International Advances in Economic Research (IAER) was established to promote the dissemination of economic and financial research within the international community. Founded in 1995 by the International Atlantic Economic Society, a need was identified to provide the latest research on today's economic policies and tomorrow's economic and financial conditions. Economists can no longer be concerned with professional developments only in their home country. Research by scholars in one country can easily have implications for other countries, yet often vital results are not shared. Economic restructuring in a shrinking world demands close analysis and careful interpretation. In IAER, authors from around the globe look at these issues, coming together in the cross-fertilization of multinational ideas. The journal provides economists, financial specialists, and scholars in related disciplines with much-needed opportunities to share their insights with worldwide colleagues. Policy-oriented, empirical, and theoretical research papers in all economic and financial areas are welcome, without regard to methodological preferences or school of thought. All manuscripts are submitted to a double-blind, peer review process.