This project investigates the effects of Chile’s 2020-2021 pension withdrawals on household consumption across food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. I use existing socio-economic household survey data for my analysis. Chile’s Covid response allowed civilians to withdraw up to 30% of their pensions, impacting 11 million workers and reducing pension assets by an estimated 22% of GDP. This policy mirrors actions in 30 other countries globally, now facing similar challenges. This research aims to address the literature gap in consumption research, and provide a framework for policymakers in affected nations to understand how the pension funds were used in terms of consumption. My role encompasses everything, from design to analysis. First, I make sure the two groups being compared (Chilean households who withdrew funds and who did not) were on similar spending paths before the withdrawals happened, known as pre-trend analysis. I use statistical tools, such as t-tests, to check if those trends were similar—basically confirming that the two groups were spending similarly before the policy change. Second, I use a statistical model, called Difference-in-Differences (DiD), to isolate the specific effect of the withdrawals from other things that might have affected spending. Third, I look at how the pension withdrawals affected retirees and non-retirees as well as different income demographics, to see if the impact was the same or different for everyone, known as heterogeneity analysis. As this project is in-progress, I assume I would find a statistically significant, varied impact on household consumption. I anticipate increased spending on essential purchases since the Covid crisis led to many financial difficulties that affected households' spending. These findings can help inform younger generations around the world about their decisions regarding their own retirement planning decisions, as this global issue disrupted their retirement savings.

Since the ban on sports betting was struck down by the supreme court in 2018, 38 states have legalized betting in some form. In the third quarter of 2023, sports betting generated over $500 million in tax revenue for state governments. Many of the impacts that seem obvious when thinking about the consequences of legalizing sports betting have already been studied, so in this paper I analyze effects that are further downstream in the causation chain. Specifically, I look at how the legalization of sports betting has affected marital relationships as measured by state-level divorce rates, mental health outcomes as measured by depression rates, and substance abuse issue measured by the number of alcohol related hospitalizations and rehabilitation center bookings. I utilize the staggered rollout of legalization across the country to conduct a difference-in-differences analysis to accurately measure the magnitude of each of these effects. Additionally, I investigate the potential additional damages caused by the legalization of online gambling compared to only in-person gambling. Of the 12 states who have yet to legalize any form of sports gambling, most of them have some form of legislation on the table to decide the future of sports betting in their respective states. Within these legislative sessions, and eventually if these measures are on state ballots,legislators and voters will be asked to personally weigh the pros and cons that are associated with the legalization of sports betting and this paper's aim is to be a small part in helping inform these decisions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) owns abundant natural resources like minerals and oil, yet they struggle to translate this wealth into sustainable economic growth and prosperity. This research explores the question: What strategies can the DRC implement to achieve sustainable economic growth while fostering prosperity for its population? The study hypothesizes that embracing resource-driven economic diversification, improved governance, and international partnerships can transform the DRC’s economic trajectory. This research is a secondary research because there are many study cases for many countries in which they had faced economic challenges due to the non-transparency of their government. One example is Brazil; they are also land-rich and rich in natural resources. However, unlike the DRC, Brazil has managed to achieve a significantly higher GDP. This research indicates that a major factor behind the DRC’s hardship is the lack of transparency in its government, which reduces foreign investor confidence and limits economic growth. To foster their prosperity, we suggest that global organizations, like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), communicate with the DRC’s government based on the information from the World Bank and IMF for their openness to trade and transparent management to confide foreign investors’ investment in the country. If these, transparent government and confiding foreign investors strategies are well-implemented, this project could greatly impact many nations. It could lift millions of people out of economic hardship and turn the DRC into an example for other nations with similar challenges, especially in the African continent. The accomplishments made by the transparent government and confiding foreign investors policy in DRC may act as a model for nations worldwide on how to develop an economy that is sustainable, equitable, and advantageous for every world citizen.

Inbound tourism plays a crucial role in the global economy by promoting expenses, job opportunities, and creating international connections. In this study, I focus on the impact of China's visa-free transit policy on the labor markets across major entry-exit cities, especially on the employment dynamics in the tourism sector. Using panel data from cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, etc, I plan to employ a Staggered Difference-in Differences (DiD) model with multiple periods to assess the causual effects of the policy. The control variables are Gross Regional Product (GRP) and domestic tourism activity. My project is still in progress and my anticipated result is that the visa-free transit policy will lead to an increase in employment within the tourism sector as well as have positive spillover effects in related sections.

Climate change has affected every part of the world. However, nowhere is affected more than the Arctic. More and more arctic ice melts every season, and while the environmental implications are disastrous, it may open up positive new opportunities for trade and recreation, bringing life into small, dwindling Arctic economies. One area of the Arctic that will see increased use in the future is the Northwest Passage (NWP). The once icelocked and barely usable trade route has the potential to influence the economy of all territories it touches, primarily Alaska. Current data indicates that the melting ice along the NWP will have a positive impact on the Alaskan economy. This Literature Review predicts the possible quantitative impact on the region. Strategically positioned Alaskan communities, such as Nome, have fragile infrastructures which will have to adapt to increased commercial demand from cruise ships and recreational vessels. While it is unlikely that trade will have much of an impact economically as most of the ships will not stop along the route, it is likely that the increase in cruise ships will stimulate forced economic and infrastructural growth for these communities. Additionally, as this region of Alaska is mostly undisturbed, there needs to be more study into the environmental impacts of economic growth in the area. Considering the possibility of the NWP becoming a well traveled route is essential in order to help prepare small towns for potential economic booms. An overview of the research suggests that while trade in general may not impact the overall Alaskan economy, the potential increase in tourism via cruise ships and other recreational vessels has the potential to overwhelm the infrastructure of smaller Alaskan cities, even as it jump-starts their economies.

Since 2005, the United States has experienced a significant and sustained decline in juvenile delinquency, often attributed to increased arrest and incarceration rates. However, scholars have sought alternative, non-punitive approaches to further reduce delinquency. One such approach is after-school programs, which have been tested for their effectiveness. This article develops a theoretical framework using a utility-maximizing decision model that incorporates uncertainty and time allocation to analyze the market for juvenile delinquencies. The model suggests that extended school hours by investing in After-school programs reduces juvenile delinquency through limiting opportunities for criminal behavior— decreasing availability of potential victims. Additionally, the model suggests that aligning school hours with societal working hours strengthens the effectiveness of delinquency prevention policies. The findings also offer valuable insights for countries with weak law enforcement, where juvenile delinquency disrupts education and lowers its returns.

For state policymakers concerned with road safety in the United States, tamping down on drunk driving is front of mind for good reason; alcohol-impaired crash fatalities rose from less than 11,000 annual deaths before 2020 to over 13,000 annual deaths in 2021 and 2022. To combat drunk driving, policymakers have turned to a variety of policies such as zero tolerance laws, stricter punishments for DUI charges, or lower per se illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rates, the latter of which this paper focuses on. As of this writing, every state with the exception of Utah maintains a 0.08% BAC legal limit despite the National Transportation Safety Board long recommending states lower their BAC legal limit to 0.05%. Accordingly, several state assemblies such as those of Washington, New York, or Hawaii have recently considered or are actively considering lowering the BAC legal limit. These bills have sparked intense discourse on whether a 0.05% BAC legal limit unfairly punishes responsible drinkers who may not be impaired yet blow a BAC over 0.05% on a breathalyzer test, and thus excessively disincentive drinking outside the home and unreasonably hurt the food and service industry. Thus, this paper uses difference-in-differences analyses to measure the effect of BAC policies on drinking habits, specifically alcohol consumption, and whether people substitute drinking at bars and restaurants with drinking at home. I rely on evidence from the state of Utah, which passed HB155 “Driving Under the Influence and Public Safety Revisions” in 2017, a bill that lowered Utah's BAC legal limit from 0.08% to 0.05% effective December 30, 2018. 

Democracies run on information, and decisions made by a democratic body are only as good as the objectives facts that voters have access to, which form the basis for political opinion. Access to information has never changed as drastically or rapidly in the United States as it did during the propagation of internet service that occurred in the period between 2000 and 2016. The effect of the internet as a source of information is theoretically ambiguous. Some herald it as a tool for the democratization of information, making knowledge easily searchable and available to all. Others lament the internet’s role in spreading misinformation, particularly through social media. To investigate the relative magnitude of these effects, I employ county-level data on home broadband connections from the Federal Communications Commission as well as voter perception survey data collected by the American National Election Studies. Controlling for social and partisan determinants, I analyze this period of internet expansion in order to determine the effects of broadband access on voters’ perceptions of objective politically relevant statistics, such as national inflation and unemployment trends. These perceptions are then compared to the real statistics during these periods to determine whether internet access has made voters more or less informed on political issues. Though my analysis is still ongoing, I anticipate disambiguating the competing effects that the internet has on information acquisition and determining which is predominant in influencing the formation of political perceptions. These findings contribute to our understanding of the social ramifications of internet access—a new and still-developing field—and inform future efforts to regulate the flow of information online.

This paper investigates the impact of the benefits of the INDYC Program on the social determinants of health of immigrant children. Using the data extracted from the IPUMS CPS, I applied an event study - a dynamic difference-in-differences model with the combination of propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting to study the effects of IDNYC on immigrant children's access to public insurance coverages and affordable housing options. The analysis suggests that the benefits offered by the program could support immigrant children in gaining short-term coverage on the Medicaid and extended Medicaid Program, yet only positively associated with gaining long-term access to Medicare. The analysis also suggests a short-term increase in immigrant families' access to public housing and no cause-and-effect relationship with their access to government subsidies on rent. Lastly, similar to findings from previous papers, the effect of the program on health status remains ambiguous. Overall, the findings of this paper are consistent with previous research in the related field, contributing to the big picture of how municipal ID programs improve the social inclusion of immigrants in the North American region.

Public discourse on prison labor often centers on its ethical implications, yet little research has been conducted on its impact on local labor markets. The Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP), a federal initiative that allows private companies to employ incarcerated individuals at prevailing industry wages, offers a unique opportunity to assess these impacts. Currently, there are 45 correctional facilities which use the program, and they partner with 222 businesses. This empirical study examines how participation in PIECP influences local labor markets by analyzing changes in wages across sectors and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) to inform public policy discussions on the role of prison labor in the U.S. economy. Using a difference-in-differences research design, I compare regions where prisons implement PIECP employment with those where certified facilities do not engage in the program. Data from the National Correctional Industries Association and the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be used to quantify these effects. This research aims to provide insights into how prison labor through this program affects local labor markets.

California’s Universal Meal Program (UMP) provides free meals to all public school students, reducing household food expenses and potentially freeing up time previously allocated to meal preparation. This study investigates the program’s impact on household resource allocation, analyzing shifts in income use and time management through a difference-in-differences approach. Using data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), the research examines variations across socioeconomic groups to determine whether the UMP influences financial decisions, work-life balance, and food-related behaviors. By exploring these downstream effects, the study aims to provide insights into the broader implications of universal meal programs beyond food security, offering evidence to inform future policy decisions on their expansion and effectiveness. 

The necessity of criminal justice reform has grown increasingly significant as governments address the challenges of mass incarceration and its far-reaching social and economic consequences. Over the last decade, California has been spearheading reform in the United States. In compliance with a Supreme Court ruling, California passed Proposition 47 (Prop 47)—a landmark policy that reclassified certain nonviolent felony offenses as misdemeanors—to reduce the population of nonviolent offenders in the prison system. While Prop 47 successfully reduced incarceration rates and state expenditures on corrections, critics argue that it has also contributed to increased property crime, particularly retail theft, due to theft-felony threshold being increased from $400 to $950. Utilizing a difference-in-differences methodology, this study compares retail business activity in California with a synthetic control group composed of demographically and economically similar states with felony thresholds similar to California’s, pre-Prop 47. The analysis draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, incorporating crime rates, business permit activity, and economic trends. This study aims to assess whether Prop 47 led to a tangible increase in property crime and, in turn, a decline in retail business sustainability. The findings will provide empirical insights for policymakers seeking to balance criminal justice objectives with economic stability, informing on the broader implications of sentencing reforms on local economies.

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) has been widely recognized for its positive effects on student health, academic performance, and school attendance, particularly for low-income students. However, there is limited research on the long-term economic impacts of SBPs, such as their influence on family income, employment, juvenile delinquency rates, and overall educational attainment. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing the broader economic implications of SBPs through a state-by-state comparison. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) model, this research will compare educational and economic outcomes between schools in Minnesota (control) and Wisconsin (intervention), where recent SBP expansions have been implemented. Key variables will include graduation rates, family income, employment levels, and juvenile delinquency rates. Data will be sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau. By exploring the long-term effects of school breakfast programs, this study will provide insights into their role in shaping economic mobility and community well-being.