Adverse Selection in the Market for Health Insurance

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Jonathan Hall and Dr. Mark Showalter, Economics The presence and severity of adverse selection in the market for health insurance has profound implications for public policy. Adverse selection occurs when individuals who are higher risk than observationally equivalent individuals purchase more insurance. Adverse selection can be used to argue in favor of nationalized health care, […]

Reducing the Cost of Soil Mapping In Precision Agriculture

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Elizabeth Gillins and Dr. Ruth Kerry, Geography Department Using electrical conductivity data (ECa) in soil survey is related to several soil properties. Particular use has been made of ECa data in precision agriculture because it is related to properties that could affect crop yield. Although theoretically sound reasons exist to explain these relationships, they vary […]

An Analysis of State-level Economic Conditions and Presidential Elections, 1960-2004

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Melanie Freeze and Dr. Jeremy Clayne Pope, Political Science Voters look to the economy when evaluating incumbent presidential candidates. For example, the record high inflation, interest rates, and unemployment during Carter’s first term in office are said to have contributed to his defeat in the 1980 presidential elections. The significance of the economy was so […]

Tracing the South Africa Immigrant Ancestor: Emigration Records in the United Kingdom and Netherlands

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Jacqueline Du Plessis and Professor George Ryskamp, History This summer I traveled to the United Kingdom and Europe on a quest: to find emigration records that would assist those researching their South African Immigrant Ancestors to progress in their research. Those familiar with family history and genealogy are aware how difficult research can become once you […]

Living Well, A Pilot Study

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Caroline Crane and Dr. Ivan Beutler, Home and Family Living Money attitudes may help us better understand potential vulnerabilities of youth in a growing culture of materialism. Today’s American child is immersed in the consumer marketplace to a degree that dwarfs all other historical experience (Schor, 2004). For many teens success revolves around financial status, […]

The Role of Perception in the Success of the Scottish National Party: Internal Colonialism Revisited

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S. Spencer Brown and Dr. Danny Damron, Kennedy International Center The Scottish National Party has seen growth and decline more than once since its founding in 1937. The party has struggled in several ways, lacking legitimacy, policy, and electoral opportunities. Since the inception of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, the SNP has found hope for […]

A Woman, A Mother: The WomenStats Project

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Jana Badger and Dr. Valerie Hudson, Political Science Since the 1970s, the field of gender research has shown incredible correlations between the value and treatment of women and the overall welfare of societies. This research has contributed to international efforts to curb violence against women and open doors of opportunity previously closed to one-half of […]

Pre-Production for a Documentary on the History of the LDS Church in Italy

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Wesley Avery and Dr. Eric Dursteler, History Department In the late-1980’s, a film was made about a murder among the Amish, and an FBI special agent sent to investigate. The Italian translation to the movie used the term mormoni for the Amish. As a missionary for the LDS Church in Italy, I often encountered those […]