Untitled Document

Data Page for "Conspicuous Consumption and Race"

Updated May 2008

Main paper can be found here

Robustness appendix can be found here

CEX Stata Data Files

There are five *.dta files that are needed to replicate the tables and figures which report results using CEX data. The tables and figures can be replicated by running conspicuous_consumption_tables_qje_final.do (found below).

1. The NBER CEX data files (compiled from the data available on the NBER web site) Link

Note: We use the NBER CEX files because Sabelhaus and Harris already performed the very difficult task of harmonizing the CEX consumption sub-categories across the years of the survey.

2. Raw CEX (given to us by Mel Stephens who compiled the data directly using the raw data from the BLS) Link

Note: We need to merge in additional information about the households into the NBER CEX files (in particular, detailed race codes, number of quarters in the survey, and household state of residence).

3. CPI-U (from the St.Louis web site) Link

Note: We need this to easily deflate expenditures from different months to constant (2005) dollars

4. Mean Income and Standard Deviation of Male Labor Income By Race and State (from CPS) Link

Note: We need this to examin whether one's own spending on a given consumption category is related to the average income from there race-state reference group.

5. Mean Housing Prices by State (from the 1990 and 2000 census). Link

Note: We need this to help control for differences in housing expenditures across states in our analysis.

CEX Stata Do Files

There are two *.do files that are needed to replicate the tables and figures which report results using CEX data.

1. Main *.do file used to make Tables 1-4, 6-8, A2, A3 (just a summary of ), Figures 1 and 2a from main text and Figures R4 and R5 from the robustness appendix. Link

Note: To run this file, make sure that this do file and all 5 of the above *.dta files are saved to your computer. You then need to edit the do file so that the relevant directories are specified when referencing the *.dta files (i.e., you need to delete my directories references and add in your own).

2. Do file that is needed to make Figure 3. Link

Note: Here is the *.txt file that is needed to make figure 3 (the main do file generates these results for the *.txt file - this just makes it a little easier to quickly generate the figure). link

PSID Data and Do Files

1. *.dta file for the 2005 PSID Link

2. *.do file which generates the 2005 PSID results Link

Note: These *.dta and *.do files make Table 5 from the main text and Tables R7 from the Robustness Appendix. Do to confidentiality agreements with the PSID, we cannot post the geocodes necessary to replicate Table R8 from the Robustness Appendix.