Do the Heterogeneous Determinants of Repayment Affect Differently across Borrowers of Diverse Credit Sources in Rural Assam? A Double Hurdle Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 245513332110316
Author(s):  
Tiken Das ◽  
Pradyut Guha ◽  
Diganta Das
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Brahmaputra Valley ◽  
Double Hurdle ◽  
Instrumental Variable Probit ◽  
Instrumental Variable Probit Model

This study made an attempt to answer the question: Do the heterogeneous determinants of repayment affect the borrowers of diverse credit sources differently? The study is based on data collected from 240 households from three districts in the lower Brahmaputra valley of Assam through a carefully designed primary survey. Besides, the study uses the double hurdle approach and the instrumental variable probit model to reduce possible selection bias. It observes better repayment performance among formal borrowers, followed by semiformal borrowers, while occupation wise it is prominent among organised employees. It has been found that in general, the household characteristics, loan characteristics and location-specific characteristics significantly affect repayment performance of borrowers. However, the nature of impact of the factors influencing repayment performance is remarkably different across credit sources. It ignores the role of traditional community-based organisations in rural Assam while analysing the determinants of repayment performance. The study also recommends for ensuring productive opportunities and efficient market linkages in rural areas of Assam. The study is based on an original data set that has specially been collected to examine question that—do the heterogeneous determinants of repayment affect the borrowers of diverse credit sources differently in the lower Brahmaputra valley of Assam—which has not been studied before.

Is awareness of credit sources prerequisite for their use? A study of rural Assam

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-146
Author(s):  
Tiken Das
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Econometric Model ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Informal Credit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Based Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of awareness and use of credit sources. The paper attempts to answer the critical question: is awareness of credit sources prerequisite for their use? Design/methodology/approach This study is conducted in Assam, India, and uses a two-stage econometric model to reduce possible selection bias. Findings This study argues that awareness of credit sources may be a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for use. It is found that, in general, formal, semiformal and informal sources attract different classes of the population with respect to economic and social indicators. Research limitations/implications The study recommends expanding the scope of semiformal and informal credit sources in rural areas of Assam only for income generating activities with proper market linkages. The possible limitation of the study can be due to exclusion of the role of traditional community-based organizations in rural Assam while analyzing the awareness and use of credit sources. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by assessing the probable differences among formal, semiformal and informal credit sources with respect to their determinants of awareness and use.

scholarly journals The role of the Italian Constitutional Court in the policy agenda: persistence and change between the First and Second Republic

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Rebessi ◽  
Francesco Zucchini
Keyword(s):  
Access Point ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Policy Agenda ◽  
Second Republic ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Research Questions

AbstractIf we examine the current literature, no study on policy agenda has so far addressed the agenda of a Constitutional Court in a country that has recently experienced crucial changes in its political system. The present contribution on the Italian Constitutional Court seeks to bridge this gap. We aim at assessing the role the Italian Court plays in the policy process in both the First and the Second Republic by answering two research questions: (1) in its decisions does the Court accommodate themes that are neglected in the parliamentary legislative process? (2) Does the Court (and if so, how often) represent interests and values in opposition to the interests and values supporting the current legislative majorities? By employing an original data set that puts together all decisions of constitutional illegitimacy under incidental review between the years 1983 and 2013, we found that in both Republics Court’s agenda is significantly more concentrated than Parliament’s agenda, and it does not broadly offer an alternative access point to the policy-making for new or neglected issues. However, at the same time, the alternational system of the Second Republic seems to trigger more immediate and ‘salient’ reactions from the Constitutional Court, which in that period becomes more prone to sanction recent legislation.

scholarly journals Networks of Cooperation: Rebel Alliances in Fragmented Civil Wars

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 2071-2097 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Kalah Gade ◽  
Michael Gabbay ◽  
Mohammed M. Hafez ◽  
Zane Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Civil Wars ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Compelling Evidence ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Conflict Processes ◽  
State Sponsorship ◽  
Primary Driver

When rebels make alliances, what informs their choice of allies? Civil wars are rarely simple contests between rebels and incumbent regimes. Rather, rival militant networks provide the context in which these fragmented conflicts unfold. Alliances that emerge within this competitive landscape have the power to alter conflict trajectories and shape their outcomes. Yet patterns of interrebel cooperation are understudied. The existing scholarship on rebel alliances focuses on why rebels cooperate, but little attention is given to the composition of those alliances: with whom rebels cooperate. We explore how power, ideology, and state sponsorship can shape alliance choices in multiparty civil wars. Employing network analysis and an original data set of tactical cooperation among Syrian rebels, we find compelling evidence that ideological homophily is a primary driver of rebel collaboration. Our findings contribute to an emerging literature that reasserts the role of ideology in conflict processes.

Separation of Powers, Treaty-Making, and Treaty Withdrawal

2019 ◽  
pp. 134-155
Author(s):  
Pierre-Hugues Verdier ◽  
Mila Versteeg
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Comparative Perspective ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Constitutional Review ◽  
Alternative Procedures ◽  
Domestic Law

This chapter examines from a comparative perspective the national legal regimes that govern treaty-making and treaty withdrawal, functions that in many countries were traditionally vested in the executive. Drawing from an original data set that covers 101 countries for the period 1815–2013, the chapter identifies several large-scale trends. First, it confirms a sustained trend toward greater parliamentary involvement in treaty-making. Second, it shows that many countries recognize executive agreements and other alternative procedures through which the executive can conclude internationally binding agreements without parliamentary approval, but that these “workarounds” are typically subject to significant constraints affecting the executive’s discretion and the domestic legal status of the resulting agreements. Third, it shows that in recent years several countries have introduced constraints on the executive’s ability to withdraw from treaties without parliamentary approval. Finally, it draws attention to the little-noticed role of national judiciaries in treaty-making, by showing that in many legal systems treaties are subject to constitutional review prior to ratification. The chapter discusses the implications of these four trends, all of which represent moves away from the executive-dominated world of traditional treaty relations. It hypothesizes that these trends respond to growing separation of powers concerns as treaties increasingly shape domestic law.

Medicate to Graduate: Academic Strain and Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use Among Graduate and Undergraduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 196-217
Author(s):  
James N. Hurst ◽  
John M. Eassey ◽  
Julie Marie Baldwin ◽  
Tusty ten Bensel
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Prescription Stimulants ◽  
Stimulant Use ◽  
Nonmedical Use ◽  
Prescription Stimulant Use

The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants has been prevalent on college campuses in recent years. Previously, nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NMPSU) has been associated with increased use of other illicit substances, drug abuse, school dropout, and arrest. It is, therefore, imperative to understand the etiology of NMPSU for prevention, intervention, and harm reduction purposes. This study builds upon previous research on the role of academic strain in NMPSU by (a) considering a measure of strain that is more consistent with strain theory and (b) extending the examination to include graduate students. By utilizing an original data set of 1,121 undergraduate and graduate students at a Southern urban university, our overall results are consistent with general strain theory but mixed with respect to the role of academic strain in particular. The implications of our study for academic strain are discussed.

Talking While Fighting: Understanding the Role of Wartime Negotiation

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Min
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Mechanical Activity ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Essential Dimension ◽  
World War ◽  
War Termination ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Level Data

AbstractContemporary studies of conflict have adopted approaches that minimize the importance of negotiation during war or treat it as a constant and mechanical activity. This is strongly related to the lack of systematic data that track and illustrate the complex nature of wartime diplomacy. I address these issues by creating and exploring a new daily-level data set of negotiations in all interstate wars from 1816 to the present. I find strong indications that post-1945 wars feature more frequent negotiations and that these negotiations are far less predictive of war termination. Evidence suggests that increased international pressures for peace and stability after World War II, especially emanating from nuclear weapons and international alliances, account for this trend. These original data and insights establish a dynamic research agenda that enables a more policy-relevant study of conflict management, highlights a historical angle to conflict resolution, and speaks to the utility of viewing diplomacy as an essential dimension to understanding war.

Integrating the Informal Sector for Improved Waste Management in Rural Communities

2019 ◽  
pp. 208-224
Author(s):  
Veronika Alhanaqtah
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based

The chapter dwells on the theoretical and practical aspects of the informal sector involvement in the system of waste management in rural communities. First, the author discusses peculiar properties of the informal sector involvement such as social, economic, and environmental peculiarities. Second, organizing the informal sector in rural areas is considered. Such issues as the role of community members, organizational structures of community-based organizations, problems of community-based waste management, and directions of its solutions are covered. Third, the author provides summary of experience and policy recommendations for the integration of the informal sector in the waste management system in rural areas. The author concludes that policies facilitating the integration of the informal sector result in increasing recyclable recovery rates and reduction of total waste-management costs. Partnership with the informal recycling sector improves resource efficiency in rural areas and contributes to poverty reduction and environmental improvements.

scholarly journals The Role of International Factors in Electoral Volatility in Latin America: An Examination of Structural Adjustment

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110178
Author(s):  
Michelle Kuenzi ◽  
Hafthor Erlingsson ◽  
John P. Tuman
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
Party System ◽  
Economic Voting ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Electoral Volatility

Does structural adjustment increase party system instability in Latin America? We employ the Latin American Presidential and Legislative Elections (LAPALE) database ( http://www.lapaledata.com ) and our own original data set for structural adjustment to assess the effects of structural adjustment and other economic, social, and political variables on legislative volatility in 18 Latin American countries during the period of 1982 to 2016. The results of our study indicate that structural adjustment results in higher levels of within-system electoral volatility and support a broad version of economic voting theory. Extra-system electoral volatility is driven primarily by institutional and demographic factors. Our findings also highlight the importance of disaggregating electoral volatility as within-system volatility and extra-system volatility appear to be largely driven by different factors, or in different ways by the same factors.

scholarly journals Gender and Ultimatum in Pakistan: Revisited

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Naeem ◽  
Asad Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Exploratory Data Analysis ◽  
Ultimatum Game ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Exploratory Data ◽  
Confirmatory Data Analysis

Razzaque (2009) studied the role of gender in the ultimatum game by running experiments on students in various cities in Pakistan. He used standard confirmatory data analysis techniques, which work well in familiar contexts, where relevant hypotheses of interest are known in advance. Our goal in this paper is to demonstrate that exploratory data analysis is much better suited to the study of experimental data where the goal is to discover patterns of interest. Our exploratory re-analysis of the original data set of Razzaque (2009) leads to several new insights. While we re-confirm the main finding of Razzaque regarding the greater generosity of males, additional analysis suggests that this is driven by student subculture in Pakistan, and would not generalise to the population at large. In addition, we find strong effect of urbanisation. Our exploratory data analysis also offers considerable additional insights into the learning process that takes place over the course of a sequence of games. JEL Classification: C78, C81, C91, J16 Keywords: Ultimatum Game, Gender Differences, Exploratory Data Analysis

Minority Governments and Pledge Fulfilment: Evidence from Portugal

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Moury ◽  
Jorge M. Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Original Data ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Elected Officials ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Party Leaders ◽  
Opposition Party ◽  
Opposition Parties

In an age of rampant distrust and disaffection, pledge fulfilment is important for the quality of delegation between voters and elected officials. In this article, we make an empirical appraisal of pledge fulfilment in Portugal. Do Portuguese minority governments fulfil their pledges? How do they fulfil those pledges? What is the role of opposition parties? Using an original data set with over 3,000 electoral pledges for three Socialist governments, as well as interviews with former ministers and party leaders, our evidence suggests that: (1) minority governments fulfil at least as many pledges as their majority counterparts; (2) the main opposition party manages to extract the most policy benefits; and (3) economic conditions and cohabitation situations matter for pledge fulfilment.

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