This paper is concerned with the determinants of international steam-coal trade. Most work in projecting coal trade has been either qualitative (a consensus of experts) or, if quantitative, has been based on competitive spatial-equilibrium models. Unfortunately, the competitive model of trade...

This dissertation examines the ways international research collaboration affects the ability of Colombian research teams to produce bibliographic outputs, and to contribute to local knowledge. Research hypotheses are tested using Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Regression models to account for...

Land and market imperfections shape the organization of agricultural production and lead to differentproduction regimes within rural farm households in South Africa. This paper presents a theoretical modelto explain the presence of three main households groups (classes) determined on the basis...

I examine the problem of writing guaranteed renewable health insurance in the presence of medical spending growth. Prior research suggests that the growth and difficulty in forecasting future medical costs is an impediment to multiperiod health insurance, where contract reserves are used to...

In developing economies, health shocks play a significant role in instigating and sustaining poverty. The impact of high catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure also fosters a culture in which people decide not to use services because they cannot afford either the direct costs, such as for...

Obtaining health insurance through an employer pools risk, but may lead to moral hazard, where employees with more coverage seek care valued below cost, and adverse selection, where the unhealthy choose more generous plans, driving up premiums. In the first essay, I model the decision to choose...

The expansion of Medicare benefits to include coverage for prescription drug (Part D) is the largest since the program's inception. The benefit is delivered through private insurers competing for beneficiaries by offering a variety of options and features. Understanding preferences of...