This dissertation consists of three essays pertaining to the causes of the levels and composition of the international trade flows of nations, and the consequential implications for the levels of per capita income and welfare of their populations. The first of these documents a pattern of comparative advantage in product level, bilateral trade data that conventional quantitative trade models have difficulty explaining. It goes on to develop a theory of product level productivity differences based on endogenous differences in the allocation of research and development into product and process innovation across countries over time, and it shows that, when fitted to cross-country manufacturing wage data, the predicted product level technology distribution is consistent with the observed trade pattern. The second essay shows that the distribution of technology levels inferred in the first essay can help explain the inability of both ad-hoc and theoretically based gravity models of trade to account for the observed positive correlation between the percentage of manufacturing output that is traded and countries' per capita income. It derives a modified gravity equation based on a Ricardian model of trade with deterministic product level technology differences across countries. It then uses estimates from a product level gravity estimation to compute the component of this equation that differs from a conventional gravity equation in order to determine the extent to which the observed concentration of comparative advantage in a common set of products for low-income countries explains the small percentage of their output that is exported. The final essay shows that a simple model of firm profit maximization in the presence of sunk costs of entering the export market is broadly consistent with the observed persistence of exporting behavior in firm level data. It uses this simple model and moments from data on US manufacturing firms to estimate the value of the sunk export entry costs faced by these firms using an indirect inference strategy. These costs are shown to be substantial relative the revenue stream of a typical firm. / text

This paper investigates the automatic stabilizer and the underlying factors behind its function. The paper includes both a literature review and an empirical analysis. The literature review discusses the IS-LM and Mundell-Fleming models and different ways to quantify the automatic stabilizer. Based on the theory, the relationship between volatility in GDP and the size of the automatic stabilizers is then analyzed with the help of regressions. Our main result shows a negative relation between these two variables. This effect seems to be decreasing over time, which may be explained by an increased openness. However, it is hard to tell if the decreasing effect is a long-term development or just a result of the most recent financial crisis.

Valstybės skola ir jos atsiradimo priežastys svarbios ekonomikos mokslo dalykui, nes tai valstybės ekonomikos vystimuisi reikšmingas veiksnys. Didelė valstybės skola yra našta šalies ekonomikai, kadangi kuo didesnė skola, tuo daugiau valstybės biudžeto lėšų reikia skirti jos aptarnavimui, t.y. palūkanų mokėjimams ir pačios skolos grąžinimui. Tačiau nesiskolinti valstybė taip pat negali. Biudžeto deficitas, stambūs investiciniai projektai, kurių įgyvendinimui reikalingos didelės lėšos ir kitos priežastys lemia skolos atsiradimą ir tolesnį jos vystimąsi. Šiuolaikiniam šalies gyventojui yra aktuali valstybės biudžeto tvarkymo sistema, kadangi nuo to, koks valstybės biudžetas ir valstybės skola, priklauso gyventojų socialinė aplinka, net gyvenimo lygis, tad svarbu išsiaiškinti, koks optimalus turi būti skolos dydis, kad teigiamai veiktų ekonomiką, ir būtinai rasti būdų, kaip tinkamai ir racionaliai vykdyti valstybės skolos valdymą. / Public debt and the causes of economic research relevant to the subject matter, as the state of economic development is a significant factor. High level of debt is a burden to the economy because the larger the debt, the more the state budget funds should be used with its service, ie interest payments and repayment of the debt. Nesiskolinti But the state also can not. The budget deficit, large investment projects, whose implementation would require significant resources and other reasons for the emergence of the debt and further development. Tje budget management system is topical for the modern capita of the state, since that what the state budget and public debt, the population belongs to the social environment, even the standard of living, it is important to clarify what must be the optimal amount of debt, make a positive contribution to the economy, and it must find ways to the proper and rational exercise of public debt management.

Historically the United States has welcomed immigration from all over the world; from Ellis Island to the Statue of Liberty, whose iconic “Mother of Exiles” is considered a symbol of hope to generations upon generations of immigrants. In the last few years there has been an increase in hostility towards immigration but more precisely towards unauthorized immigration. This has caused several states to enact anti-unauthorized immigration measures. States such as South Carolina, Utah, Alabama, have all followed Arizona, which was the first state to enact such a laws. Unauthorized immigrants typically vacate three labor areas, construction, food service, and agriculture. The following thesis tries to detail House Bill 56, which is Alabama’s anti-unauthorized immigration bill, and its impact on the construction industry in Alabama. House Bill 56 was passed by the Alabama House of Representatives, the following research shows that it has negatively affected the construction industry in Alabama. Alabama has three major indexes that detail the overall “health” of the construction industry. They are employment rates, Construction GDP, and Construction Spending. Since the passage of HB 56, all three construction indexes in Alabama have encountered significant negative changes. A survey of sub-contractors in Alabama shows that there is a negative construction labor pool, with most of sub-contractors blaming the passage of HB 56 as the culprit.

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Pastarąjį dešimtmetį kilusios problemos dėl ekonomikos raidos bei mokesčių vaidmens šiuolaikinėje ekonomikoje skatino diskusijas apie fiskalinės politikos poveikį konkurencingumui. Tyrimai stokoja vertinimo argumentacijos, dauguma vertinimų grindžiamos tik BVP kitimo tendencijomis, kurios nerodo socialinių pokyčių. Mokslinė problema: kaip įvertinti mokesčių naštos ir ekonomikos konkurencingumo sąveiką socialinės aplinkos kontekste? Mokesčių naštos poveikio ekonomikos konkurencingumui vertinimas socialinės aplinkos kontekste modelis sudarytas, vadovaujantis teorinėmis, istorinėmis ir praktinėmis mokesčių kitimo ir įtakos ekonomikos, konkurencingumo, socialinio aplinkos lygio raidai bei valstybės dalyvavimo ekonominėje veikloje vertinimui ir yra argumentuotas instrumentas, tinkamas vertinti mokesčių vaidmenį ekonomikos konkurencingumo formavime socialinės aplinkos kontekste. Atlikti mokesčių naštos lygio ekonomikos aplinkos pokyčiams tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad mokesčiai yra svarbi ekonomikos vystymosi aplinkybė, kuri šiuolaikinėje aplinkoje turi būti vertinama plačiau, ne tik valstybės dalyvavimo ekonomikoje lygio aspektu. Mokestinės naštos poveikį aktualu įvertinti ekonominio potencialo, konkurencingumo, socialinės aplinkos lygio ir viešųjų išlaidų poreikio kontekste. Kompleksinis mokesčių vertinimas leidžia atskleisti mokesčių naštos poveikį ne tik ekonomikos pokyčiams, bet parodo ir mokestinių pajamų perskirstymo vaidmenį ekonomikos konkurencingumo ir socialinės aplinkos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Over the last decade, problems with the economic development and role of taxation in the modern economy, encouraged debate on fiscal policy impact on competitiveness. Studies lack reasoning, most estimates are based only on the GDP change trends, which do not reflect social changes. The scientific problem: how to assess the interaction of tax burden and economic competitiveness in the context of social environment? The model “Assessment of the tax burden impact on competitiveness of economy in context of the social environment” was created in accordance with the theoretical, historical and practical taxation changes and their impact on assessment of economy, competitiveness, social environment development level and state participation in economic activities. The model is reasoned assessment tool, suitable for evaluation of the role of taxation in the formation of economic competitiveness in social environment context. Results of the performed study of tax burden impact on economic environment changes show that taxes are an important factor in economic development, which in today's environment must be regarded as more, than just a level of state involvement in the economy. It is relevant to assess impact of tax burden in the context of economic potential, competitiveness, social environment level and public expenditure need. Complex assessment of taxes allows not only to reveal the impact of tax burden on changes in the economy, but also shows the role of tax revenue... [to full text]

As a culturally distinctive region, Asia was chosen as the sample for this study. This empirical study investigated what the major trends of democratisation were in Asia between 1981 and 2005: why some countries became democratic while other countries failed to follow suit during that period. The main research hypothesis was: “That is it was mainly economic development that drove democratisation in Asia between 1981 and 2005”. Although some studies have studied the impact of economic development on democratisation in Asia, their findings have been inconclusive and focuses sometimes different. [To investigate the research hypothesis, 24 Asian countries were selected…measurement tools used etc…] For this research work, statistical and case study methods were applied. The data used in the analyses were collected from established data sources e.g. Freedom House (Freedom in the World, n.d.) and United Nations Statistics Division (UN Stat, n.d.). Repeated Measures in Linear Mixed Modeling (LMM) were used to analyse the quantitative data. Three case studies supplemented the findings of statistical analyses. Historical information and institutional and legal facts were also used in the case studies. This study found that increases in the level of economic development along with its equitable distribution in society and positive roles of political actors increase the level of democratisation in Asia. Some pro-democratic political and social institutions, such as tradition of parliamentarianism, and international organisations, for example Bretton wood institutions, also led to democratisation. A low extent of national political divide was found to result in a considerably high level of democratisation in a country where confrontation between major political forces is the main feature of politics. This study also found that a partial democracy with Asian values, economic legitimacy, a lack of corruption and a “systematic control” over opposition politicians can survive, and is not prone to higher level of democratisation. The Taiwan case revealed that, amongst other factors, the role of political actors and economic equity along with economic development is also vital for democratisation. The Singapore case explained how a “hybrid regime” in a rich country outsmarts democratisation. The study of Bangladesh provides an idea about other elements, e.g. lower level of political confrontation, that push for higher levels of democratisation.

The necessity of economic growth is a conventional wisdom of our time, assumed to lead to more prosperity and be a panacea for any societal problem. However, infinite economic growth is hard to reconcile with a finite planet, and there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that growth is no panacea nor inherently linked to prosperity. With the starting point that news media is of ideological importance, this study investigates how the hegemony of growth (as it has been called by Schmelzer [2016]) is perpetuated in news. Through a narrative analysis of articles from 2017, from Dagens Nyheter (DN) and Times of India (TOI) it analyses how news describes benefits of GDP growth, constructs stakeholders in relation to it, and discusses the ideological implications of these portrayals. The results show that the basic narratives are similar in both newspapers and primarily describe economic growth as desirable, without any references to contested status of the ability of growth to lead to prosperity – perpetuating the hegemony of growth. Many position the state as responsible for generating growth, others describe corporate growth as something good in and of itself, and the narratives create a ‘we’ in relation to ‘the economy’. These are narratives with implications for how societies negotiate between economic growth and competing goals, e.g. keeping within the planetary boundaries. Further, as growth cannot be assumed to automatically lead to ‘better’, this has implications for how journalistic autonomy should be perceived in relation to economic reporting.

In my thesis I have dealt with the issue of Fiscal Responsibility in the EU, especially the position the EU Member States have on this issue. The first part defines the Budget responsibility and Fiscal policy at the level of the Czech Republic and level of European Union. There has been mainly described and analyzed the Stability and Growth Pact, and the Fiscal compact. The second part has been devoted to evaluation of individual member states and described how the legislative acts are used for effort to reach sustainable finances contributing to the overall generally maintain Responsible and Fiscal policy. At the end its summarized and compared the evolution of public debt and budget deficits and also characterized their independent Financial institution.

The main goal of this thesis is analysis of impact terrorism attacks to the tourism sector, especially from the financial viewpoint. After the attacks the country may be perceived negatively, and it could mean drop in arrivals or GDP, there can drop tourism sector contribution to GDP, receipt from this sector or employment in tourism sector could drop too. These negative effects are being studied for selected countries such as the United States, Spain and France.