Jou-chun Lin

I am a public economist specializing in empirical evaluations of public policy. I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Davis in Spring 2024 and currently serve as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at National Taipei University.

My research focuses on the design and impact of social safety net programs in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). I use quasi-experimental methods—especially those leveraging state-level policy variation—to study how eligibility rules affect program take-up, targeting efficiency, and administrative burden. In addition, I apply machine learning techniques to understand how states make policy decisions and to identify key predictors of those choices.

My current work involves the value of public funds and the long-term impacts of public programs in the United States. Moving forward, I aim to extend my research agenda to include public policy issues in Taiwan and other East Asian countries.

Email:  jouchunlin@gm.ntpu.edu.tw