The dissertation studies a model of an economy which produces and exportsdurable goods. It analyzes the optimal monetary policy for such a country.Generally, monetary policy has a bigger economic effect on durable goods relative tonon-durable goods because durable goods can be stored and...

This dissertation studies the roles that durable goods play in open economy macroeconomics. The three essays examine if and how durable goods improve the ability to understand business cycle features.The first essay shows how investment behavior and international risk sharing, two business cycle...

[This item is a preserved copy. To view the original, visit http://econtheory.org/] This paper studies the price-setting problem of a monopoly that in each time period has the option of failing to deliver its good after receiving payment. The monopoly may be induced to deliver the good if...

This dissertation comprises three individual chapters. Chapter Two examines how free riding across neighbors influenced the diffusion of color television sets in rural China. Chapter Three tests for asymmetric information between a firm’s management and other investors concerning its patent...

The Intergenerational Influence (IGI) is the transmission of beliefs, perceptions, cognition, attitudes and behaviors from one generation to another. It is a fundamental mechanism by which culture is sustained over time. Its key elements are embedded within socialization theory.Reverse IGI...

The Intergenerational Influence (IGI) is the transmission of beliefs, perceptions, cognition, attitudes and behaviors from one generation to another. It is a fundamental mechanism by which culture is sustained over time. Its key elements are embedded within socialization theory.Reverse IGI...

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer an exciting opportunity in China both in terms of the potential to build a domestic manufacturing base and the potential to create a strong domestic market for the product. The Chinese nation stands to benefit from both supply-side and demand-side promotion due to...

Energy security and climate change issues have increased the call for improved energy efficiency from all sectors of the economy, especially the transportation sector. While vehicle manufacturers can in principle make their current vehicle offerings more fuel efficient, historically they have...

Driven by a variety of factors including falling costs, environmental impacts, and state mandates, the integration of renewable energy on the U. S. electrical grid is increasing. While studies have shown that the existing electric grid system can absorb this load with the addition of...

This is the final report on market models for predicting Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) adoption. The work was one of the tasks carried out by the University ofMichigan on the technical challenges of PHEVs and impacts to the U.S. power system. We first examine benchmark market models...