The AgEconMT crew is joined by Dr. Brock Smith, an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics at Montana State University. Brock discusses his research interests, which are primarily in the areas of natural resource and development economics. He shares findings from two of his recent projects, which consider the trade-offs between the economics benefits of communities’ access to natural resources and potential indirect costs, such as increased crime rates in oil boom towns.
Have you been thinking about issues related to the economics of natural resources, such as oil and natural gas? Has the boom and bust cycle in eastern Montana and western North Dakota affected you?
(Intro and outro music by Trevor Sensor)