We construct an economy populated with infinitely-lived agents and show that the Friedman rule is suboptimal. We do that by showing that our economy and an overlapping generations model in which the Friedman rule is known ...

We test the conventional wisdom that political ideology is associated with generosity or compassion by comparing the behavior of experimental subjects in public goods or trust games. We find that self-described liberals ...

In this paper a simple dynastic overlapping-generations model with homogeneous agents is used to analyze the optimal use of capital income tax, labor income tax and estate tax. The results of this analysis add to the conventional wisdom about...

Recent studies have found that two state-level measures of social capital, average levels of civic participation and trust, are associated with improvements in individual health status. In this study we employ these measures, ...

Farmers who plant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn are obligated to plant a 20% non-Bt corn refuge as part of an Insect Resistance Management program. This paper analyzes the economics of alternative refuge configurations. Ignoring potential...

This paper uses quarterly data on AFDC (later TANF) recipients in five major urban areas to examine the relative importance of policy reform and economic conditions in explaining the dynamics of the welfare caseload and the employment experiences...

in the same estate. We find that the price-to-rent ratios tend to be higher for low-end properties. We discuss economic explanations for the phenomenon and the policy implications....

Plenty. This paper analyzes two broad questions: Does your first name matter? And how did you get your first name anyway? Using data from the National Opinion Research Center's (NORC's) General Social Survey, including access to respondent's first...

In this paper, we examine network capital usage and migration patterns in a theoretical model. Networks are modeled as impacting the migration decision in many ways. When young, larger networks reduce the time lost moving from one region to another...

We propose a Bayesian stochastic search approach to selecting restrictions on multivariate regression models where the errors exhibit deterministic or stochastic conditional volatilities. We develop a Markov Chain Monte ...

In this paper, we explore the connection between optimal monetary policy and heterogeneity among agents. We study a standard monetary economy with two types of agents in which the stationary distribution of money holdings is non-degenerate. Sans...

In this paper, we evaluate the labor-market returns to General Educational Development (GED) certification using Missouri administrative data. We develop a fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD) method to account for the fact that GED test takers can...

We study models of credit with limited commitment, which implies endogenous borrowing constraints. We show that there are multiple stationary equilibria, as well as nonstationary equilibria, including some that display ...

This dissertation presents a novel method to detect bearing defects in Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD's), which are increasingly used in many commercial and industrial applications. The harmonics in pulse-width-modulation ...

The use of woody biomass is increasing in North America as the economics of fossil fuels change and concerns about climate change grow. Salix spp. and Populus spp. have been considered to be best for biomass production in temperate regions because...

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The Ordovician Period includes both the largest and longest period of sustained biodiversification--the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event ...

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay estimates the joint effects of spatial diffusion and high-tech industry fluctuations on housing prices. The work...

Fire, drought, and grazing were primary ecological drivers of the historical Great Plains' prairie ecosystem. The suppression of fire, a shift in grazing and cropping systems, and the introduction of windbreaks and other ...

A set of consumer-level characteristic demand models were estimated to determine the level of brand equity for pork and beef meat cuts. Results indicate that brand premiums and discounts vary by private, national, and store ...

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This project investigates the unintended political and gender-specific effects of economic sanctions in target countries. Drawing insight from the existing literature...