• Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022

    Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022


The first issue of the UCL Journal of Economics has no set theme, something that speaks for the versatility of the field of economics and of the journal itself. Our inaugural issue includes fourteen thought provoking papers written by authors from across the world. These papers have been written for university courses, for research conferences or simply to satisfy individual curiosity. Readers can look forward to sifting through very current topics such as optimal vaccine allocation, the relationship between Covid-19 and racial hate crime or the link between climate change and income inequality. Full length research papers have been interspersed with policy briefs, historical studies, and an unexpected (though thoroughly interesting) entry on the edible insect market. We sincerely hope you enjoy reading it and celebrate the great work done by the authors as well as our team.


TEAM

Advisory Board

Professor Parama Chaudhury 

Founding Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics (CTaLE)

Co-Lead (Analysis and Evaluation) and SHS Faculty Lead, BAME Awarding Gap Project 

Department of Economics

University College London, UK 

Dr. Ramin Nassehi

Lecturer & Public Engagement Lead

Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics 

Department of Economics

University College London, UK 

Dr. Silvia Dal Bianco

Lecturer and Connected Learning Lead 

SFHEA and WP Summer School Lead 

Department of Economics

University College London, UK 

Peer Review Board

Damian Phelan

UCL MPhil/PhD

Teaching Assistant

Department of Economics, UCL, UK 

Sam Asher

PhD student in Political Economy at Stanford Graduate School of BusinessUCL Alumnus

Chief of Research Economic Tribune 2019-20 

Daniel Tseng 

UCL Alumnus

Chief of Research Economic Tribune 2020-21 

James Kinder 

UCL Alumnus

Chief of Research Economic Tribune 2020-21 

Student Management Team

Ananya Ashta 

Editor-in-Chief & Production Manager

Student (BSc Economics 2020-23), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK 

Chief of Events & Outreach 2021-22, Economic Tribune 

Phin Godfrey

Editor

Student (BSc Economics with a Placement Year 2020-24), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK

Chief of Research 2021-22, Economic Tribune 

Shivam Gujral

Editor

Student (BSc Economics 2019-22), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK

Chief of Research 2021-22, Economic Tribune 

Xingzuo Zhou

Editor

Student (BSc Economics 2019-22), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK

Matty Agrawal

Proofreader

Student (BSc Economics 2021-24), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK 

Economics Correspondent, Economic Tribune 

Isabelle Zhu

Online Editor

Student (BSc Economics 2021-24), Dept. of Economics, UCL, UK 

Events & Outreach Executive 2021-22, Economic Tribune 


Introductions & Foreword


Foreword

Foreword

Ananya Ashta

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 1–2

Explore Econ Research Papers


Optimal Vaccine Allocation: Modelling Population Interaction and Administrative Constraints

Optimal Vaccine Allocation: Modelling Population Interaction and Administrative Constraints

Jakub Terlikowski

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 4-8

What is the Potential Impact of a Uniform VAT Rate in Spain, if Implemented in a Revenue Neutral Way?

What is the Potential Impact of a Uniform VAT Rate in Spain, if Implemented in a Revenue Neutral Way?

Guillaume Marder

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 9–15

The Effects of Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar on Low-Skilled Wages in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh

The Effects of Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar on Low-Skilled Wages in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh

Gaurav Khatri

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 16–23

Racial Hate Crime and COVID-19: A Multinomial Choice Study in the US

Racial Hate Crime and COVID-19: A Multinomial Choice Study in the US

Yiang Li, Xingzuo Zhou, Tianning Zhu and Xiaoyu Guo

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 24–31

Research Fellow Research Papers


Income-based Segregation in Urban Areas: Framework for a Complex-Systems Approach

Income-based Segregation in Urban Areas: Framework for a Complex-Systems Approach

Suraj Sridhar

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 33–42

Climate Change and Economic Outcomes: a State-Level Analysis in the US

Climate Change and Economic Outcomes: a State-Level Analysis in the US

John Korngold

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 43–52

Non-UCL Research Papers


Monetary Policy, Portfolio Heterogeneity, and the College Wealth Gap

Monetary Policy, Portfolio Heterogeneity, and the College Wealth Gap

Alessandro Guarnieri

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 54–68

How Online Reviews Affect Consumer’s Quality Belief:  Ex-ante and Ex-post Preference of Consumption Decision

How Online Reviews Affect Consumer’s Quality Belief: Ex-ante and Ex-post Preference of Consumption Decision

Yiyang Li

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 72–92

Insects on our Plates?  Potential, Challenges and Opportunities in the Edible Insect Market

Insects on our Plates? Potential, Challenges and Opportunities in the Edible Insect Market

Thomas Adler

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 93–110

Policy Brief: Right-to-Work Legislation 1947—Present in the United States

Policy Brief: Right-to-Work Legislation 1947—Present in the United States

Nicholas Whitaker

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 111–120

Silver Lining in Looming Storm: Examining China’s Population Aging Crisis, Expansionary Population Policy, and Alternate Solutions

Silver Lining in Looming Storm: Examining China’s Population Aging Crisis, Expansionary Population Policy, and Alternate Solutions

Tianyi Zhang

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 121–127

Institutions and Economic Growth in Democratic Europe: France’s 1958 Transition From Fourth to Fifth Republic

Institutions and Economic Growth in Democratic Europe: France’s 1958 Transition From Fourth to Fifth Republic

Haneeboy Barlis

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 128–137

Do Wealthy States in the USA Have a Disproportionate Advantage in Generating Renewable Energy?

Do Wealthy States in the USA Have a Disproportionate Advantage in Generating Renewable Energy?

Abhishek Roy

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 138–149

From Preference to Policy: Wealth, Institutions of Government, and the Search for Democracy

From Preference to Policy: Wealth, Institutions of Government, and the Search for Democracy

Nolan Siegel

2022-08-25 Volume 1 • Issue 1 • August 2022 • 150–167