Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Essays in Public Economics120 views
Author
Ruby, Nathaniel, Economics - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia
Advisors
Lockwood, Lee, Economics, University of Virginia
Pepper, John, Economics, University of Virginia
Wu, Derek, Public Policy, University of Virginia
Abstract
This dissertation studies how participation in government transfer programs affects welfare by examining the value of benefits to recipients and the cost to the government. I use randomized experiments and administrative data to estimate how program design changes the composition of participants, and in turn, the program’s efficiency and equity implications. The results highlight that the relationship between participant value and government cost plays a central role in shaping the welfare consequences of increased participation.
Ruby, Nathaniel. Essays in Public Economics. University of Virginia, Economics - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, PHD (Doctor of Philosophy), 2025-05-01, https://doi.org/10.18130/n8j1-0m54.
