We establish the importance of government corruption and youth literacy for their effects on Yout... more We establish the importance of government corruption and youth literacy for their effects on Youth Reproductive Health (YRH), with particularly strong effects on adolescent girls, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We identify the magnitude of these previously unspecified factors in the reproductive health of young people by controlling for the commonly cited influences of poverty and social inequality. We also measure the policy-mediated effects of ethnic diversity on women's ages at marriage, the marriage age-gap, the age at first sexual encounter, and the prevalence of sexual encounters before age 15. Our analysis highlights the interplay of these factors in a region where there is high risk for sexually-transmitted diseases (STD). We account for the possible endogeneity of youth literacy when used as a predictor of YRH. Our crosscountry Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regressions show that corruption, ethnic fractionalization and youth literacy are powerful predictors of YRH.
A model of two tournaments, each with a field of two entrants is analyzed. Two high ability agent... more A model of two tournaments, each with a field of two entrants is analyzed. Two high ability agents first decide which tournament to enter (with fields subsequently filled by low ability agents). The impact of organizer market structure on agent entry behavior and the resulting tournament fields is determined. If the marginal benefit of having high ability agents in an event is weakly increasing, a monopsonist organizer sets prizes so that the two high ability agents enter the same event. If this marginal benefit is diminishing, a monopsonist organizer sets prizes for which the high ability agents enter different events either: for all parameter values; or if and only if the difference in ability between high and low agents is small. Sequentially competing organizers set prizes for which both high ability agents enter the same event if and only if the marginal benefit of having two high ability agents in one event is relatively large. Further, with competing organizers there may be either a first or second mover advantage (depending upon which fields arise). Finally, Social Welfare may be higher or lower with competing organizers versus a monopsonist organizer, implying that greater organizer competition does not necessarily increase Social Welfare.
In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects o... more In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects of parent-specific characteristics, namely the educational attainment and the contributions made by the mother and the father to marriage costs, on children's welfare, which we measure by the cohort-mean adjusted years of education. The empirical model used for this purpose is a reduced-form regression model inspired by the collective rationality model of household decision. The analysis suggests that mothers' and fathers' characteristics have differential effects on children's education. In particular, the mother's contribution to marriage costs, unlike the father's, positively affects child schooling. The results for parent’s educational attainment are more nuanced. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.
In this paper, we explore identification and efficient semiparametric estimation of a class of no... more In this paper, we explore identification and efficient semiparametric estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data index models with small-T, which includes a class of single-index panel discrete-choice models. The model allows for the inclusion of predetermined variables, lagged dependent variables, and a nonparametric specification of the individual-specific effects. The paper provides a root-N consistent, asymptotically normal and efficient estimator for the finite-dimensional parameters, and a consistent estimator of the unknown index function. The estimator developed in this paper may be computed with any smoother, be it sieves or kernel smoothers. We propose a powerful new kernel-based modified backfitting algorithm to compute the estimator. The algorithm fully implements the identifying restrictions of the model. We study the small sample properties of the estimator via Monte Carlo techniques. The results indicate that the estimator performs well in recovering the finite dimensional parameters of interest. The simulation results also show that, in small samples, the estimator outperforms more parametric models with various mis-specifications of the index function.
We provide a game-theoretic analysis of countries' strategic allocations of resources to differen... more We provide a game-theoretic analysis of countries' strategic allocations of resources to different sports and athletes performance at Olympic Games. Individuals are assumed to face opportunity costs of spending efforts to become elite athletes and countries are assumed to be medal number maximizers. We test the predictions of the model using Olympics data covering eleven Olympic Games .
This paper explores identification and estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data single-index... more This paper explores identification and estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data single-index models, which includes a class of single-index panel discrete-choice models. The model allows for unknown time-specific link functions, and semiparametric specification of the individual-specific effects. We develop an estimator for the parameters of interest that may be computed with any appropriate smoother, be it sieves or kernel smoothers. We propose a powerful new kernel-based modified backfitting algorithm to compute the estimator. The algorithm fully implements the identification restrictions of the model. We derive uniform rates of convergence results for the estimators of the link functions, and show the estimators of the finite dimensional parameters are root-N consistent with a Gaussian limiting distribution. We study the small sample properties of the estimator via Monte Carlo techniques. The results indicate that the estimator performs well in recovering the finite-dimensional parameters of interest.
Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in Egypt: Women Empowerment and Investment in Children
Middle East Development Journal, 2009
In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects o... more In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects of parent-specific characteristics, namely the educational attainment and the contributions made by the mother and the father to marriage costs, on children's welfare, which we measure by the cohort-mean adjusted years of education. The empirical model used for this purpose is a reduced-form regression model inspired by the collective rationality model of household decision. The analysis suggests that mothers' and fathers' characteristics have differential effects on children's education. In particular, the mother's contribution to marriage costs, unlike the father's, positively affects child schooling. The results for parent’s educational attainment are more nuanced. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.
Rank order tournaments, in which the payment made to an agent is based upon relative observed per... more Rank order tournaments, in which the payment made to an agent is based upon relative observed performance, are a commonly used compensation scheme. Such tournaments induce agents to exert effort when the exact level of effort is not easily observable.
We establish the importance of government corruption and youth literacy for their effects on Yout... more We establish the importance of government corruption and youth literacy for their effects on Youth Reproductive Health (YRH), with particularly strong effects on adolescent girls, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We identify the magnitude of these previously unspecified factors in the reproductive health of young people by controlling for the commonly cited influences of poverty and social inequality. We also measure the policy-mediated effects of ethnic diversity on women's ages at marriage, the marriage age-gap, the age at first sexual encounter, and the prevalence of sexual encounters before age 15. Our analysis highlights the interplay of these factors in a region where there is high risk for sexually-transmitted diseases (STD). We account for the possible endogeneity of youth literacy when used as a predictor of YRH. Our crosscountry Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regressions show that corruption, ethnic fractionalization and youth literacy are powerful predictors of YRH.
A model of two tournaments, each with a field of two entrants is analyzed. Two high ability agent... more A model of two tournaments, each with a field of two entrants is analyzed. Two high ability agents first decide which tournament to enter (with fields subsequently filled by low ability agents). The impact of organizer market structure on agent entry behavior and the resulting tournament fields is determined. If the marginal benefit of having high ability agents in an event is weakly increasing, a monopsonist organizer sets prizes so that the two high ability agents enter the same event. If this marginal benefit is diminishing, a monopsonist organizer sets prizes for which the high ability agents enter different events either: for all parameter values; or if and only if the difference in ability between high and low agents is small. Sequentially competing organizers set prizes for which both high ability agents enter the same event if and only if the marginal benefit of having two high ability agents in one event is relatively large. Further, with competing organizers there may be either a first or second mover advantage (depending upon which fields arise). Finally, Social Welfare may be higher or lower with competing organizers versus a monopsonist organizer, implying that greater organizer competition does not necessarily increase Social Welfare.
In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects o... more In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects of parent-specific characteristics, namely the educational attainment and the contributions made by the mother and the father to marriage costs, on children's welfare, which we measure by the cohort-mean adjusted years of education. The empirical model used for this purpose is a reduced-form regression model inspired by the collective rationality model of household decision. The analysis suggests that mothers' and fathers' characteristics have differential effects on children's education. In particular, the mother's contribution to marriage costs, unlike the father's, positively affects child schooling. The results for parent’s educational attainment are more nuanced. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.
In this paper, we explore identification and efficient semiparametric estimation of a class of no... more In this paper, we explore identification and efficient semiparametric estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data index models with small-T, which includes a class of single-index panel discrete-choice models. The model allows for the inclusion of predetermined variables, lagged dependent variables, and a nonparametric specification of the individual-specific effects. The paper provides a root-N consistent, asymptotically normal and efficient estimator for the finite-dimensional parameters, and a consistent estimator of the unknown index function. The estimator developed in this paper may be computed with any smoother, be it sieves or kernel smoothers. We propose a powerful new kernel-based modified backfitting algorithm to compute the estimator. The algorithm fully implements the identifying restrictions of the model. We study the small sample properties of the estimator via Monte Carlo techniques. The results indicate that the estimator performs well in recovering the finite dimensional parameters of interest. The simulation results also show that, in small samples, the estimator outperforms more parametric models with various mis-specifications of the index function.
We provide a game-theoretic analysis of countries' strategic allocations of resources to differen... more We provide a game-theoretic analysis of countries' strategic allocations of resources to different sports and athletes performance at Olympic Games. Individuals are assumed to face opportunity costs of spending efforts to become elite athletes and countries are assumed to be medal number maximizers. We test the predictions of the model using Olympics data covering eleven Olympic Games .
This paper explores identification and estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data single-index... more This paper explores identification and estimation of a class of nonlinear panel data single-index models, which includes a class of single-index panel discrete-choice models. The model allows for unknown time-specific link functions, and semiparametric specification of the individual-specific effects. We develop an estimator for the parameters of interest that may be computed with any appropriate smoother, be it sieves or kernel smoothers. We propose a powerful new kernel-based modified backfitting algorithm to compute the estimator. The algorithm fully implements the identification restrictions of the model. We derive uniform rates of convergence results for the estimators of the link functions, and show the estimators of the finite dimensional parameters are root-N consistent with a Gaussian limiting distribution. We study the small sample properties of the estimator via Monte Carlo techniques. The results indicate that the estimator performs well in recovering the finite-dimensional parameters of interest.
Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in Egypt: Women Empowerment and Investment in Children
Middle East Development Journal, 2009
In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects o... more In this paper, we use the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey to gauge and compare the effects of parent-specific characteristics, namely the educational attainment and the contributions made by the mother and the father to marriage costs, on children's welfare, which we measure by the cohort-mean adjusted years of education. The empirical model used for this purpose is a reduced-form regression model inspired by the collective rationality model of household decision. The analysis suggests that mothers' and fathers' characteristics have differential effects on children's education. In particular, the mother's contribution to marriage costs, unlike the father's, positively affects child schooling. The results for parent’s educational attainment are more nuanced. We discuss the policy implications of these findings.
Rank order tournaments, in which the payment made to an agent is based upon relative observed per... more Rank order tournaments, in which the payment made to an agent is based upon relative observed performance, are a commonly used compensation scheme. Such tournaments induce agents to exert effort when the exact level of effort is not easily observable.
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Papers by Soiliou Namoro