The Hidden Cost of Firearm Violence on Infants in Utero

Abstract. We examine the impact of firearm violence on newborn health in the U.S. using two approaches. First, we analyze the “beltway sniper” attacks in

zurl.co

Do Elite Universities Overpay Their Faculty?

Abstract. No. Elite institutions offer high salaries because they hire the most valued faculty. Moreover, in contrast to the broader labor market, faculty

zurl.co

Court Capture, Local Protectionism, and Economic Integration: Evidence from China

Abstract. Court capture in developing countries is pervasive, yet its economic effects remain underexplored. We study a Chinese reform that transferred

zurl.co

Measurement Error and Counterfactuals in Quantitative Trade and Spatial Models

Abstract. Counterfactuals in quantitative trade and spatial models are functions of the current state of the world and the model parameters. Common

zurl.co

Public Health, Human Capital, and Economic Growth: The Lasting Effects of Disease Control in China

Abstract. This paper investigates the long-term impacts of China’s nationwide public health campaigns targeting malaria, measles, and meningitis between

zurl.co

The Apple Does Not Fall Far From the Tree: Intergenerational Persistence of Dietary Habits

Abstract. This paper provides novel evidence on how dietary habits – a key health behavior – are transmitted across generations, exploiting unique grocery

zurl.co

Job Transitions and Employee Earnings after Acquisitions: Linking Corporate and Worker Outcomes

Abstract. This paper connects changes in employer characteristics through job transitions to employee earnings following mergers and acquisitions. Using

zurl.co

The Employment Consequences of Anti-Dumping Tariffs: Lessons from Brazil

Abstract. How do import tariffs affect employment? We develop an empirical strategy to identify the effects of tariffs using a difference-in-differences

zurl.co

Cross-Country Heterogeneous Response to Competition: Theory and Evidence from Trade Data

Abstract. We document that in response to intensified competition from China in the U.S., poor countries reduce their export prices relative to rich

zurl.co

Globalization, Innovation, and Margins of Sourcing

Abstract. This paper uncovers that input tariff reductions result in less domestic innovation, but standard models of trade ensure a positive correlation

zurl.co

Firm Responses to Hiring and Investment Subsidies: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from the California Competes Tax Credit

Abstract. We examine firm responses to state hiring and investment subsidies. We leverage institutional features of the California Competes Tax Credit

zurl.co

Fairness in Winner-Take-All Competitions

Abstract. This paper investigates fairness perceptions of extreme income inequality generated in winner-take-all competitions. Two large-scale experiments

zurl.co

Fundamentally Reforming the DI System: Evidence from Germany

Abstract. In 2001, Germany abolished public occupational disability insurance (ODI)—the second tier of its public DI system—for cohorts born after 1960.

zurl.co

Competition and Nonprofit’s Strategic Responses: Evidence from Fundraising in Donative Markets

Abstract. Nonprofit organizations rely on donations from large competitive marketplaces to provide key social service goods. Most research focuses on

zurl.co

Common Agent or Double Agent? Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Prescription Drug Market

Abstract. Pharmacy benefit managers dominate the U.S. pharmaceutical market but are controversial and poorly understood. We analyze PBMs as market

zurl.co

Sibling Spillovers and Free Schooling

Abstract. We use administrative data to measure sibling spillovers on academic performance before and after the introduction of Free Secondary Education

zurl.co

Inflation, War Bonds, and Voter Backlash in the 1950s

Abstract. We study the role of war bonds and inflation in post-WWII federal elections. After WWII, major bouts of inflation in 1946-48 and 1950-51

zurl.co

Growth-at-Risk Is Investment-at-Risk

Abstract. We investigate the role financial conditions play in the composition of U.S. growth-at-risk. We document that, by a wide margin, growth-at-risk

zurl.co

The Curious Surge of Productivity in U.S. Restaurants

Abstract. After remaining flat for decades, labor productivity at U.S. restaurants surged 15% during the COVID pandemic. The surge has persisted. We

zurl.co

Urban Forests: Environmental Health Values and Risks

Abstract. Urban forests are ubiquitous, yet their impacts and values remain largely unknown. We study a massive urban afforestation policy in Beijing that

zurl.co

Sports Betting Legalization Amplifies Emotional Cues and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract. This study explores the relationship between legalized sports gambling, unexpected emotional cues stemming from NFL home team upset losses and

zurl.co

Intergenerational Mobility in the Land of Inequality

Abstract. We provide the first estimates of intergenerational income mobility using tax data for a large developing country, namely Brazil. We measure

zurl.co

Trade and U.S. Inequality in the Tokyo Round

Abstract. Against a backdrop of sharply rising inequality, the Tokyo Round of the GATT resulted in a 1.6 percentage point reduction in average US tariffs

zurl.co

Spillovers through Multimarket Firms: The Uniform Product Replacement Channel

Abstract. We study how regional housing market disruptions spill over across US local markets through multimarket firm networks. Using granular

zurl.co

How Do Large Epidemics Redistribute Market Power? Evidence from the 2003 SARS Shock in China

Abstract. Market power is costly to build and, once established, is typically persistent and difficult to change. This paper investigates the impact of

zurl.co

Black Suburbanization: Causes and Consequences of a Transformation of American Cities

Abstract. Since 1970, the share of Black individuals living in suburbs of large cities has risen from 16% to 36%. We first show that Black suburbanization

zurl.co

The Unintended Consequences of Infrastructure Development

Abstract. I investigate the social costs imposed by poor implementation of public infrastructure. Focusing on the period from 2005 to 2015 in Peru, when

direct.mit.edu

Hindsight Bias and Trust in Government

Abstract. We empirically assess whether hindsight bias affects citizens’ evaluation of their political actors. Using an incentivized elicitation

direct.mit.edu

Optimal Ownership and Firm Performance: An Analysis of China’s FDI Liberalization

Abstract. Seminal theories of the firm posit that firm ownership is allocated to minimize contractual inefficiencies. Yet, it remains unclear how much the

direct.mit.edu

Can Competitiveness Predict Education and Labor Market Outcomes? Evidence from Incentivized Choice and Survey Measures

Abstract. We assess the predictive power of two measures of competitiveness for education and labor market outcomes using a large, representative survey

direct.mit.edu