THE IMPACT OF HISTORICAL AND REGIONAL LINKAGES ON FREE TRADE IN THE AMERICAS: A GRAVITY MODEL ANALYSIS ACROSS SECTORS

This paper estimates the impact of regional linkages (i.e. regional trading agreements) and historical linkages (i.e. neo-colonial trade ties) on trade pattern in the Western Hemisphere using the gravity model of international trade. The estimation is made at the aggregate trade level as well as on the disaggregated level by using trade data corresponding to food products and manufactured goods respectively. The evidence suggests that significant distortions of trade patterns due to regional and historical linkages exist. It seems that smaller economies are more receptive to the effects of regionalism than larger ones and that the food sector is more affected by distortions than the manufactured goods sector.International Relations/Trade,

CARICOM Bilateral Trade: A Preliminary Analysis Using the Gravity Model

This paper investigates the determinants of intra-CARICOM bilateral trade and the CARICOM member's trade with the North American and European countries using the gravity model. Seventeen annual cross-sections are estimated for the period 1980 through 1996. Overall, the empirical results indicate that the gravity model has considerable potential to explain intra-CARICOM bilateral trade as well as trade between CARICOM members and non-members. The evidence suggests that both the importer's GDP per capita and the exporter's GDP per capita exert strong positive effects on CARICOM trade levels. Since these effects are found to be statistically the same, we conclude that the gravity model is symmetric with respect to GDP per capita. Further, sharing a common language, colonial ties, or membership in the CARICOM all significantly contribute to larger volumes of bilateral trade, while geographic distance has the opposite effect. Both the exporting and the importing countries' populations have a positive effect on trade levels, indicating that larger economies have a wider production base and thus export and import more than would smaller economies.Caribbean economies, CARICOM, FTAA, gravity model, regional integration, International Relations/Trade,

The Cultural Evolution of Democracy: Saltational Changes in A Political Regime Landscape

Transitions to democracy are most often considered the outcome of historical modernization processes. Socio-economic changes, such as increases in per capita GNP, education levels, urbanization and communication, have traditionally been found to be correlates or ‘requisites’ of democratic reform. However, transition times and the number of reform steps have not been studied comprehensively. Here we show that historically, transitions to democracy have mainly occurred through rapid leaps rather than slow and incremental transition steps, with a median time from autocracy to democracy of 2.4 years, and overnight in the reverse direction. Our results show that autocracy and democracy have acted as peaks in an evolutionary landscape of possible modes of institutional arrangements. Only scarcely have there been slow incremental transitions. We discuss our results in relation to the application of phylogenetic comparative methods in cultural evolution and point out that the evolving unit in this system is the institutional arrangement, not the individual country which is instead better regarded as the ‘host’ for the political system

From insect to man: Photorhabdus sheds light on the emergence of human pathogenicity

Photorhabdus are highly effective insect pathogenic bacteria that exist in a mutualistic relationship with Heterorhabditid nematodes. Unlike other members of the genus, Photorhabdus asymbiotica can also infect humans. Most Photorhabdus cannot replicate above 34°C, limiting their host-range to poikilothermic invertebrates. In contrast, P. asymbiotica must necessarily be able to replicate at 37°C or above. Many well-studied mammalian pathogens use the elevated temperature of their host as a signal to regulate the necessary changes in gene expression required for infection. Here we use RNA-seq, proteomics and phenotype microarrays to examine temperature dependent differences in transcription, translation and phenotype of P. asymbiotica at 28°C versus 37°C, relevant to the insect or human hosts respectively. Our findings reveal relatively few temperature dependant differences in gene expression. There is however a striking difference in metabolism at 37°C, with a significant reduction in the range of carbon and nitrogen sources that otherwise support respiration at 28°C. We propose that the key adaptation that enables P. asymbiotica to infect humans is to aggressively acquire amino acids, peptides and other nutrients from the human host, employing a so called “nutritional virulence” strategy. This would simultaneously cripple the host immune response while providing nutrients sufficient for reproduction. This might explain the severity of ulcerated lesions observed in clinical cases of Photorhabdosis. Furthermore, while P. asymbiotica can invade mammalian cells they must also resist immediate killing by humoral immunity components in serum. We observed an increase in the production of the insect Phenol-oxidase inhibitor Rhabduscin normally deployed to inhibit the melanisation immune cascade. Crucially we demonstrated this molecule also facilitates protection against killing by the alternative human complement pathway

THE IMPACT OF HISTORICAL AND REGIONAL LINKAGES ON FREE TRADE IN THE AMERICAS: A GRAVITY MODEL ANALYSIS ACROSS SECTORS

This paper estimates the impact of regional linkages (i.e. regional trading agreements) and historical linkages (i.e. neo-colonial trade ties) on trade pattern in the Western Hemisphere using the gravity model of international trade. The estimation is made at the aggregate trade level as well as on the disaggregated level by using trade data corresponding to food products and manufactured goods respectively. The evidence suggests that significant distortions of trade patterns due to regional and historical linkages exist. It seems that smaller economies are more receptive to the effects of regionalism than larger ones and that the food sector is more affected by distortions than the manufactured goods sector

Agricultural and Resource Economics Ph.D. Students: Who are They and What Do They Want?

In the fall of 2012, a survey was distributed among current students in agricultural and resource economics or affiliated graduate programs at 30 major U.S. universities. The purpose of this survey was to elicit the thoughts and opinions of the graduate student population with regards to their background, view of their programs, future career goals, and what advice they would give to potential applicants considering a graduate degree in the field. This paper provides a summary of the findings of this survey. The results suggest that current Ph.D. students are well-aware of the nature of graduate schools; they have clear goals about post-graduation careers. There seems to be a structural mismatch between the field of interest and the current hiring trends in the profession; and students feel strongly about the importance of quantitative preparation prior to enrollment. Furthermore, the findings indicate that students are pragmatic about applying for, and ultimately choosing, graduate schools

The Impact of Historical and Regional Networks on Trade Volumes within the Western Hemisphere: A Gravity Analysis across Sectors

This paper identifies and analyzes the effects of existing trade networks on bilateral trade volumes in the Western Hemisphere by applying the gravity model of international trade to two data-sets, one encompassing bilateral trade volumes of agricultural products and one encompassing bilateral trade volumes of manufactured goods

History, regionalism, and CARICOM trade: A gravity model analysis

A gravity model is fitted to 17 annual cross sections, 1980-1996, of bilateral trade data (imports and exports) between CARICOM member states and selected trading partners. Specifically, the paper investigates the effects of regional integration, colonial legacies and linguistic ties on CARICOM bilateral trade flows between member states and between member states and North American and European Union countries. The empirical results indicate that history and regionalism have had significant and strong effects on CARICOM trade. Additionally, two traditional explanatory variables in gravity models, income per capita and population, have significant and positive effects on CARICOM trade while the distance between trading partners exerts the expected negative effect.

The Impact of Historical and Regional Networks on Trade Volumes within the Western Hemisphere: A Gravity Analysis across Sectors

This paper identifies and analyzes the effects of existing trade networks on bilateral trade volumes in the Western Hemisphere by applying the gravity model of international trade to two data-sets, one encompassing bilateral trade volumes of agricultural products and one encompassing bilateral trade volumes of manufactured goods.International trade, gravity models, history, regional trade agreements., International Relations/Trade, F1 (International trade), F15 (Economic integration), F54 (Post-colonialism), F55 (International institutional arrangements).,

CARICOM Bilateral Trade: A Preliminary Analysis Using the Gravity Model

This paper investigates the determinants of intra-CARICOM bilateral trade and the CARICOM member's trade with the North American and European countries using the gravity model. Seventeen annual cross-sections are estimated for the period 1980 through 1996. Overall, the empirical results indicate that the gravity model has considerable potential to explain intra-CARICOM bilateral trade as well as trade between CARICOM members and non-members. The evidence suggests that both the importer's GDP per capita and the exporter's GDP per capita exert strong positive effects on CARICOM trade levels. Since these effects are found to be statistically the same, we conclude that the gravity model is symmetric with respect to GDP per capita. Further, sharing a common language, colonial ties, or membership in the CARICOM all significantly contribute to larger volumes of bilateral trade, while geographic distance has the opposite effect. Both the exporting and the importing countries' populations have a positive effect on trade levels, indicating that larger economies have a wider production base and thus export and import more than would smaller economies