Luis Gonzalez, PhD
Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Finance at Valdosta State University
From Lexington, KY
From Lexington, KY
Dr. Luis Gonzalez joined the Valdosta State University faculty in July 2011. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in economics from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Science in economics from the University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Georgetown College. Prior to entering the field of higher education he worked as an associate for Analysis Group.
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Tenure Associate Professor at Valdosta State University
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2016-2019 Valdosta State University Graduate Faculty Membership
* 2016-2018 Rea & Lillian Steele Summer Grant
August 2016 - Present
Tenure Track Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2015-2016 Rea & Lillian Steele Summer Grant
* 2012-2016 Valdosta State University Graduate Faculty Membership
* 2011-2013 Rea & Lillian Steele Summer Grant
August 2011 - July 2016
Visiting Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2011 Valdosta State University Graduate Faculty Membership
August 2010 - July 2011
Associate at Analysis Group
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2005-2007 Research Challenge Trust Fund II Gatton Doctoral Fellowship
* 2003 Senior Economics Award, Georgetown College
August 2009 - August 2010
Income Inequality, Ethnic Diversity, and State Minimum Wages
John Foster, Luis J. Gonzalez, and Carlos Lopes.
Objectives. The objective of the current study is to examine the determinants of wage floors set by state governments in the United States, with a particular focus on the effects of income inequality and ethnic diversity.Method.We estimate the effects of income inequality, ethnic diversity, and their interaction on real state minimum wages using a state-level panel of Census demographic data from 1981 to 2010. We also control for state-level demographics and additional state-level information, such as measures of voter and government liberalism, along with time and state fixed effects. Results. We find that the impact of income inequality is mediated by ethnic diversity.When states are highly ethnically homogeneous, increases in income inequality are associated with higher state minimum wages. When states are highly ethnically heterogeneous, increases in income inequality are associated with lower state minimum wages. The impact of income inequality lacks statistical significance when levels of ethnic diversity are either average or somewhat below average.Conclusions.Overall, our results suggest that the negative impact on state minimum wages in heterogeneous states could stem from rising income inequality, which increases the social distance between whites and other ethnic groups and weakens mass support for wage policies that are believed by the public to be beneficial to the poor.
May 2019 -
Articles
Do Intellectual Property Rights Affect World Trade?
Co-authored Luis J. Gonzalez and Ellis B. Heath. Global Economy and Finance Journal. Vol. 7. No. 1. March 2014.
March 2014 -
Articles
Effects of Transfers from Children on the Retirements Plans of the Parents
Empirical Economics Review. 3(1): (March 2014)
March 2014 -
Articles
The Interactive Effects of Self-Efficacy and Informal Accountability for Others on Career Engagement
Co-authored by Todd M. Royle, Gavin Fox, and Luis Gonzalez. This research examines the relationship between self-efficacy, informal accountability for others (IAFO) and career engagement. Our study enhances organizational research by demonstrating the moderating effect of IAFO on the self-efficacy and career engagement relationship. We test hypotheses using data collected in a convenience sample of 299 working adults. Findings indicate that IAFO moderates the self-efficacy – career engagement relationship such that career engagement decreased when we consider both factors together. The paper concludes with probable managerial and theoretical implications as well as the study’s relevant strengths, limitations and directions for future research.
Articles
Effects of Transfers from Children on the Retirements Plans of the Parents
Empirical Economics Review. 3(1): (March 2014)
Articles
Fertility, Sibling Spacing, and Adolescent Exposure to Young Children
Authors: Gonzalez, L., A. Cseh, and B. C. Koford, 2013. Using six waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) we construct a cross-sectional data set composed of the adult children of the HRS respondents. We use this cross-sectional data set to analyze how being exposed to children during one's adolescent years impacts the number of children people choose to have. For younger siblings we measure their exposure to young children by the number of nieces and nephews they have from older siblings (older by some margin). For older siblings we measure their exposure to young children by the number of younger siblings they have (that are younger by some margin). Our findings suggest that adolescent exposure to young children decreases the number of children that people have. We also find that people with older siblings have more children as the age gap increases between them and their older siblings.
Articles
Human Capital Development: The Case of Sibling Spacing
Authors: Attila Cseh, Luis Gonzalez, and Brandon Koford. Southwestern Journal of Economics. Vol. X, No 1, 2013
Articles
Welfare Reform and the Level and Composition of Income
Authors: Bollinger, Christopher, Luis Gonzalez, and James P. Ziliak.
Articles
2019 Society of Business, Industry, and Economics
Destin, FL.
Presentations
2018 LCOBA Steele Grant Brown Bag
Valdosta, GA.
Presentations
2017 Society of Business, Industry, and Economics
Destin, FL.
Presentations
2017 LCOBA Steele Grant Brown Bag
Valdosta, GA.
Presentations
2015 The Association of Private Enterprise Education
Cancun, MX.
Presentations
2013 Kentucky Economic Association
Lexington, KY.
Presentations
2012 Missouri Valley Economic Association
Memphis, TN.
Presentations
2011 Southern Economic Association
Washington, DC.
Presentations
2008 Southern Economic Association
Washington, DC.
Presentations
2006 Southern Economic Association
Charleston, SC.
Presentations
2006 Kentucky Economic Association
Lexington, KY.
Presentations
2004 Kentucky Economic Association
Lexington, KY.
Presentations
The Sibling Crowd-In Effect of Time and Cash Assistance to Elderly Parents
Co-authored by Luis Gonzalez and Carlos Lopes. Journal of Economic Studies. Vol. 47. No. 1 January 2020
Articles
Unobserved Heterogeneity and Bias in Tests of the Leviathan Hypothesis
This paper highlights a potential source of bias in empirical tests that attempt to link the level of fiscal centralization to the total amount of public spending in a given jurisdiction. This paper is the first to propose biased estimation as a possible explanation for the mixed results in this line of literature and is also the first to test for this bias by controlling for both time-variant and time-invariant population heterogeneity. We begin by establishing a link between government centralization and the level of heterogeneity of preferences among constituents. We then combine this link with results from recent studies that link heterogeneity to lower levels of public provision, which highlights the source of our proposed bias. Our model uses ethnic fractionalization as well as income inequality as measures of time-variant heterogeneity of preferences. We find that the omission of time-invariant heterogeneity has an impact on the estimated relationship between centralization and public spending. Depending on the specification, the resulting bias can be severe enough to change the estimated direction of the relationship between centralization and spending.(H77, H73)
Articles