We use full-population data at the individual death certificate, prescribed opioid pill, and individual municipal bond level to investigate the effects of the opioid crisis on local governments. The opioid epidemic lowers credit ratings and increases new offer yields among the most affected...

Migration patterns in the United States changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that COVID-induced migration predicts municipal bond yield spreads, particularly for lower-rated bonds and areas experiencing larger than usual population outflows. Analyzing this effect across the...

We examine how coordination between elected officials and voters impacts local governments' borrowing costs. Using the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as an identifying shock that implicitly raised the cost of local public goods for residents, we show in a difference-in-differences framework that the...