The Acid Rain Program (ARP) cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from power plants in the United States, with considerable benefits. We show this also reduced ambient sulfate levels, which lowered agriculture productivity through decreased soil sulfur. Using plant-level SO2 emissions and an atmospheric transport model, we estimate the relationship between airborne sulfate levels and yields for corn and soybeans. We estimate crop revenue losses for these two crops at around $1–$1.5 billion per year, with accompanying decreases in land value. Back-of-the-envelope calculations of the costs to replace lost sulfur suggest producer responses were limited and suboptimal. (JEL Q15, Q24, Q53, Q58)
{"title":"Adaptation to Environmental Change: Agriculture and the Unexpected Incidence of the Acid Rain Program","authors":"Nicholas J. Sanders, Alan I. Barreca","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190060","url":null,"abstract":"The Acid Rain Program (ARP) cut sulfur dioxide (SO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) emissions from power plants in the United States, with considerable benefits. We show this also reduced ambient sulfate levels, which lowered agriculture productivity through decreased soil sulfur. Using plant-level SO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions and an atmospheric transport model, we estimate the relationship between airborne sulfate levels and yields for corn and soybeans. We estimate crop revenue losses for these two crops at around $1–$1.5 billion per year, with accompanying decreases in land value. Back-of-the-envelope calculations of the costs to replace lost sulfur suggest producer responses were limited and suboptimal. (JEL Q15, Q24, Q53, Q58)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper uses changes in mortgage lenders’ minimum credit score thresholds to credibly identify the effects of access to household credit. Falling under these thresholds has very large negative effects on borrowing for up to two years, and these effects fail to reverse within four years. The effects are particularly concentrated among individuals who have relatively high credit demand and face relatively large contractions in credit supply. In addition, access to new mortgage credit reduces delinquency on nonmortgage debt and appears to spill over to demand for auto loans. (JEL G21, G51, R21)
{"title":"The Effects of Mortgage Credit Availability: Evidence from Minimum Credit Score Lending Rules","authors":"Steven Laufer, Andrew Paciorek","doi":"10.1257/pol.20180229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20180229","url":null,"abstract":"This paper uses changes in mortgage lenders’ minimum credit score thresholds to credibly identify the effects of access to household credit. Falling under these thresholds has very large negative effects on borrowing for up to two years, and these effects fail to reverse within four years. The effects are particularly concentrated among individuals who have relatively high credit demand and face relatively large contractions in credit supply. In addition, access to new mortgage credit reduces delinquency on nonmortgage debt and appears to spill over to demand for auto loans. (JEL G21, G51, R21)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
College admissions in the United States are decentralized, creating frictions that limit student choice. We study the Common Application (CA) platform, under which students submit a single application to member schools, potentially reducing frictions and increasing student choice. The CA increases the number of applications received by schools, reflecting a reduction in frictions, and reduces the yield on accepted students, reflecting increased choice. The CA increases out-of-state enrollment, especially from other CA states, consistent with network effects. Entry into the CA changes the composition of students, with evidence of more racial diversity and more high-income students and imprecise evidence of increases in SAT scores. (JEL I23, I28)
{"title":"Reducing Frictions in College Admissions: Evidence from the Common Application","authors":"Brian Knight, Nathan Schiff","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190694","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190694","url":null,"abstract":"College admissions in the United States are decentralized, creating frictions that limit student choice. We study the Common Application (CA) platform, under which students submit a single application to member schools, potentially reducing frictions and increasing student choice. The CA increases the number of applications received by schools, reflecting a reduction in frictions, and reduces the yield on accepted students, reflecting increased choice. The CA increases out-of-state enrollment, especially from other CA states, consistent with network effects. Entry into the CA changes the composition of students, with evidence of more racial diversity and more high-income students and imprecise evidence of increases in SAT scores. (JEL I23, I28)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We exploit changes in the discontinuity in health insurance coverage at age 65 induced by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act to examine effects on coverage, hospital use, and patient health. We then link these changes to effects on hospital finances. We show that a substantial share of the federally funded Medicaid expansion substituted for existing locally funded safety net programs. Despite this offset, the expansion produced a substantial increase in hospital revenue, reflected in an equivalent increase in operating surplus. We do not detect improvements in patient mortality, although the expansion led to substantially greater hospital and emergency room use. (JEL H51, H75, I12, I13, I18, I38)
我们利用《平价医疗法案》(Affordable Care Act)实施导致的65岁人群健康保险覆盖面中断的变化，来检查对覆盖面、医院使用和患者健康的影响。然后，我们将这些变化与对医院财务的影响联系起来。我们表明，联邦资助的医疗补助扩张中有相当大的份额取代了现有的地方资助的安全网计划。尽管有这种抵销，但扩建使医院收入大幅增加，反映在营业盈余的相应增加上。我们没有发现病人死亡率的改善，尽管扩建导致医院和急诊室的使用大大增加。(jel h51, h75, i12, i13, i18, i38)
{"title":"The Impact of the Affordable Care Act: Evidence from California’s Hospital Sector","authors":"Mark Duggan, Atul Gupta, Emilie Jackson","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190279","url":null,"abstract":"We exploit changes in the discontinuity in health insurance coverage at age 65 induced by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act to examine effects on coverage, hospital use, and patient health. We then link these changes to effects on hospital finances. We show that a substantial share of the federally funded Medicaid expansion substituted for existing locally funded safety net programs. Despite this offset, the expansion produced a substantial increase in hospital revenue, reflected in an equivalent increase in operating surplus. We do not detect improvements in patient mortality, although the expansion led to substantially greater hospital and emergency room use. (JEL H51, H75, I12, I13, I18, I38)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
There exists a long-standing debate in higher education on which academic calendar is optimal. Using panel data on the near universe of four-year nonprofit institutions and leveraging quasi-experimental variation in calendars across institutions and years, we show that switching from quarters to semesters negatively impacts on-time graduation rates. Event study analyses show that the negative effects persist beyond the transition. Using transcript data, we replicate this analysis at the student level and investigate possible mechanisms. Shifting to a semester: (i) lowers first-year grades, (ii) decreases the probability of enrolling in a full course load, and (iii) delays the timing of major choice. (JEL I23, I28)
{"title":"Semesters or Quarters? The Effect of the Academic Calendar on Postsecondary Student Outcomes","authors":"Valerie Bostwick, Stefanie Fischer, Matthew Lang","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190589","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190589","url":null,"abstract":"There exists a long-standing debate in higher education on which academic calendar is optimal. Using panel data on the near universe of four-year nonprofit institutions and leveraging quasi-experimental variation in calendars across institutions and years, we show that switching from quarters to semesters negatively impacts on-time graduation rates. Event study analyses show that the negative effects persist beyond the transition. Using transcript data, we replicate this analysis at the student level and investigate possible mechanisms. Shifting to a semester: (i) lowers first-year grades, (ii) decreases the probability of enrolling in a full course load, and (iii) delays the timing of major choice. (JEL I23, I28)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"175 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Moonlighting is increasingly popular in OECD countries, with 5 to 10 percent of workers holding two or more jobs. However, little is known about the responsiveness of moonlighting to financial incentives due to the lack of identifying variation. This paper studies a unique reform in Germany that allowed workers to hold small secondary jobs tax-free, decreasing the marginal tax rate by between 19.5 to 66 pp. I show that the reform resulted in a dramatic increase in moonlighting that was not offset by reductions in primary earnings and that hours constraints are a key determinant of moonlighting. (JEL H24, H31, J22, J31)
{"title":"Increasing Hours Worked: Moonlighting Responses to a Large Tax Reform","authors":"Alisa Tazhitdinova","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190786","url":null,"abstract":"Moonlighting is increasingly popular in OECD countries, with 5 to 10 percent of workers holding two or more jobs. However, little is known about the responsiveness of moonlighting to financial incentives due to the lack of identifying variation. This paper studies a unique reform in Germany that allowed workers to hold small secondary jobs tax-free, decreasing the marginal tax rate by between 19.5 to 66 pp. I show that the reform resulted in a dramatic increase in moonlighting that was not offset by reductions in primary earnings and that hours constraints are a key determinant of moonlighting. (JEL H24, H31, J22, J31)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Many safety net programs issue benefits as monthly lump-sum payments. We investigate how the timing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance affects food purchases and the incidence of the transfer. Using scanner data from a large sample of grocery stores and state and time variation in SNAP issuance schedules, we document large, SNAP-induced intramonth cycles in food expenditures. However, we find that retailers do not adjust prices based on these predictable patterns of demand. Our results therefore suggest that reforming issuance schedules may reduce costs from SNAP-induced demand surges but are unlikely to affect the incidence of SNAP benefits. (JEL D12, H75, I18, I38, L81)
{"title":"Issuance and Incidence: SNAP Benefit Cycles and Grocery Prices","authors":"Jacob Goldin, Tatiana Homonoff, Katherine Meckel","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190777","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190777","url":null,"abstract":"Many safety net programs issue benefits as monthly lump-sum payments. We investigate how the timing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance affects food purchases and the incidence of the transfer. Using scanner data from a large sample of grocery stores and state and time variation in SNAP issuance schedules, we document large, SNAP-induced intramonth cycles in food expenditures. However, we find that retailers do not adjust prices based on these predictable patterns of demand. Our results therefore suggest that reforming issuance schedules may reduce costs from SNAP-induced demand surges but are unlikely to affect the incidence of SNAP benefits. (JEL D12, H75, I18, I38, L81)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Many e-government initiatives introduce technology to improve efficiency and avoid potential human bias. Using experimental variation, we examine the impact of electronic tax filing (to replace in-person submission to tax officials) using data from Tajikistan firms. E-filing reduces the time firms spend on taxes by 40 percent. Further, among firms previously more likely to evade, e-filing doubles taxes paid. Conversely, evidence suggests that e-filing reduces tax payments among firms previously less likely to evade. These firms also pay fewer bribes, as e-filing reduces extortion opportunities. These patterns are consistent with differential treatment of firms by tax officials prior to e-filing. (JEL D22, H25, H26, O14, O23)
{"title":"Technology, Taxation, and Corruption: Evidence from the Introduction of Electronic Tax Filing","authors":"Oyebola Okunogbe, Victor Pouliquen","doi":"10.1257/pol.20200123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20200123","url":null,"abstract":"Many e-government initiatives introduce technology to improve efficiency and avoid potential human bias. Using experimental variation, we examine the impact of electronic tax filing (to replace in-person submission to tax officials) using data from Tajikistan firms. E-filing reduces the time firms spend on taxes by 40 percent. Further, among firms previously more likely to evade, e-filing doubles taxes paid. Conversely, evidence suggests that e-filing reduces tax payments among firms previously less likely to evade. These firms also pay fewer bribes, as e-filing reduces extortion opportunities. These patterns are consistent with differential treatment of firms by tax officials prior to e-filing. (JEL D22, H25, H26, O14, O23)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138516465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tomás E. Monarrez, Brian Kisida, Matthew M. Chingos
We examine the impact of the expansion of charter schools on racial segregation in public schools, defined using multiple measures of racial sorting and isolation. Our research design utilizes between-grade differences in charter expansion within school systems and an instrumental variables approach leveraging charter school openings. Charter schools modestly increase school segregation for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White students. On average, charters have caused a 6 percent decrease in the relative likelihood of Black and Hispanic students being exposed to schoolmates of other racial or ethnic groups. For metropolitan areas, our analysis reveals countervailing forces, as charters reduce segregation between districts. (JEL I21, I24, J15)
{"title":"The Effect of Charter Schools on School Segregation","authors":"Tomás E. Monarrez, Brian Kisida, Matthew M. Chingos","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190682","url":null,"abstract":"We examine the impact of the expansion of charter schools on racial segregation in public schools, defined using multiple measures of racial sorting and isolation. Our research design utilizes between-grade differences in charter expansion within school systems and an instrumental variables approach leveraging charter school openings. Charter schools modestly increase school segregation for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White students. On average, charters have caused a 6 percent decrease in the relative likelihood of Black and Hispanic students being exposed to schoolmates of other racial or ethnic groups. For metropolitan areas, our analysis reveals countervailing forces, as charters reduce segregation between districts. (JEL I21, I24, J15)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79144979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Prior research documents that there are sometimes dominated options in health plan menus, but is that common? We analyze Kaiser Family Foundation data on health plans that firms offer to their employees. For firms offering both a high-deductible and lower-deductible health plan, 62 percent of the time the high-deductible option has lower maximum spending risk for the employee. We estimate that the high-deductible plan dominates at roughly half of firms. We discuss potential mechanisms behind these surprising patterns and find support both for two explanations: widespread adverse-selection pricing and some employers also differentially favoring high-deductible plans. (JEL G22, G52, I13)
{"title":"Dominated Options in Health Insurance Plans","authors":"Chenyuan Liu, Justin R. Sydnor","doi":"10.1257/pol.20190312","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20190312","url":null,"abstract":"Prior research documents that there are sometimes dominated options in health plan menus, but is that common? We analyze Kaiser Family Foundation data on health plans that firms offer to their employees. For firms offering both a high-deductible and lower-deductible health plan, 62 percent of the time the high-deductible option has lower maximum spending risk for the employee. We estimate that the high-deductible plan dominates at roughly half of firms. We discuss potential mechanisms behind these surprising patterns and find support both for two explanations: widespread adverse-selection pricing and some employers also differentially favoring high-deductible plans. (JEL G22, G52, I13)","PeriodicalId":48093,"journal":{"name":"American Economic Journal-Economic Policy","volume":"97 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85682233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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