Working papers

Compulsory Military Service and Opinions toward Cross-strait Relations: Evidence from Taiwan’s 2013 Military Reform (Job Market Paper) 

This study investigated the impact of Taiwan’s military policy on the attitudes of young males towards cross-strait relations. In 2013, the Taiwan government reduced the mandatory military service from one year to four months. According to the new policy, Taiwanese males born before January 1, 1994, are required to serve for 1 year, while those born after that date have a reduced service period of four months. Using comprehensive survey data and the regression discontinuity design, the study found that Taiwanese males who underwent shorter military service were more inclined to identify as Taiwanese and support Taiwan’s independence. Additionally, the research indicated that the reform also influenced people’s voting behaviors. In Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election, males who completed four months of military duty tended to support pro-independence candidates. These results were attributed to people’s expectations regarding potential conflicts between Taiwan and China.

Does Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Affect Voting Behavior? Evidence from Taiwan’s 2018 Referendum and Local Government Elections 

This study examines the impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride on voting behavior in the 2018 Taiwan referendum and local government elections. Using the Geographic Regression Discontinuity (GRD) design and comprehensive voting data, the results show that LGBT pride has little influence on voters’ decisions regarding either LGBT-friendly or LGBT-unfriendly propositions in the referendum. Furthermore, LGBT pride has a negligible effect on voters’ political ideologies in local government elections. These conclusions are found to be robust across multiple model specifications, and the peaceful nature of Taiwan’s LGBT pride events is a likely explanation for these findings.

Girls Helping Girls? Exploring the Impact of Female Teachers on the Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Development of Female Students (with Yu Bai) 

For an extended period, girls have faced certain educational disadvantages relative to boys, and teachers could play a crucial role in bridging this gap. Using high-quality data from the Taiwan Education Panel Survey (TEPS) and leveraging Taiwan's random class assignment policy in middle schools, we find that female teachers enhance students' academic achievements and noncognitive skills. The mechanisms include teachers interacting more with students of the same gender and female students feeling more comfortable and inspired by same-gender teachers. These interactions could reduce challenges prevailing stereotypes, which can otherwise hinder academic potential. Our paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of female teachers on students and offers recommendations to narrow the gender gap in education. 

Work in Progress

Compulsory Education and Gender Role Attitudes: Evidence from Taiwan’s 1968 Educational Reform