Human-induced climate change is affecting weather and climate extremes worldwide, leading to losses and damages to nature and people. The literature has found mixed results on the effect of extreme...Show moreHuman-induced climate change is affecting weather and climate extremes worldwide, leading to losses and damages to nature and people. The literature has found mixed results on the effect of extreme weather events on climate attitudes. Using the EIB climate Survey data from 2019 to 2022, this thesis tries to assess the regional effect of floods on climate prioritisation, climate risk perception and the opinion that individual behaviour can make a difference in tackling climate change. It takes as a case study the July 2021 floods in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. Using a Differencein- Differences analysis with non-affected regions as a counterfactual, the thesis finds no statistically significant effect of the floods on climate attitudes at the regional level. However, consistently with the existing literature, the thesis emphasises the relevance of other good predictors such as political orientation, gender, economic risk perceptions, or age.Show less
The Kyoto Protocol, a legally binding international treaty, has established a limit on global warming of 1.5ºC. However, current scientific estimates indicate that the world is on track to reach a...Show moreThe Kyoto Protocol, a legally binding international treaty, has established a limit on global warming of 1.5ºC. However, current scientific estimates indicate that the world is on track to reach a warming of 3ºC. This study aims to investigate the relationship between environmental policy, green innovation, emissions, and economic activity by analysing a sample of the most politically, technologically, and economically influential countries in the world over the past 25 years. The results suggest that market-based policies have a positive effect on eco-innovation of 6% while non-market policies have decreased emissions by 4% between 1995 and 2019. Additionally, the study finds that environmental policy can have a positive impact on economic activity, particularly when complemented by increasing oil prices. In order to achieve both economic growth and sustainability, this study recommends that the G20 countries increase their environmental policy stringency.Show less
According to ‘De Nederlandsche Bank’ (DNB), central bank of The Netherlands, overheating in the Dutch housing market is partly caused by policy measures that increase the financing capacity of...Show moreAccording to ‘De Nederlandsche Bank’ (DNB), central bank of The Netherlands, overheating in the Dutch housing market is partly caused by policy measures that increase the financing capacity of households. Starter loans increase the financing capacity of starters with the aim of making a first owner-occupied home more feasible for starters. Literature on credit and house prices argues that an increase in the total credit volume results in an increase of house prices. Since starter loans increase the financing possibilities of starters by providing credit, it is expected that starter loans will result in an additional price increase of house prices. The relationship between starter loans and house prices is studied by means of a panel data regression with municipality and time-fixed effects. The results in this thesis show that there is a relationship between starter loans and house prices. The estimated effects of starter loans show a negative and positive effect on house prices. Which makes it insufficiently clear whether starter loans lead to an increase in house prices or not.Show less
An income rule determines household eligibility for the energy allowance at a maximum of 120% of the minimum wage. This thesis examines the effect of the energy allowance on the mental and physical...Show moreAn income rule determines household eligibility for the energy allowance at a maximum of 120% of the minimum wage. This thesis examines the effect of the energy allowance on the mental and physical health of eligible Dutch cohabiting households below and above the AOW pension age. It does so by utilizing a sharp regression discontinuity design to compare the mental and physical health statuses of eligible and non-eligible households. This thesis does find evidence for significant changes on the mental and physical health of Dutch cohabiting households below the AOW pension age. However, the findings reveal a negative association between the energy allowance on depression levels of Dutch cohabiting households above the AOW pension age. This thesis advises the Dutch government to reconsider the income threshold used for the energy allowance and encourages future research to investigate the health effects of the energy allowance more profoundly.Show less
With the rise in automation, inequality between low- and high-skilled workers has increased. Robotization allows for the substitution of human labor by capital, while artificial intelligence and...Show moreWith the rise in automation, inequality between low- and high-skilled workers has increased. Robotization allows for the substitution of human labor by capital, while artificial intelligence and machine learning can result in a complementary effect for high-skilled workers. With this risk of replacement due to automation existing for low-skilled manual workers, their job satisfaction may be negatively impacted, ultimately having a negative effect on their general well-being. This research has therefore looked at the effect of risk of automation on job satisfaction. Based on data from the LISS-panel, the routine task intensity-index as generated by Mihaylov and Tijdens (2019) and the risk of automation-index generated by Pouliakos (2018) a quantitative method was applied, consisting of descriptive statistics as well as the use of regressions, to provide an answer. The descriptive statistics have shown that older workers tend to have a higher level of job satisfaction, while especially young low-skilled workers are subject to a low mean of job satisfaction. Furthermore, the research has found that tasks that differ from non-routine analytic tasks and thus are more subject to automation, negatively impact the level of job satisfaction for Dutch workers. When splitting the observations in to level of skill and age-group, the effect of the routine-task intensity index becomes inconsistent. The research has also found that an increasing risk of automation-index negatively influences the level of job satisfaction, as it decreases the level of job satisfaction for Dutch workers by 0.026 for an increase in risk of automation by 1. When accounting for level of skill and age-group, an increasing risk of automation appeared to have a larger negative effect on the young low-skilled Dutch workers, supporting the thought of skill-biased technological change resulting in further inequality between low- and high-skilled workers. The Dutch government should therefore aim at expanding the current training and education programs, offer further job placement services and other policies related to decreasing the negative effects of at risk of automation.Show less
Five years after the implementation of the GDPR, many questions regarding the economic effects of stricter data regulations remain unanswered. This study examines the impact of data protectionism...Show moreFive years after the implementation of the GDPR, many questions regarding the economic effects of stricter data regulations remain unanswered. This study examines the impact of data protectionism on the entry rate in data-intensive industries using a panel data set of 54 countries from 2006 to 2017. Through a random effects model and robust standard errors, this study investigates the relationship between data policy regulations and entrepreneurial activity, controlling for various factors. A positive relationship between the gross entry rate and data policy index is observed in non data-intensive countries. Thus, hypothesis 3b is accepted. A similar statistically significant coefficient for developed countries is seen. Moreover, a positive relationship between the data policy index and the gross entry rate in data-intensive industries is seen when time and country dummies are included. However, the statistically significant net entry rate coefficient (-0.06 & -0.596) for hypothesis 5a and 5b turn insignificant if the dummies are included in the model. Other robustness checks are executed to examine the explanatory power of the coefficients. These findings have important implications for policymakers, highlighting the potential benefits of transparent data protection measures in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. The study emphasizes the need for sector-specific considerations in data policy design and underlines the significance of timing and the implementation lag. Future research should explore the effects of recent data protection trends and examine the economic downsides of privacyShow less
In dit kwantitatieve onderzoek wordt gekeken of er een verband is tussen de invoering van het leenstelsel en de groei van mentale problemen onder jongeren. De mentale gesteldheid van jongeren is in...Show moreIn dit kwantitatieve onderzoek wordt gekeken of er een verband is tussen de invoering van het leenstelsel en de groei van mentale problemen onder jongeren. De mentale gesteldheid van jongeren is in de afgelopen jaren flink achteruit gegaan en de invoering van het leenstelsel is hier een mogelijke oorzaak van. Daarom is de belangrijkste hoofdvraag van dit onderzoek: ‘In hoeverre heeft het beleid rondom het leenstelsel invloed op de mentale gesteldheid van studenten/jongeren?’ Het onderzoek maakt gebruik van kwantitatieve data die verzameld is uit het LISS data panel die betrekking heeft op studierichtingen, inkomen en mentale gezondheid. Aan de hand van regressie analyses wordt onderzocht of er treatment effecten aanwezig zijn die laten zien dat de invoering van het leenstelsel effect heeft op de mentale gesteldheid van jongeren. De treatmentgroep bestaat daarom uit jongeren. Daarnaast wordt er gekeken of specifieke studierichtingen de studiedruk verhogen en effect hebben op de mentale gezondheid. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat er geen significante treatment effecten zijn bij de gebruikte variabelen. Er zijn geen treatment effecten bij de afhankelijke variabelen Healtindicator en Depressed en ook niet bij de afhankelijke variabelen Schoolsatisfaction en Healthproblems. De significante effecten die wel zijn gevonden zijn bij specifieke studierichtingen en Schoolsatisfaction en Healthproblems. De conclusie aan de hand van de resultaten is, dat de invoering van het leenstelsel geen significant effect heeft gehad op de mentale gesteldheid van jongeren. De jongeren in de gebruikte steekproef hebben geen grotere of kleinere mentale problemen als gevolg van de invoering van het leenstelsel. Ditzelfde geldt voor de tevredenheid van de studierichting van jongeren. Dit heeft ook geen significant effect op de mentale problemen onder jongeren. Het blijft een feit dat de mentale gesteldheid van jongeren de laatste jaren achteruit is gegaan. Dat dit onderzoek laat zien dat de invoering van het leenstelsel geen effect heeft gehad op de groei van mentale problemen onder jongeren, betekent niet dat hier geen vervolgonderzoek naar moet worden gedaan. In dit onderzoek is gekozen om minder variabelen te gebruiken die betrekking hebben op de grootte van de studielening. In vervolgonderzoeken kan hier meer rekening mee worden gehouden. Daarnaast hebben specifieke studierichtingen wel effect op tevredenheid en mentale problemen. Dit zijn belangrijke aanknopingspunten voor vervolgonderzoeken.Show less
Increased automation has raised concerns about its impact on the labor market and on wage inequality, particularly for routine-heavy labor. Though many scholars have dedicated research to these...Show moreIncreased automation has raised concerns about its impact on the labor market and on wage inequality, particularly for routine-heavy labor. Though many scholars have dedicated research to these effects, little research has been conducted on automation’s effect on wage inequality among older workers. The purpose of this paper is to fill that gap by researching automation’s influence on wages among older high-, middle- and low-wage workers. To this end, the number of robots per thousand inhabitants across 36 developed and developing countries is regressed with the percentage wage shares designated to the bottom, lower-middle, middle, upper-middle and top quintiles of the wage distribution, for a period of 16 years. The results show increasing automation-induced wage inequality among workers aged 15 to 19, while showing a trend of wages centralizing around the middle quintile for workers aged 20 to 39. This paper does not find evidence for automation-induced wage inequality among workers older than 40. Finally, an explanation and research recommendation are provided for the findings of workers aged 50 and above.Show less
The COVID-19 pandemic had an immense economic and social impact. Dutch Gross Domestic Product shrunk with about 3.7 percent in 2020, which was as severe as the credit crisis in 2011. People got...Show moreThe COVID-19 pandemic had an immense economic and social impact. Dutch Gross Domestic Product shrunk with about 3.7 percent in 2020, which was as severe as the credit crisis in 2011. People got sick or died because of the virus, workers were strongly advised to work from their residence and consumption amenities had to close their doors to limit the spread of COVID-19. Although the economy struggled, Dutch housing prices continued to increase during the pandemic. Home preferences did appear affected by COVID-19. As working from home became the norm, households valued residential space more, and thus moved towards non-urban areas where houses have more space. This effect is know as the Donut-effect. The answer to the research question: To what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic affected housing prices in The Netherlands? provides statistically significant evidence that COVID-19 has had a positive effect on overall Dutch housing prices. This thesis also provides statistically significant evidence that COVID-19 has likely driven a Donut-effect in The Netherlands, where households from the urban, ’Randstad’ provinces have moved towards other Dutch provinces outside the ’Randstad’ due to COVID-19. Compared to pre-pandemic housing prices, housing prices in the ’Randstad’ have decreased with 1.2 to 1.6 percent compared to the non-’Randstad’ provinces. The effect is reversed for the non-’Randstad’ provinces, where housing prices have increased with 1.2 to 1.6 percent.Show less
With economic globalization comes a growing emphasis on the development of economic policy on the regional level. A popular policy option is to establish a regional development agency. This study...Show moreWith economic globalization comes a growing emphasis on the development of economic policy on the regional level. A popular policy option is to establish a regional development agency. This study researches the effects of these agencies on the regional economy and surrounding regions through panel data of Dutch provinces from 1970 through 2016. Results show mostly not-significant effects. However, there appear to be small positive effects on the total value added within a region. Furthermore, this study finds no evidence for potential negative competition effects. The establishment of RDA’s has not prevented some regions from experiencing significantly lower growth compared to other regions.Show less
Het onderzoek gaat over de effecten van gezondheidsschokken op het altruïstische gedrag van mensen. Altruïstisch gedrag van mensen wordt in dit onderzoek gemeten aan de hand van het doneren, het...Show moreHet onderzoek gaat over de effecten van gezondheidsschokken op het altruïstische gedrag van mensen. Altruïstisch gedrag van mensen wordt in dit onderzoek gemeten aan de hand van het doneren, het verrichten van vrijwilligerswerk en het verrichten van mantelzorg. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd naar aanleiding van het het artikel van Black et al. (2020). Het onderzoek is deductief van aard en er is gebruik gemaakt van fixed effect regressieanalyses om de effecten te meten. Een interessant resultaat uit het onderzoek is het negatieve verband tussen zware gezondheidsschokken en de mate waarin de respondenten vrijwilligerswerk verrichten. Daarnaast zorgde milde schokken bij een respondent voor een toename in het aantal uren mantelzorg per week. Concluderend, gezondheidsschokken hebben een effect op het altruïstische gedrag van mensen.Show less
Dit onderzoek richt zich op de vraag: “Wat is het effect van COVID-19 en de maatregelen op de mentale gezondheid van jongvolwassenen van 15 tot 30 jaar in Nederland?’’ Het onderzoek gebruikt...Show moreDit onderzoek richt zich op de vraag: “Wat is het effect van COVID-19 en de maatregelen op de mentale gezondheid van jongvolwassenen van 15 tot 30 jaar in Nederland?’’ Het onderzoek gebruikt hiervoor LISS-Panel data van 2010 tot en met 2020. Met behulp van Stata wordt een Difference-in-Differences analyse uitgevoerd tussen de treatmentgroep (15 tot 30 jaar) en de controlegroep (30 tot 45 jaar) in twee tijdsperiodes (voor en na COVID-19). Het concept mentale gezondheid wordt gemeten door uiteenlopende factoren die gezamenlijk iets kunnen zeggen over de mentale gezondheid: de ervaring van eigen gezondheid, vijf vragen over de stemming, sociale factoren, medicatiegebruik of psychische hulp. De resultaten laten zien dat COVID-19 de mentale gezondheid van de treatmentgroep op sommige onderdelen significant (p=<0,05) beïnvloedt. Er is een significant effect van COVID-19 op de mate waarin jongvolwassenen zich vaker in de put en neerslachtig en somber voelden wanneer er gecontroleerd wordt voor de volgende controlevariabelen: samenwonen met een partner, het zijn van een vrouw, het zijn van een student of scholier en ten slotte de afwezigheid van langdurige ziekten of aandoeningen. Zowel voor als na controle met controlevariabelen zijn jongvolwassenen minder gelukkig door COVID-19. De significante variabelen zijn in staat om de variatie binnen de uitkomsten te verklaren voor 5,2% voor beide variabelen in de put, somber en neerslachtig voelen, 0,36% voor geluk in het model zonder controlevariabelen en 4,8% voor geluk in het model met controlevariabelen. Op basis van bovenstaande resultaten kan de nulhypothese verworpen worden en de alternatieve hypothese worden aangenomen: COVID-19 leidt in enkele gevallen tot een significant lager welbevinden van de jongeren en jongvolwassen. Het zijn van vrouw, student, de aanwezigheid van ziekte en aandoeningen en de afwezigheid van een partner zijn hierbij significante risicofactoren. Enkel bij het ervaren van geluk is het geslacht geen significante bijdrage. Aanbevelingen zijn om sportmogelijkheden te openen, open te houden tijdens een eventuele toekomstige lockdown en sportmogelijkheden uit te breiden tot een oudere leeftijdsgroep. Daarnaast is het advies om scholen, MBO’s, hogescholen en universiteiten te openen en ook tijdens een eventuele toekomstige lockdown open te houden. Ten slotte is de aanbeveling om op te schalen binnen de geestelijke gezondheidszorg om aan de groeiende vraag te voldoen. Vervolgonderzoek moet meer data verzamelen over de COVID19 periode en vaker vergelijkingen maken over tijd, zoals met Difference-in-Differences onderzoeken. Ten slotte is het vereist om de jongeren en jongvolwassenen beter te betrekken bij verder onderzoek en beleid.Show less
