We contribute to the literature on effect of taxes locational choices wealthy individuals by examining geographical sensitivity Forbes 400 richest Americans state estate taxes. Though we find billionaires’ effective tax rates are only about half statutory rate, their residential highly sensitive these taxes, as 35 percent local billionaires leave states with an tax. This tax-induced mobility ca...

We present a new estimator for causal effects with panel data that builds on insights behind the widely used difference-in-differences and synthetic control methods. Relative to these methods we find, both theoretically empirically, this “synthetic difference-in-differences” has desirable robustness properties, it performs well in settings where conventional estimators are commonly practice. st...

Partisanship of state governors affects the efficacy US federal fiscal policy. Using close election data, we find partisan differences in marginal propensity to spend intergovernmental transfers: Republican less than Democratic governors. Correspondingly, Republican-led states have lower debt, (delayed) taxes, and initially economic activity. A New Keynesian model a monetary union implies sizab...

To finance unemployment insurance, states raise payroll tax rates on employers who engage in layoffs. Tax are, therefore, highest for firms after downturns, potentially hampering labor-market recovery. Using full-population, administrative records from Florida, I estimate the effect of these increases firm behavior leveraging a regression kink design schedule. hikes reduce hiring and employment...