Publications

A collection of all publications authored or co-authored by Center staff and/or partners. This collection is a work in progress—if you don’t find a publication you’re looking for, please search for it, or email us at nercrd@psu.edu.

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2008 NERCRD Annual Report

This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.

2008-NERCRD-annual-report Download

Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

Date Published: February 1, 2009

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NERCRD Catalogue of Publications, Projects, and Major Events, 1999-2008

This catalogue documents the full scope of NERCRD accomplishments from 1999 to 2008.

NERCRDCatalogue2008 Download

Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

Date Published: January 1, 2009

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2007 Annual Report

This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.

2007-NERCRD-annual-report Download

Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

Date Published: February 1, 2008

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2006 Annual Report

This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.

2006-NERCRD-annual-report Download

Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

Date Published: February 1, 2007

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Economic Development, Resilience, and Innovation

Wal-Mart and County-Wide Poverty

Abstract

Objectives. This study seeks to identify the independent effect of Wal-Mart stores on changes in U.S. family-poverty rates at the county level. We draw on the contributions of a number of disciplines to enhance our understanding of the broader forces that influence poverty.

Methods. A key innovation is that we estimate a two-stage regression model, in which an instrument is created for new Wal-Mart stores from a location equation; this reduces any potential endogeneity bias in the poverty-change equation. In addition, we use spatial econometric methods to correct for spatial dependence bias.

Results. After controlling for other factors determining changes in the poverty rate over time, we find that counties with more initial (1987) Wal-Mart stores and counties with more additions of stores between 1987 and 1998 experienced greater increases (or smaller decreases) in family-poverty rates during the 1990s economic boom period.

Conclusions. Wal-Mart creates both benefits and costs to communities in which the chain locates. These benefits and costs need to be weighed carefully by community decisionmakers in deciding whether to provide public subsidies to the chain.

Authors: Stephan J. Goetz, Hema Swaminathan

Publication: Social Science Quarterly Date Published: May 9, 2006

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