An Examination of the Productivity of Irish Agriculture in a Decoupled Policy Environment

End of project reportThe Single Farm Payment (SFP) scheme came into effect in the EU from the first of January 2005. This scheme replaced the many ‘coupled’ livestock and arable aid schemes available to farmers and was heralded as a significant move towards decoupling. This thesis explores the initial effects of this policy on total factor productivity (TFP) and its components (technical efficiency change, technical change, and scale efficiency change) in the main farming sectors in Ireland

Variance estimation for the instrumental variables approach to measurement error in generalized linear models

This paper derives and gives explicit formulas for a derived sandwich variance estimate. This variance estimate is appropriate for generalized linear additive measurement error models fitted using instrumental variables. We also generalize the known results for linear regression. As such, this article explains the theoretical justification for the sandwich estimate of variance utilized in the software for measurement error developed under the Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) by StataCorp. The results admit estimation of variance matrices for measurement error models where there is an instrument for the unknown covariate. Copyright 2003 by StataCorp LP.sandwich estimate of variance, measurement error, White's estimator, robust variance, generalized linear models, instrumental variables

Measurement error, GLMs, and notational conventions

This paper introduces additive measurement error in a generalized linear-model context. We discuss the types of measurement error along with their effects on fitted models. In addition, we present the notational conventions to be used in this and the accompanying papers. Copyright 2003 by StataCorp LP.generalized linear models, transportability, measurement error

A Comparison of Stochastic Frontier Approaches to Estimating Inefficiency and Total Factor Productivity: An Application to Irish Dairy Farming

This paper compares standard stochastic frontier models for panel data with a number of recently developed models designed to remove unobserved heterogeneity from the inefficiency component. Results are used to construct a generalised Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) index. We conclude that the choice of approach makes little difference where the purpose of the study is to analyse aggregate trends in TFP and its components. However, where inefficiency estimates and their dispersion are of interest, attention should be paid to how the analyst’s interpretation of inefficiency relates to the underlying assumptions of the model that is used.Efficiency, panel data, total factor productivity, stochastic production frontier, ‘true’ effects models, dairy sector

Rising Prescription Drug Costs: What Is Involved and What Can Be Done?

The rapid rise of prescription drug costs in the United States has triggered heated debate at the federal and state levels about how to control costs and expand access for those in need. In part, the United States finds itself in this situation because, unlike most countries throughout the world, the federal government thus far has refused to exact federal price restrictions on pharmaceutical products. James Carroll argues that this has left each state in the difficult position of trying to leverage lower costs and expanded access for its citizens. In this article, Carroll provides an overview of these attempts, including the Maine Rx program and the more recent legislation passed by Maine’s 121st legislature. He concludes with an analysis of how effective such programs are likely to be in the long run, particularly if the federal government continues to abdicate its responsibility to address the issue in comprehensive fashion

My Life with the FBI

When I was a child, the FBI was everywhere in my world and I loved my world more for that. My first remembered experience of entertainment — one could even say of story — was listening on the radio in the late forties to The FBI in Peace and War, and I can still hum its theme. My older brother Joe and I, and then Brian, too, when he came along, huddled together by the old Philco, riveted because those tales of gangbusters, spy catchers, and G-men evoked the world of our father, who was himself an FBI agent. He was rarely home by the time we went to bed, and so those radio programs filled that primordial need of ours to draw close to him at night before daring to close our eyes against the dark. With such protection, how could we be afraid? With a father engaged in such noble, dangerous, and important pursuits — saving lives and countries — how could our mere loneliness for him deflect the pride we felt

the Determinants of Charitable Donations in the Republic of Ireland

This thesis explores the variable that affect the probability of donating and the variables that affect the size of donation by Irish households. The datasets employed are the Irish Household Budget Surveys, 1994/1995 and 1999/2000, which are analysed using a tobit model and a double-hurdle model with an inverse hyperbolic sine transformation. Between 1994 and 2000, Ireland witnessed a remarkable and well-documented economic boom. This thesis provides insight into how the determinants of charitable donations change in an economy such as the Republic of Ireland’s, which has undergone such rapid economic and cultural changes. To date there has been no prior econometric study of charitable donations carried out in the Republic of Ireland. In the late 1990s, charitable donations by Irish households did not keep pace with the booming economy. Although donations have increased by 18 per cent from 1994 to 1999, GDP grew by around 93 per cent for the same period. The average charitable donation as a percentage of disposable income has decreased from 0.79 per cent in 1994 to 0.54 per cent in 1999/2000. this thesis attempts to provide some insight into the characteristics that lead to charitable giving and presents a snapshot of the most probable and generous donors in 1994/1995 and 1999/2000. This thesis attempts to provide some insight into the characteristics that lead to charitable giving and presents a snapshot of the most probable and generous donors in 1994/1995 and 1999/2000. Results from this thesis have been presented to the International Society for Third Sector Research conference, Paris, France (27th-29th April, 2005), the Irish Economic Association conference, Kilkenny, Ireland (6th – 8th May, 2005), the Irish Society of New Economists conference, Dublin, Ireland (18th July, 2005) and the National council for Voluntary Organisations conference, Warwick, UK (31 August – 1st September, 200