Are Welfare Eligible Households Forward Looking?

A consensus has formed in the welfare reform literature suggesting that welfare eligible households (WEH) “bank†benefits in the presence of time limits, either by delaying enrollment in welfare or exiting well before the time limit is reached. In this study, we use the standard labor-leisure lifetime utility to analyze the behavioral effects of imposing time limits on welfare use. Our approach is different from our predecessors (which model welfare participation) in that we model delayed enrollment in and early exit from welfare. Our results suggest that prior to time limits, WEH enroll in welfare as soon as eligibility is established and remain on assistance programs until their youngest children reach adulthood. Moreover, time limits do not alter this behavior in WEH with older children. As such, being “forward looking†in an era of time limits is not a sufficient condition for banking welfare benefits.

Small ICBM Laser Firing Unit (LFU)

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: history/schedule, LFU development hardware; specifications/features; components; optical layout-arm; optical layout-safe; built in test; and producibility issues

Accounting for peak shifting in traditional cost-benefit analysis

When cost-benefit analysis fails to account for peak-shifting the benefits of road improvement options are miscalculated. Using theory from transportation economics, we derive a simple model that disaggregates the average daily equilibrium into peak, counter-peak, and off-peak equilibria. This paper demonstrates how accounting for peak-shifting improves the performance of cost-benefit analysis.Transportation Demand, Transportation Supply, Congestion, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Planning Policy

A preliminary investigation of welfare migration induced by time limits

Studies on welfare programs in the United States have identified three types of welfare migration (employment, benefit, and amenity-related). This paper introduces a fourth type of migration induced by welfare time limits. After a welfare-dependent family runs out of benefits, it is possible for them to reset the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families time clock by crossing state lines to extend their benefits. Our theoretical results suggest that the likelihood of migration increases if the migration distance is small or the gain from the move is large. We hypothesize that, ceteris paribus, families migrating in order to extend their benefits will minimize the distance they migrate, and will be likely to move into the nearest state, especially into counties just across the state border. We utilize macro data at the county level to look for evidence of time-limit induced migration. Estimates indicate that time limits may be associated with an increase in welfare migration.welfare reform; migration

Energetics Study of Mechanically Coupled Human Walking

For many decades, researchers have been studying human locomotion in an attempt to completely understand how humans move and why they move in a particular way. Such research has suggested that humans move in a manner that minimizes energy consumption while satisfying other constraints such as stability. To test whether energy optimality is a broadly applicable theory to describe human movement in every situation, human locomotion has been studied in many unique scenarios. Here, we study the energetics of walking in the following unique scenario: when two humans are mechanically coupled together in order to simulate a quadruped. With relatively little research on the energetic effects of different stepping patterns in quadrupeds, the mechanically coupled human scenario allows for a quick, inexpensive way to study this variable. We explored the affects that walking in different stepping patterns has on the total energy consumption of the simulated quadruped. Human subjects walked in various stepping patterns while the ground reaction forces from their legs were recorded. Using the ground reaction forces, we estimated the net mechanical work by the legs, from which we estimated the total metabolic rate of the subjects. The metabolic rate estimate showed that a 90° phase shift was the optimal stepping pattern. However, due to limitations in the mechanical work calculation, this trend may be based on an underestimate of the metabolic rate at these intermediate phases. The preferred stepping pattern of the subjects, estimated using the total time spent in each of the stepping patterns, showed that In-Sync walking was the preferred stepping pattern of the subjects in this mechanically coupled situation. Further metabolic estimation studies involving oxygen consumption measurements will allow us to more accurately quantify the relationship between metabolic rate and stepping pattern of the simulated quadruped.The Ohio State University College of EngineeringNo embargoAcademic Major: Mechanical Engineerin

The design and use of macroeconomics simulation using maple software: A pilot study

The mathematical models used in intermediate macroeconomics have become increasingly more sophisticated and challenging for students to learn. This paper demonstrates how mathematics software, such as Maple, can be used to design a simulation as a pedagogical aid. The paper proceeds by developing a system of equations to model the economy, simulating the system with Maple, and illustrating the impacts of fiscal and monetary policy changes. A pilot test of the simulation was performed to see if higher levels of mathematical rigor could be introduced in a principles course. The results indicate that symbolic mathematics software can be an effective teaching and student learning tool.Economics instruction; macroeconomic simulation; Maple software

Is NY's Supply-side Experiment Working? A Preliminary Analysis using County Unemployment Rates

The State of New York recently enacted business tax reforms. The first legislative act launched the START-UP NY program in 2014. It created tax free enterprise zones throughout the state to incentivize business incubation within, or relocation of existing firms to, the State of New York. In that same year, the state lowered its corporate tax rate state-wide from 7.1% to 6.5% in 2016. We use a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology, evaluated using county-level data, to empirically test whether New York’s recent business tax reforms significantly reduce unemployment, beyond what would exist in the absence of the reforms. We fail to find significant evidence that START-UP NY affects unemployment during the period studied, 2014-2017.  We do, however, find evidence suggesting that New York lowering its corporate tax rates in 2016 is associated with a large reduction in unemployment (by approximately 90,000 jobs) in 2016 and a smaller reduction (by approximately 25,000 jobs) in 2017

Teaching the Strand of CCSS Slope through Metacognition in Middle School, High School, and Advanced Placement Mathematics

The strand of slope presents every year from 7th grade through Advanced Placement Calculus. The Common Core Learning Standards require and encourage a thorough understanding of slope and slope-related concepts such as unit rate, parallel and perpendicular lines, and the derivative. Unfortunately, many secondary mathematics teachers struggle to teach students to monitor their process and conceptualize an overall strategy for solving complex and fundamental problems. This thesis examines the role of metacognition-focused instruction on achievement, and offers research-supported teaching methods in the context of slope and unit rate that support metacognition. These methods are then presented in a series of lessons, one each from 7th grade through calculus, examining slope through a metacognitive lens. Lessons are tied together enabling teachers to solidify their own understanding of the big picture role of slope in secondary mathematics: earlier lessons foreshadow calculus concepts, and later lessons look back to the earlier foundation of unit rate and basic uses of slope. By examining slope within a metacognitive context, teachers can strengthen standards-based curriculum, solidify understanding of slope, and incorporate teaching tools to support achievement