Date of Graduation
Spring 5-21-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Applied Economics (MSAE)
College/School
College of Arts and Sciences
Department/Program
Economics
First Advisor
Professor Bruce Wydick
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought political polarization in the US to the forefront of the battle against coronavirus. We find that for every one percentage point increase in votes for Trump there are 881 more Covid-19 cases and 17 more Covid-19 deaths. We find that these results are motivated by political identity as it is mediated through public safety behaviors like maskwearing and social distancing. In addition, a natural experiment in California during the first half of the pandemic in the US finds that 36% of the Covid-19 cases at the census tract level in California can be associated with political identity.
Recommended Citation
Chopra, Sahiba, "The Health Costs of Political Identity: Evidence from Public Safety Responses in the US and a Natural Experiment in California" (2021). Master's Theses. 1371.
https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/1371
Included in
Behavioral Economics Commons, Econometrics Commons, Health Economics Commons, Political Economy Commons
