Subscores, also known as domain scores, diagnostic scores, or trait scores, can help determine test-takers' relative strengths and weaknesses and appropriately focus remediation. However, subscores often have poor psychometric properties, particularly reliability and distinctiveness (Folske, Gessaroli, & Swanson, 1999; Monaghan, 2006;…

Effective policymaking requires understanding the causal effects of competing proposals. Relevant causal quantities include proposals' expected effect on different groups of recipients, the impact of policies over time, the potential trade-offs between competing objectives, and, ultimately, the optimal policy. This dissertation studies causal…