SMU SOE Seminar (March 24, 2023): Preferences for Firearms and Their Implications for Regulation

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ABSTRACT This paper estimates consumer demand for firearms with the aim of predicting the likely impacts of firearm regulations on the number and types of guns in circulation. We first conduct a statedchoice-based conjoint analysis and estimate an individual-level demand model for firearms. We validate our estimates using aggregate moments from observational data. Next, we use our estimates to simulate changes in the number and types of guns in circulation under alternative regulations. Importantly, we find that bans or restrictions that specifically target "assault weapons" increase demand for handguns, which are associated with the vast majority of firearmrelated violence. We provide distributions of consumer surplus under counterfactuals and discuss how those distributions could be useful for crafting policy. Click here to view the CV. Click here to view the paper.
		PRESENTER Brad Shapiro University of Chicago
		RESEARCH FIELDS Industrial Organization Health Economics Quantitative Marketing
		DATE: 24 March 2023 (Friday)
		TIME: 2pm - 3.30pm
		VENUE: Meeting Room 5.1, Level 5 School of Economics Singapore Management University 90 Stamford Road Singapore 178903