Endogenous institutional change after independence

Independence from colonial rule was a key event for both political and economic reasons. We argue that newly independent countries often inherited sub-optimal institutional arrangements, which the new regimes reacted to in very different ways. We present a model of endogenous changes in property rights institutions where an autocratic post-colonial elite faces a basic trade-off between stronger property rights, which increases the dividends from the modern sector, and weaker property rights that increases the elite's ability to appropriate resource rents. The model predicts that revenue-maximizing regimes in control of an abundance of resource rents and with insignificant interests in the modern sector will rationally install weak institutions of private property, a prediction which we argue is well in line with the experience of several developing countries.     

Social Globalization and Child Labor: A Cross‐country Analysis

While much of the research on child labor focuses on household level factors, macroeconomic factors, such as globalization, have gained increasing attention. This paper contributes to the literature on the role of globalization in child labor by examining a specific aspect of globalization, namely social globalization. The results of the empirical analysis indicate that social globalization does have a significant negative impact on the average incidence of child labor in the cross‐country sample of developing countries. This contrasts with the existing literature on economic globalization and child labor, where, in many cases, no significant effect is found.     

Scale, Organization, and Profitability of Ethanol Processing

We analyze the appropriate size and implied profitability of a representative ethanol processing firm. An analysis based on current processing technology and costs with typical conditions in Iowa product and input markets is useful; because unit production costs have declined 30% in current dollars over the last 15 years; and because discovering a suitable size for processing facilities has been an important part of the cost‐reducing process. We apply theoretical plant size rules for a conventional processing business, an integrated producer/processor enterprise, and a processing cooperative. We also introduce a spatial dimension for the corn input market, because ethanol processing facilities can be uniquely large among agri‐processing enterprises. The analysis supports three conclusions. First, the most appropriate size may still be larger than many of the recently constructed plants. Second, ethanol processing is a profitable enterprise; for instance, we calculate a return on capital of 14% for a processing business with optimal scale, current costs and technology, and typical market conditions. Third, total producer plus processor profits can be improved moderately, about We analyze the appropriate size and implied profitability of a representative ethanol processing firm. An analysis based on current processing technology and costs with typical conditions in Iowa product and input markets is useful; because unit production costs have declined 30% in current dollars over the last 15 years; and because discovering a suitable size for processing facilities has been an important part of the cost‐reducing process. We apply theoretical plant size rules for a conventional processing business, an integrated producer/processor enterprise, and a processing cooperative. We also introduce a spatial dimension for the corn input market, because ethanol processing facilities can be uniquely large among agri‐processing enterprises. The analysis supports three conclusions. First, the most appropriate size may still be larger than many of the recently constructed plants. Second, ethanol processing is a profitable enterprise; for instance, we calculate a return on capital of 14% for a processing business with optimal scale, current costs and technology, and typical market conditions. Third, total producer plus processor profits can be improved moderately, about $0.04/bushel of corn processed, with an integrated producer/processor enterprise; the producer enterprise sets the local corn price through processing capacity, in a fashion that offsets some potential monopsony power. Nous avons analysé la taille appropriée et la rentabilité implicite d'une usine de transformation d'éthanol représentative. Une analyse fondée sur la technologie de transformation et les coûts actuels tenant compte du marché des produits et des intrants en Iowa s'est révélée utile étant donné que les coûts de l'unité de production ont diminué de 30% en dollars courants au cours des 15 dernières années et que la détermination de la taille appropriée des installations de transformation est un élément important du processus de réduction des coûts. Nous avons appliqué les règles théoriques concernant la taille dans le cas d'une usine de transformation classique, d'une entreprise intégrée de production‐transformation et d'une coopérative de transformation. Nous avons également présenté une dimension spatiale du marché de l'intrant de maïs, étant donné que la taille des installations de transformation d'éthanol peut être importante comparativement aux autres entreprises de transformation de produits agricoles. L'analyse a permis de dégager trois conclusions. Premièrement, la taille la plus appropriée pourrait bien être supérieure à celle de nombreuses installations récentes. Deuxièmement, la transformation de l'éthanol est une activité rentable; par exemple, nous avons calculé un rendement du capital de 14% pour une entreprise de transformation exploitant à une échelle optimale, avec une technologie et des coûts actuels optimaux et profitant des conditions du marché typiques. Troisièmement, les bénéfices du producteur et du transformateur peuvent augmenter légèrement, d'environ 0,04 $/boisseau de maïs transformé, dans le cas d'une entreprise intégrée de production?transformation; l'entreprise du producteur établit le prix du maïs local en fonction de la capacité de production de manière à contrebalancer le pouvoir de monopsone potentiel.     

Do peers affect childhood obesity outcomes? Peer‐effect analysis in public schools

This study investigates whether obese peers are a contributing factor in childhood body‐weight outcomes. Using an instrumental variables method on exogenously assigned peers (i.e., new peers), we find that the weight of peers within the same grade and school significantly impacts body mass index (BMI) z‐score of an individual student. The size of the peer effect, however, is negligible. We find no evidence of interaction between newly assigned peer groups prior to assignment. Furthermore, the obese peers variable is significant only for those peers with whom a student interacts.     

The capitalization of metro rail access in urban housing markets

Increasing access to public transportation (including metro rail) can help alleviate traffic congestion and address climate and environmental priorities. Living close to a metro line may be especially important in terms of providing improved commuting options. However, proximity to metro lines can also be associated with negative externalities, such as noise and crime, that may make living near a station less desirable. One way to assess the net value that residents place on metro rail access is to examine how proximity to metro lines is capitalized into house prices. Using a hedonic spatial difference-in-differences model, we analyze the impact of proximity to the stations on the Gold and Expo Lines in Los Angeles, California, on nearby house prices. Our findings suggest that the capitalization effect is heterogeneous. Some residents value living near new metro stations, while others do not. Overall, our results provide evidence that the value residents place on metro rail access varies based on their income levels and other demographics.     

INDIGENOUS URBANISM AS AN ANALYTIC: Towards Indigenous Urban Theory

In Canada, the terms Indigeneity and urbanity have been configured by colonialism and are often understood as antithetical. Given the baggage these terms carry, conceptualizing Indigenous urbanism in a manner that does not replicate the same problems these categories suggest is an important intellectual task for both urban and Indigenous studies. In this essay, I propose that Indigenous urbanism might be best understood as an analytic that highlights a dialectical relationship between Indigeneity and urbanism, marking both concepts as constantly in flux and open to contestation. Indigenous urbanism marks urban space as potentially both liberatory and oppressive, and as the basis for a liberatory research agenda.