Top alignment with longtable

Question

I have a problem with the top alignment of the text in the 4th column of my table. The text does not want to start at the top of the cell. I use "longtable" command since my table is too long. How can I force the text to start at the top of the cell?

Here is the example of the first part of my table:

\begin{landscape}
\pagestyle{empty}%


\centering
\footnotesize  % Switch from 12pt to 11pt; otherwise, table won't fit
\captionsetup{skip=5pt}
\setlength\LTleft{-0.5in}
\setlength\LTright{-1in}

\begin{longtable}{cccp{16cm}}

    \caption {Construction of regulatory variables for survey III (2007)}\label{Tab:3}\\\toprule
    \endfirsthead
    \caption* {Table \ref{Tab:3} (Continued): Construction of regulatory variables for survey III (2007)}\\\toprule


    \textbf{Variables} & \textbf{Range} &   \textbf{Quantification} & \textbf{\makecell[c]{Questions}}\\
    \hline
    \endhead % all the lines above this will be repeated on every page


    \textbf{Variables} & \textbf{Range} &   \textbf{Quantification} & \textbf{\makecell[c]{Questions}}\\
    \hline
    \textbf{Barriers to entry }\\
    \hline


    \makecell{Initial capital \\ index} & 1-5   &\makecell[l]{For (1): answer between 0 and 1 \\ For (2)-(3): yes=1, no=0\\For (4)-(5): yes=0, no=1}    &(1) Minimum capital entry requirement\footnote{Minimum capital entry requirement is given in local currency. Thus, we converted all these data in millions of dollars. We assigned 1 to the highest minimum capital entry requirement to have values between 0 and 1. The final index may vary since the exchange rate is not the same for the whole period.}; (2) Is it legally required that applicants submit information on the source of funds to be used as capital?; (3) Are the sources of funds to be used as capital verified by the regulatory/supervisory authorities?; (4) Can the initial disbursement or subsequent injections of capital be done with assets other than cash or government securities?; (5) Can initial disbursement of capital be done with borrowed funds?\\


    Foreign entry index  & 1-4  & \makecell[l]{For all questions: yes=1, no=0} & (1) Are foreign entities prohibited from entering through: (a )Acquisition (b) Subsidiary (c) Branch (d)Joint-venture \\

    \makecell{Permission \\ activity index} & 1-8   & \makecell[l]{For all questions: yes=1, no=0}  & (1) Legal submissions required for banking license: (a) Draft by-laws (b) Intended organization chart (c) First 3-year financial projections (d) Financial information on shareholders (e) Background/experience of future directors (f) Background/experience of future managers (g) Sources of funds in capitalization of new bank (h) Intended market differentiation of new bank \\ 

Answer 1

The easiest solution, I think, consists in not using any \makecell directives.

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{array,longtable,pdflscape,caption,booktabs,
            newtxtext,newtxmath,ragged2e}
\usepackage[a4paper,margin=2.5cm]{geometry} % set page parameters suitably
\begin{document}
\begin{landscape}
\pagestyle{empty}

\footnotesize  % Switch from 12pt to 11pt; otherwise, table won't fit
\captionsetup{skip=5pt,font=small}

\begin{longtable}{@{} >{\RaggedRight}p{3cm} l p{4.5cm} >{\RaggedRight}p{15cm} @{}}

\caption{Construction of regulatory variables for survey III (2007)}\label{Tab:3}\\
\toprule
\textbf{Variables} & \textbf{Range} & \textbf{Quantification} & \textbf{Questions}\\
\midrule
\endfirsthead


\multicolumn{4}{@{}l@{}}{Table \ref{Tab:3} (Continued): Construction of regulatory variables for survey III (2007)} \\
\addlinespace
\toprule
\textbf{Variables} & \textbf{Range} & \textbf{Quantification} & \textbf{Questions}\\
\midrule
\endhead % all the lines above this will be repeated on every page except the first page

\bottomrule
\endlastfoot


\multicolumn{3}{@{}l}{\textbf{Barriers to entry}}\\
\addlinespace

Initial capital index & 1--5&
For (1): answer between 0 and 1 \newline 
For (2)\&(3): yes=1, no=0\newline
For (4)\&(5): yes=0, no=1&
(1) Minimum capital entry requirement\footnote{Minimum capital entry requirement is given in local currency. Thus, we converted all these data in millions of dollars. We assigned 1 to the highest minimum capital entry requirement to have values between 0 and~1. The final index may vary since the exchange rate is not the same for the whole period.}\newline 
(2) Is it legally required that applicants submit information on the source of funds to be used as capital?\newline 
(3) Are the sources of funds to be used as capital verified by the regulatory\slash supervisory authorities?\newline
(4) Can the initial disbursement or subsequent injections of capital be done with assets other than cash or government securities?\newline
(5) Can initial disbursement of capital be done with borrowed funds?\\
\addlinespace

Foreign entry index & 1--4&
For all questions: yes=1, no=0 & 
(1) Are foreign entities prohibited from entering through: (a) Acquisition (b) Subsidiary (c)~Branch (d)~Joint-venture \\
\addlinespace

Permission activity index & 1--8&
For all questions: yes=1, no=0& 
(1) Legal submissions required for banking license: (a) Draft by-laws (b) Intended organization chart (c)~First 3-year financial projections (d) Financial information on shareholders (e) Background\slash experience of future directors (f) Background\slash experience of future managers (g) Sources of funds in capitalization of new bank (h)~Intended market differentiation of new bank \\

\end{longtable}
\end{landscape}
\end{document}