Working Papers

Can International Initiatives Promote Peace? Diamond Certification and Armed Conflicts in Africa (with Andreas Link and Dietmar Fehr), CEPR Discussion Paper 18450  (v2, January 2024) 

The aim of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) has been to prevent so-called conflict diamonds – diamonds that come from conflict zones – from entering world markets by tracking diamonds and by limiting trade to certified diamonds among KPCS members. This paper studies its impact on armed conflict in Africa. We exploit grid-cell level variation in the propensity to extract alluvial diamonds, and compare grid cells with and without this propensity before and after the introduction of the KPCS in 2002. Our result shows that the KPCS led to a permanent and significant reduction in armed conflict.

Historical Roots of Vaccine Hesitancy: The Persistent Effect of the Naturopathic Movement in Germany  (with Andreas Link), CEPR Discussion Paper 18109 (June 2023) * New version coming soon *

This paper studies the historical roots of vaccine hesitancy in the context of Germany.  Using digitized data on the existence of naturopathic associations in Germany in the year 1900, we first show that counties with a large number of naturopathic associations in 1900 were disproportionally located in parts of East Germany. Furthermore, counties with a higher number of naturopathic associations in 1900 have significantly lower COVID-19 vaccination rates today.  Our IV estimates suggest that the long-term effects of the naturopathic movement can explain about half of the East-West gap in COVID-19 vaccination rates.

The Protestant Reformation and its Transformation of Society: The Rise of the Vernacular (with Andreas Link and Rajesh Ramachandran), CEPR Discussion Paper 17818 (v2, March 2024)    * New version *

A distinct feature of the Protestant Reformation was Martin Luther’s intentional use of German, the primary vernacular language of the Holy Roman Empire, rather than Latin, in his writings. We provide empirical evidence that the reformers’ reliance on the vernacular had far-reaching consequences for the market of ideas at the city level, as it enabled a much broader share of the populace to participate in the consumption, creation, and dissemination of printed information. We document a significant increase in the printing of vernacular works after the start of the Reformation. In addition, the increased use of the vernacular expanded the ranks of authors, increased the supply of works from authors with a non-elite background, and widened the thematic coverage of printed works. Finally, the Reformation led to the rise of German schools, initiating a switch from Latin to German in the domain of education.

(Previously circulated under the title "The Protestant Reformation and Language Choice in the Holy Roman Empire.")

Language, Upper-Tail Human Capital, and Economic Growth: Evidence from Early Modern Europe (with Andreas Link and Rajesh Ramachandran), CEPR Discussion Paper 15454 (v3, January 2023)   * New version coming soon *

*New* This paper first documents a language change in printing from Latin to the vernaculars, the spoken tongues, in 16th-century Europe, with the share of vernacular titles rising from around 30% in 1500 to almost 60% in 1600. We then examine the consequences of increased printing in the vernaculars on longer-run development. Using linguistic differences across cities as a source of exogenous variation in the number of vernacular titles printed in cities, we document a positive effect of vernacular printing output on upper-tail human capital and city growth. This suggests that the turn to the vernaculars in printing was an important driver of European dynamism in the early modern period.

[Supplementary Material] [Media: VOX] Previously circulated under the title "Vernacularization, Knowledge Creation, and Growth: Evidence from the Protestant Reformation." 

Work in Progress

Does the Arrival of a Formal Financial Institution Alter Social Networks? Experimental Evidence from Village India (with Erica Field, Rohini Pande, and Louise Paul-Delvaux)

Economic Development and the Evolution of Cooperation and Trust: Experimental Evidence from Rural India (with Erica Field and Rohini Pande) 

The Political Economy Effects of UCTs: Evidence from Pakistan’s BISP Program  (with Karrar Hussain)

Publications

Binzel, Christine, and Jean-Paul Carvalho. 2017. "Education, Social Mobility, and Religious Movements: The Islamic Revival in Egypt." The Economic Journal, 127(607): 2553–2580. [Online Appendix][EJ Press Release][Link to journal website]

Binzel, Christine, and Dietmar Fehr. 2013. "Sharing and Sorting Among Friends: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment." Economics Letters, 121(2): 214-217. [Online Appendix][Link to journal website]

Binzel, Christine, and Dietmar Fehr. 2013. "Social Distance and Trust: Experimental Evidence from a Slum in Cairo." Journal of Development Economics, 103: 99-106. [Online Appendix][Link to journal website]

Binzel, Christine, and Ragui Assaad. 2011. "Egyptian Men Working Abroad: Labor-Supply Responses by The Women Left Behind." Labour Economics, 18: S98-114. [Link to journal website]

Assaad, Ragui, Christine Binzel, and May Gadallah. 2010. "Transitions to Employment and Marriage Among Young Men in Egypt." Middle East Development Journal, 2(1): 39-88. [Link to journal website]