Buy here or buy there? Exploring Potential Non-Compliance in North Carolina’s Alcohol Beverage Control System
by Zev Winston van Zanten Abstract This study examines compliance with North Carolina’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) system by studying cross-border alcohol purchases. Exploiting exogenous geographic variation in proximity to neighboring states with less restrictive alcohol regimes and differing price structures, I use distance from population-weighted county centroids to state borders as a proxy for […]
The Impact of the New Markets Tax Credit on Local Business Activity
by Joyce Lillian Simmons Abstract This paper studies the causal impact of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program on local economic activity. I exploit quasi-experimental variation in eligibility at the census tract level using a regression discontinuity design based on the program’s median family income threshold and use this variation as an instrument for […]
Permitless Carry Laws and the Illegal Gun Market: Evidence from Stolen Gun Values
By Mary Ella Evans Abstract This paper examines the effect of permitless carry laws on handgun theft in the United States. Using a balanced state-year panel from 2000 to 2023, with state and year fixed effects, region-year fixed effects, and state-specific cubic time trends, I find that the adoption of permitless carry laws is associated […]
Business Tax Incentives and Local Economic Outcomes
by Erel Amit Abstract This paper examines how state conformity to federal bonus depreciation and interest deductibility rules affects local economic activity in U.S. border counties. Using annual firstdifference border-group regressions, with border-pair specifications as a complementary design, I study whether changes in state conformity to 168(k) and 163(j) are associated with changes in employment, […]
Externalities of Overhead Power Lines on Residential Housing Values
by Jake Park-Walters Abstract Overhead electricity transmission lines (OHLs) create negative externalities on nearby housing values largely from perceived factors including aesthetics, safety, and health. Studies have been performed outside of the US to determine the specific value impact of power lines by proximity. It is not, however, well researched within the United States–specifically in […]
Splitting Hairs or Splitting Regions: The Differential Democratic Impacts of Splitting ZIP Codes vs. Counties During Redistricting
by Jacob Hervey Abstract In light of the Supreme Court’s holding in Gill v. Whitford, judicially-enforceable gerrymandering metrics must focus on democratic harms to individual citizens, instead of state-wide measures of proportionality. Previous literature has suggested that gerrymandering metrics should focus on the extent to which congressional districts split preexisting geographic boundaries (namely, ZIP codes […]
The Impact of 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit Payments on Low-Income Households’ Labor Supply
by Zixin “Ellen” Zhang Abstract Studies have established that the Advance 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments substantially reduced poverty and food insecurity, but some claim that the CTC payments may create negative labor supply effects that could offset its hardship-reduction benefits. Researchers have used a variety of methods to measure how the monthly CTC […]
School Choice and Neighborhood Change in Post-Katrina New Orleans
by Rosalind Fei Yang Abstract As school choice policies weaken the traditional link between neighborhoods and schools, traditional housing patterns previously governed by school zoning are changing. This paper examines the connection between school choice reform, specifically an increase in charter schools, and changes in neighborhood composition, focusing on New Orleans over time. I use […]
Blaze of Distrust: The Impact of Wildfires on Social Capital and Governance in Brazilian Amazonia
by Feishi “Alicia” Gong Abstract The 2019 wildfire crisis in Brazilian Amazonia not only captured global headlines but also deeply influenced public sentiment towards environmental and political challenges within the country. Trust, a pivotal element of social capital, plays a vital role in shaping a nation’s progress and the well-being of its citizens. This study […]
