{"id":{"repo_id":"wvu","oai_identifier":"oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1174"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wvu/oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1174","repository":{"repo_id":"wvu","name":"West Virginia University","base_url":"https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Entrepreneurship, Institutions, and the Informal Economy","abstract":"This dissertation comprises three essays which investigate the empirical relationships between institutions (formal and informal), entrepreneurial outcomes (productive and unproductive), and shadow economy size at the U.S. state-level. Chapter 1 opens with some discussion of the topics explored here and provides an overview of important results from each of the essays. In Chapter 2, the first of the empirical essays, I focus on U.S. shadow economies, providing estimates of shadow economy size for 50 U.S. states over the period 1997 to 2008 as a foundation for analysis in the subsequent chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on the relationship between entrepreneurship, shadow economy size, and corruption at the U.S. state-level. Specifically, I question the importance of the entrepreneur's choice (for which estimates of shadow economy size serve as a proxy) to participate in the formal or informal economy as a channel through which public official corruption affects observed (formal sector) entrepreneurial outcomes. Chapter 4 is a joint effort with Andrew Young. In this essay we revisit Baumol's (1990) conjectures on the role of institutions in determining whether entrepreneurs will channel their efforts towards wealth-generating activities or toward zero- or negative-sum rent-seeking, using cross-section data on informal, religious institutions. Chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions of the aforementioned chapters and discusses some possibilities for further investigation.","abstract_html":"This dissertation comprises three essays which investigate the empirical relationships between institutions (formal and informal), entrepreneurial outcomes (productive and unproductive), and shadow economy size at the U.S. state-level. Chapter 1 opens with some discussion of the topics explored here and provides an overview of important results from each of the essays. In Chapter 2, the first of the empirical essays, I focus on U.S. shadow economies, providing estimates of shadow economy size for 50 U.S. states over the period 1997 to 2008 as a foundation for analysis in the subsequent chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on the relationship between entrepreneurship, shadow economy size, and corruption at the U.S. state-level. Specifically, I question the importance of the entrepreneur's choice (for which estimates of shadow economy size serve as a proxy) to participate in the formal or informal economy as a channel through which public official corruption affects observed (formal sector) entrepreneurial outcomes. Chapter 4 is a joint effort with Andrew Young. In this essay we revisit Baumol's (1990) conjectures on the role of institutions in determining whether entrepreneurs will channel their efforts towards wealth-generating activities or toward zero- or negative-sum rent-seeking, using cross-section data on informal, religious institutions. Chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions of the aforementioned chapters and discusses some possibilities for further investigation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wiseman, Travis C."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"PhD","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Economics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Andrew T. 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In this essay we revisit Baumol's (1990) conjectures on the role of institutions in determining whether entrepreneurs will channel their efforts towards wealth-generating activities or toward zero- or negative-sum rent-seeking, using cross-section data on informal, religious institutions. Chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions of the aforementioned chapters and discusses some possibilities for further investigation."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Entrepreneurship, Institutions, and the Informal Economy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Andrew T. Young","Roger Congleton","Brian Cushing","Russell Sobel","William Trumbull"],"dc:creator":["Wiseman, Travis C."],"dc:date.available":["2019-01-17T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation comprises three essays which investigate the empirical relationships between institutions (formal and informal), entrepreneurial outcomes (productive and unproductive), and shadow economy size at the U.S. state-level. Chapter 1 opens with some discussion of the topics explored here and provides an overview of important results from each of the essays. In Chapter 2, the first of the empirical essays, I focus on U.S. shadow economies, providing estimates of shadow economy size for 50 U.S. states over the period 1997 to 2008 as a foundation for analysis in the subsequent chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on the relationship between entrepreneurship, shadow economy size, and corruption at the U.S. state-level. Specifically, I question the importance of the entrepreneur's choice (for which estimates of shadow economy size serve as a proxy) to participate in the formal or informal economy as a channel through which public official corruption affects observed (formal sector) entrepreneurial outcomes. Chapter 4 is a joint effort with Andrew Young. In this essay we revisit Baumol's (1990) conjectures on the role of institutions in determining whether entrepreneurs will channel their efforts towards wealth-generating activities or toward zero- or negative-sum rent-seeking, using cross-section data on informal, religious institutions. Chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions of the aforementioned chapters and discusses some possibilities for further investigation."],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.171","https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/171"],"dc:subject":["Economics","Entrepreneurship"],"dc:title":["Entrepreneurship, Institutions, and the Informal Economy"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Economics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:14:02Z"}