Research
Peer Reviewed Research
"Identifying the causal effect of income on religiosity using the Earned Income Tax Credit" with Christiana Stoddard (Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2020)
Abstract: How do economic conditions – income and the generosity of social insurance–affect religious behavior? This paper provides novel evidence for the United States using variation in Earned Income Tax Credit benefits across states, over time, and by number of children. In the raw data, income and religiosity have a trivial relationship. In contrast, the instrumental variables strategy shows that increases in income from the EITC are found to sizably reduce religious attendance among low-income individuals. Among individuals who attend, the results indicate that an additional $1000 in annual income is associated with a decrease of roughly 1 service per year (as compared to an average of 16 services per year). The effect arises mainly along the intensive margin, decreasing devout behavior and increasing more marginal attendance, but having little impact on whether an individual participates at all or on beliefs. There are also minimal effects on the occurrence and amount of contributions to religious organizations. The results extend our understanding of the determinants of religiosity, the relationship between governmental income support and religious behavior, and the social effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
“Partisan Gerrymandering and Turnout” with Daniel Jones and Carly Urban (Journal of Law and Economics, 2023)
Abstract: How does partisan gerrymandering impact turnout for US House elections? Common measures of gerrymandering are a function of turnout, making assessments of the impacts on turnout difficult. We overcome this challenge by using two natural experiments. First, in a nationwide sample, we construct a measure of ex-ante predicted gerrymandering based on the partisan composition of districts and leverage variation stemming from Congressional redistricting. Second, we draw on Pennsylvania and Ohio voter registration files, and leverage the court-ordered redrawing of Pennsylvania districts in 2018 aimed at undoing partisan gerrymandering in the state. Both approaches reveal that higher levels of partisan gerrymandering cause a reduction in turnout. The Pennsylvania analysis shows that this happens through changing turnout the most in districts that were uncompetitive because of gerrymandering; additionally, undoing gerrymandering has the strongest positive effects on turnout of younger voters and independent/unaffiliated voters.
Working Papers
"Subsidized Housing and Prisoner Re-entry: The Impact of Wait Time on Re-incarceration"
Abstract: Securing housing is one of the most important factors for successful reentry after prison stays. However, little is known about how existing affordable housing policies influence rates of re-incarceration. This paper studies how availability of subsidized housing impacts the probability that a recently incarcerated person returns to prison. Exploiting orthogonality of release timing to local subsidized housing conditions, I show that the probability of recidivism increases as the wait time for a public housing unit decreases, suggesting potentially criminogenic effects of public housing. These effects are strongest in counties where public housing units are highly concentrated in a given location and in counties with high reported crime rates. In contrast to the findings for public housing, I find no relationship between wait time for housing choice vouchers on return prison stays. Results from this study suggest increased re-incarceration as a negative externality associated with place-based housing subsidies but not associated with tenant-based subsidies.
“Resettlement Agency Resource Strain and Refugee Outcomes: Evidence from Catholic Sex Abuse Scandals” with Kanatip Winichakul and Ning Zhang
Abstract: In partnership with government agencies, voluntary organizations have provided key resources to successfully resettle millions of refugees in the United States over the past four decades. However, the structure of the U.S. resettlement program leaves refugees exposed to variability in the resources and general capacity of non governmental partner entities to support them. In this paper, we study the effect of partner resettlement organization support on refugee outcomes. We use reductions in refugee support provided by the largest partner entity, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, resulting from revelations of sexual abuse allegations across U.S. dioceses. Combining this information with recent administrative data and a novel approach to identify refugees at the diocese level, we find that resource strain resulting from newly disclosed abuse scandals leads to reductions in refugee participation in federal social safety net programs. We also find suggestive evidence of negative effects on labor market outcomes such as employment and wages. When evaluating mechanisms, we discuss the impact of the scandals on financial and non-financial support at partner resettlement organizations, who rely on both types of resources to help refugees access public social safety net programs. With diminished resource capacity, partner entities are unable to offer comprehensive services to this vulnerable population.
"Well Excuse Me! Replicating and Connecting Excuse-Seeking Behavior" with Beatriz Ahumada, Yufei Chen, Neeraja Gupta, Kelly Hyde, Marissa Lepper, William Mathews, Lise Vesterlund, Taylor Weidman, Alistair Wilson, K. Pun Winichakul, and Liyang Zhou
Abstract: Excuse-seeking behavior that facilitates replacing altruistic choices with self-interested ones has been documented in several domains. In a laboratory study, we replicate three leading papers on this topic: Dana et al.(2007), and the use of information avoidance; Exley (2015), and the use of differential risk preferences; and Di Tella et al. (2015), and the use of motivated beliefs. The replications were conducted as part of a graduate course, attempting to embed one answer to the growing call for experimental replications within the pedagogic process. We fully replicate the simpler Dana et al. paper, and broadly replicate the core findings for the other two projects, though with reduced effect sizes and a failure to replicate on some secondary measures. Finally, we attempt to connect behaviors to facilitate the understanding of how each fit within the broader literature. However, we find no connections across domains.
Works in progress
"Political geography and pork barrel spending"
"Hell and the High School: 1920s anti-evolution policies and educational attainment"