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In The Union College Garnet

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Book

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In Alumni Files

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DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In 2021 Honors Economics Posters

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social capital on the United States COVID-19 response on a county-level. Specifically, this paper examines the impact of the bonding versus bridging social capital distinction put forth by Putnam (2000) and the social capital theories of Bourdieu (1986). These social capital variables are analyzed in respect to their outcome on the COVID-19 response characteristics of the willingness to wear a mask in public and the percent change in time spent at home during the pandemic. Using the most recent social capital (2014 and 2019), mask wearing (2020), and social distancing data (2020-21) to perform ordinary least squares regressions. This paper estimates that bonding and bridging social capital does not impact the willingness to wear masks in public. However, we estimate that bonding social capital is negatively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home, and that bridging social capital is positively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home. Also, this paper estimates that income equality is positively correlated with both the willingness to wear a mask in public and the percent change in time spent at home during the pandemic. Educational equality was also estimated to be positively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home. Lastly, this study estimates that educational equality is both positively and negatively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask in public, dependent on the level of educational attainment that is most present in a county. If college educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be negatively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask, however if high school educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be positively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask. Social capital is found have both a positive and negative impact on the COVID-19 response in the US, it is dependent on the type of social capital being analyzed.

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DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In ARL Publications

Abstract

The Adirondack Chronology is intended to be a useful resource for researchers and others interested in the Adirondacks and Adirondack history.

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DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In President's Report

Abstract

2006-2016: A decade in review

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DigitalDocument

In President's Report

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DigitalDocument

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The spread of coins, which occurred throughout the archaic and classical periods of Greece, was a foundational advancement toward forms of the modern economy. Modern theory has sought to explain the invention of coins with a variety of narratives. Generally, these narratives fall into two broad categories: market-driven monetization or state-driven monetization. On the one hand, some theory argues that coins developed from reducing private transaction costs. On the other hand, some theorists argue that the state benefitted from reductions in administrative costs from the use of coins and therefore undertook the cost of minting them. This thesis problematizes these two models and shows that neither of these explanations is satisfactory for understanding early coins. In fact, these theories introduce biases because they were constructed from analysis of modern money systems. Coinage was likely driven by the religious sector of the ancient state rather than by practical benefit. Moreover, the state adopted early coins despite the increased transaction costs they would have caused. The political and social gain outweighed the economic cost of their minting. This reassessment allows for a framework from which we may understand early coinage.

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Thesis

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Controlled Access Terms

In Faculty Publications and Presentations

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We all know not to leave school without a plan, a skill-set, a career path, but without the Arts and Humanities? Why not?

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Book

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Additional Rights / Restrictions

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

This study examines how recreational marijuana dispensaries in Colorado affect opioid mortality at the county level. Using a difference-in-difference model with county and year fixed effects, I estimate the impact of recreational marijuana dispensary access on fatal opioid overdoses. Additionally, I employ distance from a major roadway and border as two instrumental variables to help limit the endogeneity associated with the location of dispensaries. Previous studies have shown that medical and recreational marijuana dispensary access decreases opioid mortality at the state level. Still, no study has explored the connection between recreational marijuana dispensaries and overdoses at the county level. Using data from the CDC, Colorado Department of Revenue, US Census, and other sources, I found that under some specifications, a higher number of dispensaries is associated with an approximately 6% decline in opioid mortality. However, this result was not robust under every specification. Given the worsening opioid crisis in the United States and the failure of the war on drugs, research into alternate methods of reducing opioid mortality is critical.

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DigitalDocument

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Controlled Access Terms

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

The hypothesis of this research project is that colonial forced labor and slavery affected trust in Latin America that persists today. In order to test this hypothesis, trust is compared in mining and non-mining subnational regions in Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The 2011 paper by Nunn and Wantchekon, "The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa" is an important source for this research paper. Nunn and Wantchekon researched the negative effect of slavery on long-term economic development in Africa and found that individuals whose ancestors were slaves are less trusting today. In my study, trust is the dependent variable. The Latinobarómetro survey question on trust in others is used as the measure of trust by individuals living in these areas today. Mining intensity, a proxy for forced labor, is the primary explanatory variable. Mining data are obtained from HGIS de las Indias. In estimating the relationship between trust and mining, the following control variables are included: country fixed effects, latitude, elevation, population density, GDP per capita, ethnicity, language, religion and gender. In the subnational regions where there was forced labor and slavery, my results show that there is less contemporary trust. This relationship is robust to the inclusion of control variables. This finding is important because others have shown that there is a causal link between mistrust and long-run economic development.

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VideoObject

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Controlled Access Terms

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social capital on the United States COVID-19 response on a county-level. This paper examines the bonding versus bridging social capital distinction put forth by Putnam (2000) and the theories of Bourdieu (1986). Social capital variables are analyzed in respect to their outcome on the COVID-19 response characteristics of the willingness to wear a mask in public and social distancing during the pandemic. The most recent social capital (2014 and 2019), mask wearing (2020), and social distancing data (2020-21) is utilized to perform ordinary least squares regressions. I find that bonding social capital is negatively correlated with social distancing, and bridging social capital is positively correlated with social distancing. Also, that income equality is positively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask and social distancing. Educational equality was also found to be positively correlated with social distancing. Lastly, I find that educational equality is positively and negatively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask. If college educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be negatively correlated and if high school educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be positively correlated. Social capital is found have both a positive and negative impact on the COVID-19 response in the US, dependent on the form of social capital.

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

Controlled Access Terms

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Infertility affects 7.4 million women and their partners in the United States. One cause for infertility in women is human follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH) dysfunction. hFSH is involved in follicle maturation and estrogen production in females and spermatogenesis in males. Lack of normal hFSH function in either the ligand or receptor leads to infertility in women, however does not fully inhibit fertility in males. hFSH is secreted from the pituitary gland and binds to its g-protein coupled receptor (hFSHR) located in the ovaries or the testis. Previous research in our lab has shown that hFSHR resides in cholesterol, sphingolipid, and caveolin enriched microdomains called lipid rafts. It has been previously shown that hFSHR interacts with caveolin although the specific mechanism of this interaction is unknown. One possibility is that the interaction is through a specific amino acid sequence in hFSHR consistent with caveolin binding motifs identified in other proteins. The current study investigated how lipid rafts regulate hFSHR signaling. It was hypothesized that disruption of lipid rafts or interference with the caveolin binding motif will alter hFSHR signaling. Lipid rafts in human granulosa cells (the hGrC1 cell line) were disrupted through cholesterol depletion with methyl-?-cyclodextrin (M?CD) and FSH signaling differences were observed by western blot. It was observed that M?CD treatment resulted in an increase of cAMP signaling compared to control cells. In parallel, mutations in the hFSHR caveolin binding motif were made and expression plasmids were transiently transfected into HEK 293 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that some of the mutants showed increased basal signaling relative to the wild type receptor. Taken together, these results suggest that lipid rafts may be acting act as an inhibitory mechanism for hFSHR and that caveolin may play a role in receptor recruitment to the lipid raft. Researching hFSH signaling after lipid raft manipulation can provide a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms of hFSHR, which could lead to innovative ideas in infertility treatment for women.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

The Office of War Information (OWI) was established to provide the public with facts and information during World War II; however the agency became a central tool in wartime campaigns that utilized propaganda techniques. The OWI perceived Americans as selfish and privileged, and therefore thought they would resist government programs that required sacrifice. In this thesis I will argue that it was this interpretation of American personality that dictated how the Office of War Information would “sell” the war. Because the OWI viewed Americans as such, they used propaganda that focused on patriotism, guilt, and dramatization. Three main campaigns demonstrate these techniques: food rationing, gasoline and fuel oil rationing, and rumors and careless talk. Food rationing faced great resistance which was evident in the rise of the black market and in the language the government used to promote food rationing and curtail the black market. Patriotism was summoned and rationing was declared the most democratic way to handle shortages while “Victory Gardens” were also encouraged. Gasoline and Fuel Oil were more aggravating than food rationing because they did not provide all Americans with the same amount. As with food rationing a black market emerged, and the government struggled to convince Americans to give up the luxury of their automobile. The OWI responded with patriotism and guilt tactics. The Office of War Information also experienced difficulty in controlling what Americans said. The campaign against talk was the most dramatic and graphic, as “loose lips sink ships” and “careless talk costs lives”.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

Trust is an essential component of economic functioning because it ensures reliable transactions will occur, therefore increasing growth and productivity. Reductions in trust become an additional cost of economic crises with the potential to affect future economic outcomes. Levels of trust were significantly influenced by the onset of the Eurozone crisis, which plagued many European countries because of excessive spending and inflated public sectors. With rising debts and high unemployment facing peripheral countries, many have lost faith in the capability of European institutions to effectively manage a common currency without fiscal or political unity.
While there have been studies done on the relationship between economic crises and trust levels, many have ignored the monetary and fiscal policy tradeoffs that exist in times of economic downturn. This paper uses unemployment rates, deficit to GDP levels, and inflation rates as measures of crisis to understand the fiscal and monetary policy decisions politicians are required to make. Ultimately, the results indicate that while unemployment and inflation rates negatively influence social and political trust levels, deficit levels are viewed positively among Europeans. This has implications for a monetary policy debate, but suggests that fiscal policy be Keynesian focused if countries are aiming to increase trust.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

Human and social capital, accumulated in college, have implications for labor market performances. This paper looks at the extent to which these two forms of capital predict labor market outcomes for Union College. The findings of this paper are important in determining the policies and cultures colleges should strive for on their campuses to provide students with the ideal combination of capital to maximize their value in society. This paper seeks to confirm the belief that human capital is a strong predictor of future income. Further, this paper attempts to determine if social capital is a better predictor of income than the literature suggests. The dependent variables are labor market outcomes, including, annual income, entrepreneurship, sales path and management status. Labor market outcomes are predicted by personal characteristics, which include innate abilities to accumulate both forms of capital, along with measurements of human and social capital accumulated in college.
The data comes from a survey administered to the Union College alumni through the alumni database. The survey was sent to 14,559 Union alumni of whom 3,762 responded.
The findings confirm the literature that human capital is a strong predictor of future income. However, the findings also suggest that social capital accumulating behaviors have a significant impact on annual earnings, an impact that has been underappreciated in economic theory. In particular, Greek membership and college drinking strongly predict income despite reducing human capital. The results suggest that individuals high in social capital are paid a premium in sales professions, entrepreneurial endeavors and higher management levels.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

Community colleges in the United States are particularly flexible in adapting to constantly changing labor market conditions and government funding cycles. This paper will identify the effects of these supply and demand side factors on community college enrollment quantities and tuition prices and predict the initial effects of President Obama’s American Graduation Initiative. This bill proposes $12 billion of government spending, through grants and financial aid, in order to increase the number of community college graduates by 5 million over the next ten years. The dependent variables in my equations are total college enrollment and tuition. Independent supply variables include revenues from federal, state and local grants and appropriations. On the demand side, independent variables include the average financial aid issued, state household income, state unemployment rate, skill premium, urban population, educated population, white population, average in-state public university tuition, and average in-state community college tuition. The sample is drawn from 2-year public colleges in the US from 2000-2008. The data is taken from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System survey, the Statistical Abstract of the United States, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Limitations regarding the endogeneity of government appropriations prevents the forecasting of government funding increases; however, the model predicts that financial aid increases from the American Graduation Initiative will increase community college enrollments by over half a million.

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In Honors Theses

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This thesis provides a literature review of the emergence, development, and decline of the American student movement of the sixties, and examines the emergence of student political activity by applying several political socialization theories. The theories that are proposed and discussed are: the generational conflict theory, the Parsons-Eisenstadt theory, Flacks’ socioeconomic theory, and Van Dyke’s cultural tradition theory. While these theories seek to explain the student movement of the sixties, Altbach’s “meism” theory, Howe and Strauss’s theory, and the “generation whatever” theory seek to explain contemporary student politics. This thesis discusses a case-study of Union College students in order to evaluate political socialization theories and to compare today’s student politics to the student politics of the sixties. The results of this study indicate that today’s students have more opportunities to express their political attitudes, and are more politically active than students of the sixties. However, although contemporary students are more politically active than the sixties generation, a mass demonstration has not emerged because contemporary students participate in political activities that comply with societal institutions and authority figures.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

The United States invests more into basic medical research than any other country. This research, mostly done at medical schools, leads to medical technology patented by private firms through a phenomenon known as knowledge spillover. This thesis will investigate the relationship between public investments in the basic medical research sector and the resulting effect on medical patents, contingent on geographic localization with state-level data. It is hypothesized that the larger the investments awarded to basic medical research organizations, the greater the number of medical patents within the state. The proposed model relates the number of medical patents per year in a given state, the dependent variable, as a function of the following independent variables: National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, National Science Foundation (NSF) funding, the number of civilian scientists and engineers within the state, and a state-specific research productivity parameter. The data come from a variety of sources including Jaffe and Trajtenberg (2002), the NIH, and the NSF. After adjusting for time lag, the performed regressions support the stated hypothesis and resulted in significant coefficients. This paper will also evaluate the economic aspect of medical research and determine the effect of knowledge spillover from medical institutions to nearby private inventors. Ultimately, this may allow for more precise institutional and geographical allocation of research investments for the purpose of achieving more medical innovations, thus advancing the field of medicine as a whole.

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In Honors Theses

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Deviant behaviors are labeled by the more powerful groups in society, and those individuals displaying these characteristics are stigmatized. One behavior deemed deviant, excessive gambling, has come under the auspices of the medical profession. Aided by biological evidence and the support of both medical professionals and the general population, the Institute of Medicine has defined problem gambling as a mental disorder and provides therapy to individuals possessing the symptoms identified by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder (DSM-IV). However, an alternate form of therapy provided by the Gamblers Anonymous organization, competes for acceptance. As gambling becomes legalized in states across the United States, concern for the potential expansion of pathological gambling and related behaviors has grown. Additionally, the individuals and groups benefitting from the revenues accrued by gambling venues support the medical model as it provides an effective treatment and does not associate the industry with deviant behaviors. Given these diverse opinions and the lengthy duration of the medicalization process, the general population and medical professionals were surveyed to determine the extent and perceptions of the medicalization of pathological gambling and the implications on society.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

From 1936 until 1975, Spain was under the control of Francisco Franco. Throughout these 39 years, Spain transformed into a structured, conservative country dominated by church and societal expectations. Women lost the majority of the rights gained under the Second Republic. The role of women during the dictatorship was to be the prefect mother and wife. They were to be pure, caring and obedient, with no voice to defend their beliefs. After Franco's death and the establishment of the democracy, the role of women began to change. They acquired jobs outside the house and filled seats in universities. They were able to get divorced or get abortions. In other words, they received control over their lives. In my thesis, I examined the specifics of this political transition as well as the psychological transformation of the country and the metamorphosis of the female identity in Spain.

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In Honors Theses

Abstract

Prior research has shown that the availability of paid maternity leave for new mothers can influence a variety of factors such as women's mental health and life satisfaction long-term career outcomes and children's long run outcomes. However scholars have suggested that there is a backlash effect among certain groups of people when particularly strong advancements are made in areas of women's rights. Research also suggests that attitudes towards certain behavior are impacted by legislation that attempts to regulate such behavior. The current research assessed whether the implementation of paid family leave impacted attitudes towards mothers in the workforce. This study evaluated whether the implementation of paid family leave legislation in California as well as variance due to age educate sex race etc. impacted attitudes towards working mothers. The data used is from the General Social Survey which provided over 17 000 observations from 1998 to 2004. The results of this study indicate that there was significant backlash among a variety of subgroups of men after paid family leave was implemented in California consistent with prior research that suggests an antifeminist backlash effect. This study therefore provides insight into the relevance of what backlash might exist in terms of paid family leave legislation as well as further women's rights legislation moving forward.

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