Research
Publications
Stable Income, Stable Family
Review of Economics and Statistics, Forthcoming, Joint with Jason Lindo and Krishna Regmi
Abstract:
We document the effect of unemployment insurance generosity on divorce and fertility using an identification strategy that leverages state-level changes in maximum benefits over time and comparisons across workers who have been laid off and those that have not been laid off. The results indicate that higher maximum benefit levels mitigate the effects of layoffs. In particular, they mitigate increases in divorce associated with men's layoffs; increases in separations associated with women's layoffs; reductions in fertility associated with men's layoffs; and increases in fertility associated with women's layoffs.
The Effects of Expanding Access to Mental Health Services on SS(D)I Applications and Awards
Labour Economics, Forthcoming, Joint with Matt Mesel and Carly Urban
Abstract:
The growing number of individuals suffering from a serious mental illness underscores
the
important role of interventions such as treatments, policies, and programs to support
those
in need. Such support efforts often interact in unanticipated ways. This paper considers
the
degree to which access to mental health treatment services affects participation in
federal
disability programs including the Supplemental Security Income and the Social Security
Disability Insurance (SS(D)I) programs. Our main approach uses an identification strategy
that leverages county-level variation in the number of mental health treatment establishments
to estimate changes in access to mental health treatment on SS(D)I program participation.
We
also explore a series of event studies and heterogeneity analyses. Our results show
that an
increase in mental health facilities increases participation in SS(D)I programs. A
10 percent
increase in a county’s number of office-based mental health establishments increasesthe
SSI
application rate by 1.2 percent and the SSDI application rate by 0.7 percent. While
the overall
sample suggests that this does not translate to an increase in SS(D)I awards,we do
find
increases in awards in counties that have lower household incomes, less educatedhouseholds,
and a higher proportion of residents below the poverty line. This suggests that increasing
access to mental health resources can be a pathway through which people sufferingfrom
severe
mental illness can be diagnosed and access social safety nets.
Effects of Violent Media Content: Evidence from the Rise of the UFC
Journal of Health Economics, Forthcoming, Joint with Jason Lindo and Glen Waddell
Abstract:
We document the effect of violent media on crime. Specifically, we evaluate the effects of The Ultimate Fighter, a hit TV show that features fighters competing in violent mixed martial arts and which brought Ultimate Fighting Championship into the mainstream. We estimate the effect of exposure to the show’s earliest episodes using panel data from police agencies across the United States and a strategy that uses network ratings prior to the show’s premier as an instrumental variable. We show that this exposure significantly reduced crime: these effects are particularly evident for assault, began in the month the show premiered, and persisted for many years. These estimates do not reflect systematic differences across geographic areas in their trends in crime rates prior to 2005. To complement our main results, we also investigate the effects of “UFC Main Events,” which air in bars and on Pay-Per-View. This analysis additionally suggests reductions in violence caused by viewership.
The Effect of Concealed-Carry and Handgun Restrictions on Gun-Related Deaths: Evidence from the Sullivan Act of 1911
Economic Journal, Forthcoming, Joint with Briggs Depew
Abstract:
In the wake of two public shootings, the state of New York passed the Sullivan Act
in 1911. The first of its kind and a model for subsequent “may-issue” concealed-carry
laws, the act outlawed carrying concealable firearms without a police-issued license,
established a stringent set of rules for obtaining a license, and introduced regulations
governing the sale and possession of handguns. The Sullivan Act influenced the evolution
of gun control in the United States and was regarded as a model for national regulation
by gun control advocates, yet little is known of its efficacy in curbing gun violence
in New York. To analyze the effects of the Sullivan Act, we collected unique historical
data including state mortality records, pistol permit and license data, and information
on citations for carrying without a license. Our empirical approach employs both
synthetic control and difference-in-differences methodologies to estimate the effects
of the Sullivan Act. Our descriptive analysis of gun licenses, permits, and citations
for illegal carrying reveal clear initial effects of the Sullivan Act on gun-related
behaviors. Our main analyses show no evidence of the Sullivan Act having an effect
on evidence of a reduction in overall suicide rates, and clear evidence that the Act
led to a large and sustained decrease in gun-related suicide rates.
Is Any Press Good Press? The Unanticipated Effects fo Title IX Investigations on University Outcomes
Economics of Education Review, 73, 2019, Joint with Jason Lindo, Dave Marcotte, and Jane Palmer
The Decision to Carry: The Effect of Crime on Concealed-Carry Applications
Journal of Human Resources, 1016-8287R2, 2018, Joint with Briggs Depew
Substance-Abuse Treatment Centers and Local Crime
Journal of Urban Economics, 104, 2018, Joint with Samuel Bondurant and Jason Lindo
College Party Culture and Sexual Assault
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 10(1), 2018, Joint with Jason Lindo and Peter Siminski
Substance-Abuse Treatment and Mortality
Journal of Public Economics, 122, 2015
Alcohol and Student Performance: Estimating the Effect of Legal Access
Journal of Health Economics 32(1), 2013, Joint with Jason Lindo and Glen Waddell
Are Big-Time Sports a Threat to Student Achievement?
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4(4), 2012, Joint with Jason Lindo and Glen Waddell
Working Papers
Unemployment Insurance and Deaths of Despair
Joint with Andrew Hill and Krishna Regmi
Work in Progress
Legal Gun Ownership and Crime: Evidence from Publicizing Concealed-Carry Information
Unexpected Cues from Lottery Participation: Effects on Violent Crime