Ezra Kohrman, Stanford University -- At first glance, a collection of trees may appear to be nothing more than an ornamental additive or a mere pocket of shade. But really, trees are so much more. In light of a changing climate and widening economic inequality, trees represent an indispensable resource for achieving environmental and economic progress.
For almost a decade, Comparative Advantage has published incredible research papers from undergraduate students across the globe, serving as a medium to amplify the voices of some of the world’s brightest minds. Starting this year, we are attempting to broaden our publication’s impact by venturing into new territory: the realm of commentaries. Especially in the… Continue reading Exciting News for 2021-22 and Beyond – Our Name has Changed!
Giovanni M. Topa, Columbia University -- I use novel data from the Survey of Consumer Expectations, conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and data from the Survey of Unemployed Workers in New Jersey, both of which directly elicit individuals’ reservation wages to study the effects of being liquidity constrained on reservation wages.
Nada Shalash, Boston University -- This paper explores the individual and social determinants of political engagement across the Middle East before and after the Arab Spring. Using the Arab Spring as an example of a mass uprising spanning multiple countries, I conduct a difference-in-differences analysis of socioeconomic determinants of political engagement in the Middle East.
Julian W. Klingen, Oberlin College -- The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late February 2020 in the United States constituted an unprecedented economic shock, in addition to the tragic loss of life, and sparked a rapidly growing literature on the economic implications. Exploiting county-level data in the U.S. from January - August 2020, this paper examines labor market performance in structurally similar counties situated along state borders that were exposed to varying degrees of nonpharmaceutical interventions.
Yurong Jiang, Duke University -- The Connect America Fund is the largest on-going federal support for broadband buildout to unserved areas. This paper provides the first econometric assessment of the Connect America Fund between 2014 and 2018 using county-level data.
Rosie Albenice, University of Georgia -- This paper aims to understand the adversity faced by coho salmon and the ways government intervention can help maintain their population. The Oregon coast coho Evolutionary Significance Unit (ESU) consists of 21 independent salmon populations and 35 dependent populations, which have been receiving restoration treatment through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund since 2000. The following paper’s observations are derived from 2000 to 2014 data focused on the 21 independent populations within the Oregon coast coho ESU.
On behalf of the Comparative Advantage Editorial Board, we are pleased to present the ninth volume, summer issue, of Stanford University's undergraduate economics journal. This volume presents undergraduate work on a wide variety of topics, including environmental economics, political economy, and labor economics. Furthermore, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a toll on individuals… Continue reading Our Summer 2021 Issue
Olivia Zitkus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- The changing legal landscape of the market for ancient art provides an opportunity to study the impact of legal constraints on economic markets. Working with novel data from Sotheby’s and Bonhams auction houses and court decisions from London and New York between 2003 and 2019, I look for the effects of legal rulings and settlements on the art market.
