ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation marks the end of my decade as a graduate student, a decade roughly marked by the anti-globalization movement, which inspired me to study economics, and the current Occupy Wall Street movement, which I now come to armed with the tools I sharpened in graduate school. Reflecting back on my eight years spent in and around Thompson Hall, and acknowledging all those who inspired me, helped me, and kept me sane during that time, is a daunting task. I will surely

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... to mention some people. Most important was the environment created by EGSO (Economics Graduate Student Organization), so I would first like to thank EGSO and all those who made it great. My dissertation committee not only made this dissertation possible but also inspired me, taught me, and assisted me in many untold ways. The first person I met in the UMass Economics Department, even before I was admitted, was David Kotz, and we immediately hit it off. I really appreciate David for all he has taught me about Marx and socialism; for all the times he helped me with my various struggles with different bureaucracies, including police departments, courts, and the UMass administration; for his assistance with my dissertation; and for his humor. Without Michael Ash, this dissertation would not have been possible. He taught me econometricshow to think about it and how to use itwith great patience. Michael helped me through every step of this dissertation from its inception to this document, and he has always been understanding and patient with me. John Bracey also has inspired me and taught me a v lot. I took more classes with him than with any other professor and enjoyed them immensely; one of the intellectual high points of my time at UMass is the class I took with him on C.L.R. James, one of the most important Marxists of the 20th century and whose work strongly influences the way I think about the world. John Bracey, along with others at the New Africa House, gave me a second home. The first time I met Arjun Jayadev was when I walked late into my first allocation meeting, and I was surprised because he already knew my name. Arjun helped me with a countless number of things during my time at UMass, from making us brand-new graduate students feel comfortable in a new place by learning our names before we arrived, to making sure I finished my dissertation, which would not have happened without him. Many friends reviewed different parts of this dissertation or talked me through technical aspects or larger theoretical problems. Mathieu Dufour was always available to discuss with me how to structure and develop arguments, and to encourage me to go for a drink to talk about a particular problem. Josh Mason helped out tremendously with Chapter 4, and we talked about the arguments endlessly. Joel Olson was a tremendous help and was always encouraging and there to talk me through various problems and he gave me detailed feedback on Chapter 4. Mike Carr patiently helped me understand different methods in econometrics, and we talked for hours about which methods were best to use. Suresh Naidu guided me along with frequent discussions and taught me about LATE estimates and how to translate ideas into empirical arguments. Ozgur Orhangazi always gave great advice with a great sense of humor. Many thanks to Justine Johnson, who proofread this document, and Shaun Lamory, who did the formatting, for vi always asking how they could help out. Without them, this end product would not have been possible. Resnick and Leonce Ndikumana. My fellow graduate students and their associates also made this experience great, and I learned a lot from them. We studied together, we shared our experiences about teaching, we had endless discussions, we partied, and we played sports and games together. In particular, I would like to thank Ozgur Orhangazi,