Probable Causation

Probable Causation

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Probable Causation episodes

  • Bonus episode: Chris Blattman on why we fight

    David Eil talks with Chris Blattman about his book, "Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace."

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    Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

     

    49 min
  • Episode 71: Zoë Cullen on increasing employment for people with criminal records

    Zoë Cullen talks about how to incentivize employers to hire workers with criminal records.

    “Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record” by Zoë Cullen, Will Dobbie, and Mitchell Hoffman.

    ***

    Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

    ***

    OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

    “The Effect of Criminal Records on Access to Employment” by Amanda Agan and Sonja B. Starr.

  • “The Unintended Consequences of “Ban the Box”: Statistical Discrimination and Employment Outcomes When Criminal Histories Are Hidden” by Jennifer L. Doleac and Benjamin Hansen.

  • Episode 8 of Probable Causation: Amanda Agan

  • “Inefficient Hiring in Entry-Level Labor Markets” by Amanda Pallais.

  • “The Effects of Letters of Recommendation in the Youth Labor Market” by Sara B. Heller and Judd B. Kessler.

    1 hr 1 min
  • Episode 70: Pedro Souza on police body-worn cameras

    Pedro Souza talks about the effects of police body-worn cameras in Brazil.

    “De-escalation Technology: The Impact of Body-worn Cameras on Citizen-police Interactions” by Daniel AC Barbosa, Thiemo Fetzer, Caterina Soto and Pedro CL Souza

    OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:
    • “Wearing Body Cameras Increases Assaults Against Officers and Does Not Reduce Police Use of Force: Results from a Global Multi-site Experiment” by Barak Ariel, et al.

    • “The Effects of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Activity and Police-Citizen Encounters: A

      Randomized Controlled Trial” by Anthony Braga, et al.

    • “Body-worn Cameras’ Effects on Police Officers and Citizen Behavior: A Systematic Review” by Cynthia Lum, et al.

    • “Evaluating the Effects of Police Body-worn Cameras: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by David Yokum, Anita Ravishankar, and Alexander Coppock.

    • “Community Policing Does Not Build Citizen Trust in Police or Reduce Crime in the Global South” by Graeme Blair, et al.

    • “How Body-worn Cameras Affect the Use of Gunshots , Stop-and Searches and Other Forms of Police Behavior: A Randomized Control Trial in Rio de Janeiro” by Beatriz Magaloni, Vanessa Melo, Gustavo Robles, and Gustavo Empinotti [WORKING PAPER]

    • “The Effects of Body-worn Cameras on Policing and Court Outcomes: Evidence from the Court System in Virginia” by Katie Bollman.

      55 min
    • Episode 21: Aurelie Ouss on reducing failures-to-appear in court (REBROADCAST)

      Aurelie Ouss talks about using insights from behavioral economics to reduce failures-to-appear in court. This episode was first posted in January 2020.

      • "Nudging Crime Policy: Reducing Failures to Appear for Court" by Alissa Fishbane, Aurelie Ouss, and Anuj K. Shah. (Available from the authors upon request.)
    • Related policy paper: "Using Behavioral Science to Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes: Preventing Failures to Appear in Court" by Brice Cook, Binta Zahra Diop, Alissa Fishbane, Jonathan Hayes, Aurelie Ouss, and Anuj Shah.
    • ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) corporation. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      "Bail, Jail, and Pretrial Misconduct: The Influence of Prosecutors" by Aurelie Ouss and Megan T. Stevenson.

    • “Distortion of Justice: How the Inability to Pay Bail Affects Case Outcomes” by Megan T. Stevenson.

    • “The Effects of Pretrial Detention on Conviction, Future Crime, and Employment: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Judges” by Will Dobbie, Jacob Goldin, and Crystal S. Yang.

    • “The Unintended Impact of Pretrial Detention on Case Outcomes: Evidence from New York City Arraignments” by Emily Leslie and Nolan G. Pope.

    • “The Downstream Consequences of Misdemeanor Pretrial Detention” by Paul Heaton, Sandra Mayson, and Megan Stevenson.

    • Episode 4 of Probable Causation: Megan Stevenson

    • "Thinking, Fast and Slow? Some Field Experiments to Reduce Crime and Dropout in Chicago" by Sara B. Heller, Anuj K. Shah, Jonathan Guryan, Jens Ludwig, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Harold A. Pollack.

    • “Behavioral Biases and Legal Compliance: A Field Experiment” by Natalia Emanuel and Helen Ho.

      57 min
    • Episode 31: Randi Hjalmarsson on jury decision-making (REBROADCAST)

      Randi Hjalmarsson talks about how punishment severity affects juries' decisions to convict. This episode was first posted in June 2020.

      "How Punishment Severity Affects Jury Verdicts: Evidence from Two Natural Experiments" by Anna Bindler and Randi Hjalmarsson.

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) corporation. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      “Making the Crime Fit the Penalty: The Role of Prosecutorial Discretion under Mandatory Minimum Sentencing” by David Bjerk.

    • “The Impact of Jury Race in Criminal Trials” by Shamena Anwar, Patrick Bayer, and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “The Role of Age in Jury Selection and Trial Outcomes” by Shamena Anwar, Patrick Bayer, and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “A Jury of Her Peers: The Impact of the First Female Jurors on Criminal Verdicts” by Shamena Anwar, Patrick Bayer, and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “Politics in the Courtroom: Political Ideology and Jury Decision Making” by Shamena Anwar, Patrick Bayer, and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “No Hatred or Malice, Fear or Affection: Media and Sentencing” by Aurelie Ouss and Arnaud Philippe.

    • “Path Dependency in Jury Decision Making” by Anna Bindler and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “The Persistence of the Criminal Justice Gender Gap: Evidence from 200 Years of Judicial Decisions” by Anna Bindler and Randi Hjalmarsson.

    • “The Impact of the First Professional Police Forces on Crime” by Anna Bindler and Randi Hjalmarsson.

       

       

      46 min
    • Episode 69: Molly Schnell on school shootings

      Molly Schnell talks about how exposure to school shootings affects students.

      “Trauma at School: The Impacts of Shootings on Students’ Human Capital and Economic Outcomes” by Marika Cabral, Bokyung Kim, Maya Rossin-Slater, Molly Schnell, and Hannes Schwandt

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      “Local Exposure to School Shootings and Youth Antidepressant Use” by Maya Rossin-Slater, Molly Schnell, Hannes Schwandt, Sam Trejo, and Lindsey Uniat.

    • “Not All School Shootings are the Same and the Differences Matter” by Phillip B. Levine and Robin McKnight.

    • “Exposure to a School Shooting and Subsequent Well-Being” by Phillip B. Levine and Robin McKnight.

    • “Shocking News and Cognitive Performance” by Panu Poutvaara and Olli Ropponen.

    • “School Shootings and Private School Enrollment” by Rahi Abouk and Scott Adams.

    • “The Effect of High School Shootings on Schools and Student Performance” by Louis-Philippe Beland and Dongwoo Kim.

    • “The Effects of Police Violence on Inner-City Students” by Desmond Ang.

    • Probable Causation Episode 50: Desmond Ang.

    • “Surviving a Mass Shooting” by Prashant Bharadwaj, Manudeep Bhuller, Katrine Løken, and Mirjam Wentzel.

    • “Violence and Human Capital Investments” by Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner and Lívia Menezes.

      49 min
    • Bonus episode: Sarah Lageson on digital punishment

      David Eil talks with Sarah Lageson about her book, "Digital Punishment: Privacy, Stigma, and the Harms of Data-Driven Criminal Justice."

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

       

      51 min
    • Episode 68: Andrew Barr on nutritional assistance in early childhood

      Andrew Barr talks about how access to nutritional assistance in early childhood affects later criminal behavior.

      “Fighting Crime in the Cradle: The Effects of Early Childhood Access to Nutritional Assistance” by Andrew Barr and Alexander A. Smith

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) corporation. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      Episode 1 of Probable Causation: Chloe Gibbs.

    • “Inside the War on Poverty: The Impact of Food Stamps on Birth Outcomes” by Douglas Almond, Hilary W. Hoynes, and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach.

    • “Consumption Responses to In-Kind Transfers: Evidence from the Introduction of the Food Stamp Program” by Hilary W. Hoynes and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach.

    • “Long-run Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net” by Hilary Hoynes, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, and Douglas Almond.

    • “Work Incentives and the Food Stamp Program” by Hilary Williamson Hoynes and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach.

    • “The Rate of Return to the HighScope Perry Preschool Program” by James J. Heckman, Seong Hyeok Moon, Rodrigo Pinto, Peter A. Savelyev, and Adam Yavitz.

    • “Adult Outcomes as a Function of an Early Childhood Educational Program: An Abecedarian Project Follow-up” by Frances A Campbell, Elizabeth P Pungello, Margaret Burchinal, Kirsten Kainz, Yi Pan, Barbara H Wasik, Oscar A Barbarin, Joseph J Sparling, and Craig T Ramey.

    • “Breaking the Cycle? Intergenerational Effects of an Anti-Poverty Program in Early Childhood” by Andrew C. Barr and Chloe Gibbs.

    • “Long-term Effects of Nurse Home Visitation on Children's Criminal and Antisocial Behavior: 15-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial” by David Olds, Charles R. Henderson Jr, and Robert Cole.

    • “Longer-Term Effects of Head Start” by Eliana Garces, Duncan Thomas, and Janet Currie.

    • “Early Childhood Intervention and Life-Cycle Skill Development: Evidence from Head Start” by David Deming.

    • “The Effect of Early Childhood Education on Adult Criminality: Evidence from the 1960s through 1990s” by John Anders, Andrew C. Barr, and Alexander A. Smith.

    • “Life after Lead: Effects of Early Interventions for Children Exposed to Lead” by Stephen B. Billings and Kevin T. Schnepel.

    • Episode 16 of Probable Causation: Steve Billings.

    • “The Impact of Youth Medicaid Eligibility on Adult Incarceration” by Samuel Arenberg, Seth Neller, and Sam Stripling.

      59 min
    • Episode 67: David Phillips on mental health care for people released from jail

      David Phillips talks about connecting people released from jail with mental health care.

      “Reducing Re-arrests through Light Touch Mental Health Outreach” by Mary Kate Batistich, William N. Evans and David C. Phillips

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) corporation. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      “Local Access to Mental Healthcare and Crime” by Monica Deza, Johanna Catherine Maclean, and Keisha Solomon.

    • “Mental Health and Criminal Involvement: Evidence from Losing Medicaid Eligibility” by Elisa Jácome.

    • Episode 60 of Probable Causation: Elisa Jácome.

    • “Substance Abuse Treatment Centers and Local Crime” by Samuel R. Bondurant, Jason M. Lindo, and Isaac D. Swensen.

    • “Behavioral Nudges Reduce Failure to Appear for Court” by Alissa Fishbane, Aurelie Ouss, and Anuj K. Shah.

    • Episode 21 of Probable Causation: Aurelie Ouss.

    • “The Impact of Youth Medicaid Eligibility on Adult Incarceration” by Samuel Arenberg, Seth Neller, and Sam Stripling.

    • “Stress on the Sidewalk: The Mental Health Costs of Close Proximity Crime” by Panka Bencsik.

    • “Policing Substance Use: Chicago's Treatment Program for Narcotics Arrests” by Ashna Arora and Panka Bencsik.

    • “Crisis Averted? The Effects of Crisis Intervention Units on Arrests and Use of Force” by Maya Mikdash and Chelsea Temple. (Draft available from the authors).

      47 min
    • Episode 66: Aaron Chalfin on what motivates police officers

      Aaron Chalfin talks about the professional motivations of police officers.

      “The Professional Motivations of Police Officers” by Aaron Chalfin and Felipe Goncalves.

      ***

      Probable Causation is part of Doleac Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) corporation. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you for supporting our work!

      ***

      OTHER RESEARCH WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE:

      “Political Economy at any Speed: What Determines Traffic Citations?” by Michael D. Makowsky & Thomas Stratmann.

    • “Finders Keepers: Forfeiture Laws, Policing Incentives, and Local Budgets” by Katherine Baicker & Mireille Jacobson.

    • “The Effects of Asset Forfeiture on Policing: A Panel Approach” by Brian D. Kelly & Maureen Kole.

    • “The Ferguson Report: Department of Justice Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department” by Department of Justice.

    • “Pay, Reference Points, and Police Performance” by Alexandre Mas.

    • “Modern Police Tactics, Police-Citizen Interactions, and the Prospects for Reform” by Jonathan Mummolo.

    • “The Effect of Police Oversight on Crime and Allegations of Misconduct: Evidence from Chicago” by Bocar Ba & Roman Rivera.

    • “Arrest Decisions: What Works for the Officer?” by Edith Linn.

    • “‘Drive and Wave': The Response to LAPD Police Reforms After Rampart” by Canice Pendergast.

    • “Policing the Police: The Impact of 'Pattern-or-Practice' Investigations on Crime” by Tanaya Devi & Roland G. Fryer Jr.

      50 min

    About Probable Causation

    From the publisher's feed

    A show about law, economics, and crime. Hosted by Jennifer Doleac, economist and author of

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