WHO BENEFITS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION? EVIDENCE FROM THE CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bento, Antonio; Freedman, Matthew; Lang, Corey
• 署名单位: University of Southern California; National Bureau of Economic Research; Drexel University; University of Rhode Island
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/REST_a_00493
• 发表日期: 2015-07
• 页码: 610-622
• 关键词: matter; price

摘要

Using geographically disaggregated data and exploiting an instrumental variable strategy, we show that contrary to conventional wisdom, the benefits of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) were progressive. The CAAA created incentives for local regulators to target the initially dirtiest areas for cleanup, creating heterogeneity in the incidence of air quality improvements that favored lower-income households. Based on house price appreciation, households in the lowest quintile of the income distribution received annual benefits from the program equal to 0.3% of their income on average during the 1990s, over twice as much as those in the highest quintile.