In this paper we test a general equilibrium model of the size and growth of government developed by Dao and Esfahani (1995) using OECD cross-sectional and US time-series data. The model is based on the assumption that various socioeconomic groups try to redistribute income in their favor....

This dissertation is a collection of three essays on high school dropout by adolescents and the roll of their siblings in this risky behavior. Dropping out of high school can scar the individual for his entire labor supply period with lower earnings, higher unemployment, and in turn incur...

In this dissertation I examine a set of crucial topics in the political economy of international trade, with an emphasis on firm-level heterogeneity. The first chapter is an empirical study of the new trade theories in which firm heterogeneity and trade costs play central roles in shaping the...