Ian K. McDonough

Financial Capability and Food Security in Extremely Vulnerable Households

&NA; Food insecurity is among the most significant, nutrition‐related public health issues facing the United States. Unfortunately, little is known about the determinants of food insecurity except that it is not synonymous with poverty. Many households above the poverty line are food insecure; many below are not. We investigate a lack of financial capability as a potential salient determinant of household‐level food security. Using original survey data collected among food pantry clients in North Texas, we assess the impact of financial capacity on food security relying on family background as an exclusion restriction. Our results indicate a strikingly significant effect, both economically and statistically, of financial capability in general and financial behaviors in particular.

The Impact of Terrorism on Social Capital: Evidence from the 2015 Charlie Hebdo Paris Shooting

We examine the impact of terrorism on social capital by exploiting variation in the 2014 European Social Survey administration dates coupled with the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, France. Using the difference-in-differences estimator, we find that the attack had a positive, causal impact on the overall level of social capital among French respondents. Further, the effect seems to be driven by an increase in institutional and interpersonal trust, as well as by engagement in social networks. This rise in social capital peaks in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack but subsequently decays to pre-attack levels within approximately one month.

The Impact of Gainful Employment Regulations on the Access to Higher Education

Obtaining a post-secondary education is associated with better labor market outcomes and is a key determinant of worker productivity, economic growth, and overall well-being. However, the cost of attendance, time to completion, and levels of borrowing are all reaching unparalleled highs. As such, U.S. policy makers have passed gainful employment regulations in an attempt to hold institutions of higher education accountable for student outcomes. This paper investigates the potential consequences of such regulations by constructing optimal university admissions rules. We find that access to higher education of minorities and women will be disproportionately restricted once gainful employment takes effect.