Intergenerational Income Mobility and the Feelings of White People (with Lars Osberg & Stephen Law). Revisions requested by Social Forces.
Abstract: More inclusive growth may foster white nationalism. Using the US Opportunity Atlas, we find positive intergenerational income rank mobility for visible minority groups and negative mobility for Whites in most US census tracts – i.e., an erosion of `White privilege'. Using the 2016 American National Election Study, we show that US-born White males in states with less intergenerational income rank mobility expressed more authoritarian ideals, greater support for Trump, and increasingly more negative feelings toward inclusivity. In states where at least one visible minority group had above average income rank mobility, these attitudes became stronger - but were tempered when Whites also experienced above average income rank mobility. Further, the impact of income rank mobility on the attitudes of US-born Whites was driven by residents of `blue wall' states, and those with above-average GDP growth. Consequently, relative growth matters, fostering increased interest in populist ideals among groups whose rank mobility declined.
Evaluating policies to improve food affordability, nutrition and food security in Canada's remote Northern communities (with Nicholas Li, Tracey Galloway, & Angela Daley).
Abstract: Canada's remote Northern communities have persistently high rates of food insecurity due to incomes that are low relative to the high price of food and other goods. The Federal government mitigates food insecurity through income supports - ranging from national entitlements like child benefits to recent region-specific measures like the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI) - and through the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) retail subsidy that lowers prices for select foods shipped to remote communities. Using administrative and household survey data, in addition to exogenous variation from recent enhancements to child benefits and retail subsidies, we provide the first systematic quantitative evaluation and comparison of these programs regarding their per dollar impacts on nutritious food shipments and food insecurity, along with an analysis of their distributional effects. Our analysis highlights an important policy trade-off, as current NNC food subsidies are more effective at increasing nutritious food shipments and reducing marginal food insecurity, but child benefits -- including both means tested benefits and universal benefits like the ICFI Hamlet Food Voucher Program - are much more progressive and effective at reducing severe child food insecurity.