This thesis compares different approaches to estimating budgets for Kuhn-Tucker (KT) demand systems, more specifically for the multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model. The approaches tested include: (1) The log-linear regression approach (2) The stochastic frontier regression approach, and (3) arbitrarily assumed budgets that are not necessarily modeled as a function of decision maker characteristics and choice-environment characteristics. The log-linear regression approach has been used in the literature to model the observed total expenditure as way of estimating budgets for the MDCEV models. This approach allows the total expenditure to depend on the characteristics of the choice-maker and the choice environment. However, this approach does not offer an easy way to allow the total expenditure to change due to changes in choice alternative-specific attributes, but only allows a reallocation of the observed total expenditure among the different choice alternatives. To address this issue, we propose the stochastic frontier regression approach. The approach is useful when the underlying budgets driving a choice situation are unobserved, but only the expenditures on the choice alternatives of interest are observed. The approach is based on the notion that consumers operate under latent budgets that can be conceived (and modeled using stochastic frontier regression) as the maximum possible expenditure they are willing to incur. To compare the efficacy of the above-mentioned approaches, we performed two empirical assessments: (1) The analysis of out-of-home activity participation and time-use (with a budget on the total time available for out-of-home activities) for a sample of non-working adults in Florida, and (2) The analysis of household vehicle type/vintage holdings and usage (with a budget on the total annual mileage) for a sample of households in Florida. A comparison of the MDCEV model predictions (based on budgets from the above mentioned approaches) demonstrates that the log-linear regression approach and the stochastic frontier approach performed better than arbitrarily assumed budgets approaches. This is because both approaches consider heterogeneity in budgets due to socio-demographics and other explanatory factors rather than arbitrarily imposing uniform budgets on all consumers. Between the log-linear regression and the stochastic frontier regression approaches, the log-linear regression approach resulted in better predictions (vis-à-vis the observed distributions of the discrete-continuous choices) from the MDCEV model. However, policy simulations suggest that the stochastic frontier approach allows the total expenditures to either increase or decrease as a result of changes in alternative-specific attributes. While the log-linear regression approach allows the total expenditures to change as a result of changes in relevant socio-demographic and choice-environment characteristics, it does not allow the total expenditures to change as a result of changes in alternative-specific attributes.

本研究以Das and Sundaram (2004)提出之樹狀模型為基礎， 參考Bandreddi (2007)之延伸，將上述模型用來模擬多資產的聯合違約。此外進一步改善回復率為固定常數之設定，加入Das and Hanouna (2009)對回復率與違約機率間的函數關係，使得回復率為動態，而模型依舊保有可由市場報價進行參數校準之特性，進行擔保債權憑證CDO之敏感度分析與風險分析。

This research addresses the question of what factors lead Mexican-origin individuals living in the U.S. to seek a new residence outside their Southwestern state of residence. The analysis examines three hypotheses: (1) the human capital hypothesis that college graduates have higher odds of migrating out of the core region than those with less than a high school education; (2) the household social capital hypothesis that posits that the presence of a household member born outside the core increases the odds of migration; and (3) the community social capital hypothesis which states that householders residing in an area with community social capital will have higher odds of leaving the core than those living in areas with no community social capital. These hypotheses are investigated using three models: (1) a full model that includes both native- and foreign-born Mexican-origin householders; (2) a native-born model which includes only native-born Southwest householders; and (3) a foreign-born models that includes only foreign-born Mexican-origin householders. By using the Saenzian region-concepts of core, periphery, and frontier, I find: (1) limited support for the human capital hypothesis; (2) consistent support for the household social capital; and (3) no support for the community social capital. The analysis is important to sociological theory and demography because it specifically endeavors to explain how the connections between three kinds of capital?human, household, and community?shape the decision to leave the Southwest for other regions of the country. By computing statistical and theoretical particulars, the thesis ascertains that migration-selectivity theories regarding the general population are useful in theorizing Mexican-origin interregional migration. Findings expand existing sociological literature by theorizing how human, household, and community capital operate under the Saenzian regions to shape the interregional migration of the growing Mexican-origin population of the U.S.

The aim of this thesis is to study the effect of smoking and drinking on wages in Sweden. The data used in this study is the Swedish Level-of-living survey (LNU) from 1991. A multinomial logit model and the marginal effects from the estimated model are used to study the effect of smoking and drinking on wages in Sweden. The empirical results conclude that medium drinking increases the probability of having a high income, i.e. there is a positive significant relationship between medium drinking and wages in Sweden. Also concluded from the empirical results is that there is not a significant relationship between smoking and wages in Sweden.

Med denna uppsats har vi försökt modellera sannolikheten för förändringar i den kommunala skattenivån i svenska kommuner givet deras politiska styre, som är kodade enligt definition av Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting (SKL). Genom att göra det försöker vi få svar på frågan om det finns blockpolitiska skillnader i kommunal skattepolitik. Genom att kombinera SKL:s klassificering av kommunala politiska styren 2002-2006 med 2006-2010 har vi skapat så kallade maktskifteskategorier, som vi sedan använder som kategoriska variabler när vi modellerar sannolikheten för olika förändringar i de kommunala skattenivåerna. För att i viss mån renodla politikens inflytande och skilja det från andra strukturer som kan tänkas påverka skattenivån har vi skapat variabler som vi kallar för kontrollvariabler. Dessa försöker spegla strukturella förutsättningar för den kommunala ekonomin. Två av dessa är förändring i befolkningstäthet samt andelen av den kommunala totalbefolkningen som är förvärvsarbetande. För att ge läsaren en beskrivande bild av vårt datamaterial har vi i den deskriptiva delen av uppsatsen använt oss av så kallade markovkedjor för att ge en initial bild av sannolikheten för höjd, sänkt respektive oförändrad skattenivå givet förändringar i det politiska styret före och efter valet 2006. Sannolikheterna för de tre möjliga utfallen höjd, sänkt respektive oförändrad skatt modelleras med två multinominala logistiska regressioner – först utan kontrollvariabler och sedan med. För att tydligare kunna se politikens påverkan har vi valt att utesluta 30 kommuner enligt vissa avgränsningskriterier. Vi har uteslutit kommuner som haft ”hoppande” majoriteter mellan valen. I slutet av resultatdelen provar vi även att estimera en multinominal logistisk modell där vi uteslutit minoritetsstyren. Inom vissa politiska maktskifteskategorier hade vi för få observationer för att kunna modelera sannolikheten för sänkt skatt; data saknas data för att kunna göra en stabil modell med signifikanta parametrar. Efter estimationen av våra modeller jämför vi de koefficienter som blivit signifikanta på 5%-nivån, och jämföra koefficientestimatens värde för att rangordna maktskiften efter vilken påverkan de har på sannolikheten för höjd skatt.  Vi utvärderar sen vårt resultat och vilka faktorer och egenskaper i den kommunala skattepolitiken under 2006-2010 som kan ha påverkat det. Vårt resultat visar att flera typer av maktskiften har en signifikant inverkan på sannolikhetsfördelningen för höjd skatt, och samtidigt som vi inte kan dra några slutsatser om sannolikheten för sänkt skatt hjälper estimationerna ändå oss att analysera blockpolitikens påverkan på den kommunala skattepolitiken.

This study analyzes the determinants of return migration from Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and outmigration to third country during the time period 1994-2003. The study is limited to the refugees who arrived to Sweden 1993-1994. One important aim is also to find out to what extent the propensity of return migration is affected by integration and participation in the Swedish labor market. There is a larger fraction of the refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina who return than migrate to a third country. The results show that a higher education is affecting the return migration decision positively, but not the migration to another country. Since the social protection system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is partially undeveloped, only those with a well paid job or wealthy relatives can afford any mishaps. Highly educated individuals are expected to have these economical prerequisites. Being employed in Sweden or receiving social benefits there, give negative marginal effects on the probability of emigration. Therefore, the position on the Swedish labor market has importance for an emigration decision. Being married or having children decreases the probability of emigration. However, the family status effects are stronger for outmigration to a third country. Further, it is more likely for a family to return than emigrate to a third country. It is also more likely for women to return, while there is a larger fraction of men that migrate to a third country. Summarizing the most important findings, the probability of outmigration is strongly reduced by the level of integration. This is not only an analysis of individual micro data. The political and economic differences between home country and source country are also compared. Pull-factors seem to dominate return migration since Sweden has a more stabilized economic and political situation. However, the refugees must have strong economic prerequisites or wealthy relatives to support them, in order to realize a return migration decision. A large fraction of the refugees who wish to return do not have the possibilities to realize their return intentions. They consider themselves as temporary migrants, but have involuntary become permanent migrants in Sweden.

This research addresses the question of what factors lead Mexican-origin individuals living in the U.S. to seek a new residence outside their Southwestern state of residence. The analysis examines three hypotheses: (1) the human capital hypothesis that college graduates have higher odds of migrating out of the core region than those with less than a high school education; (2) the household social capital hypothesis that posits that the presence of a household member born outside the core increases the odds of migration; and (3) the community social capital hypothesis which states that householders residing in an area with community social capital will have higher odds of leaving the core than those living in areas with no community social capital. These hypotheses are investigated using three models: (1) a full model that includes both native- and foreign-born Mexican-origin householders; (2) a native-born model which includes only native-born Southwest householders; and (3) a foreign-born models that includes only foreign-born Mexican-origin householders. By using the Saenzian region-concepts of core, periphery, and frontier, I find: (1) limited support for the human capital hypothesis; (2) consistent support for the household social capital; and (3) no support for the community social capital. The analysis is important to sociological theory and demography because it specifically endeavors to explain how the connections between three kinds of capital?human, household, and community?shape the decision to leave the Southwest for other regions of the country. By computing statistical and theoretical particulars, the thesis ascertains that migration-selectivity theories regarding the general population are useful in theorizing Mexican-origin interregional migration. Findings expand existing sociological literature by theorizing how human, household, and community capital operate under the Saenzian regions to shape the interregional migration of the growing Mexican-origin population of the U.S.

ABSTRACT The definition of economic voting by Lewis-Beck indicates constituency can cast a ballot for the benefit of the ruling party while they definitely confirm economic performance by past; vice versa. The study also expresses Western democratic countries periodically hold the Election of Central Administration Leading Cadre and the Legislative Election; furthermore, it shows in response to economic voting during constituency go into deciding by ballot at the meantime. Seeing that documents of the research in Taiwan of voting behavior among constituency much focus on national identification, political party and candidate characteristics; the other way round, less focus on economic performance or economic governance ability. It is unworthy truth for Taiwan Economy to be no longer wonderingly splendid manifestation. Therefore, this study longs for by way of observing materials and data in poll centers behind the President Election in 1996, 2000 as well as the Legislative Election in 1998, 2001. Consequently, it searches out whether economic voting manifestation for Taiwan constituency; it awaits to comprehend if the Economy is one of main variable while voting by constituency in Taiwan? Moreover, it attempts to observing constituency to be part of which social background characteristics. On the basis of the above-mentioned analysis, this study comes at something: I. Economic evaluation is indeed an influential factor; due to unique historical culture background, the crucial point in voting still inferiors to identification of political party and unity-independence position. Nevertheless, candidates among latterly national elections propose unexceptionable policy to lure constituency; newspapers and mass media describe prosperity fluctuation by a wide margin. The effect of economic issues is more and more significant in future election. It may observe continually. II. The study detects low-education-level constituency easily possess economic voting behavior than high-education-level constituency, but it is not fit in with foreign relevant economic voting theory - it is worthy of probing into variations between Taiwan and foreign countries. Over and above, owning-occupation constituency easily possesses economic voting behavior than non-owning-occupation constituency. It hopes adding the gender and age factors in future research. Key Words: Economic Evaluation, Voting Behavior, the Legislative Election, the President Election, Multinomial Logit Model

<p>The aim of this thesis is to study the effect of smoking and drinking on wages in Sweden. The data used in this study is the Swedish Level-of-living survey (LNU) from 1991. A multinomial logit model and the marginal effects from the estimated model are used to study the effect of smoking and drinking on wages in Sweden. The empirical results conclude that medium drinking increases the probability of having a high income, i.e. there is a positive significant relationship between medium drinking and wages in Sweden. Also concluded from the empirical results is that there is not a significant relationship between smoking and wages in Sweden.</p>

<p>This study analyzes the determinants of return migration from Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and outmigration to third country during the time period 1994-2003. The study is limited to the refugees who arrived to Sweden 1993-1994. One important aim is also to find out to what extent the propensity of return migration is affected by integration and participation in the Swedish labor market.</p><p>There is a larger fraction of the refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina who return than migrate to a third country. The results show that a higher education is affecting the return migration decision positively, but not the migration to another country. Since the social protection system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is partially undeveloped, only those with a well paid job or wealthy relatives can afford any mishaps. Highly educated individuals are expected to have these economical prerequisites. Being employed in Sweden or receiving social benefits there, give negative marginal effects on the probability of emigration. Therefore, the position on the Swedish labor market has importance for an emigration decision. Being married or having children decreases the probability of emigration. However, the family status effects are stronger for outmigration to a third country. Further, it is more likely for a family to return than emigrate to a third country. It is also more likely for women to return, while there is a larger fraction of men that migrate to a third country. Summarizing the most important findings, the probability of outmigration is strongly reduced by the level of integration.</p><p>This is not only an analysis of individual micro data. The political and economic differences between home country and source country are also compared. Pull-factors seem to dominate return migration since Sweden has a more stabilized economic and political situation. However, the refugees must have strong economic prerequisites or wealthy relatives to support them, in order to realize a return migration decision. A large fraction of the refugees who wish to return do not have the possibilities to realize their return intentions. They consider themselves as temporary migrants, but have involuntary become permanent migrants in Sweden.</p>