

WP128  (PDF) The demographic dividend in India: Gift or curse? A State level analysis on differeing age structure and its implications for India's economic growth prospects. Vasundhra Thakurd Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP127  (PDF) When Passion Dries Out, Reason Takes Control: A Temporal Study of Rebels' Motivation in Fighting Civil Wars. Thomas Tranekaer Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP126  (PDF) Micro-credit - More Lifebuoy than Ladder? Understanding the role of micro-credit in coping with risk in the context of the Andhra Pradesh crisis. Anita Kumar Best Overall Performance and Best Dissertation Development Management

WP124 (PDF) Welfare Policies in Latin America: the transformation of workers into poor people. Anna Popova Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP123  (PDF) How Wide a Net? Targeting Volume and Composition in Capital Inflow Controls. Lucas Issacharoff Best Overall Performance and Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP117 (PDF) Shadow Education: Quantitative and Qualitative analysis of the impact of the educational reform (implementation of centralized standardised testing). Nataliya Borodchuk Best Overall Performance and Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP115 (PDF) Can School Decentralization Improve Learning? Autonomy, participation and student achievement in rural Pakistan. Anila Channa Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP114 (PDF) Good Estimation or Good Luck? Growth Accelerations revisited. Guo Xu Best Overall Performance and Best Dissertation Development Studies

WP113 (PDF) Furthering Financial Literacy: Experimental evidence from a financial literacy program for Microfinance Clients in Bhopal, India. Anna Custers Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP112 (PDF) Consumption, Development and the Private Sector: A critical analysis of base of the pyramid (BoP) ventures. David Jackman Winner of the Prize for Best Disseration Development Management

WP106 (PDF) Reading Tea Leaves: The Impacy of Mainstreaming Fair Trade. Lindsey Bornhofft Moore Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP104 (PDF) Institutions Collide: A Study of "Caste-Based" Collective Criminality and Female Infanticide in India, 1789-1871. Maria Brun Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Studies

WP102 (PDF) Democratic Pragmatism or Green Radicalism? A critical review of the relationship between Free, Prior and Informed Consent and Policymaking for Mining. Abbi Buxton Joint Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP100 (PDF) Market-Led Agrarian Reform: A Beneficiary perspective of Cédula da Terra. Veronika Penciakova Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Studies

WP98 (PDF) No Business like Slum Business? The Political Economy of the Continued Existence of Slums: A case study of Nairobi. Florence Dafe Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

WP97 (PDF) Power and Choice in International Trade: How power imbalances constrain the South's choices on free trade agreements, with a case study of Uruguay. Lily Ryan-Collins Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Dissertation Development Management

WP96 (PDF) Health Worker Motivation and the Role of Performance Based Finance Systems Africa: A Qualitative Study on Health Worker Motivation and the Rwandan Performance Based finance initiative in District Hospitals. Friederike Paul Joint Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Dissertation Development Management

WP95 (PDF) Crisis in the Countryside: Farmer Suicides and the Political Economy of Agrarian Distress in India. Bala Posani Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Management

WP94 (PDF) From Rebels to Politicians. Explaining Rebel-to Party Transformations after Civil War: The case of Nepal. Dominik Klapdor Winner of the Prize for Excellent Dissertation Development Management

WP92 (PDF) Guarding the State or Protecting the Economy? The Economic factors of Pakistan's Military coups. Amina Ibrahim Winner of the Prize for Best Dissertation Development Studies

WP91 (PDF) Man is the remedy of man: Constructions of Masculinity and Health-Related Behaviours among Young men in Dakar, Senegal. Sarah Helen Mathewson Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Development Studies

Graduate programmes

UCL Department of Economics

The MSc Dissertation

From June – early September students undertake a research project, lightly supervised by a member of faculty , and submit a 10,000 word dissertation on or before the deadline in early September. A good dissertation will be a piece of original research, the best dissertations are published . The three-months dissertation project gives you the opportunity to acquire and enhance a number of skills including research skills, project management, organisation, software and writing.

The research methods course supports you in this project, providing training in:

• Research and academic writing skills
• Software (Matlab, Python, R, and Stata)
• Empirical econometric skills.

In total, over 30 hours of lecture support skill acquisition directly relevant to the dissertation project. Helpdesks are also provided during the dissertation writing period. Dissertations fall into four categories:

Empirical Empirical dissertations typically take an econometric model from an existing paper and applying it to a new data set and / or extending it. Such a project involves:

•     A brief critical literature review of your chosen area
•     Finding and understanding your dataset
•     Learning the appropriate software
•     Implementing your model
•     Understanding, criticising and checking the robustness of your results.

Examples of recent empirical dissertations are:

•     Corruption and Education in the Developing World
•     Analysis of Chinese Stock Market Efficiency
•     UK Wage Flexibility in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
•     Hedonstic wage estimation and the market for head teachers: Evidence for England
•     Does Microcredit Crowd Out Traditional Moneylending? An Example From Hyderabad.
•     Estimating the Competitive Structure of the UK Petrol Retail Industry
•     The impact of paid work on women’s empowerment.

Theoretical Theoretical dissertations typically take model from an existing paper and extending it in some interesting way. Such a project involves:

•     Acquiring a deep understanding of your model, in the context of the core material you’ve covered

Examples of recent theoretical dissertations are:

•     An Investigation of a Network Targeting Model with Bounded Rational Consumers
•     The finite sample performance of single equation models of ordered choice
•     Rotating Savings and Credit Associations: A Theoretical Analysis
•     News aggregators and search engines: Thumping entrants in the newspapers industry
•     Disaster risk in a New Keynesian model

Policy Policy dissertations undertake a critical analysis of some previously unexplored policy or policy issue. Such a project involves:

•     A description of the economic principles involved in the policy decision
•     A critical appraisal of existing or proposed policies.

Note policy dissertations may often involve an empirical component Examples of recent dissertations are:

•     An assessment of the second round of quantitative easing policy in the UK: A BVAR approach
•     Capital controls on outflows during financial crises: Are they effective?
•     The technological factors in the economies of developing countries: Comparison of the effectiveness of public policies on innovation in Chile for local research and inward technology transfer
•     Welfare participation by immigrants in the UK
•     A study upon market structure characterised by regulation: Information and oligopoly conditions.

Analytical Survey An analytical survey dissertation provides a clear outline of the intellectual development of the a particular area. Such a project involves:

•     A thorough understanding of the literature in your chosen area
•     Explaining the extent to which different contributors were addressing similar of different questions and in what sense and how far one contribution marks a significant improvement over earlier ones.
•     Critically assessing the different contributions and of the field as a whole.

Examples of recent dissertations are:

•     Heterogeneous Adaptive Learning in Real Business Cycle Models
•     The Great Moderation: A critical survey since the crisis
•     What are the social costs and benefits of reversing innovations in mortgage markets?
•     What explains the top income surge?
•     A survey on observational learning and informational cascades: Are observational conditions simple enough to warrant simple predictions?

"I feel the course provided me with a far more sophisticated understanding of macroeconomic policy and a wealth of useful technical econometrics skills"

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UCL Graduate Prospectus

Still have questions?  Follow the link below to a list of frequently asked questions.  

Economics Handbook for MSc Students

If you have any questions please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website.

For further information please see the UCL pages for current students , or contact: [email protected]

Scheme of Award