Working papers

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court struck down a core provision of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) that enabled federal electoral oversight in select jurisdictions. We study whether this decision disproportionately impacted ballot access for Black and Hispanic registered voters. We use a rich dataset on voter behavior for the universe of registered voters combined with Census block-level sociodemographic attributes to document a decrease in turnout for Black, relative to white, individuals. We observe suggestive but less robust evidence of decreases in Hispanic turnout. These effects are concentrated in counties with larger Black and Hispanic populations, consistent with strategic targeting of voter suppression.

We investigate the impact of high temperatures on productivity using microdata from the U.S. airline industry. By linking high-frequency on-time flight performance measures with meteorological data, we show that higher temperatures significantly reduce airline productivity by increasing cancellation and delay rates and lengthening delay times. Using the American Time-Use Survey (ATUS), our complementary analyses suggest that the impact of higher temperatures operate in part through decreased labor supply (fewer hours worked and greater worker absenteeism) as well as reduced sleep quality and well-being, which may affect on-the-job productivity.

Publications

Press: New York Times, Brookings Institution

Press: Education Week

Press: Education Week, Houston Chronicle

Press: Vox