AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Identity during a Crisis: COVID-19 and Ethnic Divisions in the United States
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 112,
May 2022
(pp. 319–24)
Abstract
During a crisis, does ethnic composition influence policy efficiency? How do the effects of ethnic divisions differ from those of ethnic diversity? Using the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that ethnic divisions, rather than diversity, significantly reduce the efficacy of crisis response. United States counties with higher levels of ethnic divisions fared worse after lockdowns in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Diversity had little effect, except in highly segregated areas. Results are not driven by differences in politics, public goods, socioeconomics, or levels of high-risk populations.Citation
Debnam Guzman, Jakina, Marie Christelle Mabeu, and Roland Pongou. 2022. "Identity during a Crisis: COVID-19 and Ethnic Divisions in the United States." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 112: 319–24. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20221115Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H51 National Government Expenditures and Health
- H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
- I12 Health Behavior
- I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination