Allocating Awards Across Noncomparable Categories

Suppose an agency awards a …xed number of prizes to applicants in different categories such that the applicant-to-winner ratio is constant by category. It is demonstrated in a simple theoretical model that the number of awards in a category will typically be positively related to the degree of applicant uncertainty. The theoretical …ndings are related to awards data from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada doctoral fellowship competition.

The Correlation Between Husband's and Wife's Education: Canada, 1971-1996

We present a measure of the correlation between the education levels of spouses based on a bivariate ordered probit model. The change in this correlation over time can be measured while controlling for the large changes in the educational attainment levels. The model is estimated with data from 20 Surveys of Consumer Finances in Canada over 1971-1996. Our main findings are a reduction in this correlation among younger couples beginning in the 1980s, and an inverted U- shaped effect of the spouses' age difference on the correlation, with the maximum correlation occurring approximately when the spouses' ages are equal.correlation; education level; bivariate ordered probit model; SCF

Analytic Studies In Econometric Inference With Small Samples

In this thesis the analytic techniques of Edgeworth and Nagar\u27s expansion and approximate slope are used to examine small sample properties of estimators and test statistics in some econometric models. The chapters are largely self-contained.;Chapter one provides some definitions, hypothesis test construction methods, and a decription of techniques to be used and models to be studied.;In chapter two, Edgeworth expansions are used to examine the properties of LR, W and LM test for linear restrictions on regression parameters in the standard one-equation model with Student\u27s t errors. Edgeworth size-correction factors are found to be more effective than degrees-of-freedom-based corrections.;Chapter three examines three aspects of the regression model with first order autoregressive errors. First, it is shown that the Lm test statistic for the existence of this kind of autocorrelation is numerically insensitive to whether the error terms have normal or Student\u27s t distributions. Second, Nagar\u27s expansion techniques are used to compare the efficiency of various estimators of the regression coefficients (icluding iterative). The results largely support the results of previous Monte Carlo studies. Finally, an Edgeworth expansion is used to provide a size correction factor for the Wald test for a zero coefficient restriction.;Chapter four deals with the test for existence of contemporaneous correlation between errors of different regression equations. This is a relevant pre-test for specification of SURE models. A variety of tests are presented, including one based on the Union-Intersection (UI) test construction principle. Relationships between the tests in some special cases are discussed, including a comparison of their approximate slopes. The UI test is exact, easy to use, but may have lower power.;Chapter five deals with the Cox and J tests for choosing between two non-tested single equation models. An Edgeworth expansion for the J test under both models is obtained, as well as a size correction factor. The approximate slopes of Cox and J tests are used to explore situations where the small sample properties of the two tests may differ substantially

The Correlation Between Husband's and Wife's Education: Canada, 1971-1996

We present a measure of the correlation between the education levels of spouses based on a bivariate ordered probit model. The change in this correlation over time can be measured while controlling for the large changes in the educational attainment levels. The model is estimated with data from 20 Surveys of Consumer Finances in Canada over 1971-1996. Our main findings are a reduction in this correlation among younger couples beginning in the 1980s, and an inverted U- shaped effect of the spouses' age difference on the correlation, with the maximum correlation occurring approximately when the spouses' ages are equal.education; correlation; age

The Independence and Economic Security of Older Women Living Alone

We study women aged 51-75 who live alone and are not married over the period 1969-1993 using national samples from The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and The Family Expenditure Survey (FAMEX). We examine Income and Expenditure Patterns over the period and find that: there have been substantial increases in real incomes of these women, particularly during the 1970's. The principal source of growth was government transfers and especially the growth in CPP incomes. Should governments withdraw this financial support, low incomes could quickly re-emerge. Incomes of those who were previously married and of the older group of these women (ages 60-75) grew more rapidly over the period. The growth in income has gone almost entirely into consumption. Some of these women are able to save, but like most sub-groups of the Canadian population there is tremendous variability in saving rates among older women.SCF; FAMEX; income; expenditure; older women

Cohort, Year and Age Effects in Canadian Wage Data

We use Canadian Surveys of Consumer Finances 1971-1993 to study the wages of full-time, full-year male and female workers. Median real wages of 24-year-old males without a university degree fell by 25% between 1978 and 1993. For 24-year-old females the decline was more modest and reversed in 1987, but real wages in 1993 were still significantly lower than they were in 1978. We investigate whether these changes are permanent "cohort" effects or more temporary "year" effects. Graphs of median wages against year and age indicate some periods where year effects are more prominent than cohort effects and other periods where the reverse is true. We then compare the results from two models, one assigning the trends to year effects, the other assigning them to cohort effects, and use these models to produce real wage projections.SCF; wages; cohort

The National Hockey League Entry Draft, 1969-1995: An Application of a Weighted Pool-Adjacent-Violators Algorithm

We use data on the National Hockey League Entry Draft and subsequent performances of the players to predict performance as a function of the player's position, year, and overall rank in the draft. This is done by inequality-constrained least squares using a variation of the pool-adjacent-violators algorithm. The results are used to examine the value of having the ith versus the jth overall pick, the drafting performance of franchises, and the performance of European players. The actual performance of European players drafted in the 1988-1992 period notably exceeded their predicted performance.

Allocating Awards Across Noncomparable Categories

Suppose an agency awards a fixed number of prizes to applicants in different categories such that the applicant-to-winner ratio is constant by category. It is demonstrated in a simple theoretical model that the number of awards in a category will typically be positively related to the degree of applicant uncertainty. The theoretical findings are related to awards data from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada doctoral fellowship competition