From f9a22a52d3fab367a606945181d5fe9780e5d495 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "D. Alex Hughes" Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2021 15:21:18 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] quick feedback --- reports/rbgs_feedback.md | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+) create mode 100644 reports/rbgs_feedback.md diff --git a/reports/rbgs_feedback.md b/reports/rbgs_feedback.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1a62149 --- /dev/null +++ b/reports/rbgs_feedback.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +# Pre-proposal Feedback + +# Research Question: + +What is the relationship between extended unemployment benefits, and non-essential spending? + + +# Approach + +Regress mobility pattersn on maximum weekly unemployment checks. + +# Thoughts and feedback + +This is a really interesting policy question, and one that Economics has spent _considerable_ time studying. I think that is good news, because it means that you can stand on the shoulders of giants and get some really, really good work done in response to this question. Nice! + +However, I'd like to push the team to assess whether they are willing to assert that measurement of non-essential mobility travel is a reasonable opereationalization for the concept of non-essential spending. On its face, I think that there is a lot of conceptual slippage from what you say you're interested in measuring to what you actually _can_ measure (i.e. mobility data.). Rather than simply stopping at the data that is available, I'd encourage the team to look for high-quality data that can help to more cleanly answer this quesiton. + +Further complicating a place-based measure is the **very** strong confound of reduced between-place mobility of all forms. Mobility declined in all forms over this time period; how will you deduce what of the reduction of mobility is due to this overall reduction, and what part is due to {employment or unemployment}. + +That data could come in the form of federally maintained unemployment filings, it could come from federal spending tables; staffing reports from (e.g.) electronics stores. While I'm pretty confident that you can find this data -- it does sound like it might take a days work to do so. + +All of this is to say -- I think that you're aware of the potential issues involved in this question. You write about them! That's great. However, rather than simply calling these issues and moving forward with a potentially problematic approach, instead, I'd really like the team to dig in a find an appraoch that might work better to answer their question. + +# Ideas moving forward + +- I'm as motivated by this question as the team is. If the challenge that I've put above sounds like more work than the team can bring on, I think it might be prudent to consider changing the question that is under investigation. +- I don't think that it is _insurmountable_ to find the evidence that would be appropriate for answering this task; but it will be a little work. +- I think that you might _start_ with a search at Google Scholar? https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=covid+unemployment&btnG= + +I'm glad for the work you put into this pre-proposal.