Gökhan Kumpas

Gökhan Kumpas

Gökhan Kumpas

Pronounced go-KAHN KUM-pass

Assistant Professor of Economics, California State University, Los Angeles
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies, San Diego State University

I study the intended and unintended consequences of public policies.

Using quasi-experimental methods, I focus on health, crime, education, social insurance, and rural broadband policy. My work has been published in the Journal of Human Resources, the Journal of Law and Economics, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Telecommunications Policy, Injury Epidemiology, and Economics Bulletin. Some of this work has been cited in policy reports, including by the World Health Organization and the OECD, and my research has received support from the Social Security Administration.

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Research program

Six lines of work

01Rural broadbandWhat the 2009 federal broadband stimulus did for rural places, judged against the applicants it turned down.1 published1 revise & resubmit2 under review3 working papers02Trade shocks and local distressHow NAFTA’s tariff cuts reached the health, families, and safety of the most exposed communities.3 working papers03The safety net in old age and disabilityWho the safety net reaches, and how program design changes who claims it.1 under review2 working papers04Family policy and child healthMedicaid, tax, and leave policies seen through household budgets, and the hazards young children face.2 published4 working papers05Crime, violence, and drug policyHow sports, policing laws, marijuana legalization, and political change shape crime and violence.2 published1 revise & resubmit4 working papers06Adolescent and public healthPolicies aimed at young people and at public health, from anti-bullying laws to sports betting.1 published1 under review4 working papers

Selected findings

Anti-bullying lawsState anti-bullying laws are associated with a 13 to 16 percent lower suicide rate among girls aged 14 to 18.Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2022 ↗Title IXExpanding high school sports for girls reduced their arrests as adults.Journal of Human Resources, 2024 ↗Marijuana legalizationLegalization cut marijuana arrests of Black adults by more than 90 percent, yet left the wider racial gaps in arrests in place.Journal of Law and Economics, 2026 ↗Child heatstrokeAt the same air temperature, a high‑sun day carries nearly five times the odds of a child hot‑car death as a low‑sun day.Injury Epidemiology, 2026 ↗

Teaching

Microeconomics, health economics, and research design

Undergraduate and M.A. courses at Cal State LA, and supervision of M.A. theses.

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For students

Financial Wellness Program

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