Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Assessing credit riskiness around the world(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2014) Castiblanco Calderon, Jorge Luis; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Myles WattsDuring the last few decades, the theoretical literature highlighting the importance of institutional frameworks on economic performance has exhibited much growth. Furthermore, given that modern advancements have allowed the collection of panel institutional data to become a more reliable procedure, a growing body of empirical research examining several of these theoretical claims has recently begun to flourish. This new empirical literature has given much attention to studying the connection between institutions and economic growth; however, the empirical connection between institutional development and several other important measures of economic performance remains largely unexplored. This thesis partially alleviates this insufficiency by presenting the first empirical study on the relationship between institutional development and private credit riskiness around the world. The analysis consists of applying a variety of model specifications to a select group of panel datasets on institutions. The results obtained suggest that, on average, a higher level of institutional development is associated with interest rate reductions that may, in turn, be due to lower levels of credit riskiness. Moreover, these results appear to be very robust to a wide array of sensitivity tests.Item Community development as an element in area and regional socio-economic growth and development (with special reference to the community development program of Thessaloniki, Greece)(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1967) Trimis, Antonios EpaminondasItem Y ECO: Yellowstone Ecological Center for Observation(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2008) Kahler, Bradley Scott; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bill Rea; Ralph Johnson (co-chair)The Yellowstone Ecological Center for Observation (Y Eco) is designed to function as an educational facility that employs sustainable and ecological methods. Y Eco incorporates a living machine (an all-natural water purification system utilizing micro-organisms, various plants, etc.), various alternative energy resources (i.e. photovoltaic arrays, vertical wind turbines, hydro-electric in-stream turbines), as well as other passive and active sustainable and ecological design methods. An elevated pedestrian bridge forms Y Eco's "spine" and provides direct access to over 700 acres of public land on the opposing shore of the Yellowstone River. Y Eco is to be the means to better educate a public predominantly rooted in oil refinement and coal fed power production industries. The need is dire to begin a transformation of habit, an awareness and respect for one's own contributions to a society enveloped in its currently fragile nature.Item Altering a person's environmental mindset utilizing an architectural/ecological system(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2007) Hintze, Kenneth William; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Thomas R. Wood; Tom McNab (co-chair)The Camp Grayling Eco-Lodge investigates how an architectural/ecological system can be utilized to alter a person's mindset. A person's mindset towards our natural resources can be influenced if you introduce alterations to their lifestyle. As visitors observe more efficient and less costly methods, they are more likely to implement them into their own lives. The human race has taken for granted that we must pump oil and gas from the ground; that power plants pollute; that our cars pollute; and that our skied are clouded with smog. Is this simply the price we must pay for the convenience that our current technology offers? With changes in the way we design buildings, we can move towards buildings that generate more pollution-free power than they use.Item Urban development and urban planning in contemporary China : a case study of Chengdu(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2012) Wang, Yujian; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jian-yi Liu.China has been confronting an unprecedented urban development ever since the initiation of economic reforms and the 'open door' policy in the 1980s. The urbanization in China has its very own characteristics due to its special political structure and cultural and historical background. Meanwhile, China has faced the transition from a centrally planned economy to a free market economy. Facing the rapid urban growth and socio-economic change, however, the urban planning in China is actually far behind the development pace and needs reforms in both institutional and philosophical aspects. In addition, urban planning should have innovation to guide the unexpected fast urbanization process and to achieve a sustainable development in the new century. In this paper, the urban development and urban planning in contemporary China will be examined by the case study of Chengdu-one of the largest metropolises in Western China. In this research, historical materials were collected to show the historical background of China and Chengdu's changing urban development and urban planning practices from 1949 to 1976. Statistical data and government documents were collected to assess the economic development and demographic transition in Chengdu. In addition, GIS (Geographic Information System) were using in this study for spatial analysis. Land use and urban planning maps were applied in ArcGIS to reveal the detailed urban land use changes and urban growth patterns in Chengdu in the past two decades. Also, some important urban development projects and programs are discussed and illustrated by photos in this study as the results of the urban planning and various government strategies. The purpose of this research is to show the result of the 'Go west' program that launched by the national government in 1999, also, to reveal the great economic and urban development potential of western Chinese cities in the near future. The case study of Chengdu will provide a better understanding of the driving forces behind urbanization in contemporary China and the factors shaping this process. A better understanding of the economic and urban development in western China could improve the government's decision-making process for lessen the differences between eastern and western China in the future.