Search Results
Working Paper
Schooling and Political Activism in the Early Civil Rights Era
Does education lead to political engagement? The empirical literature is mixed. Theory suggests economic context matters. Individuals unable to take advantage of education in the labor market are more likely to engage in political activity. We find support for this channel during the rapid expansion of NAACP branches in the South around WWII. Branch growth was stronger where Black workers were denied returns to schooling due to Jim Crow occupational discrimination. We further show that a pre-1931 large-scale school construction program caused greater NAACP activity during the 1940s and 1950s ...
Newsletter
The Broadening Impact of Rising Wildfire Smoke in the United States
Smoke from wildfires has increased dramatically in the United States in recent years. As a result, new populations, including many living in urban areas in the eastern parts of the country, have become increasingly exposed to particulate matter from wildfire smoke. These trends reflect the fact that larger and more intense plumes travel farther, affecting regions that have traditionally been far less exposed to wildfire smoke. In short, wildfire smoke has now become a national problem.