The opioid epidemic is not only a public‑health crisis, but a continuing influence and contention point of North American politics. I sat down with Professor @caroartc.bsky.social to discuss the fallout of the opioid epidemic, and the consequences on American politics! youtu.be/7KqN5XVbkiw?...

Consequences of the Opioid Epidemic | Marginal Babble Ep.33 with Professor Carolina Arteaga Cabrales

YouTube video by Marginal Babble

youtu.be

Have yet to listen to this, but am very excited! @caroartc.bsky.social is great and @jerusalem.bsky.social is doing a fantastic job interviewing all the right people (especially me 😜) to understand the rise of the populist right! youtu.be/gROQEScoyNY?...

Did the Opioid Epidemic Help Republicans Win? | The Argument

YouTube video by The Argument

youtu.be

For absolutely no reason, let me remind people of this banger of a paper by @caroartc.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.jp...

#QJE Feb 2026, #9, “Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic,” by Arteaga (@caroartc.bsky.social) and Barone (@vickybarone.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic*

Abstract. In this article, we establish a causal connection between two of the most salient social developments in the United States over the past decades:

doi.org

Incredible social science & data use here. The immediate story is about how the opioid epidemic (pushed by pharma in high cancer areas), resulted in major opioid death & economic hardship which - through various media/political channels - resulted in a sustained rise in support for the Republicans

The Quarterly Journal of Economics@qjeharvard.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Recently accepted by #QJE, “Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic,” by Arteaga (@caroartc.bsky.social) and Barone (@vickybarone.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

This is a very cool paper with a clever identification strategy to test the causal impact of the opioid epidemic on various political outcomes. A key point that’s not in the abstract —causal mechanism is voters agreed with GOP tough on crime rhetoric and policy.

The Quarterly Journal of Economics@qjeharvard.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Recently accepted by #QJE, “Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic,” by Arteaga (@caroartc.bsky.social) and Barone (@vickybarone.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

Entirely consistent with what we have experienced, but it still confounds me that people needing and receiving MORE public support increased their votes for Republicans. The people/party that, for the last 45 years++, has wanted to take that support away

The Quarterly Journal of Economics@qjeharvard.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Recently accepted by #QJE, “Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic,” by Arteaga (@caroartc.bsky.social) and Barone (@vickybarone.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

Incredibly proud of this 🤩🥹! So much work and determination behind this publication. What a journey this was! Honored to have done it with you @vickybarone.bsky.social 🚀❤️

The Quarterly Journal of Economics@qjeharvard.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Recently accepted by #QJE, “Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic,” by Arteaga (@caroartc.bsky.social) and Barone (@vickybarone.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

The president of Harvard could literally belittle and harass women pursuing degrees in economics, and most economists will still argue that gender bias doesn't explain why there are so few women pursuing degrees in economics!

A great honor to be part of the XI Workshop for Young Economists organized by the Lima School of Economics and @UDEP. 📅 Save the date: August 10–11, 2026 🗓️ Deadline: March 13 🇵🇪 See you in Lima!

This happened 😱 !! Extremely honored to become an #NBER Faculty Research Fellow @nberpubs ! Thanks to those who nominated to the #EconomicsofHealth Program !!! Very happy to be appointed alongside many great colleagues and friends www.nber.org/news/nber-ap...

NBER Appoints 63 New Affiliates

nber.org

In honor of long COVID awareness day, I wanted to speak about what my experience is like, 25 months in. I am much better but still only leave the house a couple times a week. 1/

Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes about the fentanyl crisis and the Democrats’ failure to respond to it. The Party was “a little too ready to dismiss the hubbub over opioids as partisan hysteria, and a little too slow to notice that people were actually troubled.”

Did the Opioid Epidemic Fuel Donald Trump’s Return to the White House?

New research suggests that the Democrats’ struggles in communities battling fentanyl addiction had little to do with economic theory or messaging—it was, more simply, a failure of political attention.

newyorker.com

Worth reading. No idea how much weight to give the thesis that Dems lost these regions because Republicans gave the fentanyl crisis much more political and media attention, along with purported trade and border-focused solutions.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 2y ago

A study found that communities targeted by sales reps pushing OxyContin in the ’90s moved towards the Republicans by an extra 4.6% in the 2020 House elections. "In a country on a partisan knife's edge, this is a remarkable effect," Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes.

Perhaps the single most disturbing post-election statistic/correlation I have read this month.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 2y ago

A study found that communities targeted by sales reps pushing OxyContin in the ’90s moved towards the Republicans by an extra 4.6% in the 2020 House elections. "In a country on a partisan knife's edge, this is a remarkable effect," Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes.

The enduring legacy of the opioid epidemic has important lessons for partisan politics that are often overlooked @newyorker.com thanks for the conversation & for featuring our work

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 2y ago

A study found that communities targeted by sales reps pushing OxyContin in the ’90s moved towards the Republicans by an extra 4.6% in the 2020 House elections. "In a country on a partisan knife's edge, this is a remarkable effect," Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes.

Same cruelty, violence and dehumanization, only the victim changes. Ecuador now endures the tragedy of cocaine trafficking @economist.com econ.st/3V72oav

Post a picture you took (no description) to bring some zen to the timeline

Asking for your help #EconSky !! I’m interested in your favorite paper using an IV strategy with data available for PhD 2nd year class on methods. Thank you :)