A record number of firearm background checks were completed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the protests following the murder of George Floyd. Using monthly state-level data, we show that the increase in firearm background check rates in March 2020 and June 2020 differ from previous gun-buying events in at least two important ways. First, the increases in the background check rates surrounding COVID-19 and the George Floyd protests are significantly larger than previous gun-buying events. Second, the gun-buying events of 2020 are nonpartisan; the effect in Republican-leaning states is statistically indistinguishable from the effect in Democrat-leaning states. Our estimates suggest that there were 62 percent more background checks completed between March and August 2020 than expected, which amounts to over 7 million additional background checks. We provide evidence that the recent spikes in background checks are not motivated by gun policy uncertainty and discuss policy recommendations that may alleviate any negative outcomes associated with expanded gun ownership during an unprecedented pandemic.

School finance is highly centralized in California, as the state determines almost all of the revenue school districts receive. The only significant source of local revenue is a tax on parcels of land. We show that the likelihood a district levies this tax is positively related to the income of district residents and negatively related to the tax-price of spending per pupil in the district. It is also negatively related to the revenue a district receives under the state's school finance system. Districts turn to the parcel tax when their residents' demand for spending is not met by the revenue provided by the state.

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Lack of wealth for a down payment is one of the most recognized barriers to home ownership. In response to this barrier, state and federal government have implemented many programs that provide down payment assistance to potential home buyers. Numerous studies have shown that this assistance can increase homeownership rates, but few have measured how receiving assistance may alter borrowing behavior. Using data from a down payment assistance grant in the Midwest, this study compares the loan type and size of grant recipients to other borrowers that report similar income and buy homes in the same census tract. Results indicate grant recipients are more likely to use conventional loans, which are less expensive than other loan types that require a smaller down payment. Estimates also suggest that the grant may reduce loan size for borrowers who are on the margin of using a conventional loan.

A record 3.7 million firearm background checks were completed in March, 2020, the month that the United States began responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using monthly state-level data, we show that the pandemic is associated with a 40 percent increase in the firearm background check rate. The COVID-19 effect is significantly greater than the increases in firearm sales associated with gun-buying events in the past, including the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in background checks in Republican-leaning states is statistically indistinguishable from the increase in Democrat-leaning states. The only other event that we explore where all states across the political spectrum react similarly in terms of firearm sales is following the 9-11 terrorist attacks. However, the magnitude of the increase in firearm background checks during the COVID-19 pandemic is approximately twice as large as the terrorist attacks. Our findings are relevant to public health officials concerned about the combination of more firearms and deteriorating mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. At the same time, the non-partisan response in firearm purchases during the pandemic suggests that the divide between political parties may not be as wide as previously thought.