Miles X Stevens
-PhD candidate in Economics at Indiana University
About Me
My Story
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky. I earned my undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta. I'm currently at Indiana University completing my PhD in Economics. As a researcher, my work focuses on investigating the impact of various factors on specific domains. In one line of inquiry, I explore the relationship between country-level institutional quality and trade patterns, particularly at the brand level. While previous studies have examined how institutional quality influences comparative advantage, my research is the first to investigate if this effect persists at the brand level. By analyzing comprehensive import data from Chile between 2007 and 2015, I provide evidence that institutional comparative advantage plays a role in the specialization of brand production, specifically in exports from China. This work sheds light on the relative importance of branding, multinational corporations, institutions, and incomplete contracts in shaping trade dynamics.
In another line of research, I focus on the role of state legislatures in redistricting and the impact it has on electoral outcomes. Using a unique dataset that includes race and gender identifiers for incumbents in the US House of Representatives from 1976 to 2018, I examine differences in reelection probability between redistricting periods for non-white male incumbents compared to their white male counterparts. The results of this study demonstrate that congressional redistricting negatively affects the chances of reelection for all incumbents, with a larger impact observed for candidates belonging to historically discriminated groups. By highlighting the electoral consequences of redistricting, this research emphasizes the role of institutions in determining electoral outcomes and the importance of considering equity and representation in the redistricting process.
Overall, my work as a researcher encompasses studying the impact of institutional quality on country specialization in brand production and analyzing the effects of redistricting on the reelection probability of incumbents, particularly for historically marginalized groups.
Professional History
Aug 2013- May 2017
B.A. Economics
B.A. Mathematics
Morehouse College
May 2016 - Aug 2016
Economic Policy Institute: Intern
Worked under the supervision of Dr. Josh Bivens, Director of Research at EPI
Aug 2017 - Dec 2017
M.S. Economics
Indiana University
Indiana University
Aug 2017 - Present
Ph.D. Economics
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Volodymyr Lugovskyy
Forthcoming
Morehouse College
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics