Research

Technological Change and the Market for Books, 1450-1550 (Job Market Paper)

Abstract: Conventional views consider printing a cost-reducing technology. This paper examines unusually granular product- and firm-level data and proposes a new framework for understanding this technology’s economic impact. I show that relative to its predecessor, manuscript production (i.e., hand-copying), printing introduced new incentives and constraints that altered both the product’s nature and the market’s structure. First, printing’s business model encouraged the production of shorter and simpler books targeting a poorer and less educated audience. Second, its cost structure led to product differentiation and prolific trade rather than direct competition and localized production, making available a greater variety of products offering diverse information and perspectives. Rather than making medieval books cheaper, printing’s core contribution to economic development might lie in fostering popular demand for literacy through a variety of simpler products that lacked an economic basis under manuscript production.

Rethinking “Distance From”: the Examples of Wittenberg and Mainz (appendix) - 2nd round R&R at European Review of Economic History

Abstract: An influential literature uses distance-based variables as proxies for exposure, or access, to treatment interventions that entailed potential economic impacts. This paper examines the assumptions underlying this practice and finds historical and econometric drawbacks that engender misleading conclusions. Historical data challenge the assumption that distance determined access to ideas or technology even in pre-industrial societies. Replication exercises and statistical simulations reveal that “distance from” variables frequently produce falsely significant estimates in first-stage IV and OLS regressions and potentially violate the exclusion restriction in the IV second stage. My findings suggest caution in using distance-based measures as proxies for the diffusion of information and resources.

Voting on the Reformation 

Abstract: A large literature measures the economic consequences of the Reformation, particularly Protestantism. An important yet overlooked question is what kinds of people became Protestants in the first place, and whether economic factors influenced their decisions. I study this question using rare individual-level data from 16th-century German urban referenda. I find that privileged citizens, whether defined by birth, political status, or residential address, supported Protestantism less than ordinary citizens. Guilds making a living from capital also showed less support than guilds relying on labor. As a possible explanation, Catholic institutions offered the elite exclusive rights and economic networks that Protestantism threatened to abolish. These results highlight the roles of self-selection and preexisting demand, shedding new light on the current literature’s findings and assumptions.

Teaching

I am passionate about helping students learn to think like economists. Having TAed for both technical and writing-intensive classes, I enjoy supporting students from all backgrounds as they develop analytical rigor, the ability to think critically and quantitatively about evidence and arguments, and clear communication skills.

TA for Econ 102A: Introduction to Statistical Methods (Dr. Scott McKeon) - Winter 2024-25

TA for Econ 101: Economic Policy Seminar (Dr. Christopher Makler) - Spring 2022-23

Grader for MGTECON 349 (Stanford GSB): Smart Pricing and Market Design (Prof. Michael Ostrovsky) - Winter 2019-20

Prior to Stanford:

Grader for Math 113: Abstract Algebra and Math 185: Complex Analysis, UC Berkeley - Fall 2018-19, Spring 2017-18