Innovation, entrepreneurship and the future of St. LouisÂ’ economy to be the subject of kick-off speech for the 2005 Olin Cup Entrepreneur Competition

William PeckThe economic future of St. Louis as well as the nation hinges on successful innovation and entrepreneurship. That’s part of the message Dr. Bill Peck, former director of Washington University School of Medicine and new chair of Technology Gateway, a regional economic development organization, will deliver Thursday, February 10. In his talk Peck will explore our definition of “entrepreneur” and examine the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship to education, medical and social progress. Peck will also challenge economic development policies and the current focus on corporate America.

School achievement higher for children in nuclear families than for children in blended or single-parent families

Family structure may have an effect on educational outcomes.Educational outcomes of children in stable blended families are substantially worse than those of children reared in traditional nuclear families, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Demography. Both stepchildren and their half-siblings who are the joint children of both parents achieved at similar levels, well below those of traditional nuclear families where all the children are the joint offspring of both parents, according to economists Donna Ginther of the University of Kansas and Robert Pollak of Washington University in St. Louis.

Fewer capital flow restrictions foster stronger economic growth

MacDonaldShaken by numerous accounting-related scandals in recent years, some investors are clamoring for better legal protection for their investments. But does investor protection through government regulation foster economic growth? To assess the widely-held view that it does, WUSTL economics professor Glenn MacDonald and two colleagues have completed a study concluding that the positive effect of investor protection on economic growth is stronger for countries with fewer restrictions on international capital flows.
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