@econhist-allday
Economic historian of U.S. cities. Interested in infrastructure, land use regulation, and housing prices over the long run. Views expressed here are my own. Personal website at allisonshertzer.com.
My husband was watching the Muppets movie with the kids and was *delighted* when the villain of the film was shown reading the Economist. Does our profession have a branding problem?
Glad you are staying around!
One of the great experiments in space exploration history was putting one of these naval officer brothers in orbit while keeping the other on the ground. Talk about a good control group!
It does sound like us 🙂
New year, new op-ed from me and Vincent Reina on the need for aggressive multifaceted action to address the housing affordability crisis:
It’s not simply a zoning story!
thehill.com/opinion/fina...
But that carpet keeps him entertained for hours haha
Just looked in my son's room and I think I need to accept that he does not share my views on optimal urban transportation.
Join us Saturday at 10:15am for an #ASSA2026 session on Development of American Cities
featuring papers on mortgage markets, slavery, migration & ghost towns by L D'Amico, S Naidu, T Jaworski, M Hoelzlein
Discussants: @econhist-allday.bsky.social, S Heblich, @allie-green.com, @jeffrlin.bsky.social
HPV Vaccination Tied to Huge Reduction in Cervical Cancer Risk www.medpagetoday.com/hematologyon...
NYT: “.. high insurance costs are cascading into the broader real estate market, suppressing home values by an average of $44,000 in the top 10 percent of U.S. ZIP codes most vulnerable to hurricanes and wildfires ..”
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
NEW:
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
🚀 I'm on the #EconSky Job Market!
My JMP asks a classic question:
Do large, dominant firms foster or hinder innovation?
To study this, I turn to the Great Merger Wave (1895–1904), when >2,600 U.S. firms combined into corporate giants like U.S. Steel and DuPont.
A JMP 🧵👇 (1/13)
I feel like there are very few econ vanity plates in circulation (we're not funny as a field) so it would be a small meet up but yes!
After 15 years together, it was time to refresh DRECON.
Rick, you dropped this. 👑
Seriously what an incredible data project!
This Day in Labor History: October 26, 1825. The Erie Canal opened, eight years after construction commenced. This engineering marvel would have enormous impacts on the future of American work, including spurring ever-greater industrialization. It also killed over 1,000 workers building it!
Hahahaha so few cases these days
Thrilled to work with @andrewvandam.bsky.social on this piece!
wapo.st/46ZuESX
Recently accepted by #QJE, “The Price of Housing in the United States, 1890–2006,” by Lyons (@ronanlyons), Shertzer (@econhist-allday), Gray (@econhistoryorbust), and Agorastos: doi.org/10.1093/qje/...
A chart showing measured and corrected total factor productivity growth in various sectors of US manufacturing. Manufacturing is a locus of innovation, yet standard industry data show manufacturing productivity stagnating in the US. This column argues that standard measurements understate true productivity growth in the sector, especially in industries where it is difficult to track changes in quality growth. Comparing producer and consumer price indexes, the authors show that ‘missing’ quality growth in standard industry output deflators is substantial in manufacturing and results in total factor productivity growth being understated. This is heavily driven by the Computer and Electronic Products industry, which is highly innovative and produces goods that have rapid turnover in product characteristics.
@enghin-atalay.bsky.social, Ali Hortacsu, Nicole Kimmel, & Chad Syverson argue that standard measurements understate true #productivity growth in the US #manufacturing sector, especially in industries were it is difficult to track changes in quality growth.
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
#EconSky
Mokyr's work could not have been done today in most economics departments, but the irony is that his work would not fit in history departments today, either. Methodologically he seems more 'history' than 'economics' to economists, but the content and reasoning are too 'economics' for most historians
Ronan is dropping more facts about the U.S. housing market over time and space using the HHP dataset:
ronanlyons.substack.com/p/101-things...
Help my colleague find all the ways in which his work is reaching your students!
Yes! We talk about this a lot in the updated working paper (on my website).
Yes, the indices were revised. We collected additional data and improved the specification as part of the peer review process. So you should use the V2 version from now on. Thank you for asking.
No way he got stuck in an airport and had to present from there??
Examining the effects of public debt on municipal services and real outcomes during financial crises using data on US cities from 1924 to 1943, from Pawel Janas https://www.nber.org/papers/w34011
New release for the HHP project. We now have rent and sales price indexes for 30 cities along with rental yields, capital gains, and housing returns for the years 1890-2006. Online data viz tools and download here:
www.philadelphiafed.org/surveys-and-...