Work In Progress
We examine the socioeconomic effects of forced migration by focusing on individuals who were displaced by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dam projects in the 1930s. We use data from the relocation program associated with the TVA and link it to US Census data. We compare individuals who were impacted by the dam-induced flooding with individuals in the same counties that were not affected by the dam construction due to their proximity to the Tennessee River. We find evidence that individuals who were impacted by the dam projects are more likely to participate in the labor force, with an influx into unskilled occupations. They are also more likely to pay higher rent prices conditional on renting. We examine racial disparities in outcomes and find that, after the relocation, Black men are more likely to be employed in unskilled occupations compared to White families and White men.
The Effects of Forced Displacement on Conviction Rates: Evidence from the Tennessee Valley Authority
I examine the impact of conviction rates on people who received the influx of relocatees from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s dam construction projects in the 1930s. I use a Poisson difference-in-differences framework to compare conviction rates of those receiving the influx of relocatees to those who would have if the dam construction would have continued downriver. I find that areas in Alabama receiving a sudden influx of migrants experienced an increase in conviction rates compared to those who didn’t. Conviction rates are not significantly different for Black and White people.
The Effect of Texas' Red Light Camera Ban on Police Ticketing
The Impact of Modern-Day Lynching on Caution