Double LASSO for Causal Inference: Does Abortion Reduce Crime?

* Stata 14+ : `use` reads an https URL directly
global BASE "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cmg777/starter-academic-v501/master/content/post/r_double_lasso/data/"
use "${BASE}levitt_state.dta", clear
describe
notes

!pip install -q pyreadstat
import pandas as pd
BASE = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cmg777/starter-academic-v501/master/content/post/r_double_lasso/data/"
df = pd.read_stata(BASE + "levitt_state.dta")

# load every dataset at once
files = ["levitt_state", "levitt_linear", "levitt_partialled", "levitt_controls_viol", "levitt_controls_prop", "levitt_controls_murd", "levitt_control_names"]
data = {f: pd.read_stata(BASE + f + ".dta") for f in files}

# pyreadstat (richest metadata) reads LOCAL files -> download first
import pyreadstat, urllib.request
urllib.request.urlretrieve(BASE + "levitt_state.dta", "levitt_state.dta")
df, meta = pyreadstat.read_dta("levitt_state.dta")

# R : haven::read_dta auto-downloads an https URL
library(haven)
BASE <- "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cmg777/starter-academic-v501/master/content/post/r_double_lasso/data/"
df <- read_dta(paste0(BASE, "levitt_state.dta"))

Mendez, C. (2026). Double LASSO for Causal Inference: Does Abortion Reduce Crime? [Data set]. https://carlos-mendez.org/post/r_double_lasso/

Belloni, A., Chernozhukov, V. & Hansen, C. (2014). Inference on treatment effects after selection among high-dimensional controls. Review of Economic Studies, 81(2), 608–650. Donohue III, J. J. & Levitt, S. D. (2001). The impact of legalized abortion on crime. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 116(2), 379–420.

@misc{mendez2026rdoublelasso,
  author       = {Mendez, Carlos},
  title        = {Double LASSO for Causal Inference: Does Abortion Reduce Crime?},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://carlos-mendez.org/post/r_double_lasso/}},
  note         = {Data set}
}

@article{belloni2014inference,
  author  = {Belloni, Alexandre and Chernozhukov, Victor and Hansen, Christian},
  title   = {Inference on Treatment Effects after Selection among High-Dimensional Controls},
  journal = {Review of Economic Studies},
  volume  = {81}, number = {2}, pages = {608--650}, year = {2014}
}
@article{donohue2001impact,
  author  = {Donohue, John J. and Levitt, Steven D.},
  title   = {The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime},
  journal = {Quarterly Journal of Economics},
  volume  = {116}, number = {2}, pages = {379--420}, year = {2001}
}