Job Market Paper
- “Managing the Tragedy of the Commons: A Partial Output-Sharing Approach”
Abstract
This study investigates partial output-sharing as an incentive-based mechanism to mitigate over-extraction in common-pool resource (CPR) environments. Sharing arrangements among resource users can induce free-riding behavior, which may offset over-extraction and promote socially optimal outcomes. In this framework, individuals are pooled into a single group and required to share a proportion of their output evenly with other members. I conduct a laboratory experiment using CPR games with varying levels of mandatory sharing to assess the effectiveness of the partial output-sharing model. The results show that higher levels of sharing significantly reduce appropriation effort, with the treatment aligned with the symmetric Nash equilibrium yielding outcomes statistically indistinguishable from the social optimum. These findings confirm theoretical predictions and demonstrate the behavioral viability of partial output-sharing as a sustainable CPR management tool. Compared to traditional regulatory interventions, this mechanism may be more politically acceptable and directly addresses the core issue of the commons problem—misaligned economic incentives. This study provides novel experimental evidence and lays the groundwork for future research on the practical implementation of partial output-sharing in CPR settings.
Working Paper
- “Let’s Chat: Leveraging Chatbot Outreach for Improved Course Performance” (with Katharine Meyer, Lindsay C. Page, Catherine Mata, Eric N. Smith, B. Tyler Walsh, C. Lindsey Fifield, Michelle Tyson, Amy Eremionkhale, Michael Evans, Shelby Frost)
EdWorkingPaper: 22-564 Abstract
This study reports on the causal effects of using a non-generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to provide course-specific, proactive outreach and support to students in large-enrollment undergraduate courses. Across both an American Government and Microeconomics course, students randomly assigned to receive chatbot messaging were four percentage points more likely to earn an A or B in the courses. Students assigned to treatment were more likely to complete homework and use supplemental instruction opportunities, which provide evidence that increased course engagement may be driving grade outcomes. We also find suggestive evidence the chatbot reduced the likelihood of students dropping or withdrawing from each course. Treatment effects were generally consistent across student demographics, with the exception of women in Microeconomics, who earned final grades that were seven points higher than women in the control group. The chatbot was well-received by students: 82 percent of students who completed an end-of-course survey recommended its continued use and expansion to other courses. This study provides promising evidence that integrating virtual outreach and communication to students in their college courses can enhance student engagement and learning. It also illustrates the capacity of AI for providing timely responses to students’ questions, reducing instructors’ time answering common questions and allowing them to devote more time to the students who need it most. - “Impact of Smoking Bans on Smoking in South Korea: A Synthetic Control Approach”
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of South Korea’s 2011 smoking bans, including indoor and outdoor restrictions, on national smoking prevalence. While prior studies have focused primarily on secondhand smoke exposure and short-term behavioral changes, few have examined population-level smoking outcomes using causal inference methods. Leveraging the Synthetic Control Method (SCM), I construct a counterfactual ``Synthetic Korea” from a weighted combination of 27 OECD countries that did not implement similar nationwide smoking bans during the same period. Using country-level panel data from 1995 to 2015, the analysis isolates the effect of the 2011 smoking bans while avoiding confounding from later interventions such as a major tobacco tax increase in 2015 and the introduction of pictorial warning labels in 2016. Results show that the smoking bans led to an average reduction of 2.3 percentage points in smoking prevalence, representing an 8.5 percent decline (p < 0.036) from the 2011 baseline. This equates to approximately 1.2 million fewer smokers in South Korea, either through cessation or prevention. Based on standard valuation methods, this reduction is estimated to have generated approximately USD 207 billion in economic value through gains in life expectancy. These findings provide robust evidence of the effectiveness of smoking bans in reducing smoking prevalence and offer valuable insights for policymakers in other middle-income and high-income countries considering similar non-price tobacco control strategies. - “The Impact of Legalized Recreational Marijuana Laws on Obesity” (with Jang Hyeok An and Reginal Hebert)
Abstract
This study investigates the causal effect of recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) on body mass index (BMI) using data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). While numerous studies have explored the association between marijuana use and appetite, few have examined the causal evidence between marijuana use and BMI. Leveraging the staggered adoption of RMLs as a natural experiment, we employ a Two-Stage Difference-in-Difference (2SDiD) model to estimate the effect of RMLs on BMI. Although our initial 2SDiD point estimates indicate a significant decrease in BMI of approximately 0.294 units or 1.08 percent (0.294/27.33), the event study analysis reveals a downward pre-trend in BMI prior to the implementation of RMLs. After accounting for this pre-trend, our findings suggest that RMLs have no statistically significant effect on BMI. Moreover, we find little evidence for potential mechanisms, or for heterogeneous effects depending on gender and age groups.
Works in Progress
- “Social Dilemma with Endogenous Resources” (with Siru Liu,Wen Lu, and Ben Mosier IV)
Abstract
This study investigates how the origin of shared resources in social dilemma games influences individual behavior. By distinguishing between endogenous resources, created through deliberate collective action, and exogenous resources, existing independently of participants' choices, we explore how these origins impact decision-making. This distinction has clear relevance to real-world public goods and common-pool resources; a public park, road, or bridge may require collective action for its’ formation, while many forests, bodies of water, and oil reserves emerged well before modern humans. We construct a novel two-stage social dilemma game to determine whether the origination of a shared resource impacts the choice to further contribute or exploit. The game combines a traditional public goods provision game with a subsequent mixed game played over the newly established public account balance. We also construct a between-subjects triadic design to determine whether decisions are consistent with trust, reciprocity, or unconditional other-regarding preferences. Our results support the conclusion that resource origins matter, as subjects behave less cooperatively when group account balances are endogenously low. We also find that 50% of subjects have conditional other-regarding preferences when group account balances are exogenous. - “An RCT to Investigate the Impact of a Nudge on Students’ Declaration of Economics Major” (with Amy Eremionkhale, Shelby Frost, and Lorenzo Almada)
