Research

Research on political behavior, election administration, representation, and public policy.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

"Do Tuition Subsidies Raise Political Participation?" AEJ: Policy, 2025

with D. Firoozi

Using California's Cal Grant and a GPA cutoff, we estimate the causal effects of financial aid on voter registration and turnout.

"How Partisan is Local Election Administration?" APSR, 2024

with J. Ferrer and D.M. Thompson

Using regression discontinuity around close clerk elections, we test whether partisan local election officials affect electoral outcomes.

"Electing America's Election Officials" Book chapter, 2024

with J. Ferrer, in The Frontline of Democracy

A comprehensive analysis of local election officials, including their authority, demographics, and institutional variation across states.

Current Research

"When Does Descriptive Representation Reduce Racial Disparities? Evidence from California School Board Elections" Working paper

Using CVRA-induced transitions to single-member districts across 788 California school districts, I study whether descriptive representation reduces racial disparities in school discipline.

Do Political Institutions Influence Voters' Policy Knowledge? Work in progress

Using 1,547 ballot measures merged with 480K survey responses, I examine whether direct democracy increases voters' policy knowledge under modern DiD estimators.

Draft available upon request

How Politically Biased is U.S. Federal Disaster Spending? Work in progress

Using an RD design around close House elections, I test whether the president's party shapes FEMA relief and examine the role of disaster vulnerability.

Draft available upon request

Data & Tools

CalBallot Data tool

Searchable database of 12,000+ California ballot measures across all 58 counties, 1998-2026.

Built from Ballotpedia, California Secretary of State, CEDA, NCSL, ICPSR, and local records.

Policy Reports

Health Workforce (UCSF Healthforce Center)

D.C. Health Workforce (D.C. Policy Center)

First publicly available analysis of D.C.'s health workforce. Combined ACS data, FOIA records, and original geocoding.

Government Technology (GovExec.com)