{"id":{"repo_id":"gmu","oai_identifier":"oai:MARS:1920/15143"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/gmu/oai:MARS:1920/15143","repository":{"repo_id":"gmu","name":"George Mason University","base_url":"https://mars.gmu.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"BRINGING BACK NATIONS: ESSAYS ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE OF CENTRAL AMERICA","abstract":"This dissertation comes at a crucial time in the history of Central America’s Northern Triangle, where the region continues to face serious and persistent development challenges with respect to the economy, violence and insecurity, political uncertainty and challenges to good governance, and the cross-cutting issue of migration.With political winds shifting, the region will not have the luxury of time to plan for reform. The challenges highlighted in the subsequent essays will be multiplied as a wave of return migrants are set to re-enter society in Central America, which will put pressure on the economy, labor markets, household finances dependent on remittances, housing, infrastructure, criminal justice systems, and a myriad other areas in ways that will remain unclear in the coming months and years. Yet while the timeline for a policy response has been accelerated, the issues remain the same. Weak labor markets, low skills and educational attainment, low productivity, poverty and inequality, a lack of savings and investment, crime and violence, aging populations, and a dependence on migration to limit domestic economic deficiencies are major, interrelated problems. This dissertation examines these issues in depth through three essays: 1) The Economy, Labor Market, and Skills, and the Need for Human Capital Development in the Northern Triangle; 2) The Human and Economic Costs of Violence, Insecurity , and Justice, and its Impact on Youth; and 3) Migration, Remittances, and Demographic Shifts – The Imminent Challenge Facing Central America, all from the perspective of a common thread of youth and human capital development. This will be a crucial area for which local policymakers will need to focus public resources in order to put these nations on a sustainable path for growth and prosperity. This dissertation also promotes the increased use of spatial analysis and spatial regression to help provide insights on to how, and importantly where interventions would have the most impact. These analyses provide a less-explored perspective on solving these important challenges and provides a “proof of concept” for similar approaches with more granular and newer data. With limited budgets and without the ability to address everything at once, governments can focus on policy solutions and best leverage the resources they have. Finally, these analyses were particularly challenging due to the lack of available public data from the region for research. Publicly available data are often scattered across various platforms, based on inadequate coverage, inconsistent across departments and ministries of government, out of date, or lack sufficient granularity to realize in-depth studies. Where possible, governments with limited statistical capacity and human capital will need to rely on a wide range of stakeholders to fill the dearth of understanding of these issues. The following essays should be understood as the beginning of this effort.","abstract_html":"This dissertation comes at a crucial time in the history of Central America’s Northern Triangle, where the region continues to face serious and persistent development challenges with respect to the economy, violence and insecurity, political uncertainty and challenges to good governance, and the cross-cutting issue of migration.With political winds shifting, the region will not have the luxury of time to plan for reform. The challenges highlighted in the subsequent essays will be multiplied as a wave of return migrants are set to re-enter society in Central America, which will put pressure on the economy, labor markets, household finances dependent on remittances, housing, infrastructure, criminal justice systems, and a myriad other areas in ways that will remain unclear in the coming months and years. Yet while the timeline for a policy response has been accelerated, the issues remain the same. Weak labor markets, low skills and educational attainment, low productivity, poverty and inequality, a lack of savings and investment, crime and violence, aging populations, and a dependence on migration to limit domestic economic deficiencies are major, interrelated problems. This dissertation examines these issues in depth through three essays: 1) The Economy, Labor Market, and Skills, and the Need for Human Capital Development in the Northern Triangle; 2) The Human and Economic Costs of Violence, Insecurity , and Justice, and its Impact on Youth; and 3) Migration, Remittances, and Demographic Shifts – The Imminent Challenge Facing Central America, all from the perspective of a common thread of youth and human capital development. This will be a crucial area for which local policymakers will need to focus public resources in order to put these nations on a sustainable path for growth and prosperity. This dissertation also promotes the increased use of spatial analysis and spatial regression to help provide insights on to how, and importantly where interventions would have the most impact. These analyses provide a less-explored perspective on solving these important challenges and provides a “proof of concept” for similar approaches with more granular and newer data. With limited budgets and without the ability to address everything at once, governments can focus on policy solutions and best leverage the resources they have. Finally, these analyses were particularly challenging due to the lack of available public data from the region for research. Publicly available data are often scattered across various platforms, based on inadequate coverage, inconsistent across departments and ministries of government, out of date, or lack sufficient granularity to realize in-depth studies. Where possible, governments with limited statistical capacity and human capital will need to rely on a wide range of stakeholders to fill the dearth of understanding of these issues. The following essays should be understood as the beginning of this effort.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Birson, Kurt Joseph"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:52:04Z","subjects":["Central America","Human Capital","Migration","Northern Triangle","Spatial Analysis","Youth"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/15143"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:1920/15143","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Central America","Human Capital","Migration","Northern Triangle","Spatial Analysis","Youth"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/15143"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["This dissertation comes at a crucial time in the history of Central America’s Northern Triangle, where the region continues to face serious and persistent development challenges with respect to the economy, violence and insecurity, political uncertainty and challenges to good governance, and the cross-cutting issue of migration.With political winds shifting, the region will not have the luxury of time to plan for reform. The challenges highlighted in the subsequent essays will be multiplied as a wave of return migrants are set to re-enter society in Central America, which will put pressure on the economy, labor markets, household finances dependent on remittances, housing, infrastructure, criminal justice systems, and a myriad other areas in ways that will remain unclear in the coming months and years. Yet while the timeline for a policy response has been accelerated, the issues remain the same. Weak labor markets, low skills and educational attainment, low productivity, poverty and inequality, a lack of savings and investment, crime and violence, aging populations, and a dependence on migration to limit domestic economic deficiencies are major, interrelated problems. This dissertation examines these issues in depth through three essays: 1) The Economy, Labor Market, and Skills, and the Need for Human Capital Development in the Northern Triangle; 2) The Human and Economic Costs of Violence, Insecurity , and Justice, and its Impact on Youth; and 3) Migration, Remittances, and Demographic Shifts – The Imminent Challenge Facing Central America, all from the perspective of a common thread of youth and human capital development. This will be a crucial area for which local policymakers will need to focus public resources in order to put these nations on a sustainable path for growth and prosperity. This dissertation also promotes the increased use of spatial analysis and spatial regression to help provide insights on to how, and importantly where interventions would have the most impact. These analyses provide a less-explored perspective on solving these important challenges and provides a “proof of concept” for similar approaches with more granular and newer data. With limited budgets and without the ability to address everything at once, governments can focus on policy solutions and best leverage the resources they have. Finally, these analyses were particularly challenging due to the lack of available public data from the region for research. Publicly available data are often scattered across various platforms, based on inadequate coverage, inconsistent across departments and ministries of government, out of date, or lack sufficient granularity to realize in-depth studies. Where possible, governments with limited statistical capacity and human capital will need to rely on a wide range of stakeholders to fill the dearth of understanding of these issues. The following essays should be understood as the beginning of this effort."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["BRINGING BACK NATIONS: ESSAYS ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE OF CENTRAL AMERICA"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.other":["This dissertation comes at a crucial time in the history of Central America’s Northern Triangle, where the region continues to face serious and persistent development challenges with respect to the economy, violence and insecurity, political uncertainty and challenges to good governance, and the cross-cutting issue of migration.With political winds shifting, the region will not have the luxury of time to plan for reform. The challenges highlighted in the subsequent essays will be multiplied as a wave of return migrants are set to re-enter society in Central America, which will put pressure on the economy, labor markets, household finances dependent on remittances, housing, infrastructure, criminal justice systems, and a myriad other areas in ways that will remain unclear in the coming months and years. Yet while the timeline for a policy response has been accelerated, the issues remain the same. Weak labor markets, low skills and educational attainment, low productivity, poverty and inequality, a lack of savings and investment, crime and violence, aging populations, and a dependence on migration to limit domestic economic deficiencies are major, interrelated problems. This dissertation examines these issues in depth through three essays: 1) The Economy, Labor Market, and Skills, and the Need for Human Capital Development in the Northern Triangle; 2) The Human and Economic Costs of Violence, Insecurity , and Justice, and its Impact on Youth; and 3) Migration, Remittances, and Demographic Shifts – The Imminent Challenge Facing Central America, all from the perspective of a common thread of youth and human capital development. This will be a crucial area for which local policymakers will need to focus public resources in order to put these nations on a sustainable path for growth and prosperity. This dissertation also promotes the increased use of spatial analysis and spatial regression to help provide insights on to how, and importantly where interventions would have the most impact. These analyses provide a less-explored perspective on solving these important challenges and provides a “proof of concept” for similar approaches with more granular and newer data. With limited budgets and without the ability to address everything at once, governments can focus on policy solutions and best leverage the resources they have. Finally, these analyses were particularly challenging due to the lack of available public data from the region for research. Publicly available data are often scattered across various platforms, based on inadequate coverage, inconsistent across departments and ministries of government, out of date, or lack sufficient granularity to realize in-depth studies. Where possible, governments with limited statistical capacity and human capital will need to rely on a wide range of stakeholders to fill the dearth of understanding of these issues. The following essays should be understood as the beginning of this effort."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:1920/15143"],"dc:subject":["Central America","Human Capital","Migration","Northern Triangle","Spatial Analysis","Youth"],"dc:title":["BRINGING BACK NATIONS: ESSAYS ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE OF CENTRAL AMERICA"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:52:04Z"}