Tara Watson
Biographic Data
| ID | 6369403 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tara Watson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tara |
| FAMILY NAME | Watson |
| SIGNATURE | WATSON T |
| AFFILIATIONS | The Brookings Institution Washington, DC USA |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5657-233X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 8 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Response to Bier
Counterpoint
Did Welfare Reform End the Safety Net as We Knew It? The Record since 1996
This paper examines the evolution of the safety net for low-income families since welfare reform in 1996 promised to “end welfare as we know it.” The total package of supports has become substantially more generous, but has changed in character. Support has shifted away from monthly cash transfers towards tax credits and in-kind benefits, and has expanded for working families while declining for those without earnings. Resources available to marr…
Living with Children and Economic Disadvantage Among Seniors
Using the 2000 Census and 2005–2019 American Community Surveys, we examine the propensity of older adults to live with children. We show that seniors from disadvantaged subgroups are more likely to live in multi- or skip-generational arrangements. Contextual factors associated with more multigenerational living include a less generous safety net and high housing costs. Skip-generational living is associated with high female incarceration rates. C…
The Effect of Safety Net Generosity on Maternal Mental Health and Risky Health Behaviors
Single mothers are more likely to experience mental health problems and stress‐related negative health behaviors than their married counterparts, but a more generous safety net may improve these outcomes. We use a simulated safety net eligibility approach that accounts for interactions across safety net programs and relies on changing policies across states and time to identify causal effects of safety net generosity on psychological distress and…
Inside the Refrigerator
“Chilling effects” are a popular explanation for low program take-up rates among immigrants, but the effects of an icy policy climate are inherently hard to measure. This paper finds robust evidence that heightened federal immigration enforcement reduces Medicaid participation among children of noncitizens, even when children are themselves citizens. The decline in immigrant Medicaid participation around the time of welfare reform is largely expl…
Inequality and the Measurement of Residential Segregation by Income in American Neighborhoods
American metropolitan areas have experienced rising residential segregation by income since 1970. One potential explanation for this change is growing income inequality. However, measures of residential sorting are typically mechanically related to the income distribution, making it difficult to identify the impact of inequality on residential choice. This paper presents a measure of residential segregation by income, the Centile Gap Index (CGI),…
Effects of a computer based beginning reading program on young children
This study was an evaluation of a parent delivered, computer based beginning reading program with a group of 15 Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Completing the Funnix program at home through a CD copy was expected to produce educationally and statistically significant improvements in phonemic awareness, letter-sound fluency, non-word decoding skills, and oral reading fluency, when compared to the outcomes for a similar group of 16 students in a…
The Effect of Safety Net Generosity on Maternal Mental Health and Risky Health Behaviors
Single mothers are more likely to experience mental health problems and stress‐related negative health behaviors than their married counterparts, but a more generous safety net may improve these outcomes. We use a simulated safety net eligibility approach that accounts for interactions across safety net programs and relies on changing policies across states and time to identify causal effects of safety net generosity on psychological distress and…
Effects of a computer based beginning reading program on young children
This study was an evaluation of a parent delivered, computer based beginning reading program with a group of 15 Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Completing the Funnix program at home through a CD copy was expected to produce educationally and statistically significant improvements in phonemic awareness, letter-sound fluency, non-word decoding skills, and oral reading fluency, when compared to the outcomes for a similar group of 16 students in a…
Inequality and the Measurement of Residential Segregation by Income in American Neighborhoods
American metropolitan areas have experienced rising residential segregation by income since 1970. One potential explanation for this change is growing income inequality. However, measures of residential sorting are typically mechanically related to the income distribution, making it difficult to identify the impact of inequality on residential choice. This paper presents a measure of residential segregation by income, the Centile Gap Index (CGI),…
Inside the Refrigerator
“Chilling effects” are a popular explanation for low program take-up rates among immigrants, but the effects of an icy policy climate are inherently hard to measure. This paper finds robust evidence that heightened federal immigration enforcement reduces Medicaid participation among children of noncitizens, even when children are themselves citizens. The decline in immigrant Medicaid participation around the time of welfare reform is largely expl…
The Effect of Safety Net Generosity on Maternal Mental Health and Risky Health Behaviors
Single mothers are more likely to experience mental health problems and stress‐related negative health behaviors than their married counterparts, but a more generous safety net may improve these outcomes. We use a simulated safety net eligibility approach that accounts for interactions across safety net programs and relies on changing policies across states and time to identify causal effects of safety net generosity on psychological distress and…
Did Welfare Reform End the Safety Net as We Knew It? The Record since 1996
This paper examines the evolution of the safety net for low-income families since welfare reform in 1996 promised to “end welfare as we know it.” The total package of supports has become substantially more generous, but has changed in character. Support has shifted away from monthly cash transfers towards tax credits and in-kind benefits, and has expanded for working families while declining for those without earnings. Resources available to marr…
Living with Children and Economic Disadvantage Among Seniors
Using the 2000 Census and 2005–2019 American Community Surveys, we examine the propensity of older adults to live with children. We show that seniors from disadvantaged subgroups are more likely to live in multi- or skip-generational arrangements. Contextual factors associated with more multigenerational living include a less generous safety net and high housing costs. Skip-generational living is associated with high female incarceration rates. C…
Response to Bier
Counterpoint
Economics (4 works) · Political science (4 works) · Business (3 works) · Demographic economics (3 works) · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics (3 works) · Medicine (3 works) · Psychology (3 works) · Safety net (3 works) · Economic growth (2 works) · Financial Literacy, Pension, Retirement Analysis (2 works)