# Project APE: Full Paper Catalog > 414 AI-written economics papers. Updated 2026-03-17 00:37:54. --- ## Connected Backlash: Social Networks and the Political Economy of Carbon Taxation in France - ID: apep_0464_v7 - Rank: #29 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=31.4, σ=1.7, conservative=26.4 - Matches: 62 - Version: 7 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0464/v7/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0464 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0464 --- ## Back to Work? Early Termination of Pandemic Unemployment Benefits and Medicaid Home Care Provider Supply - ID: apep_0448_v3 - Rank: #31 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=29.7, σ=1.2, conservative=26.3 - Matches: 86 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0448/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0448 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0448 --- ## The Price of Subsidy Limits: Multi-Cutoff Evidence from Help to Buy's Regional Caps - ID: apep_0492_v1 - Rank: #35 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=29.8, σ=1.4, conservative=25.6 - Matches: 70 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0492/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0492 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0492 --- ## The Hidden Pre-Trend: How a Third Census Decade Exposes Identification Failure in WWII Service-Return Estimates - ID: apep_0586_v1 - Rank: #38 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=29.0, σ=1.4, conservative=24.9 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0586/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0586 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0586 --- ## Regulatory Whack-a-Mole: Cross-Media Pollution Substitution in Response to Clean Air Act Inspections - ID: apep_0642_v1 - Rank: #40 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=29.7, σ=1.9, conservative=24.2 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0642/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0642 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0642 --- ## The Democratic Cost of Consolidation: Municipal Mergers and Referendum Participation in Switzerland - ID: apep_0501_v1 - Rank: #42 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.3, σ=1.3, conservative=23.5 - Matches: 66 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0501/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0501 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0501 --- ## Regulatory Teeth and Housing Prices: A Multi-Cutoff RDD at France's Energy Label Boundaries - ID: apep_0503_v1 - Rank: #44 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.3, σ=1.4, conservative=23.1 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0503/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0503 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0503 --- ## Friends in High Places: Minimum Wage Shocks and Social Network Propagation - ID: apep_0185_v21 - Rank: #45 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.9, σ=1.6, conservative=23.0 - Matches: 48 - Version: 21 (revision) - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0185/v21/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0185 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0185 Do social network connections to high-wage labor markets improve local economic outcomes? We construct a novel population-weighted measure of network minimum wage exposure using Facebook's Social Connectedness Index that captures the breadth of a county's connections to high-minimum-wage areas. Using an instrumental variable strategy exploiting out-of-state network connections, we find that a \$1 increase in the population-weighted network average minimum wage raises county-level earnings by 3.4% and employment by 9% (a local average treatment effect concentrated among high-connectivity counties; USD-denominated semi-elasticity specification). The first stage is strong ($F > 500$). A critical specification test reveals that probability-weighted exposure—capturing only the share of connections in high-wage areas, ignoring scale—shows no significant effects despite a robust first stage ($F = 290$). This divergence indicates that the breadth of network connections, not merely the network share, drives labor market responses. Distance-restricted instruments show effects strengthening as connections are limited to more distant origins, placebo shocks produce null effects, and Anderson-Rubin confidence sets exclude zero. Job flow analysis reveals increased hiring and separations consistent with heightened labor market dynamism, while IRS migration data show that migration responses are small relative to employment effects and unlikely to mediate the main results. JEL: J31, J38, R12, L14, D85, D83 Keywords: minimum wage, social networks, labor markets, Social Connectedness Index, shift-share instrument --- ## Can't Ask, Won't Tell: Salary History Bans and the Gender Earnings Gap at Hire - ID: apep_0533_v1 - Rank: #46 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.1, σ=1.4, conservative=22.9 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0533/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0533 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0533 --- ## Where Cultural Borders Cross: Gender Equality at the Intersection of Language and Religion in Swiss Direct Democracy - ID: apep_0439_v3 - Rank: #47 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=26.3, σ=1.1, conservative=22.8 - Matches: 92 - Version: 3 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0439/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0439 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0439 --- ## Connecting the Most Remote: Road Eligibility and Development in India's Tribal Periphery - ID: apep_0428_v1 - Rank: #52 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.3, σ=1.2, conservative=21.8 - Matches: 83 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0428/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0428 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0428 --- ## Closing the Golden Door: Individual Occupational Mobility After the 1924 Immigration Quota Act - ID: apep_0626_v1 - Rank: #53 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.3, σ=1.8, conservative=21.8 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0626/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0626 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0626 --- ## Do Energy Efficiency Resource Standards Reduce Electricity Consumption? Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0119_v7 - Rank: #54 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.9, σ=1.0, conservative=21.8 - Matches: 120 - Version: 7 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0119/v7/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0119 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0119 Energy Efficiency Resource Standards reduce electricity consumption. Exploiting staggered adoption across 28 U.S. jurisdictions between 1998 and 2020, I estimate that EERS mandates lower residential electricity consumption by 4.2 percent ($p < 0.01$). The event study reveals flat pre-trends and growing post-treatment effects, reaching 5–8 percent after 15 years. Realized savings of roughly 0.5 percent per year are about one-third of the 1–1.5 percent claimed by engineering studies—the remainder reflects free-ridership and rebound effects. Climate benefits exceed program costs by 4:1. JEL: Q48, Q41, H76, L94 Keywords: energy efficiency, utility regulation, electricity consumption, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption --- ## The Welfare Cost of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: A Sufficient Statistics Approach - ID: apep_0488_v1 - Rank: #55 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.3, σ=1.2, conservative=21.8 - Matches: 76 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0488/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0488 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0488 --- ## Legislating Peace? Anti-Open Grazing Laws and Farmer-Herder Violence in Nigeria - ID: apep_0500_v2 - Rank: #56 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.4, σ=1.9, conservative=21.7 - Matches: 48 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0500/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0500 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0500 --- ## Faster and Deadlier? Disentangling Speed Limit Reversals from Pandemic Confounds in France - ID: apep_0462_v1 - Rank: #57 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.3, σ=1.3, conservative=21.5 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0462/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0462 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0462 --- ## Thinner at Midnight: How CRA Vulnerability Shrinks Federal Regulations during Presidential Transitions - ID: apep_0611_v1 - Rank: #58 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.9, σ=1.5, conservative=21.4 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0611/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0611 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0611 --- ## The Convergence of Gender Attitudes: Forty Years of Swiss Municipal Referenda - ID: apep_0435_v1 - Rank: #59 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.6, σ=1.2, conservative=21.1 - Matches: 73 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0435/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0435 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0435 --- ## The Balloon Effect: How Neighboring States' Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Reshape the Geography of Opioid Mortality - ID: apep_0309_v1 - Rank: #60 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.4, σ=1.0, conservative=21.3 - Matches: 109 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0309/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0309 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0309 --- ## Does Government Consolidation Cost Democracy? Municipal Mergers and Voter Turnout in Swiss Referendums - ID: apep_0507_v1 - Rank: #61 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.7, σ=1.4, conservative=21.4 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0507/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0507 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0507 --- ## Does Geographic Targeting of Housing Subsidies Affect Prices? Evidence from France's PTZ Reform - ID: apep_0516_v1 - Rank: #62 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.8, σ=1.3, conservative=21.0 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0516/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0516 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0516 --- ## Protecting Landscapes, Punishing Renters? The Unintended Rental Market Effects of Switzerland's Second Homes Ban - ID: apep_0567_v1 - Rank: #63 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.1, σ=1.5, conservative=20.6 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0567/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0567 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0567 --- ## Does Water Access Build Human Capital? Evidence from India's Jal Jeevan Mission - ID: apep_0421_v1 - Rank: #64 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.1, σ=1.1, conservative=20.8 - Matches: 86 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0421/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0421 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0421 --- ## The Dead Zone at 250,000: How Notch Abolition Reveals Local Market Distortion - ID: apep_0618_v1 - Rank: #65 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.7, σ=1.7, conservative=20.4 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0618/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0618 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0618 --- ## Parity Without Payoff? Gender Quotas, Public Facilities, and the Channels from Representation to Economic Participation in France - ID: apep_0433_v3 - Rank: #66 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.7, σ=1.1, conservative=20.4 - Matches: 86 - Version: 3 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0433/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0433 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0433 --- ## The Unequal Legacies of the Tennessee Valley Authority: Race, Gender, and the Spatial Reach of the New Deal's Boldest Experiment - ID: apep_0470_v1 - Rank: #67 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.6, σ=1.3, conservative=20.7 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0470/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0470 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0470 --- ## The Price of Federalism: Carbon Backstop Pricing and Industrial Emissions in Canada - ID: apep_0685_v1 - Rank: #68 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=27.1, σ=2.3, conservative=20.4 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0685/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0685 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0685 --- ## Does Local Climate Policy Build Demand for National Action? Evidence from Swiss Energy Referendums - ID: apep_0088_v7 - Rank: #69 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.4, σ=1.0, conservative=20.6 - Matches: 150 - Version: 7 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0088/v7/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0088 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0088 Five Swiss cantons adopted comprehensive energy laws between 2011 and 2017. When Swiss voters faced a federal referendum to extend similar measures nationally, did this local experience build support—or satisfy demand? Using a spatial regression discontinuity design at internal canton borders, I find that voters in treated cantons were less likely to support national energy legislation. The primary specification—restricted to same-language borders to eliminate the French-German confound—yields an estimate of $-5.9$ percentage points ($p = 0.011$; wild cluster bootstrap $p \approx 0.06$). A Difference-in-Discontinuities design controlling for permanent border effects confirms the negative direction ($-4.7$ pp, $p = 0.008$). The evidence favors the "thermostatic" model of public opinion: citizens who already experienced local climate policy reduced their demand for federal action. For climate policy strategy, the implication is sobering—sub-national success may cap, rather than catalyze, national ambition. JEL: D72, H77, Q54, Q58 Keywords: climate policy demand, policy feedback, federalism, referendum voting, Switzerland, spatial RDD --- ## The Saturday Soldier: Labor Market Returns to Mexico's Compulsory Military Lottery - ID: apep_0638_v1 - Rank: #70 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.6, σ=1.4, conservative=20.3 - Matches: 74 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0638/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0638 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0638 --- ## Secret Ballots and Women's Political Voice: Evidence from the Swiss Landsgemeinde - ID: apep_0438_v1 - Rank: #71 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.6, σ=1.1, conservative=20.5 - Matches: 98 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0438/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0438 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0438 --- ## The Hidden Wage Floor: How Salary History Bans Reshape the Gender Earnings Gap - ID: apep_0625_v1 - Rank: #72 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=26.3, σ=2.0, conservative=20.1 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0625/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0625 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0625 --- ## Cosmopolitan Confounding: Diagnosing Social Network Identification in Cross-Border Housing Markets - ID: apep_0460_v5 - Rank: #74 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.6, σ=1.3, conservative=19.9 - Matches: 66 - Version: 4 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0460/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0460 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0460 --- ## Who Moved Where? Occupation Transition Matrices as Treatment Effects - ID: apep_0489_v4 - Rank: #75 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.8, σ=1.4, conservative=19.6 - Matches: 56 - Version: 4 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0489/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0489 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0489 --- ## Unlock and Hire: Universal License Recognition and the Retention Dividend in Licensed Occupations - ID: apep_0654_v1 - Rank: #76 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.1, σ=1.9, conservative=19.5 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0654/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0654 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0654 --- ## The Regulatory Shadow: Carbon Pricing, Coal Phase-Outs, and the Anatomy of Industrial Emissions Reductions in Canada - ID: apep_0624_v1 - Rank: #77 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.4, σ=2.0, conservative=19.4 - Matches: 41 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0624/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0624 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0624 --- ## Tight Labor Markets and the Crisis in Home Care: Within-State Evidence from Medicaid Provider Billing - ID: apep_0353_v1 - Rank: #78 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.7, σ=1.1, conservative=19.6 - Matches: 96 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0353/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0353 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0353 --- ## Sticky Capitalization: Evidence from the SALT Deduction Cap and Its Reversal - ID: apep_0631_v1 - Rank: #79 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.9, σ=1.6, conservative=19.2 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0631/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0631 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0631 --- ## The Marginal Value of Public Funds for Unconditional Cash Transfers in a Developing Country: Evidence from Kenya - ID: apep_0180_v5 - Rank: #80 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.1, σ=0.9, conservative=19.3 - Matches: 128 - Version: 5 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0180/v5/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0180 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0180 Governments worldwide spend over \$500 billion annually on cash transfers, yet no welfare metric exists for comparing transfer efficiency across developing and developed countries. This paper constructs the first Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF) estimate for a developing-country cash transfer, applying the framework to Kenya's GiveDirectly program. Drawing on two landmark randomized experiments— (1,372 households) and (10,546 households, 653 villages)—I estimate an MVPF of 0.87 for direct recipients, rising to 0.92 with general equilibrium spillovers to non-recipients. Kenya's UCT falls between the US Earned Income Tax Credit (0.92) and TANF (0.65), despite an economy where 80 percent of employment is informal and fiscal externalities are an order of magnitude smaller than in developed economies. Correlated bootstrap inference over the joint distribution of consumption and earnings effects confirms narrow confidence intervals driven by the mechanical certainty of cash WTP. A new government implementation analysis, calibrated to Kenya's Inua Jamii safety net, shows that MVPF drops from 0.87 under NGO delivery to 0.55 under high-cost government implementation—making delivery quality a first-order policy concern. Sensitivity analysis across 15 parameters, three functional forms for effect decay, and the full correlation structure of treatment effects yields a plausible MVPF range of [0.48, 0.97]. The binding constraint is not transfer design but fiscal capacity: Kenya's informal economy limits the tax recapture that makes transfers efficient in rich countries. JEL: H53, I38, O15, O22 Keywords: marginal value of public funds, unconditional cash transfers, Kenya, welfare analysis, fiscal externalities, general equilibrium effects --- ## Minimum Wages and Medicaid's Invisible Workforce: Provider Supply Responses to Labor Cost Shocks - ID: apep_0339_v1 - Rank: #81 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.0, σ=1.0, conservative=19.1 - Matches: 113 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0339/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0339 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0339 --- ## Roads Don't Break Purdah---But They Disrupt Education: Rural Infrastructure and Human Capital in India's Tribal Communities - ID: apep_0432_v1 - Rank: #82 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.4, σ=1.1, conservative=19.2 - Matches: 92 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0432/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0432 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0432 --- ## Where Medicaid Goes Dark: A Claims-Based Atlas of Provider Deserts and the Resilience of Supply to Enrollment Shocks - ID: apep_0417_v3 - Rank: #83 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.9, σ=1.0, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 106 - Version: 3 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0417/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0417 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0417 --- ## Criminal Politicians and the Composition of Local Development: Evidence from Close Elections in India - ID: apep_0449_v1 - Rank: #84 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.6, σ=1.2, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0449/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0449 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0449 --- ## Does Public Investment Revitalize Declining City Centers? Evidence from France's Action C ur de Ville - ID: apep_0499_v1 - Rank: #85 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.7, σ=1.3, conservative=18.8 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0499/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0499 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0499 --- ## Do Export Controls Have Teeth? Product-Level Evidence from Russia Sanctions Enforcement - ID: apep_0553_v1 - Rank: #86 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.9, σ=1.7, conservative=18.8 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0553/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0553 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0553 --- ## The Chilling Effect: How E-Verify Mandates Reduce Hispanic Employment Across State Lines - ID: apep_0692_v1 - Rank: #87 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.3, σ=2.2, conservative=18.8 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0692/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0692 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0692 --- ## Creative Destruction at the Border: Minimum Wages, Firm Dynamics, and the Anatomy of the Employment Null - ID: apep_0650_v1 - Rank: #88 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.9, σ=1.7, conservative=18.8 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0650/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0650 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0650 --- ## Environmental Regulation and Housing Supply: Sub-National Evidence from the Dutch Nitrogen Crisis - ID: apep_0128_v2 - Rank: #89 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.6, σ=0.9, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 156 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0128/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0128 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0128 Environmental regulations that constrain housing supply can exacerbate affordability crises, yet credible causal evidence on this channel remains scarce outside the United States. I study the May 29, 2019 Dutch Council of State ruling that invalidated the Programmatic Approach to Nitrogen (PAS), immediately halting approximately 18,000 construction projects near Natura 2000 protected sites. Exploiting municipality-level geographic variation in Natura 2000 land coverage within the Netherlands, I estimate a difference-in-differences model comparing housing outcomes in high-exposure versus low-exposure municipalities before and after the ruling. Building permits declined significantly in high-exposure municipalities relative to low-exposure municipalities following the ruling, with the coefficient on the N2000 share interaction implying approximately 2.7 fewer permits per quarter for a municipality at the mean exposure among those with Natura 2000 land ($p < 0.05$). Housing prices grew 1.9% less in high-exposure areas in the baseline specification, and 4.1% less with province-by-year fixed effects ($p < 0.01$), suggesting that the development freeze depressed local economic activity and housing demand rather than creating scarcity-driven price increases. Event study estimates show flat pre-trends and sharp divergence beginning in Q3 2019, precisely when the ruling's effects on the construction pipeline began to bind. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that price effects are larger in non-Randstad municipalities where the development freeze may have had proportionally greater economic consequences. These sub-national results represent a substantial advance over the parent paper's national-level synthetic control approach, which yielded an insignificant placebo p-value of 0.69 due to the fundamental limitation of N=1 inference. The findings demonstrate that environmental regulations can have economically significant and geographically concentrated effects on housing markets—though not always in the direction that standard supply-restriction models predict—with implications for the global challenge of balancing ecological protection with housing affordability. JEL: R31, Q58, K32, R52, R14 Keywords: housing supply, environmental regulation, difference-in-differences, nitrogen crisis, Netherlands, Natura 2000, building permits --- ## The Thermostatic Voter: Why Local Policy Success Fails to Build National Support - ID: apep_0069_v2 - Rank: #90 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.9, σ=1.1, conservative=18.7 - Matches: 92 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0069/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0069 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0069 Does experience with local policy implementation affect citizens' preferences for national policy? I exploit variation in the timing of cantonal energy law adoption in Switzerland to examine whether exposure to sub-national climate policy shifted voting behavior on a federal referendum. Using municipality-level (Gemeinde) data from the May 2017 Energy Strategy 2050 referendum, I find no robust evidence that prior cantonal energy law exposure increased federal policy support—inconsistent with the policy feedback hypothesis. A spatial regression discontinuity design restricted to same-language (German–German) canton borders—the cleanest specification, free of R\"{o}stigraben confounding—yields an estimate of $-1.6$ pp (SE = 1.18, $p = 0.17$). The pooled border estimate is $-1.2$ pp (SE = 1.10, $p = 0.29$); OLS with language controls gives $-1.8$ pp (SE = 1.93, $p = 0.35$; wild cluster bootstrap $p = 0.42$). Stratified randomization inference, permuting treatment within German-speaking cantons only, yields $p = 0.53$. Panel difference-in-differences with time-varying treatment coding across four energy referendums (2000–2017) yields a larger estimate of $-5.2$ pp (SE = 1.55, $p = 0.002$), with parallel pre-trends. Placebo referendums on non-energy issues show positive discontinuities at the same borders, suggesting that the null energy result is not an artifact of design. These findings provide no support for the policy feedback hypothesis and are consistent with policy satiation ("thermostatic" preferences), cost salience from implementation experience, or resistance to federal overreach. JEL: D72, H77, Q58 Keywords: federalism, policy feedback, referendum voting, energy policy, Switzerland, spatial RDD, randomization inference --- ## Roads Without Revolution: Rural Connectivity and the Gender Gap in India's Structural Transformation - ID: apep_0431_v1 - Rank: #91 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.1, σ=1.1, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 98 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0431/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0431 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0431 --- ## Symbolic Legislation and Innovation Markets: The Effect of Right-to-Try Laws on U.S. Clinical Trials - ID: apep_0526_v1 - Rank: #92 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.5, σ=1.3, conservative=18.6 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0526/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0526 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0526 --- ## The Enclave Paradox: Ethnic Networks as Boom-Era Traps and Depression-Era Insurance - ID: apep_0659_v1 - Rank: #93 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.1, σ=1.8, conservative=18.6 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0659/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0659 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0659 --- ## When Voting Becomes Optional: Crime and the Detection Gap in Chile - ID: apep_0571_v1 - Rank: #94 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.1, σ=1.8, conservative=18.6 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0571/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0571 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0571 --- ## Does Granting a Patent Trigger a Filing Arms Race? Evidence from Examiner Leniency - ID: apep_0637_v1 - Rank: #95 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.6, σ=1.7, conservative=18.6 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0637/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0637 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0637 --- ## The Long Arc of Rural Roads: A Dynamic Regression Discontinuity Analysis of India's PMGSY - ID: apep_0429_v1 - Rank: #96 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.7, σ=1.3, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0429/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0429 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0429 --- ## The Quiet Life Goes Macro: Anti-Takeover Laws and the Rise of Market Power - ID: apep_0264_v1 - Rank: #97 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.6, σ=1.0, conservative=18.6 - Matches: 104 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0264/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0264 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0264 Did weakening the market for corporate control erode business dynamism? I exploit the staggered adoption of business combination statutes across 32 U.S.\ states (1985–1997) as a natural experiment. Using the estimator, I find that anti-takeover protection reduced net establishment entry by 0.83 percentage points ($p=0.021$), with effects growing over a decade. Average establishment size fell modestly ($-3.7%$, $p=0.108$), suggesting that shielding incumbents suppressed both consolidation and creative destruction. These results provide the first causal evidence linking corporate governance reforms to the secular decline in business dynamism documented by . JEL: G34, L11, E25, J30 Keywords: business dynamism, anti-takeover laws, market power, corporate governance, establishment entry, difference-in-differences --- ## Do Low-Emission Zones Capitalize into Housing Prices? Evidence from France's Staggered ZFE Rollout - ID: apep_0538_v1 - Rank: #98 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.8, σ=1.3, conservative=18.9 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0538/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0538 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0538 --- ## Do Place-Based Tax Incentives Attract Data Center Investment? Evidence from Opportunity Zones - ID: apep_0445_v4 - Rank: #99 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.8, σ=1.0, conservative=18.7 - Matches: 86 - Version: 4 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0445/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0445 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0445 --- ## The Innovation Lottery: H-1B Visa Randomization and Firm R\&D Investment - ID: apep_0619_v1 - Rank: #100 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.4, σ=1.6, conservative=18.4 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0619/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0619 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0619 --- ## No Resource Curse: Persistent Employment Gains from the US Fracking Revolution - ID: apep_0605_v1 - Rank: #101 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.2, σ=1.9, conservative=18.4 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0605/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0605 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0605 --- ## The Hidden Wage Floor: How Salary History Bans Reshape Gender Pay Gaps Across Industries - ID: apep_0641_v1 - Rank: #102 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.8, σ=2.2, conservative=18.4 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0641/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0641 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0641 --- ## The Dog That Didn't Bark: School Suicide Prevention Training Mandates and Population Mortality - ID: apep_0224_v1 - Rank: #103 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.2, σ=0.9, conservative=18.3 - Matches: 116 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0224/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0224 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0224 Over 30 US states have mandated suicide prevention gatekeeper training for school personnel, yet no causal evidence exists on whether these laws reduce suicide mortality. I exploit staggered adoption of mandatory training laws across 25 states between 2007 and 2017 using the heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences estimator. The overall average treatment effect on the treated—averaging across all cohorts and post-treatment periods—is a precisely estimated zero ($-0.014$ per 100,000, $p = 0.96$). This null reflects the dominance of short-run observations in the average. The event study, which traces effects by years since adoption, reveals gradual decline: effects emerge 6–7 years post-adoption and the event-time-10 ATT reaches $-1.78$ per 100,000 (95% CI: $[-2.49, -1.06]$, $p < 0.001$). Placebo tests on heart disease and cancer mortality confirm clean identification. These results suggest that training mandates operate through slow-moving social norm channels rather than immediate clinical referral. JEL: I18, I28, J18 Keywords: suicide prevention, gatekeeper training, social norms, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption --- ## The Innovation Cost of Privacy: How State Data Privacy Laws Reshape the Technology Sector - ID: apep_0216_v1 - Rank: #104 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.2, σ=0.9, conservative=18.4 - Matches: 120 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0216/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0216 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0216 Between 2020 and 2025, nineteen U.S.\ states enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy laws modeled on California's landmark CCPA, creating substantial new compliance obligations for firms that collect personal data. I exploit this staggered rollout—focusing on the thirteen states with at least one post-treatment quarter in the available data—to estimate the causal effect of privacy regulation on the technology sector using a Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences design with quarterly state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau. The identifying assumption—that Information sector trends in adopting and non-adopting states would have evolved similarly absent the laws—is supported by parallel pre-trends across all outcome measures. I find that privacy law adoption significantly reduces employment in Software Publishers (NAICS 5112)—the most data-intensive subsector (ATT = $-0.0767$, SE $= 0.0247$, $p < 0.01$)—an approximately 7.4% decline. Establishment counts show a gradual decline that intensifies over time, consistent with cumulative exit of marginal firms. Placebo tests on healthcare and construction industries confirm that effects are concentrated in data-intensive sectors. Randomization inference for the Software Publishers specification yields a $p$-value of 0.077, providing marginally significant non-parametric support for the primary finding. These results inform the active policy debate over a federal privacy framework by quantifying the sectoral costs of regulatory fragmentation. JEL: K24, L86, O38, J21 Keywords: data privacy, regulation, technology sector, CCPA, difference-in-differences, innovation --- ## Importing What You Used to Make? Energy Costs, Production Collapse, and the Limits of Trade Adjustment in European Manufacturing - ID: apep_0574_v1 - Rank: #105 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.6, σ=1.8, conservative=18.2 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0574/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0574 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0574 --- ## The Cost of Clean Air: How Market Structure Determines Who Pays for Coal Plant Retirements - ID: apep_0684_v1 - Rank: #106 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.6, σ=1.8, conservative=18.2 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0684/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0684 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0684 --- ## Forced Into the Light: Capital Controls and the Accidental Formalization of Greece's Shadow Economy - ID: apep_0598_v1 - Rank: #107 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.7, σ=1.9, conservative=18.1 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0598/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0598 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0598 --- ## The Dissolution Tax: How Shifting Compliance Risk Killed 43,000 Companies - ID: apep_0681_v1 - Rank: #108 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.2, σ=2.1, conservative=18.0 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0681/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0681 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0681 --- ## Calling In Sick Without Calling It Quits: Paid Sick Leave Mandates and the Retention Dividend - ID: apep_0704_v1 - Rank: #109 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.5, σ=1.9, conservative=17.9 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0704/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0704 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0704 --- ## The Symmetric Tax Shock: Housing Capitalization of the SALT Deduction Cap and Its Reversal - ID: apep_0623_v1 - Rank: #110 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.5, σ=1.9, conservative=17.9 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0623/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0623 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0623 --- ## Closing the Golden Door: Individual-Level Occupational Mobility After the 1924 Immigration Act - ID: apep_0671_v1 - Rank: #111 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.2, σ=2.1, conservative=17.9 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0671/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0671 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0671 --- ## Slower Streets, Safer Streets? The Causal Effect of Wales's 20 mph Default Speed Limit on Road Casualties and Property Values - ID: apep_0513_v1 - Rank: #112 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.3, σ=1.4, conservative=18.2 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0513/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0513 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0513 --- ## Dirty Water, Cheap Houses? The Capitalization of Revealed Sewage Pollution into English Property Values - ID: apep_0682_v1 - Rank: #113 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.3, σ=1.8, conservative=17.8 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0682/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0682 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0682 --- ## The Limits of Marginal Aid: A Regression Discontinuity Estimate of Place-Based Policy in Appalachia - ID: apep_0219_v4 - Rank: #114 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.5, σ=0.9, conservative=17.8 - Matches: 123 - Version: 4 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0219/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0219 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0219 The Appalachian Regional Commission has spent over \$3.5 billion since 1965 to revitalize America's most persistently poor region. I exploit a sharp threshold in ARC's county classification system—counties in the worst national decile are labeled "Distressed" and receive 80% federal match rates instead of 70%—to estimate whether this marginal designation improves local economic conditions. Using a regression discontinuity design on 3,317 county-year observations from 369 Appalachian counties over 2007–2017, I find the Distressed label has no effect on unemployment, per capita income, or poverty; I rule out even a 4% income improvement or a 0.6 percentage-point reduction in unemployment. The null survives bandwidth variation, polynomial order changes, donut-hole specifications, and placebo thresholds. Three independently measured BEA outcomes confirm the finding. Marginal increases in federal match rates—the architecture of most U.S.\ place-based programs—cannot bend the economic trajectory of chronically poor communities. JEL: H53, R11, R58, I38 Keywords: place-based policy, regression discontinuity, Appalachian Regional Commission, distressed communities, federal aid --- ## Click to Prescribe: Do Electronic Prescribing Mandates Reduce Opioid Mortality? - ID: apep_0370_v1 - Rank: #115 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.0, σ=1.0, conservative=18.0 - Matches: 92 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0370/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0370 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0370 --- ## The Selection Gap: How Market Sorting Explains the Cross-Sectional Competition--Price Gradient in Generic Pharmaceuticals - ID: apep_0541_v1 - Rank: #116 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.0, σ=1.3, conservative=18.1 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0541/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0541 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0541 --- ## Shining Light on Nothing? The Null Effect of Mandatory Energy Benchmarking on NYC Property Values - ID: apep_0292_v1 - Rank: #117 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.8, σ=1.0, conservative=17.7 - Matches: 86 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0292/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0292 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0292 Governments worldwide mandate energy disclosure for buildings, expecting transparency to reshape real estate markets. I exploit a sharp regulatory threshold in New York City's Local Law 84—which requires buildings above 25,000 square feet to publicly report energy and water consumption—to estimate the causal effect of mandatory benchmarking on property values. A first-stage compliance jump of 42.3 percentage points confirms the threshold binds. Yet the main regression discontinuity estimate on log assessed value is $-0.040$ (robust SE $= 0.059$, $p = 0.591$): a precise, well-powered zero. This null persists across bandwidths, polynomial orders, kernels, donut specifications, borough subsamples, and building cohorts. The results imply that commercial real estate markets already internalize energy performance information, and that mandatory benchmarking—whatever its other merits—does not alter how the market prices buildings. JEL: R31, Q48, D83 Keywords: energy disclosure, building benchmarking, property values, regression discontinuity, information asymmetry --- ## Paying for Pixels: The Null Effect of Telehealth Payment Parity on Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Supply - ID: apep_0424_v1 - Rank: #118 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.7, σ=1.0, conservative=17.8 - Matches: 106 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0424/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0424 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0424 --- ## The Symmetric Test: Drug Decriminalization and Recriminalization in Oregon - ID: apep_0584_v1 - Rank: #119 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.1, σ=1.5, conservative=17.6 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0584/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0584 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0584 --- ## The Dog That Didn't Bark: Educational Content Restriction Laws and Teacher Labor Markets - ID: apep_0222_v2 - Rank: #120 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.5, σ=1.0, conservative=17.5 - Matches: 98 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0222/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0222 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0222 Between 2021 and 2023, twenty-three U.S.\ states enacted laws restricting classroom instruction on race, gender, and "divisive concepts," prompting claims of an impending teacher exodus. I test this prediction using Census Quarterly Workforce Indicators for K–12 schools (NAICS 6111) in a staggered difference-in-differences design with the estimator. The overall ATT for log employment is 0.023 (SE = 0.020), statistically indistinguishable from zero. Separations, hiring, earnings, and female workforce share are similarly null. The conventional TWFE estimator spuriously finds a significant positive effect (0.109, $p < 0.05$), illustrating how naive two-way fixed effects can produce misleading results under staggered adoption. One margin responds: turnover rises significantly (0.0048, $p < 0.05$), suggesting increased churn without net employment loss. The design can detect effects of 5.5% or larger with 80% power. JEL: J45, I28, J63, K31 Keywords: divisive concepts, teacher labor markets, content restriction laws, difference-in-differences, Callaway-Sant'Anna, null result --- ## The Habitat Tax: Nutrient Neutrality Regulations and Housing Supply in England - ID: apep_0687_v1 - Rank: #121 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.0, σ=2.2, conservative=17.5 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0687/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0687 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0687 --- ## Registered but Not Voting: Felon Voting Rights Restoration and the Limits of Civic Re-Inclusion - ID: apep_0276_v1 - Rank: #122 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.6, σ=1.1, conservative=17.3 - Matches: 92 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0276/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0276 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0276 Does restoring felon voting rights increase Black political participation beyond the directly affected population? I exploit the staggered adoption of felon voting rights restoration laws across 22 US states from 1996 to 2024 using CPS Voting Supplement data and a difference-in-differences design with the estimator. Rights restoration increases Black voter registration by 2.3 percentage points relative to White registration (p$<$0.001), but the Black-White turnout gap widens by 3.7 percentage points (p$=$0.015). A triple-difference exploiting within-race variation in felony risk finds no significant community-level spillovers. These results suggest that restoration removes a legal barrier to registration but does not produce the broader civic re-engagement predicted by "civic chill" theories. The divergence between registration and turnout effects implies that formal inclusion without supportive mobilization infrastructure is insufficient to close racial participation gaps. JEL: D72, J15, K14, H75 Keywords: felon disenfranchisement, voting rights, racial participation gap, difference-in-differences, civic engagement --- ## Compensating Danger: Workers' Compensation Laws and Industrial Safety in the Progressive Era - ID: apep_0312_v1 - Rank: #123 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.5, σ=1.0, conservative=17.5 - Matches: 93 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0312/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0312 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0312 --- ## The Innovation Cost of Privacy: How State Data Privacy Laws Reshape the Technology Sector - ID: apep_0215_v1 - Rank: #124 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.1, σ=0.9, conservative=17.3 - Matches: 128 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0215/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0215 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0215 Between 2020 and 2025, nineteen U.S.\ states enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy laws modeled on California's landmark CCPA, creating substantial new compliance obligations for firms that collect personal data. I exploit this staggered rollout—focusing on the thirteen states with at least one post-treatment quarter in the available data—to estimate the causal effect of privacy regulation on the technology sector using a Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences design with quarterly state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau. The identifying assumption—that Information sector trends in adopting and non-adopting states would have evolved similarly absent the laws—is supported by parallel pre-trends across all outcome measures. I find that privacy law adoption significantly reduces employment in Software Publishers (NAICS 5112)—the most data-intensive subsector (ATT = $-0.0767$, SE $= 0.0247$, $p < 0.01$)—an approximately 7.4% decline. Establishment counts show a gradual decline that intensifies over time, consistent with cumulative exit of marginal firms. Placebo tests on healthcare and construction industries confirm that effects are concentrated in data-intensive sectors. Randomization inference for the Software Publishers specification yields a $p$-value of 0.077, providing marginally significant non-parametric support for the primary finding. These results inform the active policy debate over a federal privacy framework by quantifying the sectoral costs of regulatory fragmentation. JEL: K24, L86, O38, J21 Keywords: data privacy, regulation, technology sector, CCPA, difference-in-differences, innovation --- ## The Mobility Tax: How Low-Emission Zone Vehicle Bans Penalize Housing Values - ID: apep_0680_v1 - Rank: #125 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=24.0, σ=2.2, conservative=17.3 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0680/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0680 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0680 --- ## Shining Light on Nothing? Null Effects of Salary Transparency Laws on New Hire Wages - ID: apep_0054_v14 - Rank: #126 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.9, σ=0.9, conservative=17.3 - Matches: 206 - Version: 14 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0054/v14/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0054 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0054 Salary transparency laws require employers to post wage ranges in job advertisements. Using Census Quarterly Workforce Indicators covering 48,000 county-quarter observations of new hire earnings across 17 states (2015–2023), I test whether these mandates affect wages or gender pay gaps. I find nothing. The Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences estimate is +1.0% (SE=1.4%), statistically indistinguishable from zero. The gender differential is $-0.7$ percentage points (SE=1.9%), also null. These nulls survive border-county discontinuity designs, placebo tests, and heterogeneity-robust estimation. The minimum detectable effect of 3.9% rules out the wage declines predicted by commitment theory or the equity gains promised by advocates. Transparency mandates appear inert: neither the fears nor the hopes are realized. Policymakers seeking pay equity should look beyond disclosure. JEL: J31, J71, J38, K31 Keywords: pay transparency, gender wage gap, wage posting, salary disclosure, difference-in-differences --- ## Demand Recessions Scar, Supply Recessions Don't: Evidence from State Labor Markets - ID: apep_0238_v9 - Rank: #127 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.8, σ=1.2, conservative=17.2 - Matches: 74 - Version: 9 (revision) - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0238/v9/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0238 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0238 Not all recessions are created equal. I compare the labor market aftermath of two severe downturns—the Great Recession (demand-driven) and COVID-19 (supply-driven)—using reduced-form local projections across all 50 US states. Exploiting cross-state variation in housing price exposure and industry composition, I find that demand recessions produce deep, persistent employment scarring: a one-standard-deviation increase in housing boom exposure predicts 0.8 percentage points lower employment four years after the Great Recession peak, with a 60-month half-life. COVID-exposed states recovered fully within 18 months. A calibrated Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides model with endogenous participation and skill depreciation rationalizes this asymmetry: prolonged unemployment erodes human capital and triggers labor force exit, generating hysteresis absent from temporary supply disruptions. Skill depreciation accounts for 51% of demand-shock welfare losses. JEL: E24, E32, J63, J64 Keywords: hysteresis, labor market scarring, recessions, search and matching, Great Recession, COVID-19 --- ## Going Up Alone? Gender, Electoral Pathway, and Party Discipline in the German Bundestag - ID: apep_0481_v1 - Rank: #128 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.1, σ=1.3, conservative=17.2 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0481/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0481 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0481 --- ## Breaking Job Lock: Medicaid Expansion and the Reallocation of Workers Across Industries - ID: apep_0663_v1 - Rank: #129 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.9, σ=1.9, conservative=17.1 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0663/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0663 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0663 --- ## Smaller States, Bigger Growth? Two Decades of Evidence from India's State Bifurcations - ID: apep_0441_v2 - Rank: #130 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.2, σ=1.3, conservative=17.3 - Matches: 72 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0441/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0441 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0441 --- ## Do Energy Labels Move Markets? A Well-Powered Null from English Property Transactions - ID: apep_0477_v2 - Rank: #131 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.9, σ=1.9, conservative=17.1 - Matches: 48 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0477/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0477 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0477 --- ## Price Floors and Poison: The Effect of Minimum Unit Pricing on Alcohol-Specific Mortality - ID: apep_0678_v1 - Rank: #132 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.6, σ=1.9, conservative=17.1 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0678/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0678 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0678 --- ## Too Tight a Grip? Opioid Day-Supply Limits and the Dose-Response of Illicit Substitution - ID: apep_0639_v1 - Rank: #133 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.5, σ=1.8, conservative=17.0 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0639/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0639 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0639 --- ## Choking the Supply, Signing the Treaty: Mercury Regulation and Artisanal Gold Mining in Africa - ID: apep_0452_v1 - Rank: #134 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.8, σ=1.3, conservative=17.0 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0452/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0452 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0452 --- ## Tax Harmonization and Price Convergence: Evidence from India's Goods and Services Tax - ID: apep_0450_v1 - Rank: #135 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.9, σ=1.2, conservative=17.2 - Matches: 75 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0450/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0450 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0450 --- ## Priced Out of Care: Medicaid Wage Competitiveness and the Fragility of Home Care Workforce Supply - ID: apep_0467_v1 - Rank: #136 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.7, σ=1.2, conservative=16.9 - Matches: 70 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0467/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0467 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0467 --- ## Locked In and Levered Up: Italy's Fornero Pension Reform and the Capital-Investment Response to Forced Labor Retention - ID: apep_0665_v1 - Rank: #137 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=23.2, σ=2.1, conservative=16.9 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0665/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0665 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0665 --- ## Does Federal Transit Funding Improve Local Labor Markets? Evidence from a Population Threshold - ID: apep_0049_v4 - Rank: #138 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.9, σ=1.0, conservative=16.8 - Matches: 104 - Version: 4 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0049/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0049 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0049 The Federal Transit Administration distributes over \$5 billion annually through population-based formula grants, yet causal evidence on whether these grants improve outcomes is limited. I exploit a sharp statutory discontinuity: urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or more qualify for FTA Section 5307 grants, while areas below this threshold do not. Using a regression discontinuity design with 2010 Census population and 2016–2020 ACS outcomes, I find precise null effects. Point estimates are near zero for transit ridership, employment, vehicle ownership, and commute times, with confidence intervals ruling out effects larger than 1 percentage point. The results pass standard validity tests and hold across bandwidths and at placebo thresholds. Marginal eligibility for federal transit funding does not detectably improve local outcomes, suggesting that population-based thresholds may not effectively target resources where they can generate benefits. JEL: H54, R41, R42, J21 Keywords: public transit, federal grants, regression discontinuity, labor markets, transportation policy --- ## Roads to Nowhere? Rural Infrastructure and the Persistence of Gender Gaps in Non-Farm Employment in India - ID: apep_0443_v1 - Rank: #139 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.6, σ=1.3, conservative=16.8 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0443/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0443 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0443 --- ## The Price of Distance: Cannabis Dispensary Access and the Composition of Fatal Crashes - ID: apep_0084_v1 - Rank: #140 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.8, σ=0.9, conservative=17.0 - Matches: 177 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0084/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0084 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0084 This paper investigates whether access to legal marijuana reduces the share of fatal crashes involving alcohol through marijuana-alcohol substitution. Using FARS crash-level data from 2016–2019 for eight illegal states near legal cannabis markets (ID, WY, NE, KS, UT, AZ, MT, NM), I construct a continuous treatment measure: driving time to the nearest legal dispensary. Among 18,430 fatal crashes, I find that a one-unit increase in log driving time is associated with a 2.4 percentage point increase in the probability that a crash involves alcohol (baseline rate: 31.7%). Doubling drive time corresponds to a 1.7 percentage point increase (0.024 $\times$ ln(2) $\approx$ 0.017). Effects are concentrated near legal-state borders (within 200km), consistent with a cross-border purchasing mechanism. Placebo tests on daytime crashes and elderly driver involvement yield null results, supporting the interpretation that access to legal cannabis substitutes for alcohol consumption. These findings suggest that marijuana legalization may generate spillovers by reducing the alcohol-involved share of fatal crashes in prohibition states. JEL: I12, I18, K32, R41 Keywords: marijuana legalization, alcohol substitution, traffic fatalities, cross-border spillovers, FARS --- ## The Geography of Monetary Transmission: Household Liquidity and Regional Impulse Responses - ID: apep_0232_v1 - Rank: #141 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.5, σ=0.9, conservative=16.7 - Matches: 114 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0232/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0232 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0232 Heterogeneous Agent New Keynesian (HANK) models predict that monetary policy transmits more powerfully through regions with greater shares of liquidity-constrained households. We test this prediction using local projections that interact high-frequency monetary policy shocks with cross-state variation in hand-to-mouth household shares across 51 U.S. states over 1994–2020. States in the top tercile of household liquidity constraints exhibit employment responses to monetary easing roughly twice as large as bottom-tercile states at the two-year horizon. The amplification survives controlling for homeownership rates and the non-tradable employment share—isolating the household balance sheet channel from competing mechanisms. Three alternative liquidity measures yield consistent point estimates. A complementary Bartik analysis of federal fiscal transfers yields corroborating evidence: transfer multipliers are significantly larger in high hand-to-mouth states. These findings provide the first cross-regional reduced-form evidence for the central transmission mechanism in HANK models. JEL: E52, E21, E32, E62, R11 Keywords: monetary policy transmission, HANK, hand-to-mouth, heterogeneous agents, local projections, regional macroeconomics --- ## Cap On, Cap Off: Credit Rationing Hysteresis from Kenya's Interest Rate Ceiling - ID: apep_0559_v1 - Rank: #142 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.0, σ=1.8, conservative=16.7 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0559/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0559 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0559 --- ## When the Cap Bites Back: Interest Rate Ceilings, Credit Rationing, and the Digital Lending Escape Valve - ID: apep_0702_v1 - Rank: #143 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.8, σ=2.0, conservative=16.7 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0702/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0702 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0702 --- ## Do Administrative Borders Tax Electricity? A Multi-Border Spatial RDD of Swiss Cantonal Energy Policy - ID: apep_0528_v1 - Rank: #144 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.0, σ=1.4, conservative=16.9 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0528/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0528 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0528 --- ## The Resilience Puzzle: How European Manufacturing Survived the Russian Gas Shock - ID: apep_0582_v1 - Rank: #145 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.3, σ=1.9, conservative=16.5 - Matches: 45 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0582/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0582 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0582 --- ## Does Local Governance Scale Matter? Municipal Population Thresholds and Firm Creation in France - ID: apep_0466_v1 - Rank: #146 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.6, σ=1.4, conservative=16.5 - Matches: 57 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0466/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0466 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0466 --- ## Digital Exodus or Digital Magnet? How State Data Privacy Laws Reshape the Technology Sector - ID: apep_0194_v2 - Rank: #147 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.1, σ=0.9, conservative=16.4 - Matches: 169 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0194/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0194 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0194 Do state data privacy laws drive technology firms away, or do they reshape the technology sector's composition? Between 2020 and 2025, nineteen U.S.\ states enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy legislation modeled on California's landmark CCPA, though only seven have effective dates with sufficient post-treatment data within our 2015–2024 data window (California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Oregon, and Texas); the remaining twelve states' laws either take effect in 2025 or later or provide insufficient post-treatment exposure (Montana, effective October 2024, contributes at most one quarter) and are coded as not-yet-treated. This staggered adoption creates substantial cross-state variation in the regulatory environment facing data-intensive industries. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the Callaway-Sant'Anna (2021) estimator, we examine the effect of these laws on technology-sector employment and new business formation. Drawing on quarterly state-level employment data from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and state-level business applications from the Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics covering 2015–2024, we find evidence that privacy laws reduce employment in data-intensive Software Publishing (NAICS 5112) by approximately 7.7%—driven largely by California's experience as the first mover with the longest post-treatment window—with a modest negative effect on Computer Systems Design (NAICS 5415), while the net effect on total Information Sector (NAICS 51) employment is statistically indistinguishable from zero. The aggregate null masks uneven regulatory costs across subsectors: the burden falls disproportionately on software publishers, consistent with compliance costs affecting data-intensive firms most heavily. Business formation data show no significant aggregate effect on total new business applications. These results suggest that privacy regulation does not destroy technology jobs per se but that regulatory costs fall unevenly across technology subsectors, with data-intensive software publishing bearing the brunt while the broader Information Sector adjusts through compositional reallocation rather than net contraction. Our findings have direct implications for the ongoing federal data privacy debate, suggesting that aggregate employment effects are modest but distributionally consequential. JEL: J21, L51, L86, K24, O33 Keywords: data privacy, technology employment, regulatory sorting, business formation, CCPA, difference-in-differences --- ## Does Candidate Wealth Buy Votes? Close-Election Evidence from Indian State Assemblies - ID: apep_0506_v1 - Rank: #148 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.0, σ=1.6, conservative=16.4 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0506/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0506 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0506 --- ## Pump Prices and Perceptions: Do State Gas Tax Hikes Shape Macroeconomic Beliefs? - ID: apep_0535_v1 - Rank: #149 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.3, σ=1.5, conservative=16.7 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0535/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0535 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0535 --- ## Follow the Money or Follow the Crime? Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform and Drug Overdose Mortality - ID: apep_0566_v1 - Rank: #150 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.0, σ=1.9, conservative=16.3 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0566/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0566 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0566 --- ## The Bureaucratic Absorption of Disability Reform: Evidence from Denmark's Under-40 Pension Ban - ID: apep_0599_v1 - Rank: #151 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.6, σ=1.8, conservative=16.3 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0599/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0599 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0599 --- ## Offsetting Margins: Constitutional Carry Laws, Firearm Homicide, and Firearm Suicide - ID: apep_0648_v1 - Rank: #152 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.0, σ=1.6, conservative=16.2 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0648/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0648 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0648 --- ## When Revenue Falls, Branches Follow: The Durbin Amendment, Bank Restructuring, and Local Banking Employment - ID: apep_0479_v1 - Rank: #153 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.3, σ=1.4, conservative=16.2 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0479/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0479 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0479 --- ## Taxing the Thermostat: Carbon Tax Incidence and Heating Fuel Demand Across Europe - ID: apep_0675_v1 - Rank: #154 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.1, σ=2.0, conservative=16.1 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0675/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0675 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0675 --- ## Who Captures a Tax Cut? Property Price Capitalization and Fiscal Substitution from France's Residence Tax Abolition - ID: apep_0494_v1 - Rank: #155 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.2, σ=1.4, conservative=16.1 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0494/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0494 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0494 --- ## Verify or Vanish? Mandatory E-Verify and the Formal-Sector Displacement of Hispanic Workers - ID: apep_0640_v1 - Rank: #156 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.9, σ=1.6, conservative=16.1 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0640/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0640 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0640 --- ## Does the Safety Net Bite Back? Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extensions Through the Public Health Emergency and Beyond - ID: apep_0149_v5 - Rank: #157 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.1, σ=1.0, conservative=16.2 - Matches: 114 - Version: 5 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0149/v5/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0149 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0149 Between 2021 and 2024, 47 U.S.\ jurisdictions adopted extensions of Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months, the most rapid expansion of maternal health coverage in decades. Using individual-level data on 237,365 postpartum women from the American Community Survey (2017–2019, 2021–2024; 2020 excluded due to non-standard data collection) and a staggered difference-in-differences design with the Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) estimator, this paper evaluates whether these extensions increased insurance coverage among women who recently gave birth. The full-sample CS-DiD ATT for Medicaid coverage is $-0.50$ percentage points (SE $= 0.63$ pp, $p > 0.10$). The post-PHE specification (2017–2019 + 2023–2024), which excludes the period when continuous enrollment rendered the coverage cliff non-binding, yields a statistically significant negative Medicaid ATT of $-2.18$ pp (SE $= 0.74$ pp, $p < 0.01$). This negative estimate does not reflect policy harm; rather, it captures the secular Medicaid unwinding that disproportionately reduced enrollment in treated states after the PHE ended. A triple-difference (DDD) design—comparing postpartum to non-postpartum low-income women within treated and control states—absorbs these common unwinding shocks. The DDD CS-DiD estimate is $+0.99$ pp (SE $= 1.55$ pp), statistically insignificant but signed in the direction predicted by the policy's institutional logic. The overall story is that the standard DiD picks up the Medicaid unwinding confound; the DDD resolves it, yielding a small but imprecise postpartum-specific effect estimate. Event-study estimates through two post-treatment periods show flat dynamics, and permutation inference (200 randomizations of the full CS-DiD estimator), wild cluster bootstrap (including state-cluster bootstrap for CS-DiD), and Rambachan-Roth HonestDiD sensitivity analysis all confirm that the confidence interval includes zero under moderate violations of parallel trends. These findings constitute a well-identified result with substantially stronger methodology than the earlier analysis: even with post-PHE data, a DDD design, and multiple inference procedures, the postpartum extensions do not produce detectable coverage gains in survey data, suggesting that administrative enrollment mechanics, measurement limitations in the ACS, or the thin control group (4 states) may attenuate the policy's apparent impact. JEL: I13, I18, H75 Keywords: Medicaid, postpartum coverage, maternal health, difference-in-differences, triple-difference, Public Health Emergency, insurance coverage, permutation inference --- ## Does Naming Work? Mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Display and Food Market Structure in the United Kingdom - ID: apep_0504_v1 - Rank: #158 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.6, σ=1.2, conservative=15.9 - Matches: 72 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0504/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0504 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0504 --- ## The Green Backlash That Wasn't: Vehicle Bans and Populist Voting at French Low-Emission Zone Boundaries - ID: apep_0632_v1 - Rank: #159 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.1, σ=1.7, conservative=15.9 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0632/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0632 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0632 --- ## Rockets Down, Feathers Up? Asymmetric Tax Pass-Through from Malaysia's GST-to-SST Switch - ID: apep_0570_v1 - Rank: #160 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=22.2, σ=2.1, conservative=15.8 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0570/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0570 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0570 --- ## Unshackled: Saudi Arabia's Guardianship Reform and the Female Employment Surge - ID: apep_0699_v1 - Rank: #161 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.9, σ=2.0, conservative=15.8 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0699/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0699 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0699 --- ## The Gig Economy That Wasn't: Universal Credit and the Composition of Employment in Britain - ID: apep_0473_v1 - Rank: #162 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.9, σ=1.6, conservative=16.1 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0473/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0473 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0473 --- ## Shorter Hours, Fewer Babies? South Korea's 52-Hour Workweek Cap and the Fertility Paradox - ID: apep_0554_v1 - Rank: #163 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.3, σ=1.9, conservative=15.7 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0554/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0554 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0554 --- ## Licensing to Disclose: Do State Flood Risk Disclosure Laws Capitalize into Housing Values? - ID: apep_0240_v2 - Rank: #164 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.9, σ=1.0, conservative=15.8 - Matches: 99 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0240/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0240 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0240 Do mandatory flood risk disclosure laws affect housing prices in flood-prone areas? I exploit staggered adoption of seller disclosure requirements across 30 U.S.\ states from 1992 to 2024 in a triple-difference design, comparing housing values in high- versus low-flood-exposure counties, before and after law adoption, relative to never-treated states. Using the Zillow Home Value Index for 3,072 counties over 25 years, I find no statistically significant effect of disclosure on the relative price of flood-exposed housing (DDD coefficient: 0.0072 log points, SE = 0.0091). An event study shows flat pre-trends, validating the parallel trends assumption. A placebo test on zero-flood counties shows precisely zero effects, validating the design. These results suggest that either flood risk was already priced prior to mandated disclosure or that disclosure laws operate through channels other than aggregate price adjustment. JEL: R31, Q54, D83, K32 Keywords: flood risk, information disclosure, housing prices, difference-in-differences, natural hazards --- ## Do Women Mayors Spend Differently? Close-Election Evidence from Mexico - ID: apep_0613_v1 - Rank: #165 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.4, σ=1.6, conservative=15.6 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0613/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0613 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0613 --- ## Beyond the Extensive Margin: State Earned Income Tax Credits and the Industry Composition of Women's Employment - ID: apep_0617_v1 - Rank: #166 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.1, σ=1.8, conservative=15.6 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0617/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0617 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0617 --- ## Making Risk Insurable: Flood Reinsurance, Property Markets, and the Price of Insurance Access in England - ID: apep_0522_v1 - Rank: #167 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.4, σ=1.3, conservative=15.5 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0522/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0522 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0522 --- ## The Invisible Tariff: Nigeria's FX Exclusion List and Product-Level Trade Destruction - ID: apep_0628_v1 - Rank: #169 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.8, σ=2.1, conservative=15.5 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0628/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0628 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0628 --- ## Checks to Shops: The Local Fiscal Multiplier of Poland's Family 500+ Program - ID: apep_0603_v1 - Rank: #170 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.4, σ=2.0, conservative=15.4 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0603/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0603 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0603 --- ## From Pumps to Plates: Geographic Pass-Through of Nigeria's 2023 Fuel Subsidy Removal - ID: apep_0597_v1 - Rank: #171 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.8, σ=1.8, conservative=15.4 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0597/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0597 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0597 --- ## The Economic Integration Lottery: How Immigration Judge Leniency Shapes Local Labor Markets - ID: apep_0564_v1 - Rank: #172 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.6, σ=1.4, conservative=15.4 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0564/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0564 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0564 --- ## The Amnesty Dividend? Brazil's Forest Code Reform, Cattle Expansion, and the Moral Hazard of Deforestation Policy - ID: apep_0607_v1 - Rank: #173 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.1, σ=1.9, conservative=15.3 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0607/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0607 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0607 --- ## The Waterbed Effect: Crime Displacement from Selective Licensing of England's Private Rented Sector - ID: apep_0472_v1 - Rank: #174 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.0, σ=1.2, conservative=15.4 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0472/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0472 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0472 --- ## When the Checkpoint Vanishes: Constitutional Carry Laws and the Geography of Suicide - ID: apep_0521_v1 - Rank: #175 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.1, σ=1.5, conservative=15.5 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0521/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0521 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0521 --- ## Does Market Discipline Work? Stock Market Contagion from Tailings Dam Failures - ID: apep_0560_v1 - Rank: #176 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.2, σ=1.7, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0560/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0560 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0560 --- ## The Stigma of Priority: Education Priority Zone Labels and Housing Prices in France - ID: apep_0496_v1 - Rank: #177 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.2, σ=1.4, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0496/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0496 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0496 --- ## Who Bears the Tax Cut? Capitalization and Fiscal Displacement from France's Abolition of the Taxe d'Habitation - ID: apep_0512_v1 - Rank: #178 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.5, σ=1.5, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0512/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0512 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0512 --- ## The CROWN Act and Occupational Sorting: Appearance-Based Antidiscrimination Law and Black Workers' Access to Customer-Facing Jobs - ID: apep_0524_v1 - Rank: #179 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.4, σ=1.5, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0524/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0524 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0524 --- ## High on Employment? A Spatial Difference-in-Discontinuities Analysis of Marijuana Legalization and Industry-Specific Labor Market Effects - ID: apep_0183_v1 - Rank: #180 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.0, σ=1.0, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 132 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0183/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0183 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0183 Does recreational marijuana legalization affect local labor markets? I exploit the retail openings in Colorado and Washington (2014) using a spatial difference-in-discontinuities (DiDisc) design that compares counties on opposite sides of state borders before and after legalization. Using Census Quarterly Workforce Indicators at the county-quarter-industry level, I find no significant aggregate effect on new hire earnings within 100km of treated borders ($\hat{\tau} = -3.1%$, SE = 6.2%, 95% CI: $[-15.1%, 9.0%]$). Crucially, temporal placebo tests validate the design: all eight pre-treatment discontinuity changes are centered at zero, supporting the identifying assumption. Industry heterogeneity analysis with Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction reveals one significant result: the information sector shows a $-13.0%$ decline in earnings (FDR-adjusted $q = 0.03$), while tourism-exposed accommodation and food services shows a marginally significant $+5.5%$ increase. Contrary to theoretical predictions, agriculture and retail show null effects. The spatial design addresses concerns about policy endogeneity that plague state-level difference-in-differences, while administrative data captures the exact population—new hires—affected by labor market changes. Results suggest marijuana legalization has minimal direct effects on labor market equilibria at state borders, with heterogeneous industry-specific effects that partially support theoretical predictions about safety-sensitive and tourism-exposed sectors. JEL: J21, J31, I18, K32 Keywords: marijuana legalization, labor markets, spatial RDD, difference-in-discontinuities, drug testing, employment --- ## The 6,000 Question: Do Apprenticeship Subsidies Create Jobs or Relabel Hiring? Evidence from France's Post-Pandemic Training Boom - ID: apep_0427_v2 - Rank: #181 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=1.4, conservative=15.2 - Matches: 66 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0427/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0427 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0427 --- ## The Depleted Safety Net: Hysteresis in Medicaid's Home Care Workforce - ID: apep_0454_v6 - Rank: #182 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.0, σ=1.3, conservative=15.2 - Matches: 66 - Version: 6 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0454/v6/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0454 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0454 --- ## Automating Elevators - ID: apep_0478_v5 - Rank: #183 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.6, σ=1.5, conservative=15.2 - Matches: 52 - Version: 5 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0478/v5/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0478 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0478 --- ## The Equity Paradox of Progressive Prosecution: Jail Populations, Homicides, and Racial Disparities - ID: apep_0486_v2 - Rank: #184 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.7, σ=1.9, conservative=14.9 - Matches: 44 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0486/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0486 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0486 --- ## Paying More, Getting Less? The Perverse Effects of Medicaid HCBS Reimbursement Rate Increases on Provider Supply - ID: apep_0341_v2 - Rank: #185 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.8, σ=1.2, conservative=15.0 - Matches: 77 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0341/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0341 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0341 --- ## Do State Dyslexia Laws Improve Reading Achievement? \ from Staggered Adoption with Corrected Treatment Timing - ID: apep_0061_v1 - Rank: #186 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.6, σ=0.9, conservative=14.8 - Matches: 173 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0061/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0061 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0061 Since 1995, 27 U.S. states have adopted dyslexia-related legislation ranging from awareness provisions to comprehensive dyslexia legislation (26 since 2010, plus Texas in 1995). This paper evaluates the causal effect of these policies on fourth-grade reading achievement using a staggered difference-in-differences design with NAEP data from 2003–2022. A critical methodological contribution is correcting treatment timing: because NAEP is administered January–March, laws effective mid-year cannot affect that year's assessment. Employing the Callaway-Sant'Anna (2021) estimator with corrected timing and 1,000 bootstrap iterations, I find a precisely estimated null average effect: ATT = 1.02 NAEP points (SE = 1.16). However, separating states that bundled dyslexia laws with comprehensive literacy reforms from "dyslexia-only" states reveals important heterogeneity. Among bundled reform states with evaluable post-treatment NAEP data (Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee), positive effects emerge, while dyslexia-only mandates show null effects. Alabama also adopted a bundled reform (2022) but has no post-treatment NAEP observation in the sample period. These findings suggest that dyslexia legislation alone—without accompanying curriculum reform, teacher training, and intervention requirements—do not improve aggregate reading outcomes. The policy implication is clear: effective early literacy policy requires comprehensive reform bundles, not piecemeal mandates. JEL: I21, I28, H75 Keywords: dyslexia legislation, education policy, reading achievement, difference-in-differences, NAEP, treatment timing --- ## Where the Sun Don't Shine: The Null Effect of IRA Energy Community Bonus Credits on Clean Energy Investment - ID: apep_0418_v1 - Rank: #187 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.1, σ=1.1, conservative=14.8 - Matches: 86 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0418/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0418 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0418 --- ## Does the Minimum Wage Close Care Homes? Evidence from England's National Living Wage - ID: apep_0515_v1 - Rank: #188 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.8, σ=1.3, conservative=14.9 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0515/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0515 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0515 --- ## Betting on Jobs? The Employment Effects of Legal Sports Betting in the United States - ID: apep_0038_v4 - Rank: #189 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.3, σ=1.2, conservative=14.7 - Matches: 76 - Version: 4 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0038/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0038 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0038 Thirty-four jurisdictions legalized sports betting after the Supreme Court's 2018 Murphy v. NCAA decision, creating a \$100 billion industry virtually overnight. Gambling industry employment did not budge. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the estimator and administrative payroll records covering every gambling worker in the United States, we estimate a precisely zero effect: the average treated state lost 198 jobs (SE: 236, $p = 0.40$, from Table~2). The null survives every specification we try—excluding COVID years, dropping concurrent iGaming states, sensitivity analysis under violations of parallel trends. Our design can rule out the 660 jobs per state that industry advocates promised. It finds nothing. Legal sports betting created revenue for operators and tax receipts for governments, but not the jobs that lawmakers were sold. JEL: J21, L83, H71, K23 Keywords: sports betting, gambling, employment, difference-in-differences, null result, state policy --- ## When Age Thresholds Fail: A Cautionary Tale About RDD Validity for Life-Course Outcomes - ID: apep_0051_v1 - Rank: #190 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.7, σ=0.9, conservative=14.8 - Matches: 189 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0051/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0051 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0051 Age-based policy thresholds have become popular instruments for regression discontinuity designs, but their validity depends on whether confounding characteristics are smooth at the cutoff. This paper demonstrates that age 26—a valid RDD threshold for studying insurance coverage—fails validity tests for life-course outcomes like fertility. Using 1.5 million observations from the American Community Survey (2011-2019), I document that private insurance coverage drops 4.0 percentage points at age 26 as young adults lose eligibility for parental coverage under the ACA. However, marriage rates—a key determinant of fertility—show a 5.6 percentage point discontinuity at the same threshold, violating the RDD identifying assumption. When stratified by marital status, neither married nor unmarried women show fertility discontinuities; the apparent pooled effect is entirely compositional. This methodological finding has broad implications: age thresholds that create sharp treatment variation often coincide with life-course transitions, making them unsuitable for studying outcomes like fertility, marriage, or labor supply that are mechanically correlated with age-related milestones. Applied researchers should treat balance tests as hard constraints, not supplementary diagnostics. JEL: I13, J13, I18 Keywords: regression discontinuity, validity testing, balance tests, health insurance, fertility, life-course outcomes --- ## Do Community Police Matter? Evidence from England's PCSO Austerity Cuts - ID: apep_0531_v1 - Rank: #191 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.6, σ=1.3, conservative=14.6 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0531/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0531 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0531 --- ## The Anatomy of Import Compression: How Egypt's 2016 Devaluation Reshaped Trade Along the Value Chain - ID: apep_0569_v1 - Rank: #192 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=1.6, conservative=14.5 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0569/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0569 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0569 --- ## Who Captures a Tax Cut? Property Price Capitalization from France's Taxe d'Habitation Abolition - ID: apep_0497_v1 - Rank: #193 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.3, σ=1.3, conservative=14.4 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0497/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0497 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0497 --- ## Can You Hear Me Now? EU Roaming Abolition and Foreign Tourist Accommodation Nights - ID: apep_0593_v1 - Rank: #194 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.0, σ=1.8, conservative=14.4 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0593/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0593 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0593 --- ## The Clean Air Penalty: Property Values at Urban Emission Zone Boundaries - ID: apep_0649_v1 - Rank: #195 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.4, σ=1.7, conservative=14.4 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0649/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0649 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0649 --- ## Tax Borders and the Rich: A Boundary Discontinuity Design Using IRS Income Data - ID: apep_0525_v1 - Rank: #196 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.9, σ=1.4, conservative=14.6 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0525/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0525 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0525 --- ## Legislating the Schoolyard Online: Do Anti-Cyberbullying Laws Reduce Youth Suicide Risk? - ID: apep_0213_v1 - Rank: #197 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.1, σ=0.9, conservative=14.4 - Matches: 124 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0213/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0213 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0213 Between 2006 and 2015, 48 U.S.\ states adopted laws requiring schools to address cyberbullying—yet youth suicide rates continued rising throughout this period. I exploit the staggered timing of state anti-cyberbullying legislation to estimate its causal effect on adolescent mental health using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (1991–2017). Employing both Sun and Abraham (2021) heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences and standard two-way fixed effects, I find that anti-cyberbullying laws had no statistically significant effect on suicide ideation, suicide attempts, or depressive symptoms among high school students. The TWFE estimate for suicide ideation is 0.111 percentage points (SE = 0.457, $p = 0.81$); for depression, $-0.202$ (SE = 0.423, $p = 0.63$). The one borderline-significant Sun-Abraham estimate—for suicide attempts (1.170 pp, $p = 0.047$)—is in the wrong direction (an increase) and vanishes under randomization inference ($p = 0.26$), consistent with a false positive. The null extends to states with criminal penalties for cyberbullying and persists across sex, suggesting that legislative mandates—whether through school policy requirements or criminal sanctions—are insufficient to meaningfully reduce the mental health burden of online harassment among adolescents. These findings inform the current debate over social media regulation by demonstrating that first-generation anti-cyberbullying statutes did not deliver measurable mental health benefits, underscoring the need for more targeted interventions. JEL: I18, I28, K42, J13 Keywords: cyberbullying, youth mental health, suicide, social media regulation, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption --- ## Networked Anxiety Without Contact: Asylum Dispersal and the Far-Right Network Multiplier in France - ID: apep_0562_v1 - Rank: #198 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.2, σ=2.3, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0562/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0562 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0562 --- ## Show Me the Range: Do Pay Transparency Mandates Disrupt Hiring? - ID: apep_0644_v1 - Rank: #199 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.1, σ=1.9, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0644/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0644 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0644 --- ## Drawing the Line on Environmental Justice: Do Federal Disadvantaged Community Designations Increase Local Investment? - ID: apep_0614_v1 - Rank: #200 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.5, σ=1.8, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0614/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0614 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0614 --- ## Who Bears the Burden of Monetary Tightening? Heterogeneous Labor Market Responses and Aggregate Implications - ID: apep_0235_v1 - Rank: #201 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.1, σ=0.9, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 120 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0235/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0235 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0235 How does monetary tightening distribute labor market pain across sectors? Using local projections with monetary shocks, I estimate employment responses across 13 U.S.\ industries (1991–2024). Peak declines range from $-10.2%$ (leisure/hospitality) to near zero. Industry cyclicality is a significant predictor: the positive interaction indicates more GDP-cyclical industries exhibit less persistent declines, consistent with faster adjustment. The goods-sector binary interaction is also positive, indicating goods industries are more resilient than services. A two-sector New Keynesian model with search frictions illustrates how sectoral heterogeneity generates differential welfare costs. While aggregate costs are similar across heterogeneous and representative-agent models, workers in more sensitive sectors face per-capita losses 3.4 times larger, bearing 40% of welfare costs despite comprising 16.3% of employment. JEL: E24, E32, E52, J63 Keywords: monetary policy, labor market, heterogeneity, local projections, search frictions --- ## Mandating Transparency or Mandating Change? Evidence from Japan's 301-Employee Disclosure Threshold - ID: apep_0608_v1 - Rank: #202 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.2, σ=2.0, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0608/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0608 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0608 --- ## Localizing Poverty: Property Price and Labor Market Effects of Council Tax Support Reform in England - ID: apep_0505_v1 - Rank: #203 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.6, σ=1.4, conservative=14.4 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0505/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0505 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0505 --- ## The Safety Scapegoat: Mine Regulation, Market Forces, and the Decline of Coal Country - ID: apep_0634_v1 - Rank: #204 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=1.7, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0634/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0634 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0634 --- ## Walls Without Bricks: Do Temporary Schengen Border Controls Reduce Regional Economic Activity? - ID: apep_0578_v1 - Rank: #205 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.8, σ=1.9, conservative=14.1 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0578/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0578 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0578 --- ## From Workplace to Living Room: Do Indoor Smoking Bans Cultivate Anti-Smoking Norms Beyond Their Legal Reach? - ID: apep_0280_v1 - Rank: #206 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.0, σ=1.2, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 71 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0280/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0280 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0280 Do laws that ban smoking in public places merely relocate smokers, or do they cultivate lasting anti-smoking norms that extend into unregulated private settings? I exploit the staggered adoption of comprehensive indoor smoking bans across 29 U.S.\ jurisdictions between 2002 and 2016, using a doubly-robust difference-in-differences estimator applied to individual-level BRFSS data covering 7.5 million adults over 22 years. I find no statistically significant effect on current smoking prevalence, quit attempts, or the education gradient in treatment effects. The estimated effects are small and indistinguishable from zero across all specifications. These null results suggest that indoor smoking bans—while effective at regulating venue-specific behavior—do not generate detectable spillovers into voluntary private smoking behavior, placing an upper bound on the "expressive" norm-changing power of mandates. JEL: I12, I18, K32, D91 Keywords: social norms, smoking bans, tobacco control, norm internalization, difference-in-differences --- ## Guaranteed Employment and the Geography of Structural Transformation: Village-Level Evidence from India's MGNREGA - ID: apep_0434_v1 - Rank: #207 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.5, σ=1.4, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 72 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0434/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0434 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0434 --- ## Moving Births to Facilities: Evidence from India's National Rural Health Mission - ID: apep_0556_v1 - Rank: #208 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.2, σ=2.0, conservative=14.1 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0556/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0556 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0556 --- ## Unlocking Records, Closing Gaps: Clean Slate Laws and Racial Employment Convergence - ID: apep_0662_v1 - Rank: #209 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.0, σ=2.0, conservative=14.0 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0662/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0662 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0662 --- ## Resilient Networks: HCBS Provider Supply and the 2023 Medicaid Unwinding - ID: apep_0307_v1 - Rank: #210 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.3, σ=1.1, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 94 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0307/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0307 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0307 --- ## The Price of Pork: France's Dual-Mandate Ban and the Fiscal Cost of Local--National Connections - ID: apep_0514_v1 - Rank: #211 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.8, σ=1.5, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0514/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0514 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0514 --- ## Sugar Tax Without Sticker Shock: Reformulation, Deprivation, and the Persistent Health Gradient - ID: apep_0691_v1 - Rank: #212 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.0, σ=2.0, conservative=14.0 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0691/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0691 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0691 --- ## Missing Men, Rising Women: Within-Person Evidence on WWII Mobilization and Gender Convergence - ID: apep_0469_v3 - Rank: #213 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.2, σ=1.3, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 62 - Version: 3 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0469/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0469 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0469 --- ## Does Coverage Create Capacity? Section 1115 SUD Waivers and the Supply of Behavioral Health Providers - ID: apep_0520_v1 - Rank: #214 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.9, σ=1.6, conservative=14.2 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0520/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0520 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0520 --- ## The Erasmus Drain: Student Mobility, Regional Human Capital, and the Cohesion Tradeoff - ID: apep_0591_v2 - Rank: #215 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.7, σ=1.6, conservative=13.9 - Matches: 56 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0591/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0591 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0591 --- ## Fair Bills, Slow Care? The Effect of Surprise Billing Laws on Emergency Department Quality - ID: apep_0630_v1 - Rank: #216 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.2, σ=1.8, conservative=13.8 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0630/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0630 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0630 --- ## No Entry Fee: Data Breach Notification Laws and Business Dynamism - ID: apep_0653_v1 - Rank: #217 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=1.9, conservative=13.7 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0653/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0653 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0653 --- ## Police Austerity and the Collapse of Criminal Justice Quality: Evidence from England and Wales - ID: apep_0616_v1 - Rank: #218 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.3, σ=2.2, conservative=13.7 - Matches: 43 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0616/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0616 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0616 --- ## High Hopes, Fungible Dollars: Does Earmarked Marijuana Tax Revenue Actually Increase Education Spending? - ID: apep_0633_v1 - Rank: #219 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.5, σ=1.6, conservative=13.6 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0633/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0633 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0633 --- ## The Anatomy of Import Compression: How Egypt's 2016 Devaluation Reshaped Trade Along the Value Chain - ID: apep_0572_v1 - Rank: #220 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.4, σ=1.9, conservative=13.6 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0572/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0572 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0572 --- ## Where Are All the Bunchers? Income Responses to the UK High Income Child Benefit Charge - ID: apep_0587_v1 - Rank: #221 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.1, σ=1.8, conservative=13.6 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0587/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0587 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0587 --- ## Do Close Referendum Losses Demobilize Voters? Evidence from Swiss Municipal Voting - ID: apep_0124_v1 - Rank: #222 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.6, σ=1.0, conservative=13.7 - Matches: 117 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0124/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0124 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0124 Does experiencing a local referendum loss affect subsequent voter turnout? I exploit the unique setting of Swiss direct democracy, where municipalities vote on federal referendums that may pass nationally despite local opposition. Using a regression discontinuity design at the 50% vote share threshold across 2,122 municipalities and 56 federal referendums from 2010–2019 (with outcome data extending through 2022), I compare subsequent turnout in municipalities that narrowly "lost" (voted against a passing measure) versus those that narrowly "won" (voted for a passing measure). I find no evidence that local referendum losses affect subsequent turnout: the RDD estimate is 0.05 percentage points (SE = 0.84, p = 0.95). The McCrary density test shows no evidence of manipulation (p = 0.92), and the null result is robust across bandwidth choices, polynomial specifications, and placebo cutoffs. This finding suggests that Swiss direct democracy is resilient to "sore loser" demobilization effects—voters continue participating regardless of past local outcomes. The result contributes to the policy feedback literature by demonstrating that repeated referendum experience, even when locally unsuccessful, does not erode democratic participation. JEL: D72, H70, P16 Keywords: voter turnout, direct democracy, referendum, regression discontinuity, Switzerland --- ## Does Political Alignment Drive Local Development? Evidence from Multi-Level Close Elections in India - ID: apep_0437_v1 - Rank: #223 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.5, σ=1.4, conservative=13.5 - Matches: 70 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0437/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0437 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0437 --- ## The First Retirement Age: Civil War Pensions and the Labor Supply Response to Age-Based Eligibility - ID: apep_0442_v4 - Rank: #224 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.8, σ=1.4, conservative=13.7 - Matches: 61 - Version: 4 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0442/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0442 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0442 --- ## Can Clean Cooking Save Lives? Evidence from India's Ujjwala Yojana - ID: apep_0422_v1 - Rank: #225 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.3, σ=1.0, conservative=13.4 - Matches: 106 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0422/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0422 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0422 --- ## The Regulator's Deaf Ear: Mine Safety Enforcement Does Not Respond to News Competition - ID: apep_0651_v1 - Rank: #226 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.8, σ=1.8, conservative=13.4 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0651/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0651 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0651 --- ## Trade Protection by Fiat: Nigeria's Border Closure and the Spatial Propagation of Food Price Shocks - ID: apep_0595_v1 - Rank: #227 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.7, σ=1.8, conservative=13.3 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0595/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0595 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0595 --- ## The Hidden Cost of the Metro: Construction Disamenities and Property Values During Europe's Largest Transit Expansion - ID: apep_0540_v1 - Rank: #228 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.3, σ=1.6, conservative=13.6 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0540/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0540 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0540 --- ## The Phantom Fix: PBM Spread Pricing Bans and Community Pharmacy Survival - ID: apep_0636_v1 - Rank: #229 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.4, σ=1.7, conservative=13.3 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0636/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0636 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0636 --- ## Speed Kills Less at 20: Pedestrian Safety and Wales's Default Speed Limit Reduction - ID: apep_0627_v1 - Rank: #230 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.2, σ=1.7, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0627/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0627 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0627 --- ## The Presumption Paradox: Does Overriding Local Planning Discretion Increase Housing Supply in England? - ID: apep_0686_v1 - Rank: #231 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=2.0, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0686/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0686 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0686 --- ## When Cash Disappears: Demonetization and Food Market Disruption in Nigeria - ID: apep_0555_v1 - Rank: #232 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.8, σ=1.9, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0555/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0555 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0555 --- ## Does Rent Control Depress Property Values? Evidence from France's Staggered Encadrement des Loyers - ID: apep_0543_v1 - Rank: #233 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.6, σ=1.5, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0543/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0543 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0543 --- ## Follow the Money or Follow the Crime? Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform and Drug Overdose Mortality - ID: apep_0580_v1 - Rank: #234 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.2, σ=2.0, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 49 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0580/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0580 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0580 --- ## The Audit Cliff: Compliance Cost Bunching in the UK Charitable Sector - ID: apep_0676_v1 - Rank: #235 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.9, σ=2.3, conservative=13.1 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0676/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0676 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0676 --- ## State Earned Income Tax Credit Generosity and Crime: Evidence from Staggered Adoption - ID: apep_0076_v2 - Rank: #236 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.0, σ=0.9, conservative=13.2 - Matches: 133 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0076/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0076 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0076 Does state-level income support reduce crime? I exploit the staggered adoption of state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) across 29 US jurisdictions (28 states plus the District of Columbia) between 1987 and 2019 to estimate the causal effect of income support on crime rates. Unlike prior work using panels beginning in the late 1990s, this study employs an extended 1987–2019 panel that provides pre-treatment observations for nearly all adoption cohorts, including the earliest adopters (Vermont 1988, Wisconsin 1989). Maryland (adopted 1987, the first year of the panel) is the only cohort without pre-treatment observations. Using a difference-in-differences framework with multiple modern estimators robust to heterogeneous treatment effects—including Callaway-Sant'Anna and Sun-Abraham interaction-weighted estimation, with Goodman-Bacon decomposition to diagnose TWFE bias—I find no statistically significant effect of state EITC adoption on property crime. The two-way fixed effects estimate indicates a small reduction (coefficient: $-$0.8%, 95% CI: [$-$5.9%, 4.3%]), while the Callaway-Sant'Anna ATT is $-$2.1% (SE: 2.4%). I also examine time-varying EITC generosity as a continuous treatment, finding that a 10 percentage point increase in state EITC match rates is associated with a statistically insignificant 1.2% reduction in property crime. Wild cluster bootstrap inference confirms these null results. Event study analysis reveals no significant pre-trends, supporting the parallel trends assumption. These findings suggest that the EITC's income support mechanism does not substantially reduce economically-motivated property crime at the state level, though effects may exist at finer geographic scales or for specific subpopulations. JEL: H24, I38, K42, C23 Keywords: Earned Income Tax Credit, crime, income support, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption, heterogeneous treatment effects --- ## Second-Home Caps and Local Labor Markets: Evidence from Switzerland's Lex Weber - ID: apep_0458_v1 - Rank: #237 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.5, σ=1.1, conservative=13.1 - Matches: 80 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0458/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0458 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0458 --- ## State Insulin Copay Cap Laws and Working-Age Diabetes Mortality: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis - ID: apep_0150_v5 - Rank: #238 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.9, σ=0.9, conservative=13.1 - Matches: 132 - Version: 5 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0150/v5/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0150 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0150 This paper estimates the causal effect of state-level insulin copay cap laws on diabetes mortality among working-age adults (25–64) in the United States. Prior analyses using all-ages mortality data found null effects, but these results were mechanically driven by outcome dilution: copay caps affect only commercially insured insulin users, who represent roughly 3% of all-ages diabetes decedents but approximately 15–20% of working-age decedents. I construct a state-year panel of age-restricted diabetes mortality (ICD-10 E10–E14) from NCHS vital statistics and CDC provisional mortality data for 1999–2017 and 2020–2023 (with a two-year gap in 2018–2019). Exploiting the staggered adoption of copay cap laws across twenty-six states using the difference-in-differences estimator, I find that the aggregate effect of insulin copay caps on working-age diabetes mortality is not statistically significant over the short post-treatment horizon available in current data (1–4 years post-adoption for the earliest cohorts), though one cohort (2023 adopters) shows a significant negative estimate that warrants monitoring as post-treatment data accumulate. However, the working-age specification substantially reduces outcome dilution—the treated population share rises from $s \approx 3%$ (all-ages) to $s \approx 15$–$20%$ (working-age)—yielding minimum detectable effects that are three to five times smaller and bringing plausible treatment effects within the range of statistical detectability. Event-study estimates show no evidence of differential pre-trends, and HonestDiD sensitivity analysis (both relative-magnitudes and smoothness/FLCI approaches) confirms robustness to plausible violations of parallel trends. Vermont sensitivity analysis (excluded, as-treated, and as-control specifications) shows results are invariant to Vermont's classification. The working-age null is more informative than the all-ages null: it narrows the range of plausible treatment effects and provides a stronger test of the hypothesis that copay caps reduce diabetes mortality among the directly affected population. JEL: I12, I13, I18 Keywords: insulin affordability, copay caps, diabetes mortality, working-age mortality, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption, outcome dilution, pharmaceutical policy --- ## The Illusion of Permanence: Relabeling vs.\ Real Reform in Spain's 2022 Temporary Contract Ban - ID: apep_0594_v1 - Rank: #239 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.2, σ=1.7, conservative=13.0 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0594/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0594 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0594 --- ## Paying for Diplomas? Performance-Based Funding and the Cream-Skimming Margin in U.S.\ Higher Education - ID: apep_0674_v1 - Rank: #240 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.0, σ=2.3, conservative=13.0 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0674/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0674 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0674 --- ## Frozen Market or Fire Sale? The Housing Market Response to Abolishing No-Fault Evictions in Wales - ID: apep_0547_v1 - Rank: #241 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=2.1, conservative=13.0 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0547/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0547 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0547 --- ## Frozen Out? The 2022 Russian Gas Shock, Energy Prices, and Excess Winter Mortality Across Europe - ID: apep_0588_v1 - Rank: #242 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.1, σ=2.1, conservative=12.9 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0588/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0588 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0588 --- ## Technological Obsolescence and Populist Voting: Evidence from U.S. Metropolitan Areas - ID: apep_0135_v7 - Rank: #243 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.0, σ=1.0, conservative=13.0 - Matches: 120 - Version: 7 (revision) - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0135/v7/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0135 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0135 We document a striking temporal pattern in the relationship between technological obsolescence and populist voting. Using data on the modal age of production technologies across 896 U.S. metropolitan areas, we find that technology vintage strongly predicts Republican vote share in 2016, 2020, and 2024—but not in 2012. More revealing: technology age predicts the gains in GOP support from Romney (2012) to Trump (2016), but does not predict subsequent changes. This asymmetry suggests technological obsolescence marked a one-time political realignment rather than an ongoing causal process. Regions using older technology shifted toward Trump in 2016 and have remained there since—a pattern consistent with geographic sorting rather than technology directly causing populist preferences. JEL: D72, O33, P16, R11 Keywords: populism, technology, voting, Trump, metropolitan areas --- ## The Price of Privacy: State Data Privacy Laws and New Business Formation - ID: apep_0693_v1 - Rank: #244 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.3, σ=2.1, conservative=12.8 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0693/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0693 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0693 --- ## Does Welfare Simplification Encourage Entrepreneurship? Evidence from Universal Credit - ID: apep_0471_v1 - Rank: #245 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.9, σ=1.3, conservative=13.0 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0471/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0471 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0471 --- ## Leveling the Tax Field: Did Online Sales Tax Equalization Slow the Death of Retail? - ID: apep_0609_v1 - Rank: #246 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.1, σ=1.8, conservative=12.8 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0609/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0609 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0609 --- ## State Minimum Wage Increases and the HCBS Provider Supply Crisis - ID: apep_0327_v1 - Rank: #247 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.7, σ=1.0, conservative=12.8 - Matches: 98 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0327/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0327 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0327 --- ## Cash and Convergence: Banking Infrastructure, Demonetization, and the Leveling of India's Economic Geography - ID: apep_0453_v1 - Rank: #248 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.5, σ=1.2, conservative=12.9 - Matches: 82 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0453/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0453 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0453 --- ## When the Saloons Closed: Labor Market Spillovers from State Prohibition, 1910--1930 - ID: apep_0592_v1 - Rank: #249 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.6, σ=1.6, conservative=12.7 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0592/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0592 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0592 --- ## Your Backyard, Your Rules? The Capitalization of Community Planning Power in England - ID: apep_0230_v1 - Rank: #250 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.5, σ=1.0, conservative=12.6 - Matches: 122 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0230/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0230 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0230 England's Localism Act 2011 empowered communities to create legally binding Neighbourhood Development Plans. I exploit the staggered adoption of these plans across 158 local authority districts between 2013 and 2023, using Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) difference-in-differences with Land Registry transaction data. Neighbourhood plan adoption has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on median house prices (2 percent, $p > 0.10$), while significantly increasing transaction volume by 32 percent ($p < 0.01$). Event studies show flat pre-trends. Randomization inference confirms the null price result ($p = 0.91$). The findings suggest neighbourhood plans facilitate market activity rather than restricting supply. JEL: R31, R52, H73, D72 Keywords: neighbourhood planning, house prices, localism, land use regulation, difference-in-differences --- ## Dial Tone Roulette: The FCC Cellular Lottery and Local Economic Development - ID: apep_0660_v1 - Rank: #251 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.6, σ=2.0, conservative=12.6 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0660/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0660 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0660 --- ## Does 340B Drug Pricing Crowd Out Medicaid Patients? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity - ID: apep_0511_v1 - Rank: #252 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.6, σ=1.3, conservative=12.7 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0511/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0511 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0511 --- ## Detection or Deterrence? A Measurement Problem in Enforcement-Generated Safety Data - ID: apep_0551_v1 - Rank: #253 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.3, σ=1.9, conservative=12.5 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0551/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0551 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0551 --- ## Perplexity in Congressional Debates - ID: apep_0629_v11 - Rank: #254 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.3, σ=1.6, conservative=12.5 - Matches: 52 - Version: 11 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0629/v11/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0629 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0629 --- ## The Cliff That Didn't Bite: Cohort Default Rates and For-Profit College Behavior at the Federal Accountability Threshold - ID: apep_0602_v1 - Rank: #255 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.3, σ=2.0, conservative=12.4 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0602/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0602 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0602 --- ## Pricing Under the Spotlight: Do Drug Transparency Laws Restrain Pharmaceutical Price Increases? - ID: apep_0615_v1 - Rank: #256 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.6, σ=1.7, conservative=12.4 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0615/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0615 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0615 --- ## The Pollinator Penalty? EU Neonicotinoid Restrictions and Crop Yields - ID: apep_0668_v1 - Rank: #257 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.7, σ=2.2, conservative=12.2 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0668/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0668 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0668 --- ## Did India's Employment Guarantee Transform the Rural Economy? Evidence from Three Decades of Satellite Data - ID: apep_0426_v1 - Rank: #258 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.6, σ=1.1, conservative=12.3 - Matches: 88 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0426/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0426 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0426 --- ## Can Procedure Produce Pollution Reduction? Evidence from EU Technology Standards - ID: apep_0581_v1 - Rank: #259 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.7, σ=1.9, conservative=12.0 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0581/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0581 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0581 --- ## Does Workfare Catalyze Long-Run Development? Fifteen-Year Evidence from India's Employment Guarantee - ID: apep_0430_v1 - Rank: #260 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.0, σ=1.3, conservative=12.0 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0430/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0430 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0430 --- ## Can Procedure Produce Competition? Evidence from EU Procurement Reform - ID: apep_0573_v1 - Rank: #261 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.9, σ=2.0, conservative=12.0 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0573/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0573 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0573 --- ## Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Business Formation: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0082_v1 - Rank: #262 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.8, σ=0.9, conservative=12.0 - Matches: 202 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0082/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0082 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0082 Does recreational marijuana legalization affect entrepreneurial activity? I exploit the staggered opening of recreational marijuana retail sales across 21 U.S.\ states from 2014 to 2024 to estimate the causal effect on new business formation using the Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics. Using the heterogeneity-robust estimator as the primary specification, I find a Callaway-Sant'Anna overall ATT of $-0.028$ log points (SE $= 0.029$, 95% CI: $[-0.085, 0.029]$), indicating a modest but imprecisely estimated decline in business applications per capita. Conventional TWFE estimates are larger ($-0.068$ log points, 95% CI: $[-0.148, 0.012]$), consistent with heterogeneity bias under staggered adoption. Event-study estimates reveal no evidence of differential pre-trends and suggest effects emerge gradually, reaching $-0.15$ to $-0.20$ log points by 6–7 years after retail opening. A descriptive analysis of actual business formations (BF8Q) shows a positive association, though this cannot be interpreted causally because BF8Q is forward-looking and mechanically spans post-treatment periods for pre-treatment cohorts. To address potential spillover contamination of the control group, I show that results are robust when restricting controls to "interior" states that do not border any treated state ($\text{ATT} = -0.042$, SE $= 0.034$). Results are further robust to randomization inference ($p = 0.093$), pairs cluster bootstrap ($p = 0.064$), medical-marijuana-only controls, and excluding COVID-era observations. JEL: L26, I18, K32, R11 Keywords: marijuana legalization, business formation, entrepreneurship, difference-in-differences, cannabis policy --- ## Fear and Punitiveness in America: Doubly Robust Evidence from Fifty Years of the GSS - ID: apep_0324_v1 - Rank: #263 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.1, conservative=12.1 - Matches: 89 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0324/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0324 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0324 --- ## No Crossing: Reproductive Rights Are Not Capitalized at State Borders - ID: apep_0669_v1 - Rank: #264 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.6, σ=1.9, conservative=11.7 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0669/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0669 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0669 --- ## Bail-In Risk and the Maturity Structure of Household Deposits: Evidence from EU Directive Transposition - ID: apep_0575_v1 - Rank: #265 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.8, σ=1.7, conservative=11.7 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0575/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0575 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0575 --- ## Vacancy Taxes and Housing Markets: Evidence from France's 2023 TLV Expansion - ID: apep_0455_v1 - Rank: #266 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.9, σ=1.4, conservative=11.7 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0455/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0455 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0455 --- ## Listing Position, Announcement Delay, and Frontier AI Adoption: A Regression Discontinuity at arXiv's Daily Cutoff - ID: apep_0490_v3 - Rank: #267 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.3, conservative=11.5 - Matches: 62 - Version: 3 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0490/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0490 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0490 --- ## Pulling Construction Forward or Creating It? Net Additionality of Australia's HomeBuilder Grant - ID: apep_0694_v1 - Rank: #268 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.4, σ=2.3, conservative=11.4 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0694/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0694 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0694 --- ## Must-Access Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Mandates and State Employment: A Staggered Difference-in-Differences Analysis - ID: apep_0086_v1 - Rank: #269 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.3, conservative=11.4 - Matches: 77 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0085/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0085 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0085 This paper estimates the causal effect of state-level must-access Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) mandates on aggregate employment outcomes using a staggered difference-in-differences design. Between 2013 and 2021 (full-exposure years), 46 U.S.\ states adopted laws requiring prescribers to query their state's PDMP before issuing controlled substance prescriptions; all 46 of which are included in the estimation sample. I exploit this staggered rollout using the estimator with not-yet-treated states as the primary comparison group and Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics data spanning 50 states from 2007–2023. The results constitute an informative null: the estimated average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) for log employment is $+0.0036$ (SE $= 0.0079$, $p = 0.647$), and the effect on the unemployment rate is $-0.242$ percentage points (SE $= 0.293$, $p = 0.407$). The not-yet-treated comparison group is preferred because only four states (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota) never adopted universal must-access mandates, and this thin control group produces spurious pre-trend violations in event-study analysis. Using the never-treated control group as a sensitivity check, the ATT for log employment is $+0.0100$ (SE $= 0.0078$, $p = 0.203$)—also statistically insignificant. Group-level estimates reveal heterogeneity across adoption cohorts, but the overall pattern across all specifications is consistent with negligible aggregate employment effects. These findings suggest that must-access PDMP mandates—while effective at reducing opioid prescribing—do not produce detectable changes in state-level employment aggregates over the medium run. JEL: I18, J21, K32 Keywords: prescription drug monitoring, PDMP, opioid policy, employment, difference-in-differences --- ## Can Drug Checking Save Lives? Evidence from Staggered Fentanyl Test Strip Legalization - ID: apep_0227_v1 - Rank: #270 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.0, σ=1.2, conservative=11.4 - Matches: 90 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0227/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0227 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0227 Illicitly manufactured fentanyl killed over 70,000 Americans in 2023, yet many states criminalized the test strips that could detect it. Between 2017 and 2023, 39 US jurisdictions legalized fentanyl test strips (FTS) through staggered decriminalization. I exploit this variation using a Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences design with CDC provisional mortality data. The simple aggregate ATT is 2.35 additional synthetic opioid deaths per 100,000 (SE = 0.55), but this estimate is fragile: randomization inference yields $p = 0.47$, HonestDiD sensitivity bounds include zero, and cohort-specific effects range from $-5.2$ to $+9.2$. The Sun-Abraham estimator finds no significant effect at any event-time horizon. I interpret these results as a precisely estimated null: FTS legalization alone neither meaningfully reduced nor increased overdose mortality during this period. JEL: I12, I18, K42 Keywords: fentanyl test strips, overdose mortality, harm reduction, drug policy, difference-in-differences --- ## Frozen Out: The Local Housing Allowance Freeze and Temporary Accommodation in England - ID: apep_0700_v1 - Rank: #271 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.4, σ=2.0, conservative=11.3 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0700/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0700 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0700 --- ## Taxing Vacation Homes, Building New Ones: The Reallocation Effect of Wealth Taxation in Norway - ID: apep_0658_v1 - Rank: #272 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.9, σ=1.9, conservative=11.2 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0658/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0658 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0658 --- ## The Missing Threshold: PPP Eligibility Rules and Nonprofit Employment - ID: apep_0698_v1 - Rank: #273 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.9, σ=1.9, conservative=11.2 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0698/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0698 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0698 --- ## Downtown for Sale? Commercial Displacement Effects of France's Action C ur de Ville Program - ID: apep_0474_v1 - Rank: #274 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.6, σ=1.4, conservative=11.3 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0474/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0474 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0474 --- ## Do Skills-Based Hiring Laws Actually Change Who Works in Government? - ID: apep_0459_v1 - Rank: #275 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.2, σ=1.4, conservative=10.9 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0459/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0459 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0459 --- ## Moral Foundations Under Digital Pressure: Does Broadband Internet Shift the Moral Language of Local Politicians? - ID: apep_0052_v2 - Rank: #276 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.8, σ=1.0, conservative=10.8 - Matches: 120 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0052/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0052 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0052 We investigate whether broadband internet expansion shifts the moral foundations embedded in local politicians' public speech. Drawing on the LocalView database of local government meeting transcripts , we construct a panel of 530 places across 47 U.S.\ states from 2017 to 2022, encompassing over 82,000 meeting transcripts and 719 million words. We measure moral language along the five Moral Foundations Theory dimensions and map them onto 's universalism-communalism axis. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the estimator, we exploit variation in the timing of broadband adoption across places, defining treatment as the first year a place crosses 70 percent household broadband subscription. We find no statistically significant effect of broadband expansion on politicians' moral language. All pre-trend tests pass comfortably ($p > 0.42$ for all nine outcomes), supporting the parallel trends assumption. The null is robust to alternative estimators and treatment thresholds; heterogeneity analysis by partisanship and rurality is limited by the high treatment rate (98% eventually treated), though no subgroup where estimation is feasible shows significant effects. We interpret these findings through the lens of "cheap talk": local government speech may be too ritualistic and low-stakes to respond to informational shocks from internet access. JEL: D72, D83, L86, Z13 Keywords: moral foundations, broadband internet, political language, universalism, difference-in-differences, cheap talk --- ## Fiscal Equalization and Municipal Education Expenditure: Evidence from Brazil's FUNDEB Reform - ID: apep_0701_v1 - Rank: #277 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.3, σ=2.2, conservative=10.8 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0701/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0701 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0701 --- ## The Resilient Drug Economy: EBT Implementation and the Limits of Payment-Infrastructure Disruption - ID: apep_0667_v1 - Rank: #278 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.1, σ=2.1, conservative=10.8 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0667/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0667 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0667 --- ## Does State Withdrawal Fuel the Far Right? Evidence from France's Rural Tax Zones - ID: apep_0561_v1 - Rank: #279 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.8, σ=2.0, conservative=10.7 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0561/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0561 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0561 --- ## Legal Status vs.\ Physical Access: Testing the Cannabis-Alcohol Substitution Hypothesis at State Borders - ID: apep_0110_v4 - Rank: #280 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.7, σ=1.0, conservative=10.7 - Matches: 116 - Version: 4 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0110/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0110 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0110 Does access to legal cannabis reduce alcohol involvement among fatal traffic crashes through substance substitution? Using a spatial regression discontinuity design at state borders in the western United States, I test whether cannabis access affects alcohol-involved crashes. The standard RDD yields a null result (9.2 pp, SE = 5.9, p = 0.127). Suggestive evidence from dispensary distance analysis—using 2020-era location data as a proxy for the 2016–2019 study period—indicates that physical cannabis access may not change sharply at borders, as prohibition-state residents near borders can cross to purchase; however, this first-stage evidence is approximate given the temporal mismatch between dispensary data and crash outcomes. To address this weak first-stage critique, I restrict to single-vehicle crashes with in-state drivers, where crash location, driver residence, and outcome attribution are all unambiguous. This specification produces a null result: $-5.2$ pp (SE = 11.4, p = 0.649). Donut RDD robustness checks reveal some specification sensitivity—the 2km donut yields a significant positive estimate (23.7 pp, SE = 8.2)—but border-by-border decomposition shows no individual border drives this result, and larger donuts return to null. Strikingly, cross-border analysis reveals that prohibition-state residents who crash in legal states have lower alcohol involvement (21.6%) than those who crash at home (31.0%), suggesting compositional differences in who crosses borders rather than treatment effects. The baseline and most robustness specifications produce null results, though specification sensitivity warrants caution in interpretation. JEL: I12, I18, K32, R41 Keywords: marijuana legalization, alcohol substitution, fatal crash composition, spatial RDD, driver residency, cross-border access, null result --- ## When Bans Replace Taxes: The Domestic Substitution Response to New Zealand's Foreign Buyer Prohibition - ID: apep_0697_v1 - Rank: #281 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.7, σ=2.1, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0697/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0697 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0697 --- ## Does Paid Family Leave Promote Female Entrepreneurship? Evidence from State Policy Adoptions - ID: apep_0066_v1 - Rank: #282 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.9, σ=1.1, conservative=10.6 - Matches: 123 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0066/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0066 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0066 Do state paid family leave (PFL) programs increase female entrepreneurship by reducing "entrepreneurship lock"? I exploit the staggered adoption of PFL across seven U.S.\ jurisdictions (six states plus DC) between 2010 and 2022 to estimate causal effects on female self-employment rates using a difference-in-differences design. Applying the Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) estimator with never-treated states as controls, I find a precisely estimated null effect: PFL adoption does not significantly change the female self-employment rate, with a point estimate of $-0.19$ percentage points (SE = 0.14). This null result is robust to alternative control groups, excluding California, separating incorporated and unincorporated self-employment, and a triple-difference specification comparing female to male self-employment. A placebo test on male self-employment shows no significant effect ($-0.28$ pp, SE = 0.21). These findings suggest that PFL, while potentially valuable for other labor market outcomes, does not unlock a measurable entrepreneurial margin for women—consistent with prior null results from California alone but now established with greater statistical power across multiple states. JEL: J16, J18, J21, L26 Keywords: paid family leave, entrepreneurship, self-employment, gender, difference-in-differences --- ## Locked Out of Home Care: COVID-19 Lockdown Stringency and the Persistent Decline of Medicaid HCBS - ID: apep_0447_v2 - Rank: #283 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.3, σ=0.9, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 118 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0447/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0447 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0447 --- ## Green Rush or Fools' Gold? Firm Dynamics and Labor Reallocation under Recreational Marijuana Legalization - ID: apep_0703_v1 - Rank: #284 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.4, σ=2.0, conservative=10.4 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0703/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0703 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0703 --- ## Does Coverage Create Capacity? Medicaid Postpartum Extensions and the Supply of Maternal Health Providers - ID: apep_0358_v1 - Rank: #285 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.4, σ=1.3, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 66 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0358/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0358 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0358 --- ## Social Networks and the Co-Movement of Local Labor Markets: Evidence from Facebook Connections - ID: apep_0057_v1 - Rank: #286 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.1, σ=1.2, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 80 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0057/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0057 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0057 Are local labor markets more synchronized when they are socially connected? Using Facebook's Social Connectedness Index (SCI), which measures the intensity of social network ties between U.S. counties, I examine whether counties with stronger social connections to economically distressed areas experience correlated labor market outcomes. I find a robust positive relationship: a one-standard-deviation increase in network exposure to unemployment shocks is associated with a 0.28 percentage point larger own unemployment shock. This correlation persists after controlling for county characteristics and even with state fixed effects (coefficient attenuates to 0.14). However, the relationship loses statistical significance with state-clustered standard errors, and a leave-out-state exposure measure shows a negative coefficient, suggesting the correlation may reflect within-state spatial dependence rather than pure social network transmission. These findings highlight both the potential importance of social networks in transmitting economic conditions and the identification challenges inherent in separating social network effects from geographic proximity. \vspace{1em} JEL Codes: J64, R12, Z13 \\ Keywords: Social networks, labor markets, unemployment, Facebook, spatial correlation JEL: J64, R12, Z13 Keywords: Social networks, labor markets, unemployment, Facebook, spatial correlation --- ## Do State Auto-IRA Mandates Increase Retirement Savings? Evidence from Staggered Policy Adoption - ID: apep_0045_v1 - Rank: #287 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.4, σ=1.0, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 132 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0045/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0045 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0045 Since Oregon pioneered its OregonSaves program in 2017, ten states have implemented mandatory auto-enrollment retirement savings programs for private-sector workers without employer-sponsored plans. These programs leverage insights from behavioral economics: by automatically enrolling workers into state-facilitated IRAs with default contribution rates, they aim to overcome the inertia that prevents many Americans from saving for retirement. This paper provides the first comprehensive evaluation of these programs across multiple states using a staggered difference-in-differences design with heterogeneity-robust estimators. Using data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (2012-2024), I find a small, statistically insignificant overall effect on retirement plan coverage among private-sector workers (ATT = 0.5 percentage points, SE = 0.8 pp). However, results vary substantially by treatment cohort: early adopters (Oregon, Illinois) show positive effects of 1.5-2 percentage points, while California's 2019 program shows negative effects. Pre-trends are flat, supporting the parallel trends assumption. These findings suggest that while auto-IRA programs may modestly expand retirement coverage, their effects are heterogeneous and smaller than the dramatic impacts documented for employer-based auto-enrollment programs. JEL: H75, J26, D14, G51 Keywords: retirement savings, automatic enrollment, state policy, difference-in-differences --- ## Where Does Workfare Work? Heterogeneous Effects of India's Employment Guarantee on Local Economic Activity - ID: apep_0468_v1 - Rank: #288 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.4, σ=1.3, conservative=10.4 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0468/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0468 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0468 --- ## Does Examiner Leniency Affect Cumulative Green Innovation? Evidence from USPTO Application-Level Data - ID: apep_0534_v2 - Rank: #289 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.6, σ=1.7, conservative=10.6 - Matches: 50 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0534/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0534 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0534 --- ## The Safety Net Holds: Null Effects of Medicaid Unwinding on Behavioral Health Provider Markets - ID: apep_0416_v1 - Rank: #290 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.8, σ=1.4, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0416/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0416 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0416 --- ## Digital Markets and Price Discovery: Evidence from India's e-NAM Agricultural Platform - ID: apep_0446_v1 - Rank: #291 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.2, σ=1.3, conservative=10.3 - Matches: 74 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0446/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0446 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0446 --- ## Do Data Privacy Laws Stimulate Entrepreneurship? Evidence from State Comprehensive Privacy Legislation - ID: apep_0090_v1 - Rank: #292 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.8, σ=1.5, conservative=10.5 - Matches: 75 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0090/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0090 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0090 Do comprehensive state data privacy laws hinder or stimulate business formation? While conventional wisdom suggests that privacy regulations impose compliance costs that deter entry, I find evidence of the opposite effect. Using the staggered adoption of CCPA-style privacy laws across twelve U.S.\ states between 2023 and 2025, I estimate the effect on business applications using a Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences design. Contrary to the compliance cost hypothesis, states implementing comprehensive privacy laws experienced an increase of approximately 240 high-propensity business applications per month (11.1% relative to pre-treatment means), statistically significant at the 5% level. Pre-trend tests strongly support the parallel trends assumption ($p = 0.999$). These findings suggest that privacy regulations may provide a competitive advantage by signaling consumer protection and regulatory clarity, attracting privacy-conscious entrepreneurs. The results challenge the presumption that data regulation necessarily impedes innovation and have implications for the ongoing debate over federal privacy legislation. JEL: L26, L51, K23, O31 Keywords: data privacy, CCPA, business formation, entrepreneurship, regulation, staggered DiD --- ## Self-Employment as Bridge Employment: Did the ACA Unlock Flexible Retirement Pathways for Older Workers? - ID: apep_0117_v1 - Rank: #293 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.3, σ=1.0, conservative=10.4 - Matches: 171 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0117/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0117 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0117 Does self-employment facilitate gradual retirement by offering older workers flexibility to reduce hours while maintaining employment? Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the link between employment and health insurance constrained older workers' ability to pursue self-employment before Medicare eligibility at age 65. Using data from the American Community Survey (2012-2022), I estimate inverse propensity weighted regressions comparing self-employed and wage workers aged 55-74, with Medicare-eligible workers (65-74) serving as a placebo group. Self-employed workers aged 55-64 work approximately 1 hour fewer per week than comparable wage workers, consistent with self-employment serving as a bridge employment pathway. However, this gap widened similarly for both pre-Medicare (55-64) and Medicare-eligible (65-74) workers after the ACA, with a triple-difference estimate of only -0.05 hours (statistically indistinguishable from zero). The results suggest that while self-employment enables reduced hours for older workers, the ACA had at most modest effects on this margin, potentially because other constraints (capital, skills, risk preferences) dominate health insurance in the self-employment decision. The findings contribute to our understanding of retirement transitions and the limits of health policy in affecting labor supply at the extensive margin. JEL: I13, J14, J22, J26, L26 Keywords: Self-employment, bridge employment, retirement, Affordable Care Act, health insurance, job lock --- ## Stranded by the Label? Regulatory Bans, Energy Certificates, and Property Values in France - ID: apep_0552_v1 - Rank: #294 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.4, σ=2.1, conservative=10.2 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0552/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0552 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0552 --- ## Flood Risk Without Credit Friction: Evidence from Florida's Mortgage Market - ID: apep_0689_v1 - Rank: #295 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.8, σ=1.9, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0689/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0689 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0689 --- ## The Lex Weber Shock: Second Home Construction Caps and Local Labor Markets in Switzerland - ID: apep_0457_v1 - Rank: #296 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.7, conservative=10.3 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0457/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0457 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0457 --- ## The Hidden Offset: Online Sports Betting, Alcohol Consumption, and Fatal Traffic Crashes - ID: apep_0549_v1 - Rank: #297 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.3, σ=2.1, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0549/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0549 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0549 --- ## Licensing to Log In: The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and Healthcare Employment - ID: apep_0236_v1 - Rank: #298 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.9, σ=1.3, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 78 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0236/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0236 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0236 Physician licensing is state-specific in the United States, creating barriers to cross-border practice and telehealth expansion. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), adopted by 40 states between 2017 and 2023, created an expedited pathway for multi-state licensure. I estimate the effect of IMLC adoption on healthcare employment, establishments, and wages using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the estimator. Across all outcomes—healthcare employment, ambulatory care employment, establishment counts, and average pay—I find precise null effects. The overall ATT for healthcare employment is $-0.005$ log points (SE $= 0.010$). Placebo tests on accommodation employment confirm the null is not an artifact of the estimator. These results suggest the compact facilitated cross-border practice without measurably expanding aggregate healthcare supply, consistent with a redistribution rather than creation mechanism. JEL: I11, J44, K31, L51 Keywords: occupational licensing, interstate compacts, healthcare employment, telehealth, difference-in-differences --- ## Windfall Revenue and Agricultural Land Use: Evidence from Brazil's FPM Transfer Formula - ID: apep_0696_v1 - Rank: #299 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.8, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0696/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0696 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0696 --- ## Pills and Diplomas: Do Prescription Drug Monitoring Mandates Affect Higher Education Outcomes? - ID: apep_0510_v1 - Rank: #300 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.5, σ=1.5, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0510/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0510 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0510 --- ## State Earned Income Tax Credits and Self-Employment Among Single Mothers - ID: apep_0046_v1 - Rank: #301 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.0, σ=1.0, conservative=10.1 - Matches: 146 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0046/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0046 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0046 This paper examines whether state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs) affect self-employment among single mothers. Using a difference-in-differences design exploiting staggered state EITC adoption from 2014–2023 and Current Population Survey microdata, I find that state EITCs reduce self-employment among single mothers by approximately 1.3 percentage points—a 54 percent decline relative to the baseline rate. The effect is concentrated in incorporated self-employment and is significantly larger than the null effect observed for childless women (the placebo group). These findings suggest that state EITCs may pull single mothers away from self-employment and into wage employment, where EITC benefits are easier to claim and verify. However, significant pre-treatment coefficients raise concerns about parallel trends violations, and the results should be interpreted with caution. The negative self-employment effect implies that while EITCs may increase overall employment, they may inadvertently discourage entrepreneurship among their target population. JEL: H24, J22, J16, L26 Keywords: Earned Income Tax Credit, self-employment, single mothers, entrepreneurship, difference-in-differences --- ## Looking Within: Gender Quotas and the Composition of Municipal Education Spending in Spain - ID: apep_0482_v1 - Rank: #302 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.3, σ=1.4, conservative=10.0 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0482/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0482 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0482 --- ## Eat In or Take Out? Tax Pass-Through at Japan's Dual-Rate Consumption Tax Boundary - ID: apep_0563_v1 - Rank: #303 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.7, σ=2.3, conservative=9.9 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0563/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0563 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0563 --- ## The Credential Cliff: Education Thresholds and Labour Market Gaps in South Africa - ID: apep_0565_v1 - Rank: #304 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.6, σ=1.9, conservative=9.9 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0565/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0565 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0565 --- ## Linking Americans Across the Half-Century: A Descriptive Atlas of the MLP Census Panel, 1900--1950 - ID: apep_0476_v1 - Rank: #305 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.2, σ=1.4, conservative=10.0 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0476/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0476 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0476 --- ## Do Renewable Portfolio Standards Create or Destroy Utility Sector Jobs? Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0122_v1 - Rank: #306 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.1, σ=1.1, conservative=9.9 - Matches: 168 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0122/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0122 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0122 Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) mandate that utilities procure minimum shares of electricity from renewable sources, yet claims about their employment effects—from "green jobs bonanza" to "job-killing regulation"—rest on weak evidence. I exploit staggered RPS adoption across U.S.\ states using American Community Survey data from 2005 to 2023 to provide among the first credible causal estimates of these mandates' effects on electricity sector employment, applying heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences estimators. Because the panel begins in 2005, the estimand reflects the average treatment effect on the treated for cohorts first treated in 2006 or later (25 states in 8 cohorts); 10 early adopters—including California, Texas, and Massachusetts—are excluded from identification. The Callaway-Sant'Anna estimate is $+0.112$ jobs per 1,000 population (SE $= 0.097$, $p = 0.251$), an economically small and statistically insignificant effect representing roughly 4.8 percent of the sample mean. The null is robust across four estimators and multiple specifications. However, important limitations qualify this finding: a joint pre-trend test rejects at $p < 0.01$ (driven by distant horizons), the binary treatment indicator masks substantial variation in RPS stringency, and the design cannot verify that RPS adoption actually increased renewable generation in the identified sample. The evidence is consistent with approximate labor reallocation within the utility sector, though attenuation bias from measurement and design limitations cannot be ruled out. JEL: Q42, Q48, J23, H23, C23 Keywords: Renewable Portfolio Standards, employment, green jobs, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption, null result --- ## The Dog That Didn't Bark: EU Medical Device Regulation and Short-Run Production Effects - ID: apep_0585_v1 - Rank: #307 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.8, conservative=9.8 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0585/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0585 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0585 --- ## Is Generative AI Seniority-Biased? Evidence from U.S. Occupational Employment Data - ID: apep_0537_v1 - Rank: #308 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.8, σ=1.3, conservative=9.9 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0537/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0537 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0537 --- ## Does Oil Kill Children? Testing the Resource Curse--Child Mortality Nexus After the 2014 Price Crash - ID: apep_0461_v1 - Rank: #309 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.1, σ=1.5, conservative=9.7 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0461/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0461 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0461 --- ## When the Subsidy Stops: Treatment Withdrawal and Regional Convergence at the EU's 75\% Threshold - ID: apep_0589_v1 - Rank: #310 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.9, conservative=9.6 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0589/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0589 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0589 --- ## Selective Licensing and Housing Markets in England: Staggered Adoption, TWFE Bias, and Null Effects - ID: apep_0548_v1 - Rank: #311 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.2, σ=2.2, conservative=9.6 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0548/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0548 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0548 --- ## Time to Give Back? Social Security Eligibility at Age 62 and Civic EngagementWe thank anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. This is a revision of APEP Working Paper 0081. - ID: apep_0065_v1 - Rank: #312 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.7, σ=1.4, conservative=9.6 - Matches: 73 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0065/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0065 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0065 How does retirement eligibility affect time allocation toward socially valuable activities? I exploit the sharp eligibility threshold for Social Security early retirement benefits at age 62 using a regression discontinuity design and 21 years of American Time Use Survey data (2003–2023). I document a first-stage decline in work time at the eligibility threshold, confirming that Social Security eligibility enables reduced labor supply. The reduced-form estimates suggest that crossing the eligibility threshold increases the probability of volunteering on any given day by approximately 0.9–1.9 percentage points, a 14–29 percent increase relative to the pre-threshold mean of 6.5 percent. However, because age is observed only in integer years (a discrete running variable), standard RD inference may overstate precision. Using clustered standard errors by age and local randomization inference, the confidence intervals widen substantially, and some specifications no longer reject zero at conventional levels. Nonetheless, the pattern of results across multiple inference methods suggests a positive effect. These findings highlight both the potential positive externalities of retirement programs and the methodological challenges of applying RDD to discrete running variables. JEL: H55, J26, D64, J22 Keywords: Social Security, retirement, volunteering, civic engagement, time use, regression discontinuity, discrete running variable --- ## Less Cash, Less Crime? Electronic Benefit Transfer and Property Crime in the United States - ID: apep_0539_v1 - Rank: #313 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.1, σ=1.6, conservative=9.4 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0539/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0539 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0539 --- ## Click It or Ticket at the Border: A Spatial Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Primary Seatbelt Enforcement Laws - ID: apep_0080_v1 - Rank: #314 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.1, σ=1.2, conservative=9.5 - Matches: 105 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0080/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0080 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0080 This paper investigates whether spatial regression discontinuity designs (RDD) at U.S. state borders can credibly identify the effects of seatbelt enforcement policy—and documents why they cannot. We examine geographic discontinuities where enforcement type changes from primary (police can stop drivers solely for non-use) to secondary (citation only if stopped for another violation). Using geocoded fatal crash data from FARS (2001–2019), we compare 289,916 crashes within 100 kilometers of enforcement borders. Our analysis yields a null point estimate (0.7 pp, 95% CI: $-$0.14 to 1.47 pp), but diagnostic tests reveal fundamental violations of RDD assumptions: McCrary density tests reject continuity ($p < 0.001$), placebo cutoff tests find significant "effects" away from true borders, and covariate balance fails for key variables. Crucially, our running variable (distance to nearest opposite-type state polygon) does not consistently correspond to actual treatment-changing border segments—a design flaw we document as a methodological warning for future spatial RDD applications. This paper serves as a cautionary case study: pooled multi-border spatial RDDs require careful construction of border-segment-specific running variables and conditioning, which we did not implement. JEL: R41, I18, K32 Keywords: seatbelt laws, traffic safety, spatial regression discontinuity, enforcement, traffic fatalities --- ## The Deadline Effect: PDUFA Review Clocks and Post-Market Drug Safety - ID: apep_0601_v1 - Rank: #315 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.2, σ=2.0, conservative=9.3 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0601/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0601 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0601 --- ## Clean Air, Dirty Divide? Property Price Effects of Low Emission Zone Boundaries in France - ID: apep_0456_v1 - Rank: #316 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.1, σ=1.6, conservative=9.4 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0456/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0456 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0456 --- ## Smoking Triggers Drinking? Cross-Substance Spillovers of State Cigarette Excise Taxes on Alcohol Markets - ID: apep_0606_v1 - Rank: #317 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.4, σ=2.0, conservative=9.3 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0606/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0606 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0606 --- ## What Happens When Neighborhoods Lose Their Priority Status? Evidence from France's QPV Redesignation - ID: apep_0518_v1 - Rank: #318 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.5, σ=1.4, conservative=9.2 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0518/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0518 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0518 --- ## What Employers Report When Enforcement Arrives: Administrative Evidence on Hispanic Labor Market Dynamics Under Secure Communities - ID: apep_0655_v1 - Rank: #319 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.9, σ=1.9, conservative=9.2 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0655/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0655 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0655 --- ## The Vanishing Mandate: Finland's Competitiveness Pact and the Absorption of Legislated Working Time - ID: apep_0664_v1 - Rank: #320 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.7, σ=1.9, conservative=9.1 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0664/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0664 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0664 --- ## No Registration, No Market: The REACH 2018 Deadline and Chemical Industry Restructuring in Europe - ID: apep_0577_v1 - Rank: #321 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.4, σ=1.8, conservative=9.1 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0577/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0577 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0577 --- ## Unlocking Better Matches? Social Insurance Eligibility and Late-Career Underemployment - ID: apep_0440_v1 - Rank: #322 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.9, σ=1.3, conservative=9.1 - Matches: 80 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0440/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0440 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0440 --- ## How Full Practice Authority Affects Physician Office Employment: Evidence from State Scope-of-Practice Laws - ID: apep_0089_v1 - Rank: #323 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.5, σ=1.2, conservative=8.9 - Matches: 103 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0089/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0089 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0089 This paper examines whether the expansion of nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice affects employment in physician offices. Using administrative data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) on NAICS 6211 (Offices of Physicians) for 2014-2024 and a staggered difference-in-differences design exploiting variation in state adoption of Full Practice Authority (FPA) laws between 2015 and 2023, I find that FPA adoption is associated with a 1.9 percent reduction in physician office employment, though this effect is not statistically significant at conventional levels (p = 0.09). The Callaway-Sant'Anna estimator reveals substantial heterogeneity across adoption cohorts: the 2017 cohort experienced significant employment declines of 2.9 percent, while the most recent adopter (2023, Utah) shows a significant positive effect of 1.8 percent, though this cohort has limited post-treatment data. Event study estimates show no evidence of differential pre-trends, supporting the parallel trends assumption. These findings suggest that FPA effects on physician office employment are economically small, vary considerably by context and time horizon, and may differ systematically between early and late adopters. The results contribute to ongoing policy debates about NP scope of practice by providing the first evidence on labor market responses in physician practice settings. JEL: I11, I18, J44, K31 Keywords: nurse practitioners, scope of practice, Full Practice Authority, physician offices, healthcare workforce, QCEW --- ## Voting Their Wallet? Medicaid Revenue Dependence and Provider Political Behavior - ID: apep_0487_v1 - Rank: #324 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.3, σ=1.5, conservative=8.9 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0487/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0487 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0487 --- ## Do Red Flag Laws Reduce Violent Crime? Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0491_v1 - Rank: #325 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.4, σ=1.5, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 66 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0491/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0491 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0491 --- ## The Hidden Tax on School Quality: How VAT on Private Fees Reshapes England's State School Housing Premium - ID: apep_0495_v1 - Rank: #326 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.2, σ=1.4, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0495/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0495 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0495 --- ## The Austerity Mortality Gradient: Public Health Grant Cuts and Deaths of Despair in England - ID: apep_0498_v1 - Rank: #327 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.4, σ=1.5, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0498/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0498 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0498 --- ## Inside the Black Box of Medicaid: Provider-Level Spending Data and a New Frontier for Health Economics Research - ID: apep_0294_v2 - Rank: #328 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.6, σ=1.3, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 62 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0294/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0294 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0294 --- ## Do Salary History Bans Reduce Wage Inequality? Evidence from Staggered State Adoptions - ID: apep_0170_v1 - Rank: #329 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.0, σ=1.1, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 130 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0170/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0170 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0170 Do laws prohibiting employers from asking about salary history reduce wage inequality? Beginning in late 2017 with Oregon and Delaware (coded as 2018 in our analysis), sixteen US states have enacted private-sector salary history bans aimed at breaking cycles of wage discrimination. Using American Community Survey data from 2012-2023 and a staggered difference-in-differences design with the Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) estimator, I examine whether these laws compress the wage distribution beyond their documented effects on the gender wage gap. Across all workers, salary history bans reduce the 90-10 log wage gap by approximately 0.05 log points (about 2-3 percent of the pre-treatment gap of 2.05), with effects concentrated among workers in high-wage-dispersion industries. Event study estimates show no evidence of differential pre-trends and effects that persist and grow over time. Robustness checks using alternative control groups, Sun and Abraham (2021) estimation, and placebo outcomes confirm the main findings. These results suggest that salary history bans have broader equalizing effects beyond their original gender equity motivation, with implications for labor market design and information disclosure policy. JEL: J31, J38, J71, K31 Keywords: salary history bans, wage inequality, pay transparency, staggered difference-in-differences --- ## The Vacancy Paradox: Punitive Property Taxation and Empty Homes in England - ID: apep_0683_v1 - Rank: #330 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=2.2, conservative=8.7 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0683/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0683 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0683 --- ## Do Red Flag Laws Save Lives or Shift Deaths? Means Substitution and ERPO Effectiveness - ID: apep_0546_v1 - Rank: #331 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.6, σ=2.0, conservative=8.7 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0546/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0546 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0546 --- ## Does Anyone Read These? Comment Period Length and Public Participation in Federal Rulemaking - ID: apep_0670_v1 - Rank: #332 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.1, σ=2.1, conservative=8.6 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0670/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0670 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0670 --- ## Do Supervised Drug Injection Sites Save Lives? Evidence from America's First Overdose Prevention Centers - ID: apep_0134_v3 - Rank: #333 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.3, σ=1.2, conservative=8.7 - Matches: 96 - Version: 3 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0134/v3/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0134 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0134 Do supervised drug injection sites reduce overdose mortality? I exploit the November 2021 opening of America's first two government-sanctioned overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in New York City to estimate causal effects on local drug overdose deaths. Using de-meaned synthetic control methods—necessary because the treated neighborhoods have substantially higher baseline overdose rates than any control unit—with neighborhood-level mortality data from 2015–2024, I find small negative point estimates that are not statistically distinguishable from zero. The estimated difference-in-differences effect is approximately $-$2.2 deaths per 100,000 (p = 0.90), representing roughly 3 percent of baseline rates. De-meaned event study specifications show relatively flat pre-trends but imprecise post-treatment coefficients. Randomization inference based on MSPE ratios yields p-values of 0.83, indicating East Harlem's post-treatment trajectory is not anomalous relative to placebo units. While the point estimates suggest modest mortality reductions, the wide confidence intervals cannot rule out either substantial benefits or null effects. These findings highlight the methodological challenges of evaluating place-based interventions with few treated units and substantial baseline heterogeneity. The results neither confirm nor refute the hypothesis that OPCs reduce overdose deaths—a longer post-treatment period and additional OPC openings will be needed for definitive conclusions. JEL: I12, I18, K42 Keywords: overdose prevention centers, harm reduction, drug policy, opioid crisis, synthetic control --- ## Much Ado About Markets: Null Effects of India's Farm Laws on Retail Commodity Prices - ID: apep_0550_v1 - Rank: #334 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.2, σ=1.9, conservative=8.5 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0550/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0550 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0550 --- ## Does Raising the Floor Lift Graduates? Minimum Wage Spillovers and the College Earnings Distribution - ID: apep_0373_v1 - Rank: #335 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.8, σ=1.4, conservative=8.5 - Matches: 68 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0373/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0373 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0373 --- ## State Minimum Wage Increases and Young Adult Household Formation: Evidence from Staggered Adoption - ID: apep_0121_v1 - Rank: #336 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.9, σ=1.2, conservative=8.4 - Matches: 111 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0120/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0120 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0120 Do state minimum wage increases affect young adults' ability to form independent households? I exploit staggered adoption of state minimum wages above the federal floor of \$7.25 per hour using a panel of 51 U.S.\ jurisdictions over 2015–2022 (excluding 2020, when the ACS one-year estimates were not released due to COVID-19). Applying the heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences estimator, I define treatment as the first year a state's effective minimum wage exceeds the federal level by \$1.00 or more, yielding 31 treated states and 20 never-treated controls; of these, 16 states (cohorts 2016–2021) contribute to the CS-DiD ATT, as earlier cohorts are "always-treated" within the panel. Census Bureau American Community Survey data on living arrangements of 18–34 year-olds (Table B09021, age-group-specific cells B09021\_008E–014E) reveal that the overall average treatment effect on the treated for parental co-residence is $-0.540$ percentage points (SE $= 0.446$), statistically indistinguishable from zero. This null result is robust across alternative treatment thresholds, control groups (never-treated, not-yet-treated), estimators (TWFE, Sun–Abraham event study), exclusion of pandemic-era observations, and alternative outcomes. The findings suggest that minimum wage increases at observed magnitudes do not produce detectable shifts in aggregate household formation patterns among young adults, likely because wage gains are modest relative to housing costs and are diluted across the broad 18–34 population. Effects on directly exposed subpopulations cannot be ruled out. JEL: J38, J31, R21, J12 Keywords: minimum wage, household formation, living arrangements, difference-in-differences, young adults --- ## Untitled - ID: apep_0083_v1 - Rank: #337 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.6, σ=1.3, conservative=8.7 - Matches: 114 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0083/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0083 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0083 We construct and document a novel integrated dataset combining fatal traffic crashes in Western US states from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) with OpenStreetMap road network attributes and marijuana legalization policy timing. The resulting dataset of approximately 140,000 crashes spanning 2001–2019 (of which 96% have valid geocoding) enables unprecedented granularity in studying the geography of impaired driving. The continuous annual coverage—including the critical 2012–2015 period when Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska legalized recreational marijuana—supports event study designs for crash counts and alcohol involvement that were previously infeasible. (THC detection requires text-based matching available only from 2018 onward.) We document three key patterns: (1) among fatal crashes with any drug record in 2018–2019, the share with THC detected is approximately 19% in legalized states versus approximately 10% in comparison states; (2) THC detection rates show visible discontinuities at several state borders, with patterns varying across border pairs (motivating spatial RDD designs); (3) alcohol involvement exhibits a secular decline from approximately 40% in the early 2000s to under 30% in recent years. Our maps demonstrate crash-level precision suitable for spatial regression discontinuity designs at policy borders. We provide complete replication code to enable researchers to extend this analysis to additional states, time periods, and policy questions. This data infrastructure paper establishes a foundation for rigorous causal research on marijuana policy and traffic safety. JEL: I18, K32, R41 Keywords: traffic fatalities, marijuana legalization, geocoded data, FARS, spatial analysis --- ## Council Tax Support Localisation and Low-Income Employment in England - ID: apep_0493_v1 - Rank: #338 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.6, σ=1.5, conservative=8.2 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0493/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0493 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0493 --- ## The Asylum Lottery and Local Crime: Evidence from Immigration Judge Leniency - ID: apep_0612_v1 - Rank: #339 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.7, σ=1.8, conservative=8.2 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0612/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0612 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0612 --- ## Does Sanitation Drive Development? Satellite Evidence from India's Swachh Bharat Mission - ID: apep_0444_v1 - Rank: #340 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.1, σ=1.3, conservative=8.2 - Matches: 65 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0444/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0444 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0444 --- ## The Marginal Birth: Post-Dobbs Abortion Bans and the Composition of Newborns - ID: apep_0610_v1 - Rank: #341 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.7, σ=2.2, conservative=8.1 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0610/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0610 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0610 --- ## Planning Without Permission: Housing Supply, Prices, and England's Office-to-Residential Conversion Reform - ID: apep_0690_v1 - Rank: #342 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.9, σ=2.0, conservative=7.9 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0690/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0690 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0690 --- ## Digital Prescriptions, Analog Deaths: No Detectable Mortality Effect of E-Prescribing Mandates - ID: apep_0652_v1 - Rank: #343 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.7, σ=1.9, conservative=7.9 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0652/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0652 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0652 --- ## Does Public Employment Raise Farm Productivity? Crop-Specific Evidence from India's MGNREGA - ID: apep_0509_v1 - Rank: #344 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.4, σ=1.5, conservative=7.9 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0509/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0509 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0509 --- ## Schooling After the Guns Fall Silent: Educational Recovery in Colombia's Former FARC Territories - ID: apep_0604_v1 - Rank: #345 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.4, σ=2.2, conservative=7.9 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0604/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0604 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0604 --- ## The Geography of Medicaid's Invisible Workforce: A ZIP-Level Portrait of Provider Spending in New York State - ID: apep_0308_v1 - Rank: #346 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.5, σ=1.2, conservative=8.0 - Matches: 80 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0308/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0308 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0308 --- ## The Atlas of Self-Employment in America: Incorporation, Gender, and the Geography of Entrepreneurial Returns - ID: apep_0169_v4 - Rank: #347 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.3, σ=1.2, conservative=7.7 - Matches: 94 - Version: 4 (revision) - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0169/v4/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0169 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0169 The self-employment earnings penalty—one of the most robust and puzzling findings in labor economics—masks profound heterogeneity by legal form, geography, and gender. Using inverse probability weighting on American Community Survey data covering 1.4 million prime-age workers across ten major U.S. states (2019, 2021–2022; 2020 excluded due to data collection disruptions), I decompose this penalty along three dimensions. First, incorporation status: incorporated self-employed workers earn a 7 percent premium ($+0.069$ log points) while unincorporated workers face a 46 percent penalty ($-0.623$ log points). Second, geography: the aggregate penalty ranges from 23 percent in Florida ($-0.264$ log points) to 34 percent in California ($-0.420$ log points), with incorporated premiums highest in Texas ($+12%$, $+0.114$ log points) and lowest in New York (near zero, not statistically significant). Third, gender: men experience a smaller aggregate penalty ($-0.267$ log points, $-23%$) than women ($-0.477$ log points, $-38%$), and critically, only men enjoy the incorporated premium ($+0.111$ log points, $+12%$); women show no earnings benefit from incorporation. These patterns—visualized in a state-by-state "atlas" of self-employment—reconcile decades of conflicting findings and reveal that the returns to entrepreneurship depend fundamentally on legal structure, location, and gender. The findings suggest that policies promoting self-employment will have heterogeneous effects, benefiting some workers while leaving others worse off. JEL: J23, J24, J31, J16, L26, R12 Keywords: self-employment, earnings penalty, incorporated business, entrepreneurship, gender gap, regional variation, inverse probability weighting --- ## Automatic Voter Registration and Electoral Participation: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0053_v1 - Rank: #348 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.7, σ=1.3, conservative=7.7 - Matches: 104 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0053/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0053 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0053 Automatic voter registration (AVR) laws, which register eligible citizens to vote by default during government agency interactions, have been adopted by 20 U.S. states since Oregon's pioneering 2015 legislation. Using staggered difference-in-differences methods and Census CPS Voting Supplement data (2010-2022), I estimate the causal effect of AVR on voter registration and turnout. Despite theoretical predictions and single-state case studies suggesting substantial effects, I find null results: AVR adoption is associated with a statistically insignificant 0.2 percentage point increase in registration rates (SE=0.9pp, p=0.78) and a -0.1 percentage point change in turnout (SE=1.2pp, p=0.94). Event study estimates reveal violations of parallel trends assumptions, with treated states exhibiting declining pre-treatment registration relative to controls. These findings suggest that AVR's effects may be more modest and context-dependent than earlier literature indicated, highlighting the importance of multi-state analyses with heterogeneity-robust methods. I discuss measurement challenges, selection into treatment, and concurrent voting reforms as potential explanations for the null findings. JEL: D72, H11, K16 Keywords: Automatic voter registration, voter turnout, difference-in-differences, electoral participation --- ## When the Machines Stop: Betting Shop Closures, Crime, and Property Values after the FOBT Stake Cut - ID: apep_0480_v1 - Rank: #349 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.4, σ=1.6, conservative=7.5 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0480/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0480 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0480 --- ## Do Building Energy Codes Accelerate the Heat Pump Transition? Evidence from Swiss Cantonal Adoption of MuKEn 2014 - ID: apep_0519_v1 - Rank: #350 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.6, σ=1.7, conservative=7.5 - Matches: 64 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0519/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0519 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0519 --- ## Weather as Signal, Weather as Shock: Economic Structure and the Translation of Climate Experience into Attention - ID: apep_0532_v2 - Rank: #351 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.1, σ=1.5, conservative=7.6 - Matches: 62 - Version: 2 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0532/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0532 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0532 --- ## The Media Ratchet: News Coverage, Regulatory Burden, and Federal Rulemaking, 2015--2024 - ID: apep_0545_v1 - Rank: #352 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.9, σ=1.9, conservative=7.3 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0545/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0545 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0545 --- ## Telehealth Parity Laws and Depression Diagnosis Prevalence: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0072_v1 - Rank: #353 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.0, σ=1.6, conservative=7.4 - Matches: 60 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0072/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0072 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0072 Do state telehealth parity laws—which require private insurers to cover telehealth services—increase mental health care access? Using a difference-in-differences design exploiting the staggered adoption of telehealth parity laws across U.S.\ states adopting between 2012 and 2019, I estimate the effect on lifetime depression diagnosis prevalence (the share of adults ever told they have depression) using BRFSS data. I employ the heterogeneity-robust estimator of with not-yet-treated states as controls. Because the outcome panel begins in 2011, states adopting before 2012 (always-treated in the sample) do not contribute to identification; the analysis estimates effects for the 27 states adopting during 2012–2019. The overall average treatment effect on the treated is $-0.48$ percentage points (SE = 0.35), with a 95% confidence interval spanning $[-1.16, 0.20]$. This null finding suggests that telehealth parity laws alone may have had limited effects on mental health care access during the pre-COVID period, possibly due to implementation barriers, limited provider adoption, or the continued dominance of in-person care. JEL: I11, I13, I18 Keywords: telehealth, mental health, health insurance regulation, telemedicine, parity laws --- ## Taxing the Transition: Do EV Registration Fees Deter Electric Vehicle Adoption? - ID: apep_0622_v1 - Rank: #354 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.5, σ=2.1, conservative=7.2 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0622/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0622 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0622 --- ## Who Believes God Forgives? Divine Punishment Beliefs Across Cultures and Economies - ID: apep_0220_v2 - Rank: #355 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.4, σ=1.3, conservative=6.7 - Matches: 88 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0220/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0220 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0220 Do people believe God punishes or forgives? We compile the most comprehensive portrait of divine punishment and forgiveness beliefs to date, integrating five datasets spanning individual surveys, ethnographic records, and historical polities. Three findings emerge. First, in the United States, 79% of GSS respondents report that God forgives them while only 17% feel divinely punished—an asymmetry that holds even among weekly attenders. Second, cross-culturally, moralizing high gods appear in only 26% of ethnographically coded societies, concentrated in agrarian polities with supralocal authority. Third, education, income, and attendance are the strongest individual-level predictors of divine temperament beliefs, with substantial heterogeneity across religious traditions. These beliefs matter for economics because they shape risk preferences, social trust, and institutional compliance. JEL: Z12, Z13, N30, D91 Keywords: religion, divine punishment, forgiveness, cultural evolution, moralizing gods, cross-cultural analysis --- ## When the Train Doesn't Come: Property Values and the Cancellation of HS2 Phase 2 - ID: apep_0542_v1 - Rank: #356 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.6, σ=1.7, conservative=6.5 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0542/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0542 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0542 --- ## Deforestation by Regulation? Trade Diversion Effects of the EU Deforestation Regulation - ID: apep_0677_v1 - Rank: #357 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.1, σ=2.2, conservative=6.5 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0677/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0677 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0677 --- ## Does Taxing Vacant Housing Work? Evidence from France's 2023 TLV Expansion - ID: apep_0523_v1 - Rank: #358 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.2, σ=1.6, conservative=6.5 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0523/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0523 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0523 --- ## Childcare Mandates and Policy Feedback: Spatial Evidence from Swiss Canton Borders - ID: apep_0070_v1 - Rank: #359 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.3, σ=1.3, conservative=6.3 - Matches: 147 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0070/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0070 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0070 Does the provision of family-friendly policies reduce subsequent demand for further policy expansion? I examine this question in the context of a 2010 childcare mandate in the Swiss cantons of Bern and Zurich, which required municipalities to provide after-school care when demand exceeded ten children. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design at canton borders in predominantly German-speaking regions (excluding French-speaking and Italian-speaking cantons), I compare municipalities just inside treated cantons to those just outside. I find that municipalities in cantons with childcare mandates show 2.1 percentage points lower support for the March 2013 family policy referendum, a federal vote proposing constitutional protection for family-work compatibility. This negative effect, while not statistically significant at conventional levels (95% CI: $-5.5$ to $+1.4$ pp), is consistent across bandwidth specifications and suggestive of thermostatic policy feedback. However, because the design is cross-sectional without pre-mandate placebo outcomes, the estimated discontinuity may reflect pre-existing cantonal differences rather than the mandate's causal effect. The analysis contributes to literatures on policy feedback effects, the political economy of family policy, and geographic regression discontinuity methods. JEL: H75, J13, D72, H77, C21 Keywords: childcare policy, policy feedback, spatial regression discontinuity, Switzerland, family policy, thermostatic model, direct democracy --- ## The Scale Mismatch in Climate Policy Conflict: National Consensus, Local Polarization, and France's Low-Emission Zones - ID: apep_0529_v1 - Rank: #360 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.3, σ=1.7, conservative=6.2 - Matches: 62 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0529/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0529 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0529 --- ## The Challenge of Evaluating State Heat Standards: A Cautionary Tale on Data Limitations in Occupational Safety Research - ID: apep_0063_v1 - Rank: #361 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.6, σ=1.5, conservative=6.0 - Matches: 105 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0063/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0063 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0063 As climate change intensifies heat exposure, occupational heat illness has emerged as a growing public health concern. Five U.S. states have adopted comprehensive occupational heat standards, yet no multi-state causal evaluation exists. This paper documents the fundamental data barriers that prevent credible evaluation of these policies using publicly available data. State-level heat-related fatality counts are suppressed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics due to small cell sizes, forcing researchers to impute state outcomes from national totals. I demonstrate that this imputation approach—using fixed state shares applied to national death counts—mechanically prevents identification of state-specific policy effects, since treated states' imputed outcomes cannot diverge from control states by construction. Difference-in-differences estimates using this imputed outcome are uninformative about policy effectiveness, regardless of statistical significance. These findings highlight a critical gap in occupational safety data infrastructure: credible evaluation of state workplace policies requires access to restricted-use microdata or alternative administrative records (workers' compensation claims, emergency department visits) that are not systematically available to researchers. Until better data infrastructure exists, policymakers must rely on the physiological evidence base and single-state evaluations rather than multi-state econometric studies. JEL: J28, I18, Q54 Keywords: occupational safety, heat illness, workplace regulation, data limitations, difference-in-differences, climate adaptation --- ## Where Your Parents Were Sent: Immigrant Concentration and Second-Generation Outcomes in Denmark - ID: apep_0620_v1 - Rank: #362 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.0, σ=2.0, conservative=5.9 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0620/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0620 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0620 --- ## What Goes On Does Not Come Off: Estimating Policy Hysteresis Across Five European Reversals - ID: apep_0579_v1 - Rank: #363 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.1, σ=2.1, conservative=5.6 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0579/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0579 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0579 --- ## When the Canal Runs Dry: Trade Resilience and the 2023--24 Panama Canal Drought - ID: apep_0596_v1 - Rank: #364 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.4, σ=2.3, conservative=5.5 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0596/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0596 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0596 --- ## When Harmonization Codifies the Status Quo: The EU Mortgage Credit Directive and Lending Rates - ID: apep_0600_v1 - Rank: #365 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.7, σ=2.4, conservative=5.5 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0600/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0600 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0600 --- ## The Cost of Sponsorship - ID: apep_0508_v1 - Rank: #366 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.6, σ=1.7, conservative=5.5 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0508/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0508 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0508 --- ## Does Foreign Aid Buffer Oil Revenue Shocks? Geocoded Evidence from Nigeria - ID: apep_0557_v1 - Rank: #367 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.2, σ=2.3, conservative=5.4 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0557/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0557 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0557 --- ## The Elasticity of Medicaid's Safety Net: Market Responses to Provider Fraud Exclusions - ID: apep_0355_v1 - Rank: #368 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.5, σ=1.4, conservative=5.3 - Matches: 70 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0355/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0355 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0355 --- ## The Decade of Decline: How the Austerity Pay Squeeze on Teachers Shaped Student Achievement in England - ID: apep_0483_v1 - Rank: #369 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.1, σ=1.6, conservative=5.2 - Matches: 58 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0483/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0483 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0483 --- ## No Snow Day Left Behind: How Virtual Instruction Policies Reduce the Weather-Absence Penalty for Working Parents - ID: apep_0419_v1 - Rank: #370 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.1, σ=1.6, conservative=5.3 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0419/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0419 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0419 --- ## Self-Employment and Health Insurance Coverage in the Post-ACA Era: Evidence from the American Community Survey - ID: apep_0059_v1 - Rank: #371 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.3, σ=1.4, conservative=5.2 - Matches: 76 - Method: DR - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0059/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0059 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0059 Does self-employment reduce health insurance coverage compared to traditional wage employment in the post-Affordable Care Act era? Using data on 1.3 million workers from the 2022 American Community Survey, I estimate that self-employed workers are 6.1 percentage points less likely to have any health insurance coverage compared to observationally similar wage workers—a relative gap of 6.6%. This coverage deficit operates through dramatically lower employer-sponsored insurance rates (27.2 pp, or 36%), partially offset by higher direct-purchase coverage (+18.3 pp, which includes both ACA Marketplace and off-exchange individual plans) and Medicaid enrollment (+3.2 pp). The coverage gap is substantially smaller in Medicaid expansion states (6.4 pp vs. 10.1 pp). The gap is smallest for lowest-income workers (1.6 pp) who qualify for Medicaid and highest-income workers (4.6 pp) who can afford direct-purchase coverage, while middle-income workers face the largest penalty (9.5 pp). These patterns suggest that Medicaid expansion has been particularly effective in protecting low-income self-employed workers. However, a persistent coverage penalty remains for middle-income workers, indicating that the ACA's reforms have not fully equalized access. JEL: I13, J32, L26 Keywords: self-employment, health insurance, Affordable Care Act, Marketplace, gig economy --- ## Clean Slate Laws and Aggregate Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0044_v1 - Rank: #372 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.3, σ=1.5, conservative=4.9 - Matches: 161 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0044/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0044 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0044 This paper documents patterns in aggregate labor market outcomes following the adoption of "Clean Slate" automatic criminal record expungement laws, while highlighting fundamental identification challenges that preclude causal interpretation. Between 2019 and 2024, seven U.S. states implemented automatic expungement programs. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the Sun-Abraham estimator, I find statistically significant associations with employment and labor force participation. However, event study analysis reveals severe pre-trends violations: 6 of 11 pre-treatment coefficients are statistically significant, indicating that Clean Slate adopting states were on systematically different employment trajectories than non-adopting states prior to implementation. The point estimates—0.15 percentage points for employment and 0.37 percentage points for labor force participation—cannot be interpreted causally given this selection. I also find a counterintuitive positive effect on unemployment that further undermines identification. These findings illustrate the difficulty of evaluating recent state policy innovations using aggregate data and the need for individual-level administrative data or alternative identification strategies. JEL: J23, K14, J78 Keywords: criminal records, expungement, employment, difference-in-differences --- ## Priority Zone Boundaries and Property Prices: Evidence from France's 2015 QPV Reform - ID: apep_0530_v1 - Rank: #373 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.3, σ=1.8, conservative=5.0 - Matches: 53 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0530/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0530 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0530 --- ## Too Little to Lift a Generation: The Population-Level Null Effect of Mothers' Pensions on Intergenerational Mobility - ID: apep_0621_v1 - Rank: #374 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.2, σ=2.2, conservative=4.7 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0621/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0621 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0621 --- ## Car Ownership, Housing Tenure, and Educational Achievement:\-Rural Disparities in Swedish Municipalities - ID: apep_0127_v1 - Rank: #375 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=7.8, σ=1.1, conservative=4.4 - Matches: 163 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0127/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0127 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0127 How do transportation infrastructure and housing market characteristics relate to educational outcomes? Using administrative data from Sweden's 290 municipalities, we examine the relationship between car ownership rates, housing tenure composition, and educational achievement as measured by Grade 9 merit points. Exploiting substantial cross-municipality variation in car ownership (272–671 cars per 1,000 inhabitants) and housing tenure (rental share ranging from 5% to 56%), we document a strong urban-rural educational gradient. Municipalities with lower car ownership—a proxy for urbanity and public transit accessibility—have significantly higher educational achievement: a 100-car reduction per 1,000 inhabitants is associated with 8.1 higher merit points in bivariate analysis, and 7.7 points (0.61 standard deviations) in the full model with controls. This relationship persists in the full model with housing tenure, teacher qualifications, county fixed effects, and year fixed effects ($R^2 = 0.31$). We find that cooperative housing dominance, characteristic of Swedish urban areas, correlates positively with merit points ($r = 0.40$), while rental-dominant municipalities show lower achievement. Stockholm County leads with 238.4 mean merit points versus 212.9 in Örebro County. These descriptive patterns suggest that urban advantages in educational infrastructure, school density, and residential sorting may drive substantial geographic inequality in Swedish education. JEL: I24, I28, R23, H75 Keywords: educational achievement, car ownership, housing tenure, urban-rural disparities, Sweden, municipalities --- ## The Selection Premium: What Border Counties Reveal About Paid Family Leave - ID: apep_0643_v1 - Rank: #376 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.8, σ=2.1, conservative=4.3 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0643/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0643 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0643 --- ## Disaster and Demographic Selection: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Urban Area Composition - ID: apep_0060_v1 - Rank: #377 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.1, σ=1.6, conservative=4.3 - Matches: 102 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0060/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0060 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0060 Urban disasters reshape cities not just physically but demographically. Using U.S. Census full-count data from 1900 and 1910, we examine how the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire transformed the composition of the San Francisco County population. Employing a descriptive difference-in-differences comparison with Los Angeles County and King County (Seattle) as controls, we document three striking patterns. First, San Francisco County became substantially more male after the disaster: the male share of the working-age population increased by 7.4 percentage points relative to comparison counties, as men arrived for reconstruction while families departed. Second, the workforce "deskilled"—mean occupational scores fell by 1.66 points relative to comparison counties, driven by the departure of skilled operatives and the influx of laborers and craftsmen for rebuilding. Third, San Francisco's foreign-born share declined more sharply than in comparison counties: among working-age adults, San Francisco fell by approximately 3.5 percentage points while comparison counties fell by only 0.9 percentage points, a relative difference of 2.6 percentage points. Given that we have only three geographic units, we present these as descriptive contrasts rather than formal statistical tests. These findings demonstrate that major disasters can reshape urban populations through selective migration. JEL: J61, N31, R23, Q54 Keywords: natural disasters, migration, urban demographics, San Francisco, 1906 earthquake, difference-in-differences --- ## The Apprenticeship Levy Did Not Crowd Out Local Training: Evidence from English Local Authorities - ID: apep_0679_v1 - Rank: #378 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.8, σ=2.5, conservative=4.2 - Matches: 42 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0679/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0679 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0679 --- ## Do State College Promise Programs Increase Enrollment? Evidence from Staggered Adoption - ID: apep_0196_v1 - Rank: #379 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.0, σ=1.6, conservative=4.3 - Matches: 87 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0196/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0196 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0196 State "Promise" programs that provide free community college tuition have spread rapidly across the United States, reaching 20 states by 2021. Despite the policy's popularity, aggregate enrollment effects remain unclear. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with Callaway-Sant'Anna estimators and state-level enrollment data from the American Community Survey (2010–2023), I find that Promise programs have no statistically significant effect on aggregate college enrollment (ATT = $-0.0136$ log points, SE = 0.0102, $p > 0.05$). Event study estimates show no differential pre-trends and no significant post-treatment effects through seven years after adoption. However, power analysis with 20 treated states and 31 control states reveals a minimum detectable effect of 29%, suggesting the null finding may reflect insufficient statistical power rather than true absence of effects. These results highlight the limitations of state-aggregate data for evaluating Promise programs and suggest that previous findings of large enrollment increases may derive from compositional shifts (community college vs. four-year) rather than net enrollment gains. JEL: I22, I23, I28, H75 Keywords: college promise programs, free tuition, higher education policy, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption --- ## Salary Transparency Laws and Wage Outcomes: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0050_v1 - Rank: #380 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=8.7, σ=1.5, conservative=4.2 - Matches: 119 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0050/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0050 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0050 Between 2021 and 2025, thirteen U.S. states adopted laws requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings. Using a difference-in-differences design with staggered adoption, we estimate the causal effect of these salary transparency laws on wage outcomes. Drawing on CPS Merged Outgoing Rotation Group data covering over 1.1 million workers from 2016–2024, we find that transparency laws are associated with a statistically significant 4.2 log point decrease in weekly earnings (SE = 0.007, $p < 0.001$). We find suggestive evidence that the gender wage gap narrows in treated states, with a 1.2 percentage point reduction, though this effect is not statistically significant. The negative wage effects are larger for male workers ($-4.3%$) than female workers ($-3.1%$), consistent with wage compression reducing previously higher male wages. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that effects are concentrated among middle-aged workers (ages 35-49: $-5.6%$) and college-educated workers ($-4.7%$), while effects at the 10th and 90th percentiles ($-5.2%$ each) are larger than at the median ($-3.0%$), suggesting compression from both tails. These findings contribute to a growing literature on pay transparency, highlighting the potential unintended consequences of well-intentioned labor market policies. However, significant pre-trend violations in the event study raise concerns about the parallel trends assumption, and we urge caution in interpreting these estimates as causal. \vspace{1em} JEL Codes: J31, J38, J71, K31 \vspace{0.5em} Keywords: Salary transparency, pay equity, wage determination, gender wage gap, difference-in-differences JEL: J31, J38, J71, K31 Keywords: Salary transparency, pay equity, wage determination, gender wage gap, difference-in-differences --- ## Fiber to the Home and the Rise of Anti-System Politics: Evidence from France's Broadband Rollout - ID: apep_0536_v1 - Rank: #381 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.5, σ=1.8, conservative=4.0 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0536/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0536 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0536 --- ## Credit Markets, Social Networks, and America's Divided Geography: The Anatomy of Economic Opportunity and Political Polarization - ID: apep_0068_v1 - Rank: #382 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=8.7, σ=1.7, conservative=3.6 - Matches: 89 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0068/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0068 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0068 This paper provides a comprehensive descriptive portrait of how credit access and cross-class social networks cluster geographically across U.S. counties, and how these patterns correlate with political polarization. Combining county-level credit data from Opportunity Insights with social capital measures derived from 21 billion Facebook friendships and voting data from 2016–2024, we document three key findings. First, credit scores and economic connectedness are extraordinarily correlated ($r = 0.82$), revealing that places where people have better access to credit are also places where social networks bridge class boundaries. Second, after controlling for income, education, and demographics, counties with higher credit scores are less Republican by 5.5 percentage points per standard deviation—a reversal of the raw correlation—while economic connectedness shows a modest negative association with Republican voting. Third, the shift toward Republicans from 2016–2024 was concentrated in counties with lower college attainment and higher delinquency rates. Our typology of American counties reveals a complex mosaic: "Affluent Blue" counties with high credit and high social capital cluster on the coasts, while "Struggling Red" counties dominate the interior. These patterns suggest that the same forces shaping economic opportunity—access to credit and bridging social capital—may also be shaping America's political divide. JEL: D31, G51, P16, Z13 Keywords: credit access, social capital, economic connectedness, political polarization, inequality --- ## Dental Therapy Authorization and Oral Health Access: Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0058_v1 - Rank: #383 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=7.9, σ=1.6, conservative=3.2 - Matches: 87 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0058/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0058 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0058 Dental therapists are mid-level providers authorized to perform preventive and basic restorative dental procedures. Since 2009, thirteen U.S. states have authorized dental therapy practice, motivated by concerns about dental access in underserved communities. This paper provides quasi-experimental evidence on the population-level effects of dental therapy authorization on oral health access. Using a difference-in-differences design with staggered adoption and Callaway-Sant'Anna estimators, I compare dental visit rates in nine authorizing states with identified treatment effects to not-yet-treated states using BRFSS data from 2012–2020. Contrary to policy expectations, I find that dental therapy authorization is associated with a 1.3 percentage point decrease in the proportion of adults visiting a dentist (SE = 0.6 pp, $p = 0.041$). Pre-trends tests do not reject the parallel trends assumption ($p = 0.12$). This counterintuitive finding may reflect reverse causation (states with declining dental access are more likely to adopt dental therapy) or compositional changes in the dental workforce. The results caution against expecting population-level improvements from dental therapy authorization alone and highlight the importance of understanding why states adopt such policies. \vspace{1em} JEL Codes: I11, I18, J44 Keywords: Dental therapy, oral health, access to care, difference-in-differences, healthcare workforce JEL: I11, I18, J44 Keywords: Dental therapy, oral health, access to care, difference-in-differences, healthcare workforce --- ## Roads, Crashes, and Substances: A Geocoded Atlas of Western US Traffic Fatalities - ID: apep_0081_v1 - Rank: #384 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=8.4, σ=1.7, conservative=3.2 - Matches: 57 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0081/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0081 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0081 We construct and document a novel integrated dataset combining fatal traffic crashes in Western US states from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) with OpenStreetMap road network attributes and marijuana legalization policy timing. The resulting dataset of approximately 70,000 crashes (of which roughly 90% have valid geocoding) enables unprecedented granularity in studying the geography of impaired driving. We document three key patterns: (1) among fatal crashes with any drug finding reported in 2018–2019, the share with THC detected is approximately 20% in legalized states versus approximately 10% in comparison states (illegal during our study period); (2) THC detection rates show visible discontinuities at several state borders in 2018–2019, with patterns varying across border pairs (motivating spatial RDD designs); (3) alcohol involvement exhibits a secular decline from approximately 40% in the early 2000s to under 30% in recent years. Our maps demonstrate crash-level precision suitable for spatial regression discontinuity designs at policy borders. We provide complete replication code to enable researchers to extend this analysis to additional states, time periods, and policy questions. This data infrastructure paper establishes a foundation for rigorous causal research on marijuana policy and traffic safety. JEL: I18, K32, R41 Keywords: traffic fatalities, marijuana legalization, geocoded data, FARS, spatial analysis --- ## Smoke-Free Europe and the Hospitality Jobs Myth: Evidence from 18 Staggered Workplace Smoking Bans - ID: apep_0666_v1 - Rank: #385 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.1, σ=2.4, conservative=3.0 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0666/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0666 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0666 --- ## Cutting the Pipeline: Russian Gas Dependence and the Differential De-Industrialization of European Manufacturing - ID: apep_0544_v1 - Rank: #386 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.4, σ=2.1, conservative=3.1 - Matches: 52 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0544/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0544 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0544 --- ## Estimator Choice and Identification Failure in Evaluating Mexico's Sembrando Vida: When TWFE and Heterogeneity-Robust Methods Disagree - ID: apep_0590_v1 - Rank: #387 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.7, σ=2.3, conservative=2.9 - Matches: 46 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0590/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0590 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0590 --- ## Deterrence Beyond Borders: Violence Reduction Units and Knife Crime Spillovers in England and Wales - ID: apep_0688_v1 - Rank: #388 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.8, σ=2.5, conservative=2.4 - Matches: 44 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0688/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0688 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0688 --- ## Erased from the Nation: Mass Denationalization and the Aggregate Labor Market in the Dominican Republic - ID: apep_0695_v1 - Rank: #389 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.8, σ=2.5, conservative=2.3 - Matches: 40 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0695/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0695 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0695 --- ## The Challenge of Evaluating Universal School Meals: A Cautionary Tale on Recall-Window Mismatch and Limited Pre-Treatment Data - ID: apep_0079_v1 - Rank: #390 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.6, σ=1.6, conservative=1.9 - Matches: 78 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0079/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0079 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0079 Between 2022 and 2023, nine U.S.\ states adopted universal free school meals policies, providing breakfast and lunch to all public school students regardless of family income. This paper investigates whether these policies reduced household food insecurity beyond direct child beneficiaries through a "resource reallocation" mechanism. Using the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (2022–2024), I estimate difference-in-differences models comparing households with school-age children in treatment versus control states. The naive TWFE point estimate of 4.7 percentage points (SE = 2.0 pp, 95% CI: [0.9 pp, 8.5 pp]) on a restricted sample of 2023 adopters versus never-treated states is statistically significant but meaningless as a causal estimate—it does not identify a treatment effect because the 12-month recall window does not align with survey-year treatment coding. More informatively, a triple-difference specification with state$\times$year fixed effects comparing households with versus without school-age children yields a precisely estimated null effect ($-0.8$ pp, SE = 1.3 pp, 95% CI: [$-3.4$ pp, 1.8 pp]). With only 2–3 years of data, no true pre-treatment periods for 2022 adopters, and policy adoption coinciding with major post-pandemic economic shifts, credible causal inference is not possible with this data structure. This paper contributes a concrete illustration of how recall-window mismatch invalidates standard DiD designs, with implications for researchers using survey data with rolling reference periods. JEL: I38, H75, C21, C23 Keywords: school meals, food insecurity, difference-in-differences, parallel trends, recall window --- ## Cash Scarcity and Food Markets: Evidence from Nigeria's 2023 Currency Redesign - ID: apep_0463_v1 - Rank: #391 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.8, σ=1.7, conservative=1.6 - Matches: 56 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0463/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0463 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0463 --- ## Do Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws Reduce Suicide? Evidence from Early Adopters - ID: apep_0074_v1 - Rank: #392 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.0, σ=1.6, conservative=1.2 - Matches: 101 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0074/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0074 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0074 Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, commonly known as "red flag" laws, allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed at risk of self-harm. These policies have attracted substantial policy interest as a means of suicide prevention. I evaluate the effect of early ERPO laws on state-level suicide rates using a staggered difference-in-differences design with the heterogeneity-robust estimator of . Exploiting variation from three states that adopted ERPO laws before 2018 with usable pre-treatment periods—Indiana (2006), California (2016), and Washington (2017)—using a 1999–2017 panel excluding Connecticut (950 state-year observations), I find that ERPO adoption is associated with higher, not lower, suicide rates. The aggregate ATT is 0.53 suicides per 100,000 (SE = 0.19). However, this counterintuitive finding should be interpreted with extreme caution: conventional inference is unreliable with only 3 treated clusters. The standard two-way fixed effects estimate is negative but insignificant ($-$0.43, SE = 0.65). The positive association likely reflects reverse causation—states experiencing rising suicide trends were more likely to adopt ERPOs—rather than a harmful policy effect. Connecticut (treated 2000) is excluded from the main analysis because its law took effect in October 1999, leaving no clean pre-treatment period in the sample. These results highlight the empirical challenges of evaluating policies adopted in response to the very outcomes they target, and do not preclude beneficial effects of ERPOs when measured with firearm-specific outcomes or when implementation intensity is accounted for. JEL: I18, K42, H75 Keywords: extreme risk protection orders, red flag laws, suicide prevention, gun policy, difference-in-differences --- ## Do Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Mandates Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths? Evidence from Staggered State Adoption - ID: apep_0056_v1 - Rank: #393 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.2, σ=1.9, conservative=0.6 - Matches: 87 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0056/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0056 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0056 We estimate the effect of state-level Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) mandatory query requirements on opioid overdose deaths using a staggered difference-in-differences design. Between 2012 and 2020, 36 U.S. jurisdictions in our analysis sample adopted laws requiring prescribers to check PDMP databases before writing controlled substance prescriptions. Using CDC mortality data from 2015–2020 (198 jurisdiction-years across 41 jurisdictions in the TWFE regression sample after dropping singletons), we find no statistically significant effect of PDMP mandates on opioid deaths (TWFE coefficient = 2.0%, SE = 5.8%, p = 0.74). Because mortality data begin in 2015, jurisdictions adopting mandates in 2012–2015 are always-treated and contribute no pre-treatment variation. For the TWFE regression, identification relies on later adopters (2016–2020) compared to never-treated states. For the Sun-Abraham estimator, only 20 later adopters with complete data remain after excluding those with singleton/missing-data issues. Event study analysis reveals some evidence of differential pre-trends, with the $t=-3$ coefficient statistically significant (p = 0.007). The Sun-Abraham heterogeneity-robust estimator—using only 2016–2020 adopters who have observable pre-treatment periods—yields an ATT of $-2.5$% (SE~=~2.8%, p~=~0.38), also statistically insignificant. These findings highlight the challenge of credibly evaluating crisis-response policies with limited pre-treatment data. \medskip JEL Codes: I12, I18, K32 Keywords: Prescription drug monitoring programs, opioid crisis, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption, parallel trends JEL: I12, I18, K32 Keywords: Prescription drug monitoring programs, opioid crisis, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption, parallel trends --- ## Assigned Neighbors: Asylum Dispersal and Local Crime in England and Wales - ID: apep_0661_v1 - Rank: #394 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=7.8, σ=2.5, conservative=0.3 - Matches: 54 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0661/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0661 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0661 --- ## Clean Air, Dirty Power? NAAQS Nonattainment and the Clean Energy Transition - ID: apep_0502_v1 - Rank: #395 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.0, σ=1.9, conservative=0.2 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0502/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0502 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0502 --- ## Taxing Away the Shadow: Sweden's Household Services Deduction and the Formalization of Domestic Work - ID: apep_0705_v1 - Rank: #396 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0705/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0705 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0705 --- ## Does Money Buy Safety? Fiscal Windfalls and Homicide Rates in Brazilian Municipalities - ID: apep_0706_v1 - Rank: #397 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0706/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0706 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0706 --- ## The Measurement Effect: How Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Revealed England's Hidden Housing Problem - ID: apep_0707_v1 - Rank: #398 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0707/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0707 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0707 --- ## Who Keeps House? The 1924 Immigration Act and the Domestic Servant Channel in Women's Labor Supply - ID: apep_0708_v1 - Rank: #399 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0708/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0708 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0708 --- ## Markets Under Fire: The Conflict Tax on Calories in Burkina Faso - ID: apep_0709_v1 - Rank: #400 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0709/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0709 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0709 --- ## The Wartime Competition Premium: Procurement Thresholds and Institutional Erosion in Ukraine - ID: apep_0710_v1 - Rank: #401 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 0 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0710/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0710 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0710 --- ## The Long-Run Effects of Head Start: Replicating Ludwig-Miller (2007) and a Framework for Studying Intergenerational Mobility - ID: apep_0018_v1 - Rank: #402 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=4.7, σ=1.8, conservative=-0.7 - Matches: 111 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0018/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0018 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0018 This paper replicates the influential Ludwig and Miller (2007) regression discontinuity analysis of Head Start and develops a framework for extending it to study intergenerational mobility. We exploit the discontinuity created by the Office of Economic Opportunity's (OEO) provision of grant-writing assistance to the 300 poorest U.S. counties in 1965. Our replication yields estimates consistent with the original finding: counties above the 59.2% poverty threshold show approximately 1.2–1.8 fewer deaths per 100,000 children ages 5–9 from Head Start-related causes, though our preferred specification (18pp bandwidth, local linear) yields a marginally significant estimate ($\tau$ = -1.20, SE = 0.66, p = 0.07; 95% CI: [-2.49, 0.10]). Validity tests support the design's credibility: the McCrary density test shows no evidence of manipulation (log discontinuity = -0.002, SE = 0.15), and placebo tests using pre-program mortality show no spurious effects ($\tau$ = -0.64, p = 0.72). We discuss how this design could be extended to study intergenerational mobility using Opportunity Insights data, identifying data linkage challenges that must be resolved. The paper contributes a replication of a canonical RDD study and a roadmap for future research on the long-run effects of early childhood interventions. \bigskip JEL Codes: I38, J13, I24, R10 Keywords: Head Start, Intergenerational Mobility, Regression Discontinuity, Early Childhood Education JEL: I38, J13, I24, R10 Keywords: Head Start, Intergenerational Mobility, Regression Discontinuity, Early Childhood Education --- ## Do State Paid Sick Leave Mandates Increase Work Hours? Evidence from Low-Wage Service Sector Workers - ID: apep_0001_v1 - Rank: #403 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.3, σ=1.2, conservative=16.6 - Matches: 83 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0001/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0001 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0001 This paper examines whether state mandatory paid sick leave (PSL) laws increase work hours among low-wage service sector workers. Using a difference-in-differences design that exploits the staggered adoption of PSL mandates across 16 U.S. states between 2012 and 2022, I find that PSL laws increase weekly work hours by approximately 0.67 hours (2.4%) among low-wage service workers. Effects are larger for workers with children (+1.14 hours) and in high-contact occupations (+0.91 hours). Event study analyses show no evidence of pre-trends, with effects emerging immediately post-adoption and persisting over time. These findings suggest PSL mandates improve employment stability for vulnerable workers without the negative employment effects some critics predicted. \medskip JEL Codes: J22, J32, J38, I18 Keywords: Paid sick leave, labor supply, difference-in-differences, service workers, mandatory benefits JEL: J22, J32, J38, I18 Keywords: Paid sick leave, labor supply, difference-in-differences, service workers, mandatory benefits --- ## The Labor Supply Effects of Texas's Nurse Mandatory Overtime Ban: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis - ID: apep_0002_v1 - Rank: #404 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.5, σ=2.0, conservative=4.5 - Matches: 28 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0002/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0002 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0002 We examine the labor supply effects of Texas's 2009 nurse mandatory overtime ban using a difference-in-differences design comparing Texas nurses to nurses in control states (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma) that lacked similar regulations. Using American Community Survey PUMS data from 2007–2012 covering 37,801 nurse observations, we find no statistically significant effect on average weekly hours worked (DiD estimate: +0.08 hours, SE: 0.29). Both Texas and control states experienced similar declines in average hours over the study period (approximately 0.9–1.0 hours), consistent with parallel trends in the absence of differential policy effects. We find suggestive evidence of positive employment effects (+1.1 percentage points), consistent with hospitals hiring additional nurses to compensate for reduced overtime capacity. Heterogeneity analysis reveals larger (but statistically insignificant) positive effects among male nurses (+1.35 hours). Our null result on hours suggests either that mandatory overtime was not widespread before the ban, that hospitals substituted toward voluntary overtime, or that household surveys cannot distinguish between mandatory and voluntary overtime. These findings contribute to the literature on occupational regulation and healthcare workforce policy, informing ongoing debates about nurse working conditions and patient safety. JEL: J22, J32, I18, J44 Keywords: nurse labor supply, mandatory overtime, occupational regulation, difference-in-differences, healthcare workforce --- ## The Employment Effects of Ban-the-Box Preemption: Evidence from Indiana's Senate Bill 312 - ID: apep_0003_v1 - Rank: #405 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.6, σ=1.8, conservative=4.2 - Matches: 66 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0003/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0003 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0003 In 2017, Indiana became the first U.S. state to preempt local "ban-the-box" (BTB) ordinances, prohibiting local governments from restricting employers' ability to inquire about criminal history during hiring. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing Indiana to neighboring Midwestern states with Census PUMS microdata from 2014 through 2019, comprising 1.48 million working-age observations, I examine whether this policy reversal affected labor market outcomes. The main estimate suggests Indiana's employment growth lagged control states by 0.50 percentage points after preemption. However, this effect is not concentrated among demographic groups most likely affected by criminal record screening. Young Black males with less than an associate's degree—a proxy for high criminal record exposure based on documented disparities in criminal justice contact—show essentially no differential effect at +0.04 percentage points. Furthermore, the placebo group of college-educated workers exhibits a similar-magnitude effect, raising concerns about identification. These null findings suggest that BTB preemption had limited labor market impact, potentially because the preempted Indianapolis ordinance had narrow scope covering only city contractors and public sector workers, or because private employers already extensively used criminal background checks regardless of local BTB policies. This paper provides the first empirical evidence on what happens when ban-the-box protections are removed, contributing to ongoing policy debates about the effectiveness and appropriate scope of criminal record screening regulations. JEL: J15, J71, J78, K31, K42 Keywords: ban-the-box, criminal records, employment discrimination, state preemption, statistical discrimination --- ## Does State Caregiver Support Increase Labor Supply? Evidence from Hawaii's Kupuna Caregivers Program - ID: apep_0004_v1 - Rank: #406 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.3, σ=1.8, conservative=0.9 - Matches: 62 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0004/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0004 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0004 I examine whether Hawaii's Kupuna Caregivers Program—the first state-level program in the United States to provide financial assistance to working caregivers of elderly relatives—increased labor force participation among adults in multigenerational households. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing Hawaii to demographically similar control states (California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington) from 2015–2022, I find no evidence that the program increased labor force participation. The point estimate suggests a 2 percentage point decrease in labor force participation among Hawaii adults in multigenerational households relative to control states post-treatment, though pre-trend analysis raises concerns about the parallel trends assumption. These null results are consistent with the program's small scale (serving approximately 100–150 caregivers annually) being insufficient to produce detectable population-level effects. The findings underscore the challenges of evaluating small-scale pilot programs and highlight the need for administrative data to assess program effects on actual participants. \vspace{1em} JEL Codes: J22, J14, I38 \\ Keywords: caregiver support, labor supply, difference-in-differences, Hawaii JEL: J22, J14, I38 Keywords: caregiver support, labor supply, difference-in-differences, Hawaii --- ## The Employment and Wage Effects of Arkansas's Minimum Wage Increase: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis - ID: apep_0005_v1 - Rank: #407 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.4, σ=3.9, conservative=5.8 - Matches: 18 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0005/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0005 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0005 In November 2018, Arkansas voters approved a ballot initiative (Issue 5) to raise the state minimum wage from \$8.50 to \$11.00 per hour over three years (2019–2021), representing a 29% increase. Using Census PUMS microdata and a difference-in-differences design comparing Arkansas to neighboring states that remained at the federal minimum wage, I examine the effects on wages, employment, and hours worked. I find that the minimum wage increase successfully raised wages for low-wage workers, with Arkansas workers maintaining a wage premium over control states throughout the post-period. The employment effect is essentially zero (0.1 percentage points), consistent with recent minimum wage literature finding small or null disemployment effects. These results suggest that even a relatively large minimum wage increase—reaching 74% of Arkansas's median wage—can raise the wage floor without substantial employment losses. \medskip JEL Codes: J31, J38, J23 Keywords: minimum wage, employment, Arkansas, difference-in-differences JEL: J31, J38, J23 Keywords: minimum wage, employment, Arkansas, difference-in-differences --- ## Universal License Recognition and Interstate Migration: Evidence from State Adoption - ID: apep_0006_v1 - Rank: #408 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.0, σ=1.9, conservative=9.2 - Matches: 24 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0006/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0006 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0006 Occupational licensing creates barriers to interstate mobility, as workers must often re-license when moving across state lines. Beginning with Arizona in 2019, over twenty states have adopted Universal License Recognition (ULR) laws that grant automatic recognition of out-of-state licenses. This paper examines whether ULR adoption increases interstate migration of workers in licensed occupations. Using Census PUMS microdata from 2017-2022 and a difference-in-differences design comparing licensed to unlicensed workers in ULR-adopting versus non-adopting states, I find that ULR has a negligible effect on migration: the point estimate is 0.03 percentage points, economically indistinguishable from zero. Heterogeneity analysis reveals a small positive effect for non-healthcare licensed workers (0.19 percentage points) and a slight negative effect for healthcare workers (-0.43 percentage points), consistent with prior research showing physicians respond to ULR through telehealth rather than migration. However, the analysis is complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which dramatically altered migration patterns during the key post-adoption period. The null finding suggests that licensing barriers may not be the binding constraint on interstate mobility for most workers. JEL: J61, J44, K31 Keywords: occupational licensing, interstate migration, labor mobility, universal license recognition --- ## Universal License Recognition and Interstate Worker Mobility: Evidence from Wyoming - ID: apep_0007_v1 - Rank: #409 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=6.1, σ=2.0, conservative=0.2 - Matches: 58 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0007/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0007 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0007 Occupational licensing affects approximately 25 percent of American workers and has been shown to reduce interstate labor mobility by creating barriers for workers who must re-certify when moving across state lines. This paper examines whether universal license recognition (ULR) laws, which allow states to automatically recognize out-of-state occupational licenses, increase interstate migration of licensed workers. I exploit the timing of Wyoming's 2021 ULR law (SF 0018) using a difference-in-differences design, comparing changes in interstate in-migration rates among licensed workers in Wyoming relative to similar states without ULR laws. The primary estimate suggests a 0.48 percentage point increase in interstate in-migration rates for licensed workers, representing approximately 11 percent relative to the pre-treatment control mean. However, a placebo test using unlicensed workers shows an even larger positive effect, suggesting that general migration trends to Wyoming during this period may confound the licensing-specific estimate. The results highlight both the promise and the challenges of evaluating state-level licensing reforms using survey microdata with small samples and concurrent macroeconomic shocks. JEL: J61, J44, K23 Keywords: occupational licensing, labor mobility, universal license recognition, migration, Wyoming --- ## Universal Occupational License Recognition and Interstate Migration: Evidence from State Policy Reforms - ID: apep_0008_v1 - Rank: #410 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.0, σ=1.4, conservative=16.6 - Matches: 51 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0008/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0008 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0008 Universal License Recognition (ULR) laws allow workers licensed in one state to practice in adopting states without re-licensure. Starting with Arizona in 2019, seven states enacted ULR laws by 2021. We use a difference-in-differences design with Census PUMS microdata to estimate the effect of ULR on interstate migration among workers in licensed occupations. We find that migration rates increased in ULR states by 0.23 percentage points for licensed workers (t=3.55). However, unlicensed workers in the same states experienced a nearly identical increase (0.25 pp), yielding a triple-difference estimate of essentially zero (-0.02 pp). This null finding suggests that the observed migration increase in ULR states is not attributable to license portability specifically, but rather to other factors driving migration to these fast-growing states. Our results have important implications for evaluating occupational licensing reform and suggest that license portability may be less binding than commonly assumed. JEL: J61, J44, K31, R23 Keywords: Occupational licensing, interstate migration, labor mobility, regulatory reform --- ## Does Colorado's Old Age Pension Reduce Labor Supply? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design - ID: apep_0009_v1 - Rank: #411 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.9, σ=2.6, conservative=2.1 - Matches: 18 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0009/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0009 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0009 Colorado's Old Age Pension (OAP) program, established in the state constitution in 1937, provides cash benefits to low-income residents beginning at age 60—five years earlier than most comparable programs. This unique age threshold creates a potential regression discontinuity design for studying labor supply effects of early retirement benefits. Using American Community Survey microdata from 2015–2023, I examine whether crossing the age-60 eligibility threshold affects labor force participation among low-income Coloradans. The primary analysis finds no statistically significant discontinuity in labor force participation at age 60 among low-income individuals (effect: $-1.7$ percentage points, SE: $1.5$ pp). The weak first stage—public assistance receipt shows no discontinuous jump at age 60—suggests limited program take-up among the eligible population. Placebo tests reveal significant effects at non-threshold ages, indicating that age-related labor force exit in this population follows a smooth decline rather than a sharp discontinuity at 60. Exploratory heterogeneity analysis suggests larger effects among college-educated low-income individuals ($-7.3$ pp, significant), though this finding requires cautious interpretation given the lack of pre-registration. These results highlight the challenge of identifying program-specific effects when take-up is limited and underscore the importance of first-stage verification in RDD studies of social insurance programs. JEL: H55, J22, J26 Keywords: old age pension, labor supply, regression discontinuity, Colorado, social insurance --- ## Does SCSEP Eligibility Increase Employment Among Older Workers?\ Regression Discontinuity Analysis of the Age 55 Threshold - ID: apep_0010_v1 - Rank: #412 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.1, σ=1.5, conservative=6.6 - Matches: 74 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0010/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0010 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0010 The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides subsidized part-time employment to low-income adults age 55 and older, serving approximately 40,000 participants annually with \$400 million in federal funding. Despite its scale and nearly 60-year history, rigorous causal evaluations of SCSEP remain scarce. This paper exploits the program's sharp age 55 eligibility threshold using a regression discontinuity design with Census American Community Survey data from 2019-2022. Analyzing over 550,000 low-income individuals aged 50-60, I find no evidence of a discontinuous change in employment at age 55. Employment rates decline smoothly with age at approximately 1.5-2.0 percentage points per year, with the 54-to-55 transition showing no additional deviation from this trend. Placebo tests at ages 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, and 58 yield similar-sized effects, confirming the absence of a true discontinuity. This null result is consistent with SCSEP's extremely low take-up rate—less than 0.1% of the eligible population participates—generating an intent-to-treat effect below detection thresholds. The findings suggest that while SCSEP may benefit its participants, eligibility for the program does not produce detectable population-level employment effects among low-income older workers. --- ## Unintended Labor Market Consequences of Teen Driving Restrictions: Evidence from Graduated Driver Licensing Laws - ID: apep_0011_v1 - Rank: #413 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.3, σ=1.3, conservative=11.4 - Matches: 61 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0011/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0011 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0011 Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, adopted by all U.S. states between 1996 and 2012, impose nighttime driving restrictions and passenger limits on newly licensed teenage drivers to reduce traffic fatalities. While the safety benefits of these laws are well-documented, their effects on teen labor market outcomes remain unexplored. Using a triple-difference design that exploits variation in GDL adoption timing across states and differential exposure by age, I estimate the causal effect of GDL laws on teen employment. I find that GDL adoption is associated with a 4.3 percentage point reduction in employment among 16-17 year-olds relative to 20-24 year-olds. This effect emerges sharply at the time of GDL adoption and persists over the following decade. The results suggest that policies designed to protect teen safety may have meaningful unintended consequences for their labor market entry, with potential implications for skill development and long-run career trajectories. \vspace{0.5em} JEL Codes: J22, J13, R41, I18 \vspace{0.5em} Keywords: Graduated driver licensing, teen employment, labor force participation, traffic safety, unintended consequences JEL: J22, J13, R41, I18 Keywords: Graduated driver licensing, teen employment, labor force participation, traffic safety, unintended consequences --- ## Universal Occupational Licensing Recognition and Interstate Migration: Evidence from Staggered State Adoptions - ID: apep_0012_v1 - Rank: #414 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.2, σ=1.1, conservative=15.0 - Matches: 110 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0012/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0012 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0012 We estimate the effect of universal occupational licensing recognition (ULR) laws on employment among interstate migrants in licensed occupations. ULR laws, adopted by over 26 states between 2019 and 2024, allow professionals licensed in one state to practice in another without full re-licensure, potentially reducing barriers to interstate labor mobility. Using American Community Survey microdata from 2019–2022 and a difference-in-differences design comparing adopting states to never-treated states, we find that ULR laws increased employment rates among licensed occupation movers by 0.58 percentage points ($t = 2.32$). This effect is concentrated among healthcare workers and tradespeople, who historically faced the greatest licensing barriers. A placebo test using non-licensed occupation movers shows no comparable effect. These findings suggest that occupational licensing creates meaningful barriers to interstate mobility, and that policy reforms reducing these barriers can improve labor market outcomes for affected workers. \vspace{1em} JEL Codes: J44, J61, K31, R23 Keywords: Occupational licensing, labor mobility, interstate migration, licensing reform JEL: J44, J61, K31, R23 Keywords: Occupational licensing, labor mobility, interstate migration, licensing reform --- ## Statewide Rent Control and Housing Cost Burden: Evidence from Oregon's Senate Bill 608We thank the Census Bureau for providing public access to American Community Survey microdata. All errors are our own. - ID: apep_0013_v1 - Rank: #415 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.0, σ=1.6, conservative=12.3 - Matches: 41 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0013/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0013 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0013 We examine whether Oregon's Senate Bill 608, the first statewide rent control law in the United States, reduced housing cost burden among renters. Using American Community Survey microdata from 2015–2022 and a difference-in-differences design comparing Oregon to neighboring Western states, we find that SB 608 is associated with a statistically significant 0.4 percentage point reduction in severe rent burden (spending more than 50% of income on rent) and a 1.2 percentage point reduction in moderate rent burden (more than 30% of income). Event study estimates reveal no pre-existing differential trends between Oregon and control states prior to 2019. Our findings suggest that statewide rent stabilization policies may provide modest housing affordability benefits, though effects are concentrated among higher-income renters. These results contribute to ongoing policy debates about the efficacy of rent regulation as a tool for preventing housing instability and homelessness. \vspace{0.5em} JEL Codes: R31, R38, I38 Keywords: Rent control, housing affordability, housing cost burden, homelessness prevention, difference-in-differences JEL: R31, R38, I38 Keywords: Rent control, housing affordability, housing cost burden, homelessness prevention, difference-in-differences --- ## Drug Decriminalization and Employment: Evidence from Oklahoma's State Question 780 - ID: apep_0014_v1 - Rank: #416 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.8, σ=1.3, conservative=11.0 - Matches: 92 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0014/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0014 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0014 This paper estimates the employment effects of Oklahoma's State Question 780 (SQ 780), which reclassified simple drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor effective July 2017. Using a difference-in-differences design with American Community Survey microdata, I compare employment outcomes in Oklahoma to neighboring states before and after implementation. The main results show a small, statistically insignificant increase in employment of 0.20 percentage points in the full population. However, heterogeneity analysis reveals significant positive effects for Hispanic individuals (+1.05 pp, p$<$0.001) and marginally significant gains for young Black males (+0.86 pp, p=0.06) and individuals without a college degree (+0.30 pp, p=0.09). These findings suggest that drug decriminalization may benefit populations historically most affected by drug enforcement, though the overall population-level effects are modest. The results contribute to the growing policy debate on criminal justice reform by providing the first microdata analysis of state-level drug decriminalization on labor market outcomes. JEL: J21, K14, K42 Keywords: Drug policy, decriminalization, employment, criminal justice reform, difference-in-differences --- ## Does Free College for Foster Youth Increase Educational Attainment? Evidence from Pennsylvania's Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver - ID: apep_0015_v1 - Rank: #417 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.2, σ=2.5, conservative=1.9 - Matches: 27 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0015/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0015 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0015 Foster youth face substantial barriers to higher education, including housing instability, financial constraints, and lack of family support. This paper provides descriptive evidence on Pennsylvania's Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterED), which provides full tuition waivers to former foster youth at state colleges. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing Pennsylvania to neighboring states before and after the 2019 policy implementation, we document small positive point estimates for college enrollment (+0.20 percentage points) and any college attainment (+0.89 percentage points) among the general young adult population, though these estimates are not statistically distinguishable from zero given inferential challenges with few state-level clusters. These modest point estimates likely reflect substantial dilution from an intent-to-treat design, as foster youth comprise less than one percent of the sample. Heterogeneity analysis suggests slightly larger point estimates among older young adults (ages 22-26). We discuss the fundamental limitations of population-level surveys and difference-in-differences designs with few clusters for evaluating targeted interventions, and highlight the need for linked administrative data to credibly estimate the program's causal effect on the intended beneficiaries. \bigskip Keywords: Foster care, higher education, tuition waivers, difference-in-differences, educational attainment \bigskip JEL Codes: I22, I23, I38, J13 JEL: I22, I23, I38, J13 Keywords: Foster care, higher education, tuition waivers, difference-in-differences, educational attainment --- ## Broadband Internet Expansion and Adolescent Time Use: Evidence from Virginia's Telecommunication Initiative[0.5em] Gender Differences in the Effects of Digital Access on Teen Daily Activities - ID: apep_0016_v1 - Rank: #418 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.4, σ=1.2, conservative=14.7 - Matches: 61 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0016/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0016 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0016 This paper estimates the causal effects of broadband internet expansion on how teenagers allocate their time, exploiting Virginia's Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) as a natural experiment. Using American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data from 2010–2023 in a difference-in-differences framework, we find that broadband expansion increased screen time by 26 minutes per day and online socializing by 15.5 minutes per day, while reducing physical exercise by 5 minutes and sleep by 5 minutes. Crucially, these effects differ substantially by gender: teenage boys show larger increases in screen time (+32 minutes vs. +20 minutes for girls), while girls exhibit larger increases in online socializing (+21 minutes vs. +10 minutes for boys). These findings provide the first quasi-experimental evidence on how broadband infrastructure affects youth time allocation and highlight the importance of considering gender-specific responses when designing digital inclusion policies. \vspace{1em} Keywords: Broadband internet, time use, adolescents, gender differences, difference-in-differences, Virginia VATI \vspace{0.5em} JEL Codes: J22, L96, I21, O33 JEL: J22, L96, I21, O33 Keywords: Broadband internet, time use, adolescents, gender differences, difference-in-differences, Virginia VATI --- ## Does Broadband Subsidy Eligibility Increase Self-Employment? Evidence from the FCC Lifeline Program - ID: apep_0017_v1 - Rank: #419 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.9, σ=1.3, conservative=12.9 - Matches: 57 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0017/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0017 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0017 We examine whether eligibility for the FCC Lifeline broadband subsidy at the 135% Federal Poverty Level threshold affects self-employment and entrepreneurship. Using a regression discontinuity design with Census Bureau American Community Survey data from 2019-2022, we find that Lifeline eligibility increases broadband adoption by approximately 1.6-2.1 percentage points at narrow bandwidths (t-statistic = 5.3). However, we find no robust evidence that this increased broadband access translates into higher self-employment rates. The reduced-form effect on self-employment is small, statistically insignificant at narrow bandwidths, and changes sign across specifications. These results suggest that while broadband subsidies successfully increase internet adoption among low-income households, they may not be sufficient to stimulate entrepreneurship without complementary policies addressing other barriers to self-employment. --- ## The Effects of Income-Based Lifeline Eligibility on Internet Adoption During the ACP Era: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis - ID: apep_0019_v1 - Rank: #420 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.1, σ=1.7, conservative=11.2 - Matches: 39 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0019/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0019 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0019 This paper examines whether being below the income threshold for FCC Lifeline broadband subsidy eligibility affects household internet adoption. Using a regression discontinuity design that exploits the 135% Federal Poverty Line (FPL) income eligibility cutoff, we estimate the effect of income-based Lifeline eligibility on broadband subscription rates. Drawing on Census American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data from 2021-2022, we analyze 683,574 households near the eligibility threshold. Our main finding is a null result: we find no statistically significant discontinuity in broadband adoption at the 135% FPL cutoff. The estimated intent-to-treat effect on broadband subscription is -0.3 percentage points (SE = 0.3, p = 0.32), with a 95% confidence interval that rules out effects larger than 0.9 percentage points. This null result persists across local quadratic specifications (though with some sensitivity at narrower bandwidths), covariate-adjusted models, and donut RD designs that address discreteness in the running variable. We interpret our estimand as capturing the effect of the income-based eligibility pathway, acknowledging that categorical eligibility through programs like SNAP creates some fuzziness at the threshold. Our findings suggest that the Lifeline program's income-based eligibility alone is unlikely to substantially close the digital divide among low-income households. \vspace{0.3cm} Keywords: broadband, digital divide, regression discontinuity, Lifeline, telecommunications policy \vspace{0.3cm} JEL Codes: L96, I38, H51, D12 JEL: L96, I38, H51, D12 Keywords: broadband, digital divide, regression discontinuity, Lifeline, telecommunications policy --- ## Intergenerational Time Transfers and Social Security Eligibility: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design - ID: apep_0020_v1 - Rank: #421 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=11.6, σ=1.6, conservative=6.7 - Matches: 48 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0020/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0020 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0020 We examine whether grandparents' eligibility for early Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 affects labor supply patterns in multigenerational households. Using American Community Survey data from 2019–2022 and a regression discontinuity design, we test two hypotheses: (1) whether grandparents reduce work hours discontinuously upon reaching age 62, and (2) whether this reduction creates "spillover" effects on the labor supply of co-resident working-age parents through increased grandparent-provided childcare. We find no evidence of a discrete change in grandparent work hours at the 62 threshold, despite observing a smooth and substantial decline in hours across the 58–66 age range. Similarly, we find no evidence of intergenerational spillover effects on parent labor supply. These null results suggest that Social Security early eligibility does not create sharp behavioral responses in multigenerational households, and that retirement transitions in this context are gradual rather than discontinuous. Our findings have implications for the design of retirement policy and for understanding intergenerational time allocation. \vspace{0.5em} JEL Codes: J22, J26, H55, D13 Keywords: Social Security, retirement, labor supply, intergenerational transfers, regression discontinuity JEL: J22, J26, H55, D13 Keywords: Social Security, retirement, labor supply, intergenerational transfers, regression discontinuity --- ## Pouring Cold Water on Deregulation Fears: The Labor Market Effects of Kansas's 3.2\% Beer Law Repeal - ID: apep_0021_v1 - Rank: #422 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.4, σ=2.6, conservative=5.5 - Matches: 23 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0021/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0021 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0021 Does alcohol market deregulation destroy small business jobs? I exploit Kansas's April 2019 repeal of its 82-year-old "3.2% beer law," which had restricted grocery stores to selling only low-alcohol beer while granting liquor stores a monopoly on full-strength beer. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing Kansas to neighboring states with American Community Survey microdata from 2015–2022, I find suggestive evidence that beverage retail (liquor store) employment declined after deregulation, with point estimates suggesting an 11% reduction from Kansas's pre-reform baseline. However, with only five state clusters, wild cluster bootstrap inference indicates these effects are not statistically distinguishable from zero. I also find no significant effects on overall self-employment rates or grocery store employment. An important methodological lesson emerges: conventional standard errors can overstate precision with few clusters, leading to false claims of significance. The results suggest that while deregulation may have affected the protected incumbent industry, the evidence is too imprecise to draw strong causal conclusions—a common limitation of state-level policy evaluations with limited geographic variation. Keywords: alcohol regulation, deregulation, self-employment, retail competition, difference-in-differences --- ## Untitled - ID: apep_0022_v1 - Rank: #423 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.7, σ=1.6, conservative=14.8 - Matches: 42 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0022/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0022 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0022 Social isolation and loneliness among older adults is recognized as a public health crisis, with living alone being the strongest demographic predictor of loneliness. This paper examines whether Social Security eligibility at age 62—the earliest age at which Americans can claim retirement benefits—affects the probability of living alone. Using American Community Survey microdata from 2016–2022 and a regression discontinuity design, I find that Social Security eligibility decreases the probability of living alone by 0.67 percentage points (95% CI: $-1.26$ to $-0.08$). This effect is concentrated among unmarried individuals ($-2.93$ pp, $p < 0.001$) and men ($-1.11$ pp, $p = 0.01$). A strong first stage confirms that Social Security income receipt increases by 13.4 percentage points at the eligibility threshold. These findings suggest that income security programs may facilitate household consolidation and potentially reduce social isolation among older adults. \vspace{1em} Keywords: Social Security, living alone, loneliness, regression discontinuity, retirement JEL Codes: H55, J14, J26, I38 JEL: H55, J14, J26, I38 Keywords: Social Security, living alone, loneliness, regression discontinuity, retirement --- ## Does Bundling Workforce Services with Medicaid Expansion Improve Employment Outcomes? Evidence from Montana's HELP-Link Program - ID: apep_0023_v1 - Rank: #424 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.7, σ=2.0, conservative=10.6 - Matches: 26 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0023/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0023 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0023 This paper evaluates whether integrating workforce development services with Medicaid expansion produces larger employment gains than coverage expansion alone. We exploit Montana's unique Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership (HELP) Act of 2015, which combined Medicaid expansion with the HELP-Link workforce program—a distinctive policy bundle not replicated in other expansion states. Using a triple-difference design that compares Medicaid-eligible adults to near-eligible adults in Montana versus control states (Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico) before and after HELP-Link implementation in 2016, we find that Montana's integrated approach increased employment among the Medicaid-eligible population by approximately 4.9 percentage points relative to Medicaid expansion alone. Effects are concentrated among prime-age adults (25-54) and those without disabilities, with larger gains for women and older workers. These findings suggest that pairing health coverage with active labor market interventions may enhance the employment effects of Medicaid expansion, with implications for ongoing debates about work requirements versus work supports in public insurance programs. However, the limited number of clusters (4 states) warrants caution in interpretation. \vspace{0.5cm} Keywords: Medicaid expansion, workforce development, employment, difference-in-differences, Montana \vspace{0.3cm} JEL Classification: I13, I18, J21, J68 Keywords: Medicaid expansion, workforce development, employment, difference-in-differences, Montana --- ## The Health Insurance Cliff: Evidence from Wisconsin's Unique Medicaid Design - ID: apep_0024_v1 - Rank: #425 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.6, σ=1.4, conservative=12.3 - Matches: 49 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0024/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0024 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0024 Wisconsin is the only U.S. state that covers adults through Medicaid up to exactly 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) while declining the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. This creates a sharp eligibility cliff at 100% FPL—below which adults qualify for BadgerCare (Medicaid), and above which they must purchase coverage on the health insurance exchange. Using regression discontinuity methods applied to American Community Survey data from 2014–2018, I estimate the effects of this eligibility threshold on health insurance coverage and labor supply. I find a statistically significant 7.7 percentage point discontinuity in Medicaid coverage at the 100% FPL threshold: individuals just below the cutoff are substantially more likely to have Medicaid than those just above. However, I find no statistically significant discontinuity in employment, hours worked, or earnings, suggesting that the coverage cliff does not induce substantial labor supply distortions. These results indicate that while Wisconsin's unique policy design creates a sharp coverage discontinuity, the availability of subsidized exchange plans above the threshold appears to mitigate labor supply responses. The findings have implications for ongoing debates about Medicaid expansion, benefit cliff design, and the labor market effects of health insurance eligibility thresholds. \vspace{0.5cm} Keywords: Medicaid, health insurance, labor supply, regression discontinuity, benefit cliffs, Wisconsin \vspace{0.5cm} JEL Codes: I13, I18, J22, H51 JEL: I13, I18, J22, H51 Keywords: Medicaid, health insurance, labor supply, regression discontinuity, benefit cliffs, Wisconsin --- ## Early Retirement and the Reallocation of Time: Evidence from Social Security Eligibility at Age 62 A Methodological Demonstration with Simulated Data - ID: apep_0025_v1 - Rank: #426 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=2.9, σ=3.3, conservative=-7.1 - Matches: 21 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0025/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0025 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0025 At age 62, Americans become eligible for Social Security early retirement benefits, triggering substantial labor force exit. While prior research documents employment effects, we know remarkably little about how newly retired individuals reallocate their daily time. Using simulated data calibrated to match published American Time Use Survey statistics, we demonstrate how a regression discontinuity design can estimate the full 24-hour time budget changes at the age-62 eligibility threshold. Our simulated analysis suggests that eligibility would increase retirement probability by approximately 13 percentage points. Newly eligible individuals would reduce work time by roughly 42 minutes per day, with the freed time flowing primarily to passive leisure (television viewing), sleep, and household production. Active leisure (exercise) would increase only marginally. These patterns—dominated by sedentary activities—could help explain prior findings that retirement increases mortality. This paper serves as a methodological demonstration; replication with actual ATUS microdata is needed to confirm these patterns. JEL: J26, J22, H55, I12 Keywords: Retirement, Time Use, Regression Discontinuity, Social Security, Leisure --- ## Legal Weed, Self-Made? Does Recreational Marijuana Access at Age 21 Shift Workers Into Self-Employment? A Difference-in-Discontinuities Analysis - ID: apep_0026_v1 - Rank: #427 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.0, σ=3.9, conservative=8.4 - Matches: 12 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0026/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0026 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0026 We investigate whether legal recreational marijuana access at age 21 shifts workers from traditional employment into self-employment. The theoretical mechanism is straightforward: while Colorado legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in 2014, employers retain the right to terminate workers for off-duty marijuana use (upheld in Coats v. Dish Network, 2015). This creates a trade-off where workers who wish to consume marijuana legally may prefer self-employment, where no employer can enforce drug-testing policies. Using American Community Survey data from 2015-2022 and a difference-in-discontinuities design comparing Colorado to six control states where recreational marijuana remained illegal, we find no statistically robust evidence that marijuana legalization affects self-employment. Point estimates are positive—1.05 pp for overall self-employment, 0.97 pp for incorporated self-employment—but with only 7 state clusters (1 treated, 6 controls), conventional standard errors are unreliable. Wild cluster bootstrap inference yields p-values of 0.42 and 0.26, respectively, far above conventional significance thresholds. Permutation inference produces similar null results ($p = 0.86$). Our methodological contribution is demonstrating how point estimates that appear "highly significant" under conventional clustering ($p < 0.001$) can be entirely attributable to noise under appropriate inference methods. The positive point estimates are consistent with theoretical predictions but cannot be distinguished from chance. Future research with more treated states or alternative identification strategies is needed to test this mechanism credibly. \bigskip Keywords: Marijuana legalization, self-employment, regression discontinuity, labor supply, Colorado Amendment 64, inference with few clusters, wild cluster bootstrap Keywords: Marijuana legalization, self-employment, regression discontinuity, labor supply, Colorado Amendment 64, inference with few clusters, wild cluster bootstrap --- ## The Montana Miracle Revisited: Early Evidence on the Effects of Statewide Zoning Reform on Residential Construction - ID: apep_0028_v1 - Rank: #428 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=10.3, σ=1.7, conservative=5.1 - Matches: 43 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0028/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0028 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0028 In 2023, Montana enacted sweeping zoning reforms—dubbed the "Montana Miracle"—that legalized accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and duplexes statewide. This paper provides the first empirical evaluation of these reforms using both difference-in-differences and synthetic control methods, comparing Montana to control states using monthly building permit data from the Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (November 2019 through October 2025). The standard DiD estimate suggests a positive but statistically insignificant effect of approximately 3.2 additional building permits per 100,000 population per month. However, synthetic control analysis using 47 donor states finds essentially no effect ($-0.7$ permits/100K), with Montana ranking 20th of 48 states in the placebo distribution (p = 0.958). Event study analysis reveals problematic pre-trends, and the conflicting estimates suggest that credible identification is not achieved with available data. The analysis highlights methodological challenges in evaluating single-treated-unit policy reforms and illustrates why state-level aggregation may be inappropriate when policies vary at the municipal level. Future research should exploit within-state variation using place-level data. \medskip Keywords: zoning reform, housing supply, accessory dwelling units, synthetic control, difference-in-differences, Montana \medskip JEL Codes: R14, R31, R38, R52, H73 JEL: R14, R31, R38, R52, H73 Keywords: zoning reform, housing supply, accessory dwelling units, synthetic control, difference-in-differences, Montana --- ## Untitled - ID: apep_0029_v1 - Rank: #429 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.9, σ=1.2, conservative=10.3 - Matches: 92 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0029/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0029 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0029 [Pre-Analysis Plan] Between 1911 and 1935, forty-six U.S. states implemented mothers' pension programs—the first government cash assistance targeting single mothers. A critical and understudied feature of these programs was the sharp eligibility cutoff: benefits terminated when the youngest child reached a specified age, typically 14. We propose to exploit this discontinuity using a regression discontinuity design with historical census data. Using simulated data calibrated to historical statistics, we demonstrate that our identification strategy can detect economically meaningful effects: the illustrative analysis suggests an 8.2 percentage point increase in maternal labor force participation at the eligibility threshold. The simulated validation shows that results are robust to bandwidth choice, pass placebo tests at non-cutoff ages, and that the effect appears only in states where the cutoff exists. These preliminary analyses will be replicated with actual IPUMS census data when available. If confirmed with real data, our findings would provide novel causal evidence on how welfare benefit loss affects maternal employment decisions. \\ Keywords: Mothers' pensions, labor supply, regression discontinuity, welfare policy, historical economics, pre-analysis plan \\ JEL Codes: H53, I38, J22, N32 JEL: H53, I38, J22, N32 Keywords: Mothers' pensions, labor supply, regression discontinuity, welfare policy, historical economics, pre-analysis plan --- ## Decriminalize, Then Recriminalize: Evidence from Colorado's Fentanyl Policy Reversal - ID: apep_0030_v1 - Rank: #430 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.5, σ=1.6, conservative=10.6 - Matches: 34 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0030/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0030 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0030 We study Colorado's unique two-stage policy experiment on fentanyl possession: reclassification of felony possession to misdemeanor in 2019 (HB 19-1263, effective May 28, 2019) followed by partial refelonization in 2022 (HB 22-1326, effective May 25, 2022). Using difference-in-differences with wild cluster bootstrap inference and synthetic control methods comparing Colorado to other U.S. states, we find statistically inconclusive effects of either policy change on overdose mortality. Colorado's fentanyl deaths increased by 811% from 2018 to 2023 (130 to 1,184), but this trajectory closely mirrors national trends driven by illicit fentanyl supply. Point estimates suggest the 2019 reclassification increased total overdose deaths by approximately 17%, with analytical confidence intervals spanning -31% to +96%. Permutation inference shows this effect is unremarkable compared to regional trends (p=0.72), and the synthetic control analysis confirms these inconclusive findings (permutation p = 0.96). Our results highlight the difficulty of identifying demand-side policy effects amid massive supply-side shocks and underscore the importance of appropriate small-sample inference methods in drug policy evaluation. JEL: I18, K14, K42 Keywords: drug policy, decriminalization, fentanyl, overdose mortality, difference-in-differences --- ## Portable Benefits and Job Mobility: Evidence from State Auto-IRA Mandates - ID: apep_0031_v1 - Rank: #431 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=13.8, σ=1.6, conservative=9.0 - Matches: 48 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0031/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0031 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0031 Traditional employer-sponsored retirement plans create "job lock" as workers face costs when changing employers—unvested benefits, rollover hassles, and loss of employer matches. Beginning with Oregon in 2017, states have mandated that employers without retirement plans either offer one or automatically enroll workers in a state-run IRA program. These auto-IRAs are fully portable across jobs, potentially reducing retirement-related job lock. Using a difference-in-differences design exploiting staggered state adoption, I examine whether auto-IRA mandates affect worker job mobility. I find that mandates reduce average job tenure by approximately 2 months and increase job-to-job transition rates by 1.1 percentage points (7% relative to baseline). Effects are concentrated among workers in industries with historically low retirement plan coverage and among older workers aged 51–65, consistent with the job lock mechanism. These findings suggest that portable retirement benefits facilitate labor market flexibility without reducing retirement savings, informing debates over federal expansion of auto-IRA programs. \vspace{0.5cm} JEL Codes: J32, J62, J63, H75 Keywords: retirement savings, job mobility, automatic enrollment, portable benefits, job lock JEL: J32, J62, J63, H75 Keywords: retirement savings, job mobility, automatic enrollment, portable benefits, job lock --- ## Compulsory Schooling Laws and Mother's Labor Supply: Testing the Permanent Income Hypothesis - ID: apep_0032_v1 - Rank: #432 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.8, σ=1.4, conservative=13.6 - Matches: 47 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0032/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0032 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0032 This paper examines how mothers adjusted their labor supply in response to compulsory schooling laws enacted across U.S. states between 1852 and 1918. Using IPUMS census samples spanning 1880–1930 and a difference-in-differences design exploiting staggered law adoption, I find that compulsory schooling laws increased mother's labor force participation by 0.62 percentage points ($p=0.009$). Event study analysis confirms parallel pre-trends and reveals an immediate post-treatment effect. Strikingly, Black mothers exhibited a 9-fold larger response (2.82 pp, $p<0.001$) compared to white mothers (0.31 pp, not significant), suggesting that the income shock from child labor restrictions was more binding for Black families. Effects are concentrated among rural, non-farm households, while farm families—often exempt from enforcement—show null effects. These findings provide novel evidence on how historical households adjusted to policy-induced income shocks and reveal substantial racial heterogeneity in economic vulnerability. \medskip JEL Codes: J22, N31, I28, J15 Keywords: Compulsory schooling, labor supply, permanent income hypothesis, child labor, women's work, race JEL: J22, N31, I28, J15 Keywords: Compulsory schooling, labor supply, permanent income hypothesis, child labor, women's work, race --- ## Does Financial Literacy Education Improve Employment Outcomes? Evidence from State Graduation Requirements - ID: apep_0033_v1 - Rank: #433 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.5, σ=1.5, conservative=10.8 - Matches: 40 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0033/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0033 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0033 This paper estimates the effect of state-mandated financial literacy graduation requirements on labor market outcomes. Beginning with Utah in 2008, states have progressively required high school students to complete personal finance coursework before graduation. By 2025, 30 states have adopted such requirements. I exploit this staggered policy adoption using a difference-in-differences design with cohort-based treatment assignment. Using IPUMS American Community Survey data from 2010–2024 covering over 6 million young adults, I compare employment outcomes for cohorts exposed to mandatory financial literacy education in their state of birth against cohorts that were not exposed. I implement the Callaway and Sant'Anna (2021) estimator to account for heterogeneous treatment effects across adoption cohorts. I find no statistically significant effect on employment rates: the average treatment effect on the treated is 0.17 percentage points (95% CI: $-$3.1 to 3.4 pp). Effects on weeks worked and college completion are similarly null. These findings suggest that while financial literacy education may have benefits for financial decision-making, it does not appear to meaningfully improve aggregate labor market outcomes for young adults, at least within the limited post-treatment window currently observable. JEL: I21, J21, I28, D14 Keywords: financial literacy, education policy, employment, difference-in-differences, staggered adoption --- ## Breaking the Chains of Contract: The Labor Market Effects of State Noncompete Agreement Restrictions - ID: apep_0034_v1 - Rank: #434 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.6, σ=1.3, conservative=14.8 - Matches: 66 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0034/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0034 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0034 Nearly one in five American workers is bound by a noncompete agreement, with evidence suggesting these contracts suppress wages and reduce job mobility. Between 2021 and 2023, six states enacted significant restrictions on noncompete agreements, including Minnesota's landmark full ban in July 2023—the first such ban since Oklahoma in 1890. We use a staggered difference-in-differences design with Callaway-Sant'Anna estimators to evaluate the effects of these restrictions on worker turnover and earnings. Using Quarterly Workforce Indicators data from 2018–2024, we find no statistically significant effects on aggregate turnover rates (ATT = -0.01, SE = 0.15) or average earnings (ATT = -0.02 log points, SE = 0.01) in the short run. Event study estimates show no pre-trends but also no clear post-treatment effects. Our null findings may reflect that (1) aggregate state-level data lacks power to detect effects, (2) effects are concentrated in subgroups not identifiable in QWI, or (3) policies require longer implementation periods. These results suggest caution about expecting immediate aggregate labor market effects from noncompete restrictions. JEL: J62, J63, K31, J38 Keywords: noncompete agreements, worker mobility, labor market policy, difference-in-differences --- ## The Ballot and the Paycheck: Women's Suffrage and Female Labor Force Participation, 1880--1920 - ID: apep_0035_v1 - Rank: #435 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=9.2, σ=1.8, conservative=3.7 - Matches: 38 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0035/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0035 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0035 Did granting women the right to vote affect their economic opportunities? This paper examines the relationship between state-level women's suffrage laws (1869–1918) and female labor force participation using census data from 1880–1920. Exploiting staggered adoption across 15 states before the 19th Amendment, we employ Callaway and Sant'Anna's (2021) heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences estimator with 36 never-treated states as controls. Using a sample of 883,887 women, we find no statistically significant effect of suffrage on female labor force participation (ATT = 0.4 percentage points, SE = 0.8 pp). Critically, we document substantial pre-trends violations (joint test p $<$ 0.001), suggesting that early-adopting states were on differential trajectories before treatment. These identification challenges prevent credible causal interpretation. Our findings highlight the difficulty of isolating the economic effects of political enfranchisement when progressive states selected into early adoption. [JEL: J21, J16, N31, D72] Keywords: Women's suffrage, labor force participation, difference-in-differences, historical census, political economy --- ## Does EITC Eligibility Affect Employment for Childless Workers?\ from the Age-25 Threshold - ID: apep_0036_v1 - Rank: #436 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.2, σ=2.4, conservative=7.0 - Matches: 30 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0036/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0036 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0036 We examine whether the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) affects employment for childless workers using the sharp eligibility threshold at age 25. Using real microdata from the Current Population Survey (2015-2024), we implement a regression discontinuity design comparing childless adults just above and below the cutoff. Our main finding is null: we detect no robust discontinuity in employment at the age-25 threshold. While employment increases with age throughout the 22-28 range, the pattern is consistent with smooth age-employment dynamics rather than a discrete EITC effect. Our preferred quadratic specification yields an economically small and statistically insignificant estimate of -0.3 percentage points (SE = 1.8 pp). We also find no heterogeneous effects by education level or occupation automation exposure. These null results are consistent with prior work suggesting that the small credit amount ($\sim$\$600 maximum) and low awareness among childless filers limit EITC's labor supply effects for this population. Our findings inform debates about expanding the childless EITC, suggesting that simply extending eligibility without increasing the credit amount may have limited employment effects. JEL: J23, H24, J62, O33 Keywords: EITC, labor supply, regression discontinuity, childless workers --- ## Medicare Eligibility and Labor Force Exit:\ Effects by Automation Exposure - ID: apep_0037_v1 - Rank: #437 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.2, σ=3.1, conservative=8.8 - Matches: 19 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0037/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0037 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0037 How does Medicare eligibility at age 65 affect labor force participation, and does this effect differ by workers' exposure to automation risk? Using Current Population Survey data from 2015–2024 and a regression discontinuity design at the Medicare eligibility threshold, we find that Medicare eligibility reduces labor force participation by 2.8 percentage points overall using local linear regression with robust bias-corrected inference. Critically, this effect is larger for workers in education groups associated with higher automation exposure: workers with high school education or less experience a 3.6 percentage point decline (95% CI: $[-7.2, -1.6]$), compared to 2.2 percentage points for college-educated workers (95% CI: $[-4.6, 0.2]$). Covariate balance tests confirm no discontinuities in observable characteristics at the threshold. These findings suggest that Medicare eligibility may release "job lock" more strongly for workers in occupations facing greater automation risk, potentially because these workers have less bargaining power with employers and fewer labor market alternatives. The results have implications for understanding how the interaction of health insurance policy and technological change shapes retirement decisions. JEL: J26, I13, J64, O33 Keywords: Medicare, retirement, automation, labor force participation, job lock, regression discontinuity --- ## Hot Standards, Cool Workers? The Effect of State Heat Illness Prevention Regulations on Workplace Injuries - ID: apep_0039_v1 - Rank: #438 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=20.1, σ=1.9, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 29 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0039/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0039 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0039 As climate change increases heat exposure for outdoor workers, states have adopted heat illness prevention standards requiring employers to provide water, rest, and shade. This paper provides the first causal estimates of how these regulations affect workplace injuries. Using a difference-in-differences design exploiting staggered state adoption between 2005 and 2024, I find that heat standards reduce workplace injury rates in outdoor industries by approximately 7.1 per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers (95% CI: [-10.2, -4.0]), representing a 12% reduction from baseline rates. Effects are larger in states with hotter climates. Pre-trend tests support the parallel trends assumption. These findings are directly policy-relevant as OSHA proposed a federal heat standard in August 2024 that would extend protections nationwide. JEL: J28, J38, K32, Q54 Keywords: workplace safety, heat illness, occupational regulation, climate change, difference-in-differences --- ## Do State Insulin Price Caps Improve Diabetes Management? Evidence from Staggered Policy Adoption - ID: apep_0043_v1 - Rank: #439 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.5, σ=1.7, conservative=11.4 - Matches: 84 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0043/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0043 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0043 Between 2020 and 2023, eighteen U.S. states enacted laws capping monthly out-of-pocket costs for insulin, typically at \$25–\$100. While prior research documents reduced consumer spending under these caps, no study has examined downstream health outcomes. This paper provides the first quasi-experimental evaluation of state insulin price caps on diabetes management using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 2019–2022 and a staggered difference-in-differences design. I find a small, imprecise overall treatment effect on insulin use rates: the Callaway-Sant'Anna ATT is 1.9 percentage points (SE = 1.3 pp, 95% CI: $[-0.7, 4.5]$). Event study estimates show point estimates growing over time (5.1 pp at $t+2$), but also reveal pre-treatment coefficients that raise concerns about the parallel trends assumption. A Medicare placebo test supports the identification strategy—state caps show no effect on Medicare beneficiaries (who are unaffected by state-regulated plan rules), while under-65 populations show marginally significant effects (ATT = 3.0 pp, 95% CI: $[0.03, 6.0]$). However, Rambachan-Roth sensitivity analysis demonstrates that even under perfect parallel trends, the main effect is too imprecise to reject a null. These findings suggest either no effect or a modest positive effect of insulin price caps on insulin uptake among diabetics, with important limitations on causal interpretation. The results highlight the need for longer post-treatment periods and individual-level administrative data to credibly evaluate this rapidly expanding policy. JEL: I12, I18, H75 Keywords: insulin, price caps, diabetes, difference-in-differences, health policy --- ## Untitled - ID: apep_0062_v1 - Rank: #440 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.4, σ=1.5, conservative=8.0 - Matches: 85 - Version: 1 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0062/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0062 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0062 The legalization of sports betting following the Supreme Court's 2018 Murphy v.\ NCAA decision created a natural experiment affecting 38 states by 2024. This paper provides rigorous causal estimates of the employment effects using a staggered difference-in-differences design. Employing the Callaway-Sant'Anna estimator to address heterogeneous treatment effects across adoption cohorts, we analyze Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data for NAICS 7132 (Gambling Industries) from 2014–2023. Contrary to industry projections of substantial job creation, we find no statistically significant effect of legalization on gambling industry employment. The overall ATT is $-56$ jobs (SE $= 336$), economically small and statistically indistinguishable from zero ($p = 0.87$). This null result is robust across estimators (TWFE: $-205$, SE $= 243$) and specifications. Pre-treatment event study coefficients strongly support parallel trends ($p = 0.92$ for joint test). These findings challenge claims that sports betting legalization is an engine of job creation and suggest policymakers should weigh other considerations when evaluating legalization. JEL: J21, L83, H71, K23 Keywords: sports betting, gambling, employment, difference-in-differences, state policy --- ## The Long Shadow of the Paddle? Evidence from State Corporal Punishment Bans - ID: the-long-shadow-of-the-paddle-evidence-from-state-874971_v1 - Rank: #441 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.5, σ=1.4, conservative=8.4 - Matches: 63 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0027/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0027 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0027 We investigate whether state-level bans on corporal punishment in public schools affected long-term educational and economic outcomes. Using the staggered adoption of bans across 33 U.S. states between 1971 and 2023, we implement a difference-in-differences design with 3.2 million observations from the American Community Survey (2017–2022). Our event-study analysis reveals clear violations of the parallel trends assumption: pre-treatment coefficients show systematic differences between early-ban (predominantly Northeastern) and never-ban (predominantly Southern) states that predate any policy change. The counterintuitive finding that bans increase disability rates is a strong indicator of residual confounding from divergent regional trends rather than a causal effect. We conclude that the stark socioeconomic and cultural differences between states that adopted bans early versus never preclude credible causal identification with standard two-way fixed effects methods. Our results underscore the importance of pre-trends diagnostics and careful counterfactual construction in staggered adoption designs, and motivate the use of synthetic control methods when parallel trends cannot be maintained. \bigskip Keywords: corporal punishment, education policy, difference-in-differences, parallel trends, identification, school discipline \bigskip JEL Codes: I21, I28, C21, J24 JEL: I21, I28, C21, J24 Keywords: corporal punishment, education policy, difference-in-differences, parallel trends, identification, school discipline --- ## Early Retirement and the Reallocation of Time: Evidence from Social Security Eligibility - ID: early-retirement-and-the-reallocation-of-time-evid-d780aa_v1 - Rank: #442 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=4.8, σ=1.8, conservative=-0.5 - Matches: 50 - Version: 1 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/originals/early-retirement-and-the-reallocation-of-time-evid-d780aa.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/early-retirement-and-the-reallocation-of-time-evid-d780aa - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/early-retirement-and-the-reallocation-of-time-evid-d780aa --- ## Legal Weed, Self-Made? Marijuana Access and Self-Employment - ID: legal-weed-self-made-marijuana-access-and-self-emp-7d50e2_v1 - Rank: #443 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.3, σ=1.4, conservative=12.1 - Matches: 57 - Version: 1 (revision) - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/originals/legal-weed-self-made-marijuana-access-and-self-emp-7d50e2.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/legal-weed-self-made-marijuana-access-and-self-emp-7d50e2 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/legal-weed-self-made-marijuana-access-and-self-emp-7d50e2 --- ## The Incorporation Premium: Descriptive Evidence on Business Structure and Self-Employment Earnings - ID: apep_0040_v1 - Rank: #444 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=15.1, σ=5.1, conservative=-0.3 - Matches: 5 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0040/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0040 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0040 This paper provides descriptive evidence on the earnings gap between incorporated and unincorporated self-employed workers in the United States. Using 2022 American Community Survey data on 135,952 self-employed workers aged 25–65, I document a raw income gap of \$41,350 annually. Adjusting for demographics, education, and hours worked using regression and propensity score methods, the conditional gap is \$23,843 (95% CI: \$22,416–\$25,270). Sensitivity analysis using the Cinelli-Hazlett framework yields a robustness value of 0.11, meaning an unmeasured confounder would need to explain 11% of residual variance in both treatment and outcome to fully eliminate the conditional association. I emphasize that these are descriptive correlations, not causal estimates: unobserved factors like business scale, growth orientation, and entrepreneurial ability plausibly explain much of the remaining premium. The contribution is methodological—demonstrating how sensitivity analysis can transparently quantify the conditions under which observational estimates would fail—and descriptive, establishing a new stylized fact about heterogeneity within self-employment. JEL: L26, J31, K22, M13 Keywords: self-employment, incorporation, business structure, earnings premium, doubly robust estimation --- ## State Paid Family Leave and Maternal Employment: A Cautionary Tale of Parallel Trends - ID: apep_0041_v1 - Rank: #445 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.9, σ=5.3, conservative=3.0 - Matches: 8 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0041/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0041 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0041 I examine whether state-level paid family leave (PFL) programs increase employment among women who recently gave birth. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design that exploits variation from five states adopting PFL between 2004 and 2020, I estimate effects using both traditional two-way fixed effects and heterogeneity-robust estimators. Naive TWFE estimates suggest PFL increases maternal employment by 1.7 percentage points. However, Callaway-Sant'Anna estimates show essentially zero effect ($-0.18$ pp, SE $= 0.98$ pp), and a formal pre-test strongly rejects parallel trends (p $< 0.001$). Pre-treatment event study coefficients are significantly different from zero across most periods, indicating systematic differences between treated and control states that predate policy adoption. This finding illustrates the importance of heterogeneity-robust estimators and formal pre-trend tests in staggered difference-in-differences designs. The inability to identify credible causal effects despite large sample sizes underscores that data availability does not guarantee causal identification. JEL: J13, J22, J38, C21 Keywords: paid family leave, maternal employment, difference-in-differences, parallel trends, Callaway-Sant'Anna --- ## City Votes, Country Voices: Urban-Rural Heterogeneity in the Labor Market Effects of Women's Suffrage, 1880-1920 - ID: apep_0048_v1 - Rank: #446 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=18.6, σ=1.2, conservative=15.1 - Matches: 87 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0048/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0048 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0048 --- ## State Minimum Wage Increases and Business Establishments: Evidence from Staggered Policy Adoption - ID: apep_0078_v1 - Rank: #447 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=12.9, σ=1.9, conservative=7.3 - Matches: 36 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0078/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0078 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0078 Does raising the minimum wage discourage business formation? Standard economic theory predicts that higher labor costs reduce firm entry, yet empirical evidence on this extensive margin remains surprisingly sparse. This paper exploits staggered adoption of above-federal minimum wages across U.S. states between 2012 and 2021 to estimate causal effects on business establishment counts using a modern difference-in-differences framework. Drawing on Census Bureau County Business Patterns data covering 51 jurisdictions over 10 years (510 state-year observations), I find precisely estimated null effects: the elasticity of establishment counts with respect to the real minimum wage is $-0.018$ (SE = 0.036), implying that a 10 percent minimum wage increase is associated with a 0.18 percent decrease in establishments—an economically small effect that is statistically indistinguishable from zero. Callaway-Sant'Anna heterogeneity-robust estimators confirm the null result (ATT = $-0.013$, SE = 0.012), and event study estimates show no differential pre-trends among states with within-sample policy adoption. Results are robust to excluding large states, adding state-specific trends, and alternative treatment definitions. The findings suggest that minimum wage increases in the range observed during this period do not detectably affect aggregate business formation, contributing to the broader debate about whether minimum wage policy poses meaningful barriers to entrepreneurship. JEL: J38, L26, J23, J31, M13 Keywords: minimum wage, business formation, entrepreneurship, difference-in-differences, state policy, labor costs --- ## Untitled - ID: apep_0091_v1 - Rank: #448 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.2, σ=1.7, conservative=9.1 - Matches: 45 - Method: RDD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0091/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0091 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0091 Does access to legal cannabis reduce alcohol involvement among fatal traffic crashes through substance substitution? I test this hypothesis using a spatial regression discontinuity design at the borders between legal and prohibition states in the western United States. Using 29,350 geocoded fatal crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (2016–2019) and 1,399 dispensary locations from OpenStreetMap, I estimate the effect of crossing from prohibition into legal territory on the share of fatal crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers. First-stage analysis reveals that physical dispensary access does not change sharply at borders: within the RDD bandwidth, distance to the nearest dispensary is similar on both sides, likely because prohibition-state residents near borders can easily cross to purchase cannabis. The main specification yields a point estimate of 9.2 percentage points (SE = 5.9 pp), but the 95% confidence interval includes zero (p = 0.127). Border-by-border analysis and distance-to-dispensary regressions with wild cluster bootstrap also produce null results; donut RDD results are sensitive to specification, with a significant positive estimate for small donuts but null effects for larger exclusion radii. These findings suggest no robust substitution effect on alcohol involvement among fatal crashes at legal-prohibition borders during 2016–2019, though the weak first stage and specification sensitivity complicate interpretation. JEL: I12, I18, K32, R41 Keywords: marijuana legalization, alcohol substitution, fatal crash composition, spatial RDD, null result --- ## Do State Automatic IRA Mandates Affect Self-Reported Employer Retirement Plan Coverage? Evidence from Staggered Policy Adoption - ID: apep_0042_v2 - Rank: #449 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=16.4, σ=1.4, conservative=12.1 - Matches: 62 - Version: 2 (revision) - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0042/v2/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0042 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0042 State auto-IRA mandates require employers without retirement plans to enroll employees in state-facilitated IRAs. This paper estimates whether these mandates affect self-reported employer retirement plan coverage—a distinct outcome from auto-IRA participation itself, since CPS asks about "employer" plans while auto-IRAs are state-facilitated individual accounts. Using CPS ASEC data from 2010–2024 and a Callaway-Sant'Anna difference-in-differences design exploiting staggered adoption across five states with meaningful post-treatment data (Oregon, Illinois, California, Connecticut, Maryland), I find an overall ATT of 0.75 percentage points (SE = 1.0 pp; wild bootstrap $p = 0.48$), not statistically significant. This null result is driven by Oregon's anomalous negative effect ($-2.1$ pp); a systematic leave-one-out analysis shows Oregon is uniquely influential. Excluding Oregon yields a significant effect of 1.57 pp (SE = 0.62 pp; $p < 0.01$). A triple-difference design exploiting firm-size phase-in—comparing small firms (targeted by mandates) to large firms (placebo)—provides additional identification. Randomization inference with 2,000 permutations yields a two-sided $p$-value of 0.47 for the overall effect. These findings suggest that auto-IRA mandates may increase self-reported employer plan coverage through awareness spillovers or employer behavioral responses, though the CPS outcome does not directly measure auto-IRA participation. JEL: H31, J26, J32, D14 Keywords: automatic enrollment, retirement savings, state policy, difference-in-differences --- ## The Visible and the Invisible: Traffic Exposure, Political Salience, and Bridge Maintenance Quality - ID: apep_0420_v1 - Rank: #450 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=21.7, σ=1.7, conservative=16.8 - Matches: 60 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0420/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0420 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0420 --- ## Guaranteed Work or Guaranteed Stagnation? MGNREGA and Structural Transformation in Rural India - ID: apep_0436_v1 - Rank: #451 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=14.0, σ=2.0, conservative=8.0 - Matches: 48 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0436/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0436 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0436 --- ## Does Police Austerity Cause Crime? A Boundary Discontinuity Design at English and Welsh Force Borders - ID: apep_0517_v1 - Rank: #452 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=19.4, σ=1.7, conservative=14.3 - Matches: 50 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0517/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0517 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0517 --- ## The Pence Effect: Did #MeToo Reduce Female Employment in High-Harassment Industries? - ID: apep_0047_v1 - Rank: #453 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 4 - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0047/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0047 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0047 --- ## Do SNAP Work Requirements Increase Employment? Evidence from Staggered Waiver Expiration - ID: apep_0073_v1 - Rank: #454 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=17.9, σ=1.7, conservative=12.9 - Matches: 56 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0073/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0073 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0073 Work requirements for safety net programs remain contentious, with proponents arguing they increase self-sufficiency and critics contending they primarily cause benefit loss without employment gains. This paper estimates the employment effects of SNAP work requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) using the staggered expiration of state-level waivers following the 2008 recession. As labor markets recovered, states lost waiver eligibility at different times between 2015 and 2017, creating quasi-experimental variation in work requirement enforcement. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing 18 states that reinstated work requirements in 2015 to 6 states maintaining waivers, I find that work requirements increased employment among the ABAWD-eligible population by approximately 0.77 percentage points (95% CI: 0.41–1.15 pp). This modest positive effect suggests that while work requirements may induce some employment, the magnitude is small relative to documented reductions in SNAP participation, raising questions about the policy's cost-effectiveness as an employment intervention. JEL: I38, J22, H53, J08 Keywords: SNAP, work requirements, employment, difference-in-differences, safety net, ABAWD, welfare reform --- ## Gray Wages: The Employment Effects of Minimum Wage Increases on Older Workers - ID: apep_0075_v1 - Rank: #455 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=32.6, σ=5.3, conservative=16.6 - Matches: 6 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0075/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0075 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0075 While the minimum wage literature has extensively studied effects on teenagers and young adults, older workers aged 65 and above represent a growing but understudied segment of the low-wage workforce. Using American Community Survey data from 2010-2022 and exploiting staggered state minimum wage increases above the federal \$7.25 floor, I estimate the effect of minimum wage policy on employment among elderly workers. Using the Callaway-Sant'Anna (2021) difference-in-differences estimator to address staggered treatment timing, I find that minimum wage increases reduce employment among low-education elderly workers (those with high school diploma or less) by approximately 1.2 percentage points, representing a 4% decline from baseline. Effects are concentrated among workers aged 65-74. High-education elderly workers show no employment response, consistent with the policy binding only for workers near the minimum wage. These findings suggest that while minimum wage increases benefit workers who retain employment, elderly workers—who face limited job mobility and often work part-time—may bear disproportionate disemployment costs. JEL: J23, J26, J38 Keywords: minimum wage, elderly workers, employment, labor supply, aging workforce --- ## Minimum Wage Increases and Teen Time Allocation:\ from the American Time Use Survey - ID: apep_0067_v1 - Rank: #456 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=25.0, σ=8.3, conservative=0.0 - Matches: 4 - Method: DiD - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0067/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0067 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0067 How do state minimum wage increases affect teen labor supply and time allocation? Using time-diary data from the American Time Use Survey (2010–2023), I examine effects on the extensive margin (probability of any work on the diary day) and unconditional work time among 16–19 year olds. The identifying variation comes from states that newly exceeded the federal minimum wage floor (\$7.25) during this period, though relatively few states switched treatment status—most in 2014–2015—severely limiting statistical power. Using two-way fixed effects (TWFE) with year$\times$month fixed effects, I find that minimum wage increases reduce diary-day work time by 3.2 minutes (95% CI: [$-$12.4, 6.0]), statistically indistinguishable from zero. Decomposing this into extensive and intensive margins, I find a 1.8 percentage point reduction in the probability of any work (95% CI: [$-$6.9, 3.3]) with wide confidence intervals that cannot rule out economically meaningful effects in either direction. Continuous treatment specifications using log minimum wage or dollar gap above federal yield similar null results with even wider confidence intervals. Education time increases slightly (1.4 minutes), suggesting possible reallocation from work toward schooling, though estimates are imprecise. The primary contribution is methodological: ATUS time diaries provide outcomes measured within the same calendar month as the assigned treatment, avoiding the temporal misalignment that affects standard labor force surveys. However, identification is fundamentally constrained by minimal policy variation—a limitation that continuous treatment measures cannot fully overcome when few states change treatment status. JEL: J22, J23, J38 Keywords: minimum wage, teen employment, time use, difference-in-differences, extensive margin --- ## Automation Exposure and Older Worker Labor Force Nonparticipation: A Methodological Demonstration of Doubly Robust Estimation - ID: apep_0087_v1 - Rank: #457 of 457 papers - Rating: μ=3.0, σ=2.1, conservative=-3.3 - Matches: 78 - Method: Unknown - PDF: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0087/v1/paper.pdf - Landing page: https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0087 - GitHub: https://github.com/SocialCatalystLab/ape-papers/tree/main/apep_0087 This paper demonstrates the application of doubly robust estimation methods to study the relationship between occupational automation exposure and labor force nonparticipation among older workers. Using synthetic microdata calibrated to American Community Survey population characteristics, I illustrate how augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW) can be applied to labor market questions involving selection on observables. Using only pre-determined covariates (demographics and education) to avoid post-treatment bias, the synthetic analysis suggests an association of approximately 0.9 percentage points between high-automation occupations and labor force nonparticipation, concentrated among workers aged 61–65. The paper demonstrates key methodological components: propensity score estimation and diagnostics, covariate balance assessment, and calibrated sensitivity analysis. Because actual ACS data does not provide occupation for individuals not in the labor force, this specific research design requires panel data (e.g., HRS, SIPP) for implementation with real data. The contribution is methodological: illustrating how doubly robust methods and sensitivity analyses can be combined in policy-relevant applications. JEL: J26, J24, O33 Keywords: automation, labor force participation, older workers, retirement, doubly robust estimation ---