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on Urban and Real Estate Economics |
| By: | Brandily, P.; Rauch, F. |
| Abstract: | In this paper we study the role of within-city roads layout in fostering city growth. Within-city roads networks have not been studied extensively in economics although they are essential to facilitate human interactions, which are at the core of agglomeration economies. We build and compute several simple measures of roads network and construct a sample of over 1800 cities and towns from Sub-Saharan Africa. Using a simple econometric model and two instrumental variable strategies based on the history of African cities, we then estimate the causal impact of within-city roads layout on urban growth. We find that over the recent decades, cities with greater road density and road evenness in the centre grew faster. |
| Keywords: | urbanisation; road layout; Sub-Saharan Africa; urban planning |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2024–03–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122580&r=ure |
| By: | Vanda Almeida; Claire Hoffmann; Sebastian Königs; Ana Moreno Monroy; Mauricio Salazar-Lozada; Javier Terrero-Dávila |
| Abstract: | People’s ability to access essential services is key to their labour market and social inclusion. An important dimension of accessibility is physical accessibility, but little cross-country evidence exists on how close people live to the services facilities they need. This paper helps to address this gap, focusing on three types of essential services: Public Employment Services, primary schools and Early Childhood Education and Care. It collects and maps data on the location of these services for a selection of OECD countries and links them with data on population and transport infrastructure. This allows to compute travel times to the nearest service facility and to quantify disparities in accessibility at the regional level. The results highlight substantial inequalities in accessibility of essential services across and within countries. Although large parts of the population can easily reach these services in most countries, some people are relatively underserved. This is particularly the case in non-metropolitan and low-income regions. At the same time, accessibility seems to be associated with the potential demand for these services once accounting for other regional economic and demographic characteristics. |
| JEL: | H00 I24 J01 O18 R12 |
| Date: | 2024–04–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:elsaab:307-en&r=ure |
| By: | Martin Cesnak (National Bank of Slovakia); Jan Klacso (National Bank of Slovakia); Patrik Kupkovic (National Bank of Slovakia); Andrej Moravcik (National Bank of Slovakia); Stefan Rychtarik (National Bank of Slovakia); Roman Vrbovsky (National Bank of Slovakia) |
| Abstract: | The residential real estate market in Slovakia is very important, both from the perspective of macroeconomy and financial stability. Home ownership is very high and housing loans form a large part of the banks’ assets. Therefore, the National Bank of Slovakia follows thoroughly the development on this market. Residential real estate data are quarterly published, and the development of real estate prices is assessed in regular publications, such as the Economic and Monetary Developments or the Financial Stability Report. For a better understanding of the development on this market, different indices have been developed. The list includes composite indices, housing affordability indices and macroeconomic models estimating fundamental prices or studying the impact of different shocks on real estate prices. This paper gives an overview of the recently used RRE-related indices and serves as a methodological note to the RRE dashboard that is available on the NBS website. |
| JEL: | G12 E37 R21 R31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:svk:wpaper:1103&r=ure |
| By: | Andrés César (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP & CONICET); Guillermo Falcone (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP & CONICET) |
| Abstract: | We study the causal impact of export growth on Chilean local economic development during 2000–2006 by exploiting spatial and temporal variations in local exposure stemming from the interaction of past differences in industry specialization across local labor markets and the evolution of tariffs cuts and exports across industries. We find that growing exports implied a significant reduction in labor informality and labor income gains in more exposed local markets, driven by job creation and wage growth in the formal sector. These effects concentrate on senior skilled workers. Exposed locations also exhibit a greater relative decline in the poverty rate. |
| JEL: | F14 F16 J23 J31 O17 Q02 R12 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dls:wpaper:0329&r=ure |
| By: | Milena Almagro; Tomás Domínguez-Iino |
| Abstract: | This paper shows the endogeneity of amenities plays a crucial role in determining the welfare distribution of a city’s residents. We quantify this mechanism by building a dynamic model of residential choice with heterogeneous households, where consumption amenities are the equilibrium outcome of a market for non-tradables. We estimate our model using Dutch microdata and leveraging variation in Amsterdam’s spatial distribution of tourists as a demand shifter, finding significant heterogeneity in residents’ preferences over amenities and in the supply responses of amenities to changes in demand composition. This two-way heterogeneity dictates the degree of horizontal differentiation across neighborhoods, residential sorting, and inequality. Finally, we show the distributional effects of mass tourism depend on this heterogeneity: following rent increases due to growing tourist demand for housing, younger residents—whose amenity preferences are closest to tourists—are compensated by amenities tilting in their favor, while the losses of older residents are amplified. |
| JEL: | L0 L83 R0 R13 R20 R21 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32304&r=ure |
| By: | McCarthy, Barra (Central Bank of Ireland) |
| Abstract: | The impact of institutional investment on residential rental markets is a topic that draws much attention, but for which limited evidence exists. This paper aims to remedy this by analysing the direct and indirect impact of institutional investment in existing housing stock on residential rents at the property level, using Ireland as a case study. Ireland is particularly suited, as large portfolios of rental properties became available for purchase due to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), enticing institutional investors into Ireland's rental market for the first time. By focusing on investment in existing stock, the analysis isolates the impact of institutional investment from the effect it can have on local rental markets when it is channelled to new rental housing – a supply effect which should reduce rents. The study finds that institutional investors increased the level of rents by 4.1 percentage points more than other landlords with comparable properties following purchase. Available evidence supports many different causal mechanisms, including bargaining power, institutional landlords providing a higher cost-higher quality service, and institutional landlords placing greater emphasis on profitability. |
| Keywords: | Institutional Investment, Residential Rental Markets, Spatial Data. |
| JEL: | R30 G23 |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbi:wpaper:1/rt/24&r=ure |
| By: | Stephen J. Redding; Daniel M. Sturm |
| Abstract: | We use the German bombing of London during the Second World War as an exogenous source of variation to provide evidence on neighborhood effects. We construct a newly-digitized dataset at the level of individual buildings on wartime destruction, property values, and socioeconomic composition in London before and after the Second World War. We develop a quantitative spatial model, in which heterogeneous groups of individuals endogenously sort across locations in response to differences in natural advantages, wartime destruction and neighborhood effects. We find substantial and highly localized neighborhood effects, which magnify the direct impact of wartime destruction, and make a substantial contribution to observed patterns of spatial sorting across locations. |
| Keywords: | agglomeration, neighborhood effects, second world war, spatial sorting |
| Date: | 2024–04–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1986&r=ure |
| By: | Passmore, Reid; Watkins, Kari E; Guensler, Randall |
| Abstract: | Planners and engineers need to know how to assess the impacts of proposed cycling infrastructure projects, so that projects that have the greatest potential impact on the actual and perceived cycling safety are selected over those that would be less effective. Planners also need to be able to communicate these impacts to decision-makers and the public. This research addresses these problems using the BikewaySim cycling shortest path model. BikewaySim uses link impedance functions to account for link attributes (e.g., presence of a bike lane, steep gradients, the number of lanes) and find the least impedance path for any origin-destination pair. In this project, BikewaySim was used to assess the impacts of using time-only and time with attribute impedances, as well as two proposed cycling infrastructure projects, on 28, 392 potential trips for a study area in Atlanta, Georgia. These impacts were visualized through bikesheds, individual routing, and betweenness centrality. Two metrics, percent detour and change in impedance, were also calculated. Results demonstrate that BikewaySim can effectively visualize potential improvements of cycling infrastructure and has additional applications for trip planning. An expanded study area was also used to demonstrate bike + transit mode routing for four study area locations. Visualizations examine the accessibility to TAZs, travel time, and the utilized transit modes for each location. Compared to the walk + transit mode, the bike + transit mode provided greater access to other TAZs and reached them in a shorter amount of time. The locations near the center of the transit network where many routes converge offered the greatest accessibility for both the bike + transit and walk + transit modes. The difference in accessibility was greatest for locations near fewer transit routes. This research demonstrated how BikewaySim can be used to both examine the current cycling network and show changes in accessibility likely to result from new infrastructure. Both BikewaySim and TransitSim are open-source Python based tools that will be made available for practitioners to use in bicycle network planning. Future research will focus on calibrating link impedance functions with revealed preference data (cycling GPS traces) and survey response data (surveys on user preference for cycling infrastructure). View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, bicycle networks, shortest path routing, bicycle route choice, bicycle facility preference, first and last mile travel |
| Date: | 2024–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt7pt4d1tk&r=ure |
| By: | David L. Sjoquist (Center for State and Local Finance, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University) |
| Abstract: | Sales taxes have become an important source of revenue for local governments in Georgia. However, local sales tax revenues per capita vary widely across the state’s 159 counties. One reason is that residents of some counties do much of their shopping in other counties that are retail centers. Some think this is inequitable. This inequity could be addressed by providing grants to counties with small sales tax revenue per capita, funded either by the state or by transfers from counties with large sales tax revenue per capita. In this policy brief, we explore the variation across Georgia counties in sales tax revenue per capita and explore a grant program to address the inequities. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ays:cslfwp:cslf2401&r=ure |
| By: | Abarca, Alejandro; Juan, Felipe; Lyu, Ke; Prettyman, Alexa; Tanrisever, Idil |
| Abstract: | Wu et al. (2023) estimate the effect of classroom seating arrangements in China using a randomized control trial with two treatment schemes. The first treatment scheme involves seating high and low achieving students together, and the second treatment involves this same seating arrangement with financial incentives for the high-achieving students, if their deskmates' test scores improved. All statistically significant impacts come from the incentivized treatment scheme. Wu et al. (2023) find that low-achieving students sitting next to incentivized high-achieving students perform 0.24 SD (p-value=0.018) better on math exams. In addition, being assigned to the incentive treatment scheme increased extraversion and agreeableness for low and high achieving students. Lastly, they do not find much evidence of peer effects on test scores nor personality traits. This study is computationally reproducible using their provided replication package. We ran their code using Stata 14, 17, and 18. After running their replication package, we further investigated Tables 2-5. The main conclusions are generally robust to various coding decisions. Notably, in investigating the peer effects, when we change the specification to also control for the difference in baseline scores between the student and their deskmate, we find that the more dissimilar deskmates are at baseline, the bigger the peer effects. |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:i4rdps:111&r=ure |
| By: | Lei, Yunliang |
| Abstract: | Introduction: This research focuses on exploring the impact of Big Data Development (BDD) on Urban Ecological Governance Performance (EGP), with a particular emphasis on environmental dimensions within and among various regions. It aims to understand the complex interplay between technological advancements, urbanization, and environmental management in the context of urban ecological governance. Methods: Employing the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM), the study rigorously investigates the effects of BDD on EGP. It also examines the mediating role of Industrial Structure Level (ISL) and the moderating effects of both Level of Technological Investment (LTI) and Urbanization Level (URB), to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing urban ecological governance. Results: The findings reveal that big data significantly strengthens urban ecological governance, characterized by pronounced spatial spillover effects, indicating interregional interdependence in environmental management. Urbanization level notably amplifies the influence of BDD on EGP, whereas the magnitude of technological investments does not show a similar effect. Moreover, the industrial structure acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between BDD and EGP, with this mediating role demonstrating variability across different regions. Discussion: The research highlights the critical role of big data in enhancing urban ecological governance, particularly in terms of environmental aspects. It underscores the importance of technological advancements and urbanization in augmenting the effectiveness of ecological governance. The variability of the mediating role of industrial structure across regions suggests the need for tailored strategies in implementing big data initiatives for environmental management. |
| Keywords: | big data; ecological governance performance; environmental management; spatial analysis; spatial durbin model |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2024–03–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122571&r=ure |
| By: | Henning Finseraas; Ole Henning Nyhus; Kari Vea Salvanes; Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør |
| Abstract: | Recent research suggests that using additional teachers to provide small-group instruction or tutoring substantially improves student learning. However, treatment effects on test scores can fade over time, and less is known about the lasting effects of such interventions. We leverage data from a Norwegian large-scale field experiment to examine the effects of small-group instruction in mathematics for students aged 7-9. This intervention shares many features with other high-impact tutoring programs, with some notable exceptions: instruction time was kept fixed, it had a lower dosage, and it targeted students of all ability levels. The latter allows us to assess fadeout across the ability distribution. Previous research on this intervention finds positive short-run effects. This paper shows that about 60% of the effect persists 3.5 years later. The effect size and degree of fadeout are surprisingly similar across the ability distribution. The study demonstrates that small-group instruction in mathematics successfully targets student performance and that effects can be sustained over time. |
| Keywords: | small-group instruction, tutoring, sustained effects, RCT, teacher density |
| JEL: | C93 H52 I21 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11021&r=ure |
| By: | Lei Bill Wang; Om Prakash Bedant; Haoran Wang; Zhenbang Jiao; Jia Yin |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we look at a school principal's class assignment problem. We break the problem into three stages (1) friendship prediction (2) peer effect estimation (3) class assignment optimization. We build a micro-founded model for friendship formation and approximate the model as a neural network. Leveraging on the predicted friendship probability adjacent matrix, we improve the traditional linear-in-means model and estimate peer effect. We propose a new instrument to address the friendship selection endogeneity. The estimated peer effect is slightly larger than the linear-in-means model estimate. Using the friendship prediction and peer effect estimation results, we simulate counterfactual peer effects for all students. We find that dividing students into gendered classrooms increases average peer effect by 0.02 point on a scale of 5. We also find that extreme mixing class assignment method improves bottom quartile students' peer effect by 0.08 point. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2404.02497&r=ure |
| By: | Leogrande, Angelo |
| Abstract: | In this article I analyzed the propensity for patenting in Italian regions through the use of ISTAT-BES data. The static analysis shows the presence of a significant gap between the northern regions and the southern regions in the period between 2004 and 2019. The econometric analysis applied with panel models highlights the relationships that the propensity to patent has with respect to the determinants of innovation systems at regional level. The results are critically discussed with economic policy recommendations. |
| Date: | 2024–03–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:p4exf&r=ure |
| By: | Volker, Jamey; Hosseinzade, Rey; Handy, Susan |
| Abstract: | Senate Bill (SB) 743 (2013) and its related regulations eliminated automobile level of service (LOS) and replaced it with vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the primary transportation impact metric for land development projects under the California Environmental Quality Act. Actual implementation of the LOS-to-VMT shift was left up to lead agencies, primarily local governments. The LOS-to-VMT shift was expected to create many challenges, given the often-limited resources of local governments, the entrenched use of LOS, and the perceived lack of established practice regarding VMT estimation, mitigation, and monitoring. With those concerns in mind, researchers at the University of California, Davis investigated how local governments have been implementing the LOS-to-VMT shift for land development projects. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that investigation. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, implementation, land use, level of service, metrics, urban development, vehicle miles of travel |
| Date: | 2024–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt4764h534&r=ure |
| By: | Hideo Akabayashi; Shimpei Taguchi; Mirka Zvedelikova |
| Abstract: | During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools switched to online education. Using Japan’s nationwide administrative data, we examine the impact of schools’ ICT equipment and teachers’ IT skills on the provision of online classes, communication with students’ families, and teachers’ working hours in early 2020. To isolate supply-side effects, we exploit differences in ICT resources between public elementary and junior high schools at a municipality level, the level at which ICT resources are decided. We find that basic ICT equipment was critical to implementing online classes, but IT skills were not. However, IT skills were associated with teachers’ working hours. |
| Date: | 2023–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpr:wpaper:1207r&r=ure |
| By: | Karun Adusumilli (University of Pennsylvania); Francesco Agostinelli (University of Pennsylvania); Emilio Borghesan (Princeton University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the scalability of the results from the Tennessee Student- Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project, a prominent educational experiment. We explore how the misalignment between the experimental design and the econometric model affects researchers’ ability to learn about the intervention’s scalability. We document heterogeneity in compliance with class-size reduction that is more extensive than previously acknowledged and discuss its consequences for the evaluation of the experiment. Guided by this finding, we implement a new econometric framework incorporating heterogeneous treatment effects and endogenous class size determination. We find that the effect of class size on test scores differs considerably across schools, with only a small fraction of schools having significant benefits from reduced class sizes. We discuss the challenges this poses for the intervention’s scalability and conclude by analyzing targeted class-size interventions. |
| Keywords: | scalability, treatment effects, heterogeneity |
| JEL: | C51 H52 I20 J13 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hka:wpaper:2024-007&r=ure |
| By: | Thomas Vendryes (Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, Centre for Economics at Paris-Saclay (CEPS)); Jiaqi Zhan (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Sorbonne School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | The hukou system is one of the most specific as well as consequential institutional features of contemporary China. Linking Chinese citizens'rights with official - and hard to change - status and place of residence, it has far-reaching social and economic implications, especially on internal migration. The consequences of the hukou have been a subject of unabated debate, especially as for the discrimination rural migrant workers might face in cities. In this paper, we rely on a series of CHIP (China Household Income Project) surveys from 2007 to 2018, to contribute to this debate by investigating the roles of two sets of factors that have been generally disregarded by the literature so far: at the individual level, the role of the dialect distance, between a migrant's origin and destination areas, and, at the macro level, the influence of destination city's characteristics, such as population, GDP and FDI. Results show that a sizeable part of the hukou-related wage gap can be explained by our dialect distance variable, and that the hukou-related wage gap also highly depends on destination cities' characteristics. |
| Keywords: | Labor Markets, Wage Discrimination, Rural-Urban Migrants, Hukou, China |
| JEL: | J31 J61 J71 O15 P23 R23 |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eve:wpaper:23-04&r=ure |
| By: | Shohei Yamamoto; Shuma Iwatani; Koki Shimazu |
| Abstract: | This research examined the impacts of peer skill levels and perseverance through two experiments resembling online learning platforms. Study 1 recruited current English learners, while Study 2 involved participants who had not engaged in studying for more than six months. The results in both experiments revealed negative rather than positive peer effects. The participants ceased studying earlier and displayed reduced performance when learning with peers possessing lower perseverance, compared to when studying alone. This pattern was observed for similarly-skilled peers in Study 1 and higher-skilled peers in Study 2. Further analysis indicated that the negative peer effects predominantly originated from participants with lower levels of motivation. Additionally, it was shown that social proximity could foster positive effects when peers possess similar skills and higher perseverance levels. Our findings suggest that the strategic pairing of learners with appropriate partners is crucial for diminishing negative peer effects and enhancing positive peer influences. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpr:wpaper:1242&r=ure |
| By: | Huiwen Gong (Center for Innovation Research, Business School, University of Stavanger, Norway); Bernhard Truffer (Department of Environmental Social Science, Eawag, Switzerland) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how leading industrial regions may maintain their leadership positions when being confronted with deep and radical transformations of their core industries. Focusing on the evolution of the German automotive sector in Baden-Württemberg over the past two decades, we introduce a theoretical framework for a layered regional architecture that weaves together regional imaginaries, innovation culture, and system change processes. We argue that in response to disruptive threats, active engagement with regional imaginaries becomes essential. The paper critiques conventional approaches in regional innovation policy for overlooking the critical role of the region's intangible facets as vantage points for policy intervention. Hence, it champions a strategy centered on actively shaping regional imaginaries while concurrently fostering the necessary cultural and tangible system transformations. |
| Keywords: | regional transformation, leading industrial regions; regional imaginaries; regional innovation culture; regional innovation system |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aoe:wpaper:2402&r=ure |
| By: | Coskun, Sena (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany); Dauth, Wolfgang (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany); Gartner, Hermann (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany); Stops, Michael (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany); Weber, Enzo (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany ; Univ. Regensburg) |
| Abstract: | "This paper examines how the shift towards working from home during and after the Covid-19 pandemic shapes the way how labor market and locality choices interact. For our analysis, we combine large administrative data on employment biographies in Germany and a new working from home potential indicator based on comprehensive data on working conditions across occupations. We find that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the distance between workplace and residence has increased more strongly for workers in occupations that can be done from home: The association of working from home potential and work-home distance increased significantly since 2021 as compared to a stable pattern before. The effect is much larger for new jobs, suggesting that people match to jobs with high working from home potential that are further away than before the pandemic. Most of this effect stems from jobs in big cities, which indicates that working from home alleviates constraints by tight housing markets. We find no significant evidence that commuting patterns changed more strongly for women than for men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) |
| Keywords: | IAB-Open-Access-Publikation ; Integrierte Erwerbsbiografien |
| JEL: | J61 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–04–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iab:iabdpa:20246&r=ure |
| By: | Parag Mahajan; Nicolas Morales; Kevin Shih; Mingyu Chen; Agostina Brinatti |
| Abstract: | We study how random variation in the availability of highly educated, foreign-born workers impacts firm performance and recruitment behavior. We combine two rich data sources: 1) administrative employer-employee matched data from the US Census Bureau; and 2) firm level information on the first large-scale H-1B visa lottery in 2007. Using an event-study approach, we find that lottery wins lead to increases in firm hiring of college-educated, immigrant labor along with increases in scale and survival. These effects are stronger for small, skill-intensive, and high-productivity firms that participate in the lottery. We do not find evidence for displacement of native-born, college-educated workers at the firm level, on net. However, this result masks dynamics among more specific subgroups of incumbents that we further elucidate. |
| Keywords: | Immigration, firm dynamics, productivity, H-1B visa, high-skilled migration |
| JEL: | F22 J61 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cen:wpaper:24-19&r=ure |
| By: | Jens Ludwig; Kevin Schnepel |
| Abstract: | Do jobs and income-transfer programs affect crime? The answer depends on why one is asking the question, which shapes what one means by “crime.” Many studies focus on understanding why overall crime rates vary across people, places, and time; since 80% of all crimes are property offenses, that’s what this type of research typically explains. But if the goal is to understand what to do about the crime problem, the focus will instead be on serious violent crimes, which account for the majority of the social costs of crime. The best available evidence suggests that policies that reduce economic desperation reduce property crime (and hence overall crime rates) but have little systematic relationship to violent crime. The difference in impacts surely stems in large part from the fact that most violent crimes, including murder, are not crimes of profit but rather crimes of passion – including rage. Policies to alleviate material hardship, as important and useful as those are for improving people’s lives and well-being, are not by themselves sufficient to also substantially alleviate the burden of crime on society. |
| JEL: | H0 I39 K40 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32297&r=ure |
| By: | Perroni, Carlo (University of Warwick); Scharf, Kimberley (University of Nottingham); Smith, Sarah (University of Bristol); Talavera, Oleksandr (University of Birmingham); Vi, Linh (Aston University) |
| Abstract: | Combining longitudinal postcode-level data on charitable donations made through a UK giving portal with publicly available data on local crime and neighborhood characteristics, we study the relationship between local crime and local residents’ charitable giving and we investigate the possible mechanisms underlying this relationship. An increase in local crime corresponds to a sizeable increase in the overall size of unscheduled charitable donations. This effect is mainly driven by the responses of female and gender unclassified donors. Donation responses also reflect postcode variation in socio-economic characteristics, levels of mental health, and political leanings, but mainly so for female and gender-unidentified donors. |
| Keywords: | Charitable Donations ; Prosocial Behavior ; Crime JEL Codes: H41 ; D64 ; D91 ; J15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1493&r=ure |
| By: | Valentine Fays (UMONS (Soci&ter) and ULB (CEBRIG, DULBEA)); Benoît Mahy (UMONS (Soci&ter) and ULB (CEBRIG, DULBEA)); François Ryckx (ULB (CEBRIG, DULBEA),) |
| Abstract: | This article is the first to examine how 1st-generation migrants affect the employment of workers born in the host country according to their origin, distinguishing between natives and 2nd-generation migrants. To do so, we take advantage of access to a unique linked employer-employee dataset for the Belgian economy enabling us to test these relationships at a quite precise level of the labour market, i.e. the firm level. Fixed effect estimates, including a large number of covariates, suggest complementarity between the employment of 1st-generation migrants and workers born in Belgium (both natives and 2nd-generation migrants, respectively). Several sensitivity tests, considering different levels of aggregation, workers’ levels of education, migrants’ region of origin, workers’ occupations, and sectors corroborate this conclusion. |
| Keywords: | 1st and 2nd generation migrants, Substainability, Complementarity, Moderating factors |
| JEL: | J15 J24 J62 |
| Date: | 2024–04–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctl:louvir:2024004&r=ure |
| By: | McNally, Sandra; Schmidt Rivera, Luis; Sivropoulos-Valero, Anna Valero |
| Abstract: | Further education and sixth form colleges are key institutions for facilitating skill acquisition among 16–19 year olds in the UK. They enrol half a school cohort after completion of their lower secondary education, and this includes a disproportionate number from low-income backgrounds. Yet little is known about what could improve performance in these institutions. We conduct the world's first management practices survey in such institutions, and match this to administrative longitudinal data on over 40, 000 students. Value-added regressions with rich controls suggest that structured management matters for educational outcomes, especially for students from low-income backgrounds. For this group, in a hypothetical scenario where an individual is moved from a college at the 10th percentile of management practices to the 90th, this would be associated with 8% higher probability of achieving a good high school qualification, nearly half of the educational gap between those from poor and non-poor backgrounds. Hence improving management practices may be an important channel for reducing inequalities. |
| Keywords: | ES/T014431/1; ES/V009478/1; ES/S001735/1; Wiley deal |
| JEL: | J50 |
| Date: | 2024–03–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122360&r=ure |
| By: | Fabian Scheifele; David Popp |
| Abstract: | Support from local citizens is important for the scale-up of renewable energy. We investigate the impact of utility-scale wind and solar parks on employment, GDP and public finances in Brazilian municipalities using a difference-in-differences design with matching. We find a positive employment impact of 1-1.5 jobs/MW in the 15 months preceding the commissioning of a solar park, when the park is under construction, but no impacts thereafter. For wind, we find no employment impacts during the construction phase and potentially a small impact of 0.2-0.25 jobs/MW in the 12 months following commissioning. In the year after commissioning, GDP increases 23% for an average sized solar park and 12% for an average sized wind project. The impacts only decrease slightly in the following years. We also find significant persistent fiscal revenue impacts in wind compared to only a one-time tax revenue increase in solar at the time of construction. Our results provide different implications for policymakers that want to advocate for renewable energy in their towns. While for solar, the main benefit constitutes a short-term increase in low-skilled employment and public revenues, wind energy provides more long-term financial benefits but less local employment opportunities. |
| Keywords: | employment, renewables, local impact, difference-in-differences |
| JEL: | Q52 O13 O14 E24 J21 H71 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11023&r=ure |
| By: | Michael Kenny (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University Cambridge); Philip McCann (The Productivity Institute, The University of Manchester); Raquel Ortega-Argilés (The Productivity Institute, The University of Manchester) |
| Keywords: | Productivity, UK regional inequality, UK institutions |
| Date: | 2023–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anj:ppaper:026&r=ure |
| By: | De la Roca Sol, Jorge; Faulconbridge, James; Gibbons, Steve; Iammarino, Simona; Ross, Amanda |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2024–03–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122553&r=ure |
| By: | Malak Kandoussi (EPEE, Université Paris-Saclay, University of Evry) |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on examining the impact of working from home on labor market outcomes using an extension of the search and matching model. The objective is to address the data gap to (i) explain the increase in the share of remote workers following the COVID-19 crisis; (ii) investigate the effects of this shift on labor market outcomes in two distinct areas; and (iii) assess the potential benefits of working from home in reducing inequalities between urban and rural regions. We show that although the Post-COVID economy suffers from the increase in commuting costs, both the decrease in the disutility in remote work and the increase in productivity of remoters offset this negative impact. We also show that when the disutility of remote work is sufficiently low, it lowers unemployment and wage inequalities between the urban and rural areas. Finally, we analyze the welfare of unemployed workers and economic wealth. It highlights the benefits of reducing remote work disutility. |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eve:wpaper:23-09&r=ure |
| By: | Balakina, Olga; Bäckman, Claes; Parakhoniak, Anastasiia |
| Abstract: | What are the aggregate and distributional consequences of the relationship between an individual's social network and financial decisions? Motivated by several well-documented facts about the influence of social connections on financial decisions, we build and calibrate a model of stock market participation with a social network that emphasizes the interplay between connectivity and network structure. Since connections to informed agents help spread information, there is a pivotal role for factors that determine sorting among agents. An increase in the average number of connections raises the average participation rate, mostly due to richer agents. A higher degree of sorting benefits richer agents by creating clusters where information spreads more efficiently. We show empirical evidence consistent with the importance of connectivity and sorting. We discuss several new avenues for future research into the aggregate impact of peer effects in finance. |
| Keywords: | Social networks, Peer effects, Stock Market Participation, Connectivity, Homophily |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:safewp:289595&r=ure |
| By: | Pau Milán; Nicolás Oviedo Dávila |
| Abstract: | Risk-averse workers in a team exert effort to produce joint output. Workers’ incentives are connected via chains of productivity spillovers, represented by a network of peer-effects. We study the problem of a principal offering wage contracts that simultaneously incentivize and insure agents. We solve for the optimal linear contract for any network and show that optimal incentives are loaded more heavily on workers that are more central in a specific way. We conveniently link firm profits to network structure via the networks spectral properties. When firms can’t personalize contracts, better connected workers ex- tract rents. In this case, a group composition result follows: large within-group differences in centrality can decrease firm’s profits. Finally, we find that modular production has important implications for how peer structures distribute incentives. |
| Keywords: | moral hazard, Networks, Incentives, Organizations, contracts |
| JEL: | D11 D52 D53 G52 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bge:wpaper:1439&r=ure |
| By: | Bratti, Massimiliano; Brunetti, Irene; Corvasce, Alessandro; Maida, Agata; Ricci, Andrea |
| Abstract: | This study leverages detailed administrative data on firms' job flows and variation across Local Labor Markets (LLMs) in the spread of COVID-19 to investigate shifts in labor demand prompted by the pandemic. To this end, we exploit the large spatial variation in the intensity of the pandemic observed in Italy. Namely, we investigate the effect of COVID-19 intensity on the composition of new hires in terms of jobs suitable for "working from home" (WFH), which emerged as a new standard during the pandemic. Our results reveal a significant increase in teleworkable-job hires in LLMs that were more severely hit by the pandemic, primarily driven by permanent contracts. An event study analysis uncovers substantial heterogeneity over time. Indeed, the effect was short-term and lasted only for two semesters after the pandemic's outbreak. Although this shift was transitory, by involving permanent hires, it had persistent effects on the structure of the workforce. An effect-heterogeneity analysis shows that effects were greater on the demand for female and younger workers and hires of larger firms, of service firms, and of those located in Northern Italy. |
| Keywords: | working from home, telework, labor demand, COVID-19, Italy |
| JEL: | D22 J23 J24 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1415&r=ure |
| By: | Freitas Monteiro, Teresa; Prömel, Christopher |
| Abstract: | One of the primary objectives of protests and demonstrations is to bring social, political, or economic issues to the attention of politicians and the wider population. While protests can have a mobilizing and persuading effect, they may reduce support for their cause if they are perceived as a threat to public order. In this study, we look at how local or spontaneously organised xenophobic demonstrations affect concerns about hostility towards foreigners and worries about immigration among natives in Germany. We use a regression discontinuity design to compare the attitudes of individuals interviewed in the days immediately before a large far-right demonstration and individuals interviewed in the days immediately after that demonstration. Our results show that large right-wing demonstrations lead to a substantial increase in worries about hostility towards foreigners of 13.7% of a standard deviation. In contrast, worries about immigration are not affected by the demonstrations, indicating that the protesters are not successful in swaying public opinion in their favour. In the heterogeneity analyses, we uncover some polarisation in the population: While worries about hostility against foreigners increase and worries about immigration decrease in left-leaning regions, both types of worries increase in districts where centre-right parties are more successful. Lastly, we also show that people become more politically interested in response to protests, mainly benefiting left-wing parties, and are more likely to wish to donate money to help refugees. |
| Keywords: | Protests, Right-wing Extremism, Xenophobia, Attitudes, Polarisation |
| JEL: | D72 D74 D83 J15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:289616&r=ure |
| By: | Britto, Diogo (University of Milan Bicocca); Rocha, Roberto Hsu (University of California at Berkeley); Pinotti, Paolo (Bocconi University); Sampaio, Breno (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco) |
| Abstract: | We investigate the effect of having a child on parents' criminal behavior using rich administrative data from Brazil. Fathers' criminal activity sharply increases by up to 10% during the pregnancy period, and by up to 30% two years after birth, while mothers experience only a transitory decline in criminal activity around childbirth. The effect on fathers lasts for at least six years and can explain at least 5% of the overall male crime rate. Domestic violence within the family also increases after childbirth, reflecting both increases in actual violence and women's propensity to report. The generalized increase in fathers' crime stands in sharp contrast with previous evidence from developed countries, where childbirth is associated with significant and enduring declines in criminal behavior by both parents. Our findings can be explained by the costs of parenthood and the pervasiveness of poverty among newly formed Brazilian families. Consistent with this explanation, we provide novel evidence that access to maternity benefits largely offsets the increase in crime by fathers after childbirth. |
| Keywords: | crime, parenthood, maternity benefits |
| JEL: | D10 J13 K42 H55 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16910&r=ure |
| By: | Ilias Filippou; Christian Garciga; James Mitchell; My T. Nguyen |
| Abstract: | We use natural language processing methods to quantify the sentiment expressed in the Federal Reserve's anecdotal summaries of current economic conditions in the national and 12 Federal Reserve District-level economies as published eight times per year in the Beige Book since 1970. We document that both national and District-level economic sentiment tend to rise and fall with the US business cycle. But economic sentiment is extremely heterogeneous across Districts, and we find that national economic sentiment is not always the simple aggregation of District-level sentiment. We show that the heterogeneity in District-level economic sentiment can be used, over and above the information contained in national economic sentiment, to better forecast US recessions. |
| Keywords: | recessions; natural language processing; sentiment; Beige book; regional economies |
| Date: | 2024–04–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedcwq:98080&r=ure |
| By: | Scott Delhommer; Domonkos F. Vamossy |
| Abstract: | This paper presents the first quasi-experimental research examining the effect of both local and state anti-discrimination laws on sexual orientation on the labor supply and wages of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) workers. To do so, we use the American Community Survey data on household composition to infer sexual orientation and combine this with a unique panel dataset on local anti-discrimination laws. Using variation in law implementation across localities over time and between same-sex and different-sex couples, we find that anti-discrimination laws significantly reduce gaps in labor force participation rate, employment, and the wage gap for gay men relative to straight men. These laws also significantly reduce the labor force participation rate, employment, and wage premium for lesbian women relative to straight women. One explanation for the reduced labor supply and wage premium is that lesbian couples begin to have more children in response to the laws. Finally, we present evidence that state anti-discrimination laws significantly and persistently increased support for same-sex marriage. This research shows that anti-discrimination laws can be an effective policy tool for reducing labor market inequalities across sexual orientation and improving sentiment toward LGB Americans. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2404.03794&r=ure |
| By: | Antonio Alfonso (LoyolaBehLab/Universidad Loyola Andalucía); Pablo Brañas-Garza (LoyolaBehLab/Universidad Loyola Andalucía); Diego Jorrat (LoyolaBehLab/Universidad Loyola Andalucía); Benjamín Prissé (Singapore University of Technology and Design); María José Vázquez-De Francisco (Fundación ETEA-Development Institute/Universidad Loyola Andalucía) |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to examine whether girls and boys exhibit different risk and timepreferences and how this difference evolves during the critical phase of adolescence. To achievethis, we use a large and powered sample of 4830 non-self-selected teenagers from 207 classesacross 22 Spanish schools with very different socioeconomic backgrounds. Alongside time andrisk preferences, we also collected additional information about class attributes, social networkmeasures, students’ characteristics, and the average level of economic preferences of friends.These measures enable us to account for potentially omitted variables that were not consideredin previous studies. The results indicate that there are no significant gender differences intime and risk preferences, but older subjects exhibit more sophisticated time preferences andhigher risk aversion. We also perform an exploratory heterogeneity analysis, which unveils twoimportant results: first, cognitive abilities play a critical role in the development of time andrisk preferences; second, interaction within the class social network does matter. |
| Keywords: | Developmental Decision-Making, Field Experiment, Economic Preferences, Teenagers. |
| JEL: | C91 D81 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aoz:wpaper:316&r=ure |
| By: | Jack Mountjoy |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the causal impacts of public universities on the outcomes of their marginally admitted students. I use administrative admission records spanning all 35 public universities in Texas, which collectively enroll 10 percent of American public university students, to systematically identify and employ decentralized cutoffs in SAT/ACT scores that generate discontinuities in admission and enrollment. The typical marginally admitted student completes an additional year of education in the four-year sector, is 12 percentage points more likely to earn a bachelor's degree, and eventually earns 5-10 percent more than their marginally rejected but otherwise identical counterpart. Marginally admitted students pay no additional tuition costs thanks to offsetting grant aid; cost-benefit calculations show internal rates of return of 19-23 percent for the marginal students themselves, 10-12 percent for society (which must pay for the additional education), and 3-4 percent for the government budget. Finally, I develop a method to disentangle separate effects for students on the extensive margin of the four-year sector versus those who would fall back to another four-year school if rejected. Substantially larger extensive margin effects drive the results. |
| JEL: | H43 H75 I2 I20 I22 I23 I24 I26 I28 J24 J31 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32296&r=ure |
| By: | Gustave Kenedi |
| Abstract: | High-achieving, low-income students enrol in and graduate from higher education at lower rates than their high-income peers. While much work has focused on understanding their enrolment decision (extensive margin), less is known about what influences their persistence (intensive margin). This paper investigates whether credit constraints play a dominant role for the latter. Using exhaustive administrative data for France and a regression discontinuity design, I estimate the impact of automatically granting generous additional aid to enrolled high-achieving, low-income students. Eligibility is communicated too late to affect initial enrolment, allowing me to recover the pure effect on the intensive margin. I find this aid had precisely estimated null effects on persistence, graduation, and enrolment in graduate school, and did not induce switches to higher quality degrees. This suggests non-financial factors explain much of these students' observed attrition over time. |
| Keywords: | financial aid, higher education, high-achieving low-income students |
| Date: | 2024–04–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1987&r=ure |
| By: | Francesco Lissoni (BSE - Bordeaux sciences économiques - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Ernest Miguelez (BSE - Bordeaux sciences économiques - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Abstract: | Research on international migration and innovation relies heavily on inventor and patent data, with "migrant inventors" attracting a great deal of attention, especially for what concerns their role in easing the international transfer of knowledge. This hides the fact that many of them move to their host country before starting their inventive career or even before completing their education. We discuss the conceptual and practical difficulties that stand in the way of investigating other likely channels of influence of inventor's migration on innovation, namely the easing of skill shortages and the increase of variety in inventive teams, firms, and location. |
| Date: | 2024–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04513336&r=ure |
| By: | Eliasson, Jonas |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the accuracy of cost estimates at different planning stages for Swedish transport infrastructure projects 2004-2022. Changes in project costs are tracked between the national investment plans established in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Cost estimates tend to increase considerably during the planning stages on average, while cost estimates at start of construction do not deviate systematically from final costs. The distributions of cost escalations between subsequent investment plans are highly skewed, with modes close to zero, but means in the order of 20-30 percent for projects in the planning stages. Average cost escalations are larger for rail projects than for road projects. The paper also briefly describes the Swedish infrastructure planning and decision process, summarizes previous Swedish studies, and discusses possible causes and remedies of cost overruns. |
| Keywords: | cost overruns; transport infrastructure; project management; decision processes; transport policy |
| JEL: | R42 |
| Date: | 2023 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:120340&r=ure |
| By: | Teoh Sian Hoon ("Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia " Author-2-Name: Nur Ikhwany Hj Kamaruddin Author-2-Workplace-Name: "Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia " Author-3-Name: Joseph Boon Zik Hong Author-3-Workplace-Name: "Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia " Author-4-Name: Author-4-Workplace-Name: Author-5-Name: Author-5-Workplace-Name: Author-6-Name: Author-6-Workplace-Name: Author-7-Name: Author-7-Workplace-Name: Author-8-Name: Author-8-Workplace-Name:) |
| Abstract: | " Objective - Fractional reasoning is a crucial aspect of mathematical understanding fundamental in various mathematical concepts, real-world applications, and higher-level mathematical skills. Comprehending and working with fractions through various strategies, such as representation, is essential for students to develop a solid foundation in mathematics. However, fractional reasoning remains challenging in classroom teaching and learning since it requires deep understanding. Methodology/Technique - The current issue is a more comprehensive and conceptually grounded approach to foster a deeper acquisition of fractional reasoning strategies. Hence, this study aims to investigate to what extent primary school pupils develop fractional reasoning strategies to solve related problems, specifically for fractions of an area and fractions of a set of objects. A case study was conducted to interview eight primary school pupils from Perak (in Malaysia) for the data collection. Finding - The participants' solutions were observed to triangulate the interview data. In the content analysis, the identification of codes was carried out. Their findings revealed that the participants relied on strategies of representation methods of enactive and symbolic representations when working on fractions of an area. Novelty - This study introduces a novel perspective by emphasising that the identified fractional reasoning strategies are not isolated skills. The primary school pupils predominantly employed enactive and symbolic representations for fractions of an area, while favouring symbolic representations when reasoning fractions for a set of objects. These insights offer valuable guidance to educators, suggesting that a varied instructional approach, incorporating real-world contexts, can contribute to a more profound and versatile comprehension of fractions across diverse mathematical scenarios. Type of Paper - Empirical" |
| Keywords: | Representation, Enactive, Symbolic, Fractions, Fractional Reasoning. |
| JEL: | I26 I29 |
| Date: | 2024–03–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:gjbssr642&r=ure |
| By: | Chong, Terence Tai Leung |
| Abstract: | This paper juxtaposes the features of major bay areas across the globe to identify the competitive advantages of, together with challenges confronting, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and proffers policy recommendations on areas deemed pivotal to the economic development of the GBA. Under the current path of development, it is found that 6 out of 9 mainalnd GBA cities are not service oriented economies, which is in sharp contrast to the San Francisco Bay area and Tokyo Bay Area. In order to avoid these mainland GBA cities to fall into the middle income trap, this study points out the importance of improving the service sector, especially the financial sector, in these cities. We also provide the first attemp in the literature to estimate the resources needed to push the share of service sector of these cities to 60% and 70% respectively in the coming decade. |
| Keywords: | Greater Bay Area; Service Sector; Hong Kong |
| JEL: | G28 R58 |
| Date: | 2024–03–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:120638&r=ure |
| By: | Käsbohrer, Andrea (Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt); Grillitsch, Markus (CIRCLE, Lund University); Zademach, Hans-Martin (Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt) |
| Abstract: | By integrating the concept of opportunity spaces into the debate on multi-scalarity in transitions, this paper explains how and why actors engage in institutional change processes across scales. Opportunity spaces for change conceptualize a multi-scalar institutional architecture as structure for agency and take account of the future-past-dimension of agency. Actors rescale institutional rationalities by carrying out institutional work across scales with the intention to strengthen an industrial path. Our conceptual elaborations are illustrated by in-depth interviews and participant observation of industry associations in the market for residential storage systems in Germany. Af-ter having constructed and exploited a national opportunity space for this niche, particularly indus-try associations and companies engage in institutional work fostering the national implementation of EU legislation and affecting legislation, discourses and standards at a European scale. While insti-tutional semi-coherence is found as constraining condition for rescaling institutional rationalities, holding positions at multiple scales enhances agency. |
| Keywords: | Multi-scalarity; transitions; agency; opportunity space; institutional work; energy |
| JEL: | L50 O33 R11 R58 |
| Date: | 2024–04–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:lucirc:2024_006&r=ure |
| By: | Enzo Brox (SEW, University of St.Gallen); Riccardo Di Francesco (DEF, University of Rome "Tor Vergata") |
| Abstract: | The fear of social stigma and discrimination leads many individuals worldwide to hesitate in openly disclosing their sexual orientation. Due to the large costs of concealing identity, it is crucial to understand the extent of anti-LGB sentiments and reactions to coming out. However, disclosing one’s sexual orientation is a personal choice, complicating data access and introducing endogeneity issues. This paper tackles these challenges by using an innovative data source from a popular online video game together with a natural experiment. We exploit exogenous variation in the identity of a playable character to identify the effects of disclosure on players’ revealed preferences for that character. Leveraging detailed daily data, we monitor players’ preferences for the character across diverse regions globally and employ synthetic control methods to isolate the effect of the disclosure on players’ preferences. Our findings reveal a substantial and persistent negative impact of coming out. To strengthen the plausibility of social stigma as the primary explanation for the estimated effects, we systematically address and eliminate several alternative game-related channels. |
| Keywords: | LGB economics, social stigma, concealable stigma |
| JEL: | J15 J71 K38 |
| Date: | 2024–04–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:572&r=ure |
| By: | Lucas Epstein; Erich Muehlegger |
| Abstract: | In 2018, California voters rejected Proposition 6, a ballot initiative that sought to repeal state gasoline taxes and vehicle fees enacted as part of the 2017 Road Repair and Accountability Act. We study the relationship between support for the proposition, political ideology and the economic burdens imposed by the Act. For every hundred dollars of annual per-household imposed costs, we estimate that support for the proposition rose by 3 - 9 percentage points. Notably, we find that the relationship between voting and the economic burden of the policy is seven times stronger in the most conservative tracts relative to the most liberal tracts. Since conservative areas in California and elsewhere tend to bear a higher burden from transportation and energy taxes than liberal areas, heterogeneity in the response to economic burdens has important implications for the popular support for environmental taxes and the ongoing policy debate about how to finance future road infrastructure. |
| JEL: | H23 R48 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32311&r=ure |
| By: | Franco, Catalina (Centre for Applied Research, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration); Povea, Erika (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration) |
| Abstract: | We exploit randomness in college entrance exams in Colombia to study how the placement of answers impacts multiple-choice test results and access to college. Using administrative data, we find that: first, applicants are 5% less likely to answer correctly when the correct answer is the last in the choice set (option D). And, second, that one SD higher share of correct answers in D in the math section reduces applicants’ overall performance and their preferred major admission rate by 3%. Considering lifelong college access implications, we show how seemingly innocuous exam features disproportionately affect unlucky test takers. |
| Keywords: | Multiple-choice tests; answer placement; performance; admissions |
| JEL: | C93 D83 I21 I23 I24 |
| Date: | 2024–04–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2024_004&r=ure |
| By: | Michaela Paffenholz |
| Abstract: | I provide evidence on the causal effects of a student’s relative socioeconomic status during high school on their mental health and human capital development. Leveraging data from representative US high schools, I utilize between-cohort differences in the distributions of socioeconomic status within schools in a linear fixed effects model to identify a causal rank effect. I find that a higher rank during high school improves a student’s depression scores, cognitive ability, self-esteem and popularity. The rank effects are persistent with long-lasting consequences for adult depression and college attainment. Additional analyses emphasize the role of inequality in exacerbating these rank effects. |
| Keywords: | mental health, rank, higher educaon |
| JEL: | I14 I23 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_526&r=ure |
| By: | Hussinger, Katrin; Palladini, Lorenzo |
| Abstract: | How important is Google for scientific research? This paper exploits the exogenous shock represented by Google's sudden withdrawal of its services from mainland China to assess the importance of access to information for the knowledge production function of scientific scholars in the field of economics. For economists, a type of scholar with a simple knowledge production function, results from difference-in-difference analyses, which compare their scientific output to scholars located in the neighboring regions, show that the scientific productivity declines by about 28% in volume and 30% in terms of citations. These results are consistent with the view that information accessibility is an important driver of scientific progress. Considering that the negative effect of the shock is stronger for top scholars located in China, Google's sudden exit bears the risk that researchers lose touch with the research frontier and persistently lag behind their foreign peers. |
| Keywords: | information accessibility, academic publications, knowledge production, Google, China |
| JEL: | D83 L86 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:289446&r=ure |
| By: | Thomas, Kelsey L.; Dobis, Elizabeth A.; McGranahan, David A. |
| Abstract: | The 2019 age-adjusted natural-cause mortality (NCM) rate for the prime working-age population (aged 25–54) was 43 percent higher in rural (nonmetropolitan) areas than in urban (metropolitan) areas. This is a shift from 25 years ago when NCM rates in urban and rural areas were similar for this age group. As a first step to understanding the increasing gap between rural and urban NCM rates, this report examines natural (disease-related) deaths for prime working-age adults in rural and urban areas between 1999 and 2019 using data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiology Research (WONDER). Prime working age NCM rates are examined for the population as a whole, as well as by sex, race and ethnicity, region, and State. Overall, both an increase in the rural, prime working-age NCM rates and a decrease in the corresponding urban rates are contributing to the growing mortality gap. |
| Keywords: | Health Economics and Policy, Labor and Human Capital, Risk and Uncertainty |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uersib:341639&r=ure |
| By: | Ignacio Cazcarro (Universidad de Zaragoza, ARAID); Miguel Martín-Retortillo (Universidad de Alcalá); Guillermo Rodríguez-López (Universidad de Zaragoza); Ana Serrano (Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2); Javier Silvestre (Universidad de Zaragoza, IEDIS) |
| Abstract: | Depopulation, especially, but not only, rural, has become a major concern across many countries. As one type of place-based policy, irrigation has been claimed to contribute to resettling populations and reducing outward migration, by increasing agricultural output, productivity, and competitiveness and, consequently, employment and living standards. This paper aims to elucidate on the relationship between irrigation and population for Spain, historically and currently the most irrigated country and one of the most depopulated countries in Europe. We use municipal-level data over the period 1910-2011 and exploit a staggered difference-in-differences design. Overall, we find an effect on population only for irrigation developments that started in the relatively distant past. In any case, effects are temporary or tend to level off. We also consider trade-offs. We discuss the policy implications of the findings in light of current policies, and in terms of environmental and economic costs of increasing the intensity of irrigation. |
| Keywords: | Depopulation, place-based policies, irrigation programs, long-term view, staggered DiD, Spain |
| JEL: | J11 Q15 Q25 R11 N54 N94 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hes:wpaper:0256&r=ure |
| By: | Léa Tardieu (UMR TETIS - Territoires, Environnement, Télédétection et Information Spatiale - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - AgroParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Perrine Hamel (NTU - Nanayang Technological University); Mehdi Mikou (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Lana Coste (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Harold Levrel (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Nature in the city is a significant asset for cities' adaptation to climate change and contributes to the quality of life of people in many ways. Its contribution, predominantly positive but also negative, can be represented by ecosystem services and disservices. In this paper, we question the input of consideration, mapping and communication on ES in creating a common language among stakeholders with different background and practices, and to make nature more visible in urban planning decisions. The question is addressed qualitatively through stakeholders' interviews. The results show the potential added value of se as a tool for acculturation, territorial dialogue and evaluation in favour of the conservation and development of nature in the city. |
| Abstract: | La nature est un atout conséquent d'adaptation des villes au changement climatique et contribue à la qualité de vie des citadins. Ses contributions, positives comme négatives, peuvent être représentées par les services (se) et dis-services écosystémiques. Dans cet article, nous questionnons l'apport de la considération, de la cartographie et de la communication autour des se dans les processus d'aménagement urbain pour créer un langage commun auprès d'acteurs aux différents parcours et pratiques, et pour mieux appréhender la nature dans les décisions d'aménagement. La question est traitée de manière qualitative, par des entretiens d'acteurs de l'aménagement urbain. Les résultats témoignent de la plus-value que pourrait représenter la considération des se dans les processus d'aménagement, en tant qu'outil d'acculturation, de dialogue territorial et enfin d'évaluation en faveur de la conservation et du développement de la nature en ville. |
| Keywords: | services écosystémiques, aménagement du territoire, planification urbaine, villes durables, Île-de-France, nature en ville, Services écosystémiques aménagement du territoire planification urbaine villes durables Ile-de-France nature en ville Ecosystem services spatial planning urban planning Ile-de-France sustainable cities urban nature Auteurs, Services écosystémiques, Ile-de-France, nature en ville Ecosystem services, spatial planning, urban planning, sustainable cities, urban nature Auteurs |
| Date: | 2023–12–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04509326&r=ure |
| By: | Jack Newman (University of Bristol); Sam Warner (The University of Manchester); Michael Kenny (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge); Andy Westwood (The University of Manchester) |
| Keywords: | Devolution, accountability, mayors, combined authority |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anj:ppaper:028&r=ure |
| By: | SCHWAAG SERGER Sylvia; SOETE Luc |
| Abstract: | In October 2021, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission set up a Scientific Committee to advise the JRC on how to best support public authorities to implement, in the words of the EC, the “largest stimulus package ever financed in Europe” aimed at rebuilding a post COVID-19 Europe which would be “greener, more digital and more resilient”. The present paper written by the two co-chairs of the Scientific Committee provides a synthesis of the many reports written over the last two years. It highlights how many of the current European policy frameworks focusing on sustainability have an essential place-based impact which requires the active involvement of local policy makers and more broadly local stakeholders. Over the last two years, the numerous “science for policy” contributions of members of the SC have been two-fold. At the very practical level, they have been instrumental in helping the JRC develop its Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) Playbook: the support document with concrete policy tools for the JRC-CoR PRI pilot. At a more conceptual level, members of the SC wrote numerous reports and papers on a wide range of topics. This synthesis paper argues that the space blindness of many of the European policies aimed at transforming the EU’s economy towards the twin digital and green transitions, hampers Europe’s ability to achieve these transitions and to ensure its future resilience and prosperity. |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc136125&r=ure |
| By: | Scott, David (Central Bank of Ireland); Pratap Singh, Anuj (Central Bank of Ireland) |
| Abstract: | Mortgage switching, and the choice of contract type, can have important implications for borrower resilience to interest rate movements. In this Note, we focus on switching in the Irish mortgage market in the run-up to (August 2018-June 2022) and early phase of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) contractionary monetary policy from July to December 2022. Using the Central Credit Register (CCR), we find that mortgage switching had been steadily increasing in the period of falling interest rates since 2018 but grew particularly quickly during the early months of the ECB’s monetary policy tightening cycle. The increase in switching was primarily to and from fixed-rate contracts, and remained strong even as the immediate short-term monetary gains from switching were reducing, signifying borrower’s forward-looking choices in seeking to avoid future increases in monthly repayments. We also find that non-banks were particularly important in leading interest rates downwards from 2019 to 2022, a trend which reversed abruptly once ECB policy rates rose. In terms of borrowers’ financial outcomes, we find interest rate gains from mortgage switching of up to 1.3 pp, equating to annual savings worth €2, 000 on average. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbi:fsnote:2/fs/24&r=ure |
| By: | Pablo Martinelli Lasheras (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and Figuerola Institute); Dario Pellegrino (Bank of Italy) |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the role of landownership distribution in shaping the Italian post-WWII long-run growth experience (1951-2001). By exploiting an extraordinarily high-quality sub-national dataset, we find a strong and robust negative relationship between private landownership inequality and different measures of economic development and structural change during the Economic Miracle. Our results show that a relatively egalitarian agrarian milieu was conducive to the most successful growth model in post-WWII Italy: the ‘industrial districts’, the flexible network of small and medium-sized enterprises whose origins can be traced back to the 1950s. Widespread access to property and family farming was key to accelerating structural transformation. We find the effect of land inequality to be driven by the compression of the resources available to the lower-middle rural class. The intensity of sharecropping and rent-paying tenancy among non-owning farmers is also associated with higher growth, mitigating the growth-depressing effects of land inequality. The growth-enhancing effects of access to property are limited by minimum asset value levels and fade above a certain threshold, consistent with the existence of credit constraints and poverty traps that shape structural transformation in the long run. |
| Keywords: | land inequality, wealth distribution, structural change, long-run economic growth |
| JEL: | O1 O4 N3 Q1 R1 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:workqs:qse_52&r=ure |
| By: | COEGO Arturo; GATTA Arianna; LIONETTI Francesca; LLOYD Alexandre; MOLARD Solene; NORDBERG Astrid; PLOUIN Marissa; PROIETTI Paola (European Commission - JRC); SPINNENWIJN Freek; STAMOS Iraklis (European Commission - JRC); VAN HEERDEN Sjoerdje (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | This policy brief deals with the different faces of homelessness, and explores the need for specific data and accompanying policies to address the phenomenon. It concludes that monitoring homelessness provides a basis for appropriate policy intervention. It is important to consider how different measurement techniques are likely to under- or over-represent various subgroups experiencing homelessness (e.g., women, youth or migrants). The smaller share of women in official homelessness statistics can be partly explained by differences in how homelessness is experienced by women, relative to men; how it is defined in official statistics; and how it is measured. In addition, the brief explores forms of support to tackle youth homelessness that should take into account their specific needs, offer education and training opportunities, and focus on emotional development. Finally, the brief discusses the housing first approach that works under a person-centred approach and gives individuals a high degree of choice and control. It provides tailored support that addresses not only housing stability, but also other areas of life that may need attention. |
| Date: | 2024–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc136178&r=ure |
| By: | Dias, Lucas Cardoso Corrêa; Cícero, Vinicius Curti |
| Abstract: | The growing demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine product derived from donkey hides, has sparked a global trade that profoundly impacts donkey populations and local economies in low and middle-income countries. In response to the pressing issue of burgeoning populations of stray and abandoned donkeys, Brazil implemented regulatory measures governing the export of these animals to China in 2017. This paper examines the intricate relationship between regulation of a natural resource-based contestable market -- in which property rights are not well-defined -- and local crime rates, focusing on the donkey hide trade in Brazil. Employing a quasi-experimental research design, we leverage the timing of the regulatory measures alongside variations in donkey occurrences per inhabitant across Brazilian municipalities to provide compelling evidence that the surge in ejiao demand has led to an increase in crime and violence within Brazil. These findings underscore the critical importance of nuanced market regulation to mitigate potential social costs in markets lacking well-defined property rights. Furthermore, they highlight the urgent need for robust monitoring and enforcement frameworks to address pressing issues such as the predatory exploitation of donkey populations on a global scale. |
| Date: | 2024–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:qreum&r=ure |
| By: | Eric Chyn; Kareem Haggag; Bryan A. Stuart |
| Abstract: | How do majority groups respond to a narrowing of inequality in racially polarized environments? We study this question by examining the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau, an agency created after the U.S. Civil War to provide aid to former slaves and launch institutional reform in the South. We use new historical records and an event study approach to estimate impacts of the Bureau on political economy in the South. In the decade immediately after the war, counties with Bureau field offices had reduced vote shares for Democrats, the major political party that previously championed slavery and opposed Black civil rights during Reconstruction. In the longer-run, we find evidence of backlash in the form of higher Democratic vote shares and increases in several forms of racial violence, including lynchings and attacks against Black schools. This backlash extends through the twentieth century, when we find that counties that once had a Bureau field office have higher rates of second-wave and third-wave Ku Klux Klan activity and lower rates of intergenerational economic mobility. Overall, our results suggest that the initial impacts of the Freedmen’s Bureau stimulated countervailing responses by White majorities who sought to offset social progress of Black Americans. |
| JEL: | D72 D74 I31 J15 N31 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32314&r=ure |
| By: | Hervé, Justine (Stevens Institute of Technology); Mani, Subha (Fordham University); Behrman, Jere R. (University of Pennsylvania); Laxminarayan, Ramanan (Princeton University); Nandi, Arindam (The Population Council) |
| Abstract: | Food coma, also known as postprandial somnolence, is a commonly cited reason for experiencing reduced alertness during mid-afternoon worldwide. By using exogenous variation in the timing of tests and, hence, by extension, plausibly exogenous variation in the temporal distance between an individual's last meal and the time of test, we examine the causal impact of postprandial somnolence on cognitive capacities. Analyzing novel time use data on ~ 4, 600 Indian adolescents and young adults, we find that testing within an hour after a meal reduces test-takers' scores on English, native language, math, and Raven's tests by 8, 8, 8, and 16 percent, respectively, compared to test-takers who took the tests more than an hour after their meal. We further find that the negative effect of postprandial somnolence on cognition operates through increased feelings of fatigue and depletion of cognitive resources that become more pronounced while dealing with more challenging test questions. |
| Keywords: | post-meal fatigue, cognitive skills, low-stakes tests, India, adolescents |
| JEL: | I12 I18 I21 J24 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16909&r=ure |