This study analyzed preferences for wetland-loss prevention in coastal Louisiana. Data were obtained through a contingent-valuation mail survey of a random sample of Louisiana households. Results, based on 511 responses, indicate that respondents have a strong preference for a short-run program (72.41% chose this program over a long-run program or no action). Respondents that had higher incomes, were white, had prior knowledge of ongoing restoration efforts, and had confidence in government were more likely to support some program relative to no action, as were those citing hurricane, environmental, and/or climate-change protection as their primary concern. Older respondents and those with negative perceptions of climate change were more likely to prefer the short-run over the long-run program. Median net present value of willingness to pay (assuming 18.37% discount rate) was estimated at $17,491 per household for the multinomial logit model and $3,307 under the Turnbull lower-bound method.

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No / The existing empirical literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) entry strategies tends to allow a binary choice between wholly owned enterprises (WOEs) and equity joint ventures (EJVs) or between greenfield investment and acquisition only. The current study specifies a multinomial logit model for the choice from all four FDI entry modes in China. Five hypotheses are developed based on transaction cost economics and tested on a data set covering 10,607 foreign investment projects in China. A foreign investor seems to prefer the WOE mode given its large investment commitment, a high level of the host country's experience in attracting FDI, a good specific industrial location, and a high asset intensity in the host industry. If the conditions of host country experience and good specific location are not met, the EJV and the joint stock company (JSC) modes seem to be of greater use. A good specific location also makes the contractual joint venture (CJV) a preferable entry mode. Compared with overseas Chinese investors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, other foreign investors prefer EJVs over WOEs and CJVs. The results have important implications for managers.

The number of elderly is increasing; to meet their transportation needs, it is important to clearly understand their travel patterns and preferences. Since travel patterns and preferences depend on socio-demographic and other factors, it is essential to identify these factors first to understand the travel behavior of the elderly. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the travel patterns and preferences of the elderly age 65 and above using 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data. This thesis presents a detailed descriptive analysis of 2009 NHTS data to understand the travel patterns of the elderly. Along with a descriptive analysis, a multinomial logit model and a mixed- multinomial logit model are estimated to explore the factors associated with the overall travel preferences of the elderly and to identify individuals among the elderly who are the least mobile and at risk for social isolation. The analysis results indicate the differences in the trip characteristics between the elderly and non-elderly. Variation is found even among the different groups of the elderly. The model estimation results show the presence of different travel preferences among the elderly and identify those individuals among the elderly who are immobile for longer periods (e.g., a week) and at risk for social isolation. Elderly individuals with different travel preferences should be considered separately in research to determine the appropriate outcomes that can help transportation planners and policy makers improve planning and policy related to elderly individuals.

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.

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.

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.

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>