Previous research showed that the dividend price ratio process changed remarkably during the 1980's and 1990's, but that the total payout ratio (dividends plus repurchases over price) changed very little. We investigate implications of this difference for asset pricing models. In particular, the...

An early-warning system generates economic value to the extent that it improves decision making. The value of the information hinges on the degree to which a timely response, aided by warnings, facilitates successful damage mitigation. USDA's Coordinated Framework for Soybean Rust includes a...

This dissertation is a series of three essays exploring the determinants and effects of enrollment in the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The CRP is the United States' largest federal conservation program, currently enrolling over 34 million...