The mission of the Department of Economics is to educate undergraduates in the fundamental concepts and methods of economics and to help them become better informed and more productive citizens through enhanced understanding of the economic underpinnings of society. Learning outcomes for students include the development of sufficient facility with the tools of economics to critically analyze private and public decision-making processes, contemporary and historical socioeconomic issues, and the fundamental role that economic forces play in political and social development.

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Theses from 2022

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The Effects of Rising Fastball Velocities on Injuries and HBP in MLB, William Campbell

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How has the foreign substance ban implemented by the MLB affected MLB Pitcher Spin Rate and Opponent Batting Statistics in 2021? Was it effective?, Jack McCullar

Theses from 2021

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Racing the Machine: Automation-induced Inequality Through the Lens of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Evelyn Martin

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Is it Possible to Decrease CO2 Emissions Without Negatively Impacting Economic Growth?, Katja Tarleton

Theses from 2020

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Applying Analytics to the NFL Draft: Athletic Performance Measures as a Predictor of Future Success, Owen Brower

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Understanding Philanthropy and Inequality in the United States through Probabilistic Regressions, Drew Evans

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Understanding Without Explanation? A Philosophical Inquiry Into the Explanation Paradox of Economic Models, Eric Haupt

Theses from 2019

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The Proximity Effect of the Seattle LINK Public Light Rail on King County Properties, Graham Byron

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Quantitative Easing and Inequality: QE impacts on wealth and income distribution in the United States after the Great Recession, Emily Davis

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Well-Rounded: A Case for the Preservation of the Mid-Level Liberal Arts College, Matt Hicks

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Failed Policy as Seen in the Solar Trade War, Emma Weirich

Theses from 2016

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French Economic Stagnation, Karina Vasavada

Theses from 2015

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From Communism to the European Union: A Case Study of Agricultural and Economic Development in Poland, Samantha Anuszewska Anders

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Honey Bees’ Impact on the U.S. Economy, James T. Chisel

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Inequality, Employment, and Migration in Oregon: a regression-based decomposition, Justin Hooker

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The Social and Economic Consequences of Gendered Toys in America, Cydne Pope

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Negative Implications: The Subsidization of Sports Stadiums and the Perspective of Seattle Arena, Russell Ridenour

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Understanding India’s Green Revolution: A Case Study for Contemporary Agrarian Reform, Nick Tucker

Theses from 2014

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Promoting Renewable Energy Generation in the United States: The Debate over Renewable Portfolio Standards, Joe Cerne

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Reducing Global Carbon: Creating an American Policy, Cameron Otsuka

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An Empirical Exploration of the Effects of Natural Gas Prices on Solar Energy Growth, Jeffrey Walton

Theses from 2013

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Choices in an Interdependent Economic Environment: Inequity Aversion and Bargaining Games, Andy Galbraith

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Crowdfunding: An Empirical and Theoretical Model of Non-Profit Support, Andy Read

Theses from 2012

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Examining Growth: Religious Motivation and Megachurch Behavior, Kevin Bohm

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An Empirical Exploration of the Effects of Medical Marijuana Laws, Ben Ehrens

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Education, Research, and Spending Decisions: Linking revenues and expenditures in public and non-profit higher education, Matthew Heflin

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The Efficient Land Trust: Considering Privately Accruing NonMarket Values of Conservation Easements, Ian Libby

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Examining Eurozone Divergence, Charles Noble

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The Impact Governance and Club Structure has on a Team’s Spending Power: A Case Study on the German Bundesliga, J. Marcus Rudd

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The Impact of Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity on Neighborhood Property Values, Hope Shaffer

Theses from 2011

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Convergence into Emergence: Hybrid entrepreneurship, Christopher Luich

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The Economic Viability of the L3C Business Entity, Jackson Simon

Theses from 2010

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Environmental Water Rights Transfers in a Nonprofit Institutional Structure, Kevin W. Chambers

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Survival of the Fittest: Examining Utility Maximization and Consumer Choice Theory in an Attempt Maximize Nonprofit Funding, Hunter Dulin

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What’s the Difference? Wage Differentials and the Donative-Labor Hypothesis in Non-Profit Firms, David Travis Freidman

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Optimal Portfolio Selection of Credit Unions and the Probability of Failure, J. Zack Keim

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Sustaining Welfare for Consumers in the Credit Card Industry Reactions to the Credit CARD Act of 2009, Christina B. Lee

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A Bridge to Unite the Nonprofit Sector & the Federal Government: H.R. 5533, Nina Felicia Genevieve Perl

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Going For The Gold: The United States Olypmic Committee As A Non-Profit, Gratia Ratzloff

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Correcting Market Failure in the Internet Gambling Industry: An economic Analysis of Legalization and Licensing Regulation in the United States, Alyssa Renosto

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Online Schooling: Trading in Context for Profit, Zachary Semago

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Microinsurance: An Effective Risk Management Tool For the Poor?, Zachary Sherman

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Incentivizing Technological Growth: A Symbiotic Relationship in the Computer Software Industry, Alex Usher

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Language Acquisition of the Children of Immigrants and the Role of Non-Profit Organizations, Elizabeth Whitaker

Theses from 2009

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Resource Conservation: How Environmental Nonprofits Facilitate Long Run Optimal Resource Allocation., Laurel Alyn-Forest

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Does Winning Lead to Giving? The Effect of Athletics on Alumni Giving at a Small Liberal Arts School, Gregory W. Bailey

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Corporate Social Responsibility and Nonprofit Organizations, Darin Leedy

Theses from 2008

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The Impact of Accepting Government Funds on a Faith-Based Organization: A Case Study of the Northwest Leadership Foundation, Brian J. Eggers

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Incentives for Pharmaceutical Research and Development: Investigating the Implications of the Bayh-Dole Act on Nonprofit Basic Science Research, Adam Harvey

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Pay It Forward: Economics, Leadership, and Alumni Giving, Ross Heyman

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Surfrider: Bringing a Wave of Information Through Collective Action, an Individual Choice and Collective Action Analysis in an Environmental Setting, Spencer A. Mitchell

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Hunger in America: An Economic Analysis of U.S. Food Assistance, Zechariah Taylor

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The Effects of Baby Boomers on Nonprofit Hospitals and Medicare, Mason Whitcomb

Theses from 2007

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The Past, Present and Future of Structured Product Ratings, Patrick M. Adrian

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Competitive Microfinance: Its Effects and Needed Adjustments, Nick Amland

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Utilizing the Washington Water Markets for the Preservation of Columbia River Basin Salmon Stock, David A. Baars

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Economics Senior Thesis The United Way’s Effects on Donor Behavior, Matt Bonniwell

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The European Neighborhood Policy and the Ukraine: Incentives for Economic and Political Reform, Jessica Alicia Bruce

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Recognizing Transaction Costs Associated with Offshore Outsourcing to India through the Use of New Institutional Economics, Caroline Kristan Carr

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A Study of the Chinese Toy Market: Does an Oligopsony Structure Force Manufacturers to Cut Costs?, Y. Allen Chen

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Incentives to Dual Practice New Institutional Economic analysis of Canada’s mixed public-private health sector, Pholeng Chue

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Providing Donors an Incentive for Ex Ante Investment in Disaster Relief, Katerina Marie DeHart

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Individual Interests, Public Detriments: An Institutional Economics Analysis of the ICCAT’s Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Policies, Kirby Francis

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The Promotion of Environmental Management System (EMS) Development through Regulatory Changes, McKenna Krueger

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Conservation and Management of Wildlands, Christopher Libecap

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The Future of Credit Unions, Taylor Marsh

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“Solving the Childhood Obesity Epidemic: Why and How”, Ana O'Neil

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$2.7 Trillion Up In The Air: Aircraft manufacturer’s predictions; with an infrastructure reanalysis., Andrew Parker

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The Tropical Rainforest Market Failure: An Argument for the Pursuance of Compensation for Conservation Policy, Justin Platts

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The Role of Tennis in Generating Social Capital, Katie Schultz

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Inefficiency and Misinformed Investment in Ethanol: Arguing misunderstood scale efficiency and misallocated investment in domestic ethanol production including an NIE treatment of vertical integration., M. B. Scoll

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Increasing Competition in the U.S. Domestic Airline Industry through International Competition, Pauline S. Seng

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Collective Corruption and Social Networks in China, Alex Shum

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A Restructuring of Nonprofit Professional Sports Leagues in North America, Greg Swanson

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Recommendations for the Optimal Allocation of Radio Spectrum Licenses in the European Union, Alex B. Twist

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Nonprofit to For-Profit Hospital Conversions: The Effect on Charitable Care, Dana Wikstrom

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The Marketplace of Ideas: Government Regulation Failures and Nonprofit Solutions, Peter Yi

Theses from 2006

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Exerting Influence on Wall Street: The Economics of Greenmail, Derek Boyle

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You did What with my Retirement? Moral Hazard, The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation and Pension Plans, Scott Brozena

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Asset Welfare: A Different Approach in the War on Poverty, Renée De Voursney

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An Examination into the Significance of Robust Accounting Standards, Connor Donnelly

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When Moral Hazard Is Good: A Critique Of The United States Health Insurance System, Ashley Gray

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Ten Dollars on Informational Asymmetries to Win, and Why People Bet on Horse Races, Galen Griggs

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Commercialization of Nonprofit Organizations: A New Model, Brittana L.W. Hardwick

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The Microfinance Movement: An Analysis of the Reach and Scope of Microfinance Institutions in the Developing World, McKenzie M. Harker

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Looking Good or Learning Good? An Education Production Function with Ancillary Services as an Input, Linh Hoang

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The Big Bang in European Transition to Market Economies Following the Fall of the Soviet Union, Jennifer Jura

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Information Discovery in Professional Sports: How institutions of the NFL and MLB shape incentives to scout potential players, Drew Justham

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China’s Household Registration System, Economic Growth, and Stability, Jess Martin

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The Evolution and Demise of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement: Examining the Path of Institutional Change in the Textile and Apparel Quota Regime, Svetlana Matt

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The Effect Of Gender Differences To The Employment Of Women In The Non-Profit Sector, Leslie Mayer

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The Economic Impact of Cause-Related Marketing on Profit Maximizing Organizations and Nonprofit Organizations, Emma L. Morzuch

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Network Effects in the Demand for Cigarettes, Jeffrey Nehls

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Immigration in Sweden The Impact on Unemployment, Productivity, and Crime, Andrew Oates

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Is Organic a Market or a Meaning? The Changing Market Structure of Organic Milk, Rocko Peterson

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The Meat Market: A philosophical inquiry into the nature of the economics of dating and relationships, T. J. Rakitan

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Multi-Product Nonprofit Hospitals: A Model, Matthew R. Reese

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The Plight of the Poor in America’s Legal System: A Study of the Incentives at Work in the Legal Representation of Indigent Clients in America, Kelsey M. Russell

Casinos and Card Sharps: A Game of Cat and Mouse Analyzing the incentives, strategies and innovations of casinos and gamblers, DeAnna Schabacker

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Comparison of Institutions and Mechanisms present on eBay and the IPO marker and the Impact on Pricing, Adam Senkyrik