To analyze U.S. consumers' brand choices for cheese purchases, we derive a set of discrete-choice models from dynamic utility maximization. ACNielsen Homescan Survey data on U.S. households is used to estimate a dynamic probit model for each of the top brands for cheddar, shredded, and sliced...

This book is a compilation of latest contributions on rural-urban disparities associated with economic growth and development, and policy options to alleviate a perceived divide between cities and hinterland. It includes articles from foremost researchers in urban, rural and international...

This paper investigates the effect of trade cost changes on the spatial productivity distribution in Korea. Data on gross value added and primary factors for 163 spatial units during 2000-2005 are assembled to estimate local TFP using a value-added function. In our application, we control for...

This paper examines the causes of spatial inequalities in economic development across rural America. A theoretical model is developed to analyze interactions between location decisions of firms and households as they are affected by natural endowments, accumulated human and physical capital, and...

Sources of growth in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) are analyzed in a general equilibrium, open economy framework using time-series data. Contributions from labor and capital account for 75% of the economy’'s average growth, with total factor productivity (TFP) accounting for the remainder....

This study uses a unique firm-level dataset to examine how falling trade costs from 1993-2001 affected entry, exit, productivity, and exporting in the Korean manufacturing sector. We verify many of the predictions of recent heterogeneous-firm models of international trade. For example, falling...

The emerging literature on firm heterogeneity suggests that trade liberalization raises industry average productivity by forcing its least productive firms to exit. Consequently, resources and market shares are reallocated toward the industry¡¯s more productive firms. We extend...