Robert Zell Wins Research Grant
2/7/2022 12:11:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
MACON, Ga. – Mercer cross country member, Robert Zell, was selected as a winner of the Spring 2022 Research Grant from the Center for the Study of Economics and Liberty totaling $2000.Â
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Zell is an Economics, Finance, and Statistics major and is mentored by professors Andres Marroquin and Antonio Saravia. His project is entitled "Institutions and Protectionism" and includes his research proposal investigating the relationship between institutional trust, democracy, and protectionism/protectionist trade policy.Â
"In Bryan Caplan's book `The Myth of the Rational Voter,' he argues that the democratic process allows for flashy, but bad policies to prevail over sound ones. This is because political support of certain policies with strong backing from economists such as free trade, abolishing the minimum wage, and eliminating corporate taxes could have negative consequences when it comes time for reelection. However, countries such as Norway, Switzerland, and Australia have demonstrated incredible frugality and discipline in certain aspects of economic policy despite having open and democratic societies. I believe that variables such as institutional trust, low corruption, and government effectiveness play a much greater role in deciding whether citizens can trust the experts or not. By investigating institutional and cultural factors of such countries, we can gain a better insight as to how political and economic freedoms can exist without coming at the expense of one another."
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"The goal is to publish this paper in a leading academic journal as well as present at academic conferences along with professors and researchers from across the country," said Zell.Â
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Cross Country, follow the team at @MercerXCTF (Twitter), /mercerxctf (Facebook) and @mercerbearsxctf (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Zell is an Economics, Finance, and Statistics major and is mentored by professors Andres Marroquin and Antonio Saravia. His project is entitled "Institutions and Protectionism" and includes his research proposal investigating the relationship between institutional trust, democracy, and protectionism/protectionist trade policy.Â
"In Bryan Caplan's book `The Myth of the Rational Voter,' he argues that the democratic process allows for flashy, but bad policies to prevail over sound ones. This is because political support of certain policies with strong backing from economists such as free trade, abolishing the minimum wage, and eliminating corporate taxes could have negative consequences when it comes time for reelection. However, countries such as Norway, Switzerland, and Australia have demonstrated incredible frugality and discipline in certain aspects of economic policy despite having open and democratic societies. I believe that variables such as institutional trust, low corruption, and government effectiveness play a much greater role in deciding whether citizens can trust the experts or not. By investigating institutional and cultural factors of such countries, we can gain a better insight as to how political and economic freedoms can exist without coming at the expense of one another."
Â
"The goal is to publish this paper in a leading academic journal as well as present at academic conferences along with professors and researchers from across the country," said Zell.Â
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Cross Country, follow the team at @MercerXCTF (Twitter), /mercerxctf (Facebook) and @mercerbearsxctf (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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