Three Essays in Regional Economics
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Authors
Grumstrup, Ethan
Issue Date
2020
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This dissertation combines three studies of policies and behaviors in the context of different geographic regions to better understand their causes or effects on the economy. The first study examines the relationship between neighborhood poverty rates and both the density and revenue of Video Gambling Terminals (VGT) in Illinois. Using a combination of linear regression methods, I find evidence that VGT revenue and density are greater in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates. In the second study, I use a seemingly Unrelated Regression approach to analyze the correlation between immigrant populations in the member countries of the European Union and changes in voting for far-right parties. The results show no consistent evidence of a relationship between the number of immigrants in a country and voting for far-right parties. Finally, the third study estimates the impacts to Nevada's economy from an increase in the minimum percentage of electricity which come from renewable sources mandate by the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). I use a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to estimate the impacts of the RPS and a $10 per ton carbon tax, and find that the RPS achieves smaller reductions in CO2 emissions by the electricity generation sector than the carbon tax, but also does not reduce activity in the sector by as much.