I study the intended and unintended consequences of public policy. A law or program aimed at one goal often changes outcomes it was never designed to touch, and a full accounting of its costs and benefits has to measure both.
My research uses quasi-experimental methods to study these consequences, with a focus on health, crime, education, social insurance, and rural broadband policy. I exploit natural experiments from policy changes at the state and national level, using large administrative and survey datasets to estimate causal effects. For my work on the 2009 federal broadband stimulus, I built an original county-level dataset of rejected applicants from archived NTIA application records.
Publications
“Cabin Heat Exposure and Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke: A Case-Crossover Study of 970 U.S. Deaths, 1998–2025.”
Injury Epidemiology, 2026. Published online 6 October 2026.
“Household Composition and Infant Baby Food Expenditure Around the 2022 Federal Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension: A Triple-Difference from the Consumer Expenditure Survey.”
Economics Bulletin, forthcoming.
“Federal Broadband Investment and Rural Business Formation: Evidence from Rejected Applicants.”
Telecommunications Policy, 2026, 50(10): 103327.
“Recreational Marijuana Laws and Racial Disparities: New Evidence on Arrests and Deaths of Despair.”
The Journal of Law and Economics, 2026, 69(2): 251–284. With Zachary S. Fone and Joseph J. Sabia.
“Ignorance Is Bliss: Understanding How the Number of Eco-Labels Affects High vs. Low-Knowledge Consumers.”
Business Forum, 2025, 30(1): 34–47. With Irem Yoruk and Mine Ucok Hughes.
“Did Expanding Sports Opportunities for Women Reduce Crime? Evidence from a Natural Experiment.”
Journal of Human Resources, 2024, 59(3): 810–851. With Drew McNichols and Joseph J. Sabia.
See also the companion working paper applying Title IX variation to adult women’s welfare program participation.
“Anti-Bullying Laws and Suicidal Behaviors Among Teenagers.”
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2022, 41(3): 787–823. With Daniel I. Rees and Joseph J. Sabia. Wiley Top Cited Article, 2022–2023. Cited by the World Health Organization, the OECD, and the Center for Global Development.
See also the follow-up working paper tracing spillover effects from anti-bullying laws to youth organ donation.
Working Papers and Current Projects
Revise-and-resubmits, papers under review, working papers, and work in progress are listed on a dedicated page, with abstracts where available. Drafts are available upon request.
