Three essays in applied economics

This dissertation consists of three distinct chapters on applied economics. Chapter 1 examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on individual consumption in the United States. Utilizing nationally representative panel data of near-elderly adults and a difference-in-difference approach, the study finds that the ACA Medicaid expansion leads to a significant increase in total monthly consumption, primarily driven by a rise in non-durable spending and housing consumption. The expansion also results in a higher likelihood of homeownership. These results are driven by a reduction in out-of-pocket medical spending and an improvement in financial well-being. Chapter 2 investigates the relationship between providing care for older parents or parents-in-law and labor supply among middle-aged individuals in Colombia, Indonesia, Poland, and Egypt. The findings reveal a significant reduction in the probability of employment, weekly hours worked, and annual earnings for caregivers, with the decline being more pronounced among women and intensive caregivers. Chapter 3 explores the causal impact of rainfall shocks on crime rates in Indonesia using two different data sources: newspaper reports and crime victimization data from household surveys. The results show mixed findings, with no relationship between rainfall shocks and crime incidents in newspaper reports, but a significant reduction in the probability of becoming a victim of economically motivated crimes following positive rainfall shocks in the household survey data. Overall, this dissertation provides valuable insights into the effects of public policies, health, and environmental factors on consumption, labor supply, and crime rates.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Economics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Hardiman, Allen

Contributors dc:contributor

• Borgschulte, Mark
• Deryugina, Tatyana
• Garin, Andrew
• Reif, Julian

• Economics
• Applied Economics

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Allen Hardiman

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124250

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F124250