This paper considers an economic mechanism that explains “Your Friends Make You Fat” – the contagious phenomenon of obesity first addressed by sociology and medical scholars (Christakis and Fowler, 2007). Consumers choose between slow food and fast food. Eating the same food with friends has social values, thus lifting fast food’s value, in addition to its merit of convenience. Read More…

Germany has come a long way since the devastating economic and political consequences of World War I and the Versailles Treaty. Since the inception of the European Union, then called the European Coal and Steel Community, Germany has been on a peculiar upward trajectory, in terms of industry, finance, governance, and economics the world over. Read More…

The 2011 release of the movie Moneyball has sparked renewed interest in the impact the book left on the game of baseball. It is now claimed that Major League Baseball teams have embraced new methods of evaluating the performance of baseball players, shirking “old school” statistics such as batting average and fielding percentage in favor of “new school” statistics such as value over a replacement player and defensive runs saved. Read More…

There are extensive qualitative arguments in the corruption literature that relate the prevalence of value-dense natural resources to the pervasiveness of corruption. However, this raises the question of whether natural resources themselves are associated with corruption when other variables are held constant. If so, then natural resources may cause corruption, or there may be a systemic bias against resource rich countries across corruption indices. Read More…

In recent years, economists have used the Major League Baseball labor market to study various concepts in labor market economics, such as rates of monopsonistic exploitation, labor market efficiency, and shirking tendencies of employees signed to long-term contracts.  With its wealth of readily available information regarding wages and performance, this market can provide for us a view of how employees are compensated for performance. Read More…

The idea came to us when we noticed that Cornell students had very limited late night food options. The local bars stop serving around 10 p.m. while the college grill closes at 11 p.m. Cornell students normally had to drive to purchase food from some fast-food restaurants in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. Read More…

The Burnham Plan of 100 years ago is still important today.  It created what we know as the “Loop” and instituted the idea of large public works and projects. The Burnham Plan introduced private funding with public support, which is an important factor for the Burnham Plan of today. Read More…

This paper addresses the following question: Would a court today reach the same decision that it did six decades ago in the case of United States v. Pullman Co. et al.? Read More…

Since the euro debuted, the value of the dollar has had a varied history in the world market. This presentation examines work in progress on a study of how world oil production affects the U.S. dollar’s exchange rate. Read More…

We live busy lives and struggle to keep up with the pace at which the world is moving. Not only do we want a job, a car, and a house, but we aim at having a well-paying job, a latest model car, and a huge house. Often, we plunge so deep into our desire to have material things that we forget the needs of our souls. Read More…

This presentation describes democratic decision-making in business organizations. I examine how cooperative businesses balance individual incentives with those of the collective. Read More…

In this presentation I will elucidate the manner in which introductions, employments, and military posts were treated as commodities in eighteenth century England. Read More…

At the commencement of the 21st century, we as Americans are losing our intriguing historic properties at an alarming rate. Read More…

My poster presentation will attempt to give you an idea of what’ s actually happening everyday on Wall Street and what tasks a college student can accomplish as a summer intern. Read More…

The English East India Company was one of the first multinational corporations. The Company traded silver for Indian textiles, raw silk, and saltpeter. As a major European company trading in India from 1660-1760, it has received significant historical attention for its role in international trade and politics – especially for its role in establishing the Raj. Read More…

The subject of this project is to predict variables that are significant in a student’ s enrollment choice. Read More…

In this paper I will explain how there are several significant determinants of per-capita murder rates across more than sixty countries. With an extension of the social disorganization theory it will be argued that guns do significantly aid in the killing of humans. Read More…

Accounting tracks and organizes the myriad transactions that arise in the daily life of an organization. At the end of a fiscal year, accounts are consolidated into financial reports which are read by firm insiders and outsiders. Read More…

Since the late 1970s, the United States has undergone dramatic financial innovation. New technologies such as computers and ATMs have changed the way that money flows. Read More…

I am interested in becoming a franchisee, probably for a major restaurant franchiser, in the future. Read More…

Currently, Americans depend heavily on oil from foreign countries to produce gasoline for transportation. Read More…

Earlier this year, students in Financial Management Seminar studied individual companies using the discounted cash flow technique to perform a stock evaluation. Read More…

Earlier this year, students in Financial Management Seminar studied individual companies using the discounted cash flow technique to perform a stock evaluation. Read More…

Earlier this year, students in Financial Management Seminar studied individual companies using the discounted cash flow technique to perform a stock evaluation. During the term, the students visited the financial market in Chicago in order to gain real world experience in financial management. In Chicago, the class visited the Board of Trade, Mercantile Exchange, and Federal Reserve Bank. Read More…

Major League Baseball teams recently released information regarding 2002 single game ticket prices. Read More…

When we consider effective regulatory policy for the cigarette industry, it is necessary to assume a perspective that stems from the theory of the rational consumer. Read More…

In the last thirty years several Islamic countries have modified their economic systems to make them conform more closely with the ideals of Islam. Read More…

Throughout the world the search for clean drinking water is a daily struggle. Read More…

The number of persons 65 years of age or older in the United States increased tenfold between 1900 and 1990. Read More…

For the symposium my group will present the findings of our student spending survey that we conducted in Marketing Management. Read More…

In March of 1994 the Methodist church of Texas sponsored a “Bring a Friend Sunday.” The program was set up to encourage each parish member to bring a non-affiliated or non-participating friend or relative to church on a specific day. Read More…

As a Loaned Executive (LE) of United Way of East Central Iowa, I will share my experience as one of the first college students to volunteer as an LE. Read More…