Research
Working Papers
Sibling Spillovers and Special Education Access
with Briana Ballis and Emily Dieckmann
Reduced special education access for one child reveals overlooked sibling benefits, exposing hidden family spillovers from targeted education policies.
Abstract
Over 13% of U.S. children receive special education (SpEd) services, which often involve substantial changes in educational investments for the identified child. However, little is known about how these services affect other children in the household. We study sibling spillovers using a 2005 Texas policy that capped district-level SpEd enrollment at 8.5%, resulting in abrupt declines in access. Leveraging linked birth and education records, we examine how reduced SpEd access for one child affects their siblings. We find that having a sibling more likely to lose SpEd leads to improvements in the non-disabled sibling’s long-run outcomes. These spillovers are unlikely to stem from direct sibling interactions and instead appear to reflect changes in parental investments. The magnitudes of these effects are substantial and highlight the importance of accounting for family spillovers in evaluating targeted programs, which often focus only on direct impacts.Bullets to Ballots
with Zhangping Cai
Understanding the relationship between violent criminal activity and voter participation.
Abstract
This paper estimates how exposure to nearby criminal activity affects electoral participation using administrative, geocoded data from Texas linked to the 2016 general election. Leveraging the quasi-random timing of incidents relative to Election Day, we combine a regression discontinuity in time (RDiT) with difference-in-differences analysis that compares voters living close to murders occurring just before the election to observationally similar neighbors exposed just after. We find that pre-election exposure to murders decreases turnout. Demobilization is concentrated among younger voters, unaffiliated/non-partisan registrants, and for incidents that occur during daytime hours, consistent with salience and risk-perception channels that raise the perceived costs of voting. Effects are most pronounced for individuals residing nearest to the incident location and attenuate with distance from the murder and time from the electionHeterogeneous Effects of Sibling Composition on Family Formation Latest Draft
with Raymond Kim and Eujean Byun
Same-sex sibling effects significantly increase marriage rates and timing for men in the U.S, with strong heterogeniety across race and sex.
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of sibling sex composition on marriage outcomes in the United States using a, newly-constructed dataset from Texas covering individuals born between 1976- 1997. Leveraging both singleton and twin analyses, we find robust evidence that having a same-sex sibling significantly increases the likelihood of marriage and accelerates marriage timing. We also reveal substantial heterogeneity across racial groups with White individuals consistently showing strong effects. Furthermore, we document that sibling sex effects on marriage is predominantly present in wealthier counties. Our results highlight the importance of considering both racial background and socioeconomic context when studying family formation patterns.Work in Progress
Peer and Role Model Effects in Academic Competitions
Family Formation and Crime
with Zhangping Cai