Copyright (c) 2009 Connecticut College All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp Recent documents in Economics Honors Papers en-us Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:08:24 PDT 3600 http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/4 http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/4 Sat, 16 May 2009 08:15:27 PDT Market-based instruments, particularly cap-and-trade programs, have been the focus of attention in environmental policy in recent years. The success of the US Acid Rain Program, dubbed the "grand policy experiment," has inspired governments across the globe to turn to the market for the purpose of controlling pollution. This paper attempts to formulate a policy recommendation for a future domestic cap-and-trade program for climate change policy in the United States. The paper describes and evaluates the US Acid Rain Program and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme in detail in order to gain insight into two relatively successful experiences with cap-and-trade. The paper then examines lessons that can be drawn from both programs in conjunction with existing economic research on greenhouse gas trading in order to determine the precise design of a successful future climate change trading scheme for the US. The study concludes that a multiphase, upstream hybrid cap-and-trade program with a revenue-raising auction will produce least-cost reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to the mitigation of global climate change. Justine L. Kelly http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/3 http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/3 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:25:25 PDT [Introduction]Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle said, "the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." (Peter 1977: 173). This study will attempt to determine some of the important factors about the economics of high school education in the United States. Schools exist to serve children, their parents, and society at large, and these three groups do not always have identical interests. Therefore, education has many goals besides the obvious one of increased cognitive ability, and the best methods for achieving the desired effects have not been agreed upon. Economists label the process by which education creates these outcomes the education production function; this model attempts to predict the effects of a given change in resources on student outcomes. However, the educational process involves many inputs and outputs, and economists have not been able to specify all of them yet. Another area of contention in the economics of education is economies of scale. Economists have been arguing for years that economies of scale exist in the provision of high school education, but the fear that these large schools do not provide the same quality of education as their smaller counterparts has spurred a new debate.This paper will attempt to clarify various educational theories and elucidate research findings. Chapter One is about the economic and social effects of education, Chapter Two discusses economies of scale in high schools, and Chapter Three explains the education production function. The last chapter, Chapter Four, is a case study of one school district in central Massachusetts, the Wachusett Regional School District. By focusing on Wachusett, we will see that the findings of researchers are not the only factors voters consider when making decisions that will affect the youth of their area. Because of all the factors that vary from school to school, it is difficult to specify exactly what is important for providing education. Carly E. Holbrook http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/2 http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/2 Mon, 17 Jul 2006 11:01:03 PDT Economic liberalization in India has transformed Indian gay identity. The information revolution and expansion of employment in high-paying jobs have brought about significant changes in the economic independence of the youth in urban parts of the country. Improved economic opportunity strengthens the fall-back position of many young gays and lesbians, in so far as they are better equipped to locate their sexuality within the Indian context. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, I hypothesize that economic liberalization has contrasting effects on the autonomy, freedom and bargaining power of middle class gays and lesbian young adults. I contribute to the research on inter-generational and intra-family bargaining relations; I posit that adult children negotiate with their parents over their adherence to social norms concerning gender roles. My quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that the empowerment of gay and lesbian youth in India is strongly associated to their access to networks of support. The process of negotiating sexuality in public and private spaces ultimately influences their willingness to be engaged in social change and policy formation. Priyanka Gupta http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/1 http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/econhp/1 Tue, 23 May 2006 10:58:44 PDT There is no abstract for this paper John Michael Conti