Abstract A primary way that natural resources affect a locality is through the demand for labor, with greater extraction requiring more workers. Shifts in labor can be measured changes employment and earnings, main market outcomes, or population income, generally. These may spillover into nonresource economy, leading to overall effects possibly crowd out; spread unequally across population, thereby altering distribution of income poverty rate; influence educational attainment, as people...

Abstract We study the effects of property tax base shock caused by natural gas drilling in Barnett Shale Texas—a state that taxes oil and wells as property. Over boom bust drilling, housing appreciation closely followed base, which expanded total 23 percent at its height. The expansion led to a decline rates while maintaining or increasing revenues schools. Overall, each $1 per student increase increased value typical home $0.15. Some evidence suggests cumulative density nearby may lower...

How much decoupled payments, such as direct payments in the U.S., affect agricultural production remains an open empirical question with implications for policy. Using data from multiple years of Census Agriculture, we exploit a provision 2002 Farm Act that departed previous policy by making oilseeds eligible thus increasing to areas historically produced more oilseeds. Our instrumental variable estimates, contrast OLS suggest changes over period 2007 had little effect on aggregate at ZIP‐code level.

Farmers dramatically increased their use of federal crop insurance in the 2000s. From 2000 to 2013, premium subsidies sevenfold and acres enrolled by 77%. Although designed for nonenvironmental goals, subsidized may affect land, fertilizer, agrochemicals and, therefore, environmental externalities from agriculture. Using novel panel data, we examine farmer responses changes coverage with an empirical approach that exploits program limits on were more binding some farmers than others....

Abstract Whether improved local economic conditions lead to better student outcomes is theoretically ambiguous and will depend on how schools use additional revenues students teachers respond rising private sector wages. The Texas boom in shale oil gas drilling, with its large localized effects wages the tax base, provides a unique opportunity address this question that spans areas of education, labor markets, public finance. An empirical approach using variation geology across school...

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Public discussions of environmentally motivated policies include much confusing talk about job loss. Does loss in a polluting industry mean that others should endure dirty air or complementary are needed? To clarify the jobs issue, I use concepts from research on international trade policy and its effects apply them to recent U.S. coal industry. The case illustrates economic adjustment could arise an environmental as well equity, efficiency, political issues raises. show for each lost,...

We use the origins of fracking to study how people respond a large and uncertain permanent income shock. Following arrival news in 2003 that was commercially viable, average person owning rights natural gas deposits Barnett Shale could plausibly expect earn present value about $33,000 from leasing energy firms. Anticipating income, who signed leases after 2006 borrowed $5,400 more than nonleaseholders as 2006. Leases not yet be collateralized, suggesting expectations increased rather relaxed...

We study how subsurface ownership shapes the income effects of oil and gas extraction. For average US county with growth in extraction from 2000 to 2014, we find that royalty its multiplier effect accounted for 70% total gain, each dollar generating an additional 49 cents local income. A where residents own captured 28 more production than one absentee ownership. Nationally, increased personal 2014 by $67 billion (0.5%) if all royalties accrued abroad. Areas same resource abundance can...

Abstract We explore three trends in rural southern Mexico (Fair Trade coffee, migration, and conditional cash transfers) that could explain the rapid rise education from 1995–2005 using survey data 845 coffee farming households Oaxaca Chiapas, Mexico. Results a household fixed-effects model show participation Fair Trade-organic cooperative contributed to about 0.7 year increase schooling for girls. US migration opportunities appear have even stronger positive impacts on females. Although...

Recent increases in farm real estate values the United States have increased equity. By exploiting periods of high and low appreciation that caused various wealth for farmers owning shares their farmland, we examine whether U.S. grain expanded acres harvested or owned response to an increase land wealth. We find had little effect on size. However, similarly‐sized farms, a larger ownership share (10 percentage points) led growth (2 points). Because older own more they farm, greater slows rate...

We study farm real estate values in the Barnett shale (Texas) and northeastern part of Marcellus (Pennsylvania New York). find that gas development caused appreciation both areas but effect was much larger for Marcellus, suggesting broader ownership oil rights by surface owners. In regions, greatest occurred when land leased drilling, not drilling production boomed. evidence effects vary type, which may reflect correlation between type rights.

Abstract A unique natural experiment involving a coffee pruning technology is used to study social learning. The yield effects of take two years appear, characteristic that aids in identifying learning apart from correlated unobservable variables are concern the and adoption literature. Panel data employed start with private initiative which introduced systematic central Peru contain population participating growers. Results show jump at least 0.15 probability after first grower's group.

To pay for environmental and public infrastructure costs associated with shale gas wells, Pennsylvania introduced a per-well impact fee despite concerns that it would discourage industry investment. Using quasi-experimental design data nearly cover the universe of leases wells in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, we find leasing by energy firms declined dramatically after fee’s enactment, but little to no declines well permitting or drilling occurred most geologically similar subsample. We...