University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Three essays in applied economics

Hardiman, Allen

Content Files
HARDIMAN-DISSERTATION-2024.pdf

Permalink

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

Description

Title
Three essays in applied economics
Author(s)
Hardiman, Allen
Issue Date
2024-04-12
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Borgschulte, Mark
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Borgschulte, Mark
Committee Member(s)
  • Deryugina, Tatyana
  • Garin, Andrew
  • Reif, Julian
Department of Study
Economics
Discipline
Economics
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Economics
  • Applied Economics
Abstract
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.
Graduation Semester
2024-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124250
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2024 Allen Hardiman

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois