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Publications

Time Flexibility, Women’s Wages, and the Gender Wage Gap

with David Schaffer (2019) Atlantic Economic Journal, 47:217-239

Abstract: Paid jobs providing more time flexibility may appeal to workers who have primary responsibility as a caregiver for young children or for sick, handicapped, or elderly adults. However, in some jobs, workers who are given this flexibility may be less productive per hour than workers who commit to a fixed work schedule chosen by the employer. These two realities may lead employers to offer, and caregivers to accept, lower paying jobs that come with more time flexibility. Since caregivers in the United States are disproportionally women, this may help to explain the lingering gender wage gap in the U.S. Data sets were combined from the 2015 revision of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and the 2003 through 2015 March Current Population Surveys to analyze this issue. The combined data set includes extensive information on workers’ average hourly earnings and personal characteristics along with 407 characteristics of their occupations. Log wage regressions were used to show that the data are not consistent with the Time Flexibility Hypothesis when applied to occupation categories.

Working Papers

Section 301 and Politics: Analysis of Tariff Exclusions

with Nikita Lopatin and Beverly Mendoza (2021) SSRN Working Paper Series No. 3885900

On SSRN: 6th most downloaded paper in Import/Export Strategies; 8th most downloaded paper in Models of Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Elections, Legislatures, & Voting Behavior; 8th most downloaded paper in Trade Policy (9/17/2021)

Abstract: Section 301 tariffs were imposed as a consequence of China’s discriminatory business practices against American firms. However, domestic American firms who rely on Chinese imports are now faced with paying for these tariffs. In response, the Trump administration allowed the affected firms to apply for a tariff exclusions. In this paper, we investigate the factors affecting the approval rates for these tariff exclusions. We find that an increase in county Republican vote share by 10 percentage points results in a 10% increase in probability of tariff exclusion approval.

Political Incentives and Air Pollution

Abstract: In this paper I explore the relationship between political incentives generated by the election cycle and air pollution. Using GIS techniques I develop a novel dataset constructed from the EPA pollution monitors, historical congressional district shapefiles, election results, PRISM weather data, and BLS county population, income and employment data. Theory suggests that in areas where democratic contests are determined by larger margins of victory, the incentives of elected officials to represent their constituents and enforce costly regulations can erode. Using difference in differences I find evidence that suggests that in districts with larger election margins, the trend of air pollution is higher.

Works in Progress

Does Redistricting Affect the Racial Composition of Congress?

with Miles X. Stevens

Miles will be presenting at ASSA’s details here