http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/587 2026-08-14T21:42:55Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/87279 Título: Análises em economia da educação: avaliação das escolas estaduais de educação profissional do Ceará. Autor(es): Melo, Antonio Lucas de Abreu Abstract: This thesis, situated within the field of Economics of Education, analyzes the policy of creating State Schools of Professional Education (EEEP) in the state of Ceará, Brazil, combining theoretical and impact assessment evaluations of its effects on socioeconomic development. Starting from a context marked by inequality, low workforce qualification, and difficulties in youth labor market insertion, the study investigates the extent to which vocational education can contribute to employability, income, and the reduction of social externalities such as youthcrime. The research is structured into three complementary essays. The first reconstructs the policy logic through Program Theory and the Logical Framework, highlighting internal consistency between diagnosis, objectives, instruments, and expected outcomes, with emphasis on mechanisms such as the integration of general and technical education, extended school hours, and linkages with the productive sector. The second essay evaluates the impacts of the policy on income and employability of young individuals aged 15 to 29 across municipalities in Ceará from 2008 to 2024, using a Differences-in-Differences approach following Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021), finding no statistically significant aggregate effects, althoughheterogeneous impacts are observed at the sectoral level. The third essay investigates the effects of the policy on homicide rates among young males aged 15 to 19, employing the sameDifferences-in-Differences methodology, and finds no statistically significant impacts. Overall, the results indicate that, despite its theoretical consistency and localized effects, the policy hasnot produced significant aggregate changes, highlighting the importance of expanding access,targeting vulnerable groups, and coordinating with other public policies to enhance itseffectiveness. Tipo: Tese 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/87278 Título: Desmatamento no bioma amazônia: evidências empíricas a partir de imóveis rurais Autor(es): Firmiano, Marília Rodrigues Abstract: This thesis comprises two articles that investigate deforestation on rural properties in the Amazon biome. In the first chapter, the causal impact of municipalities’ inclusion in the List of Priority Municipalities (LPM) on deforestation associated with rural properties is analyzed, using geospatial data from the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), combined with deforestation data and socioeconomic variables, covering the period from 2010 to 2022. The empirical strategy is based on the Generalized Synthetic Control method, which allows for handling staggered policy adoption and unobserved heterogeneity. The results indicate that the LPM was effective in reducing deforestation, with effects that consolidate over time and exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity across municipalities that benefited from the policy. In the second chapter, the relationship between rural credit and deforestation is investigated, as well as how this relationship behaves under different policy contexts: in 2008, when Central Bank Resolution No. 3,545 was enacted and the Soy Moratorium was implemented; in 2014, when the CAR was introduced; and in 2019, when environmental enforcement policies were relaxed in Brazil. Using a dataset containing deforestation and socioeconomic variables for the period from 2008 to 2019, a continuous treatment approach based on the Generalized Propensity Score (GPS) and semiparametric estimators is employed. The results reveal a positive, non-linear relationship between credit and deforestation, indicating that higher levels of financing are associated with larger increases in deforestation. Additionally, the quantile analysis reveals heterogeneity across the distribution, with more pronounced effects in the upper quantiles, suggesting that areas with higher deforestation intensity respond more strongly to credit expansion, while no significant effects are observed in contexts of low anthropogenic pressure. Taken together, the results indicate that deforestation arises from the interaction between public policy instruments operating through distinct mechanisms. While command-and-control policies, such as the LPM, help reduce deforestation, economic instruments, such as rural credit, may—if not properly conditioned—amplify incentives for land-use conversion. Thus, this thesis contributes to the literature by shifting the analysis to the level of rural properties and by providing robust empirical evidence on the mechanisms through which different policy instruments shape deforestation dynamics, offering relevant insights for improving the design and coordination of environmental policies in the Amazon context. Tipo: Tese 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/87277 Título: Ensaios sobre o impacto dos instrumentos da PNDR em indicadores econômicos municipais: evidências em múltiplas regiões e setores. Autor(es): Souza, Hermelino Nepomuceno de Abstract: This dissertation investigates the socioeconomic effects of the National Policy for Regional Development (PNDR) instruments on municipalities in Brazil’s North, Northeast, and Central-West regions. The study is structured in three complementary essays that address different aspects of impact evaluation of these regional policies. The first essay conducts a systematic review of the scientific literature on PNDR instruments, identifying 44 empirical studies published between 2005 and 2025. The analysis reveals significant growth in academic production on the topic, particularly since 2014, with initial concentration on Constitutional Funds and recent diversification to tax incentives and development funds. The results show considerable heterogeneity in estimated effects, indicating the complexity of regional policy impacts and the need for more robust causal identification methods. The second essay employs dynamic panel models with System-GMM estimator to analyze the temporal effects of PNDR instruments on municipal economic development indicators. The results demonstrate heterogeneous patterns of effectiveness across instruments: Constitutional Funds show limited results on aggregate GDP per capita, with punctual and sectorally concentrated impacts; Development Funds demonstrate intertemporal volatility patterns, with positive short-term effects followed by negative impacts in subsequent periods; tax incentives present differentiated regional performance, with more consistent evidence for SUDENE compared to SUDAM. The third essay uses spatial econometrics techniques to capture spillover effects between neighboring municipalities, applying dynamic spatial panel models. The results confirm the existence of spatial autocorrelation and reveal predominance of direct effects over indirect effects, with Constitutional Funds showing positive direct effects: FNE (3.3%), FNO (5.4%) and FCO (6.6%), but limited evidence of significant spatial spillover. The evidence suggests that PNDR instruments produce differentiated temporal and spatial effects, with predominantly localized impacts and sectorally concentrated in agricultural and industrial sectors. However, the effects prove to be sporadic and insufficient to generate sustained growth necessary for reducing regional inequalities. The dissertation contributes to the debate on regional development policies by providing robust empirical evidence about the effectiveness of PNDR instruments, offering inputs for improving these policies with a view to promoting greater territorial equity in the country. Tipo: Tese 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/64592 Título: Determinantes de investimentos em capacitação tecnológica nas empresas brasileiras Autor(es): Santos, Sandra Maria dos Tipo: Tese 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z