Working Paper
Working Paper
Inclusive Laws and Voting Behavior: Evidence from the Law of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S., Job Market Paper.
Inclusive Laws and Voting Behavior: Evidence from the Law of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S., Job Market Paper.
Abstract: The direct effect of inclusive laws on their target community is well documented. However, these usually hard-fought laws may also impact society at large if they affect voting behavior. This paper exploits the variation in the timing of Same-Sex Marriage (SSM) legalization across states in the United States to study its effects on the vote share for Democrats. The results reveal that voluntary SSM adoptions increased the share of votes going to Democrats by 2.5 percentage points in the next presidential election, primarily driven by counties previously dominated by the Republican party. These voting effects cannot be attributed to increased voter turnout among Democratic adherents, increased political donations to Democratic candidates, or changes in attitudes towards sexual minorities. Instead, I find support for an "external political efficacy" channel, whereby SSM adoption increases the perceived responsiveness of Democrats to their constituents' needs. In contrast, when SSM is imposed on the state by Supreme Court Ruling instead of won through political campaigning, SSM does not affect the perceived responsiveness of politicians or voting behavior, but it has a strong backlash effect on attitudes toward sexual minorities. My findings show that inclusive laws can have impacts beyond the target community through political change and provide new insights into mechanisms linking inclusive laws with subsequent voting behavior.
Abstract: The direct effect of inclusive laws on their target community is well documented. However, these usually hard-fought laws may also impact society at large if they affect voting behavior. This paper exploits the variation in the timing of Same-Sex Marriage (SSM) legalization across states in the United States to study its effects on the vote share for Democrats. The results reveal that voluntary SSM adoptions increased the share of votes going to Democrats by 2.5 percentage points in the next presidential election, primarily driven by counties previously dominated by the Republican party. These voting effects cannot be attributed to increased voter turnout among Democratic adherents, increased political donations to Democratic candidates, or changes in attitudes towards sexual minorities. Instead, I find support for an "external political efficacy" channel, whereby SSM adoption increases the perceived responsiveness of Democrats to their constituents' needs. In contrast, when SSM is imposed on the state by Supreme Court Ruling instead of won through political campaigning, SSM does not affect the perceived responsiveness of politicians or voting behavior, but it has a strong backlash effect on attitudes toward sexual minorities. My findings show that inclusive laws can have impacts beyond the target community through political change and provide new insights into mechanisms linking inclusive laws with subsequent voting behavior.
Inter-generational Effects of a Minimum Wage Policy and Racial Inequality, with Hans H. Sievertsen and Christine Valente.
Inter-generational Effects of a Minimum Wage Policy and Racial Inequality, with Hans H. Sievertsen and Christine Valente.
Abstract: Can equality-enhancing wage regulations initiate a virtuous cycle of social mobility? We study the effect of the 1966 Fair Labor Standards Act on the completed education and labor market outcomes of children whose parents worked in industries newly covered by mandated minimum wages. Exploiting variation in exposure to parental minimum wages by parental industry and child age cohort, we find that minimum wages reduced racial inequality in completed education and in the skill content of jobs, but had a statistically insignificant effect on inter-generational wage inequality. Results are consistent across linear two-way fixed effects models and flexible machine-learning approaches.
Abstract: Can equality-enhancing wage regulations initiate a virtuous cycle of social mobility? We study the effect of the 1966 Fair Labor Standards Act on the completed education and labor market outcomes of children whose parents worked in industries newly covered by mandated minimum wages. Exploiting variation in exposure to parental minimum wages by parental industry and child age cohort, we find that minimum wages reduced racial inequality in completed education and in the skill content of jobs, but had a statistically insignificant effect on inter-generational wage inequality. Results are consistent across linear two-way fixed effects models and flexible machine-learning approaches.
Political Regimes and Gender Attitudes: Women under Communism.
Political Regimes and Gender Attitudes: Women under Communism.
Abstract: Differences in attitudes toward work by gender have a crucial impact on gender disparities in labor market outcomes. I exploit the episode of a sharp improvement in gender equality in many aspects in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) under communist regimes and investigate the effects of communist regimes on women’s attitudes toward working and gender roles. Exploiting the forced state socialism in CEEC after World War II, this paper shows that women from CEEC are more likely to attach importance to working than women from Western European countries (WEC). However, the magnitude of impact is small and disappeared rapidly after the end of communism. Regarding attitudes toward working values, women who lived in CEEC found their jobs less valuable than women from WEC. In terms of feminist attitudes, this paper uses a rich set of indicators to show that communist regimes only supported progressive feminist attitudes related to work. In conclusion, these results indicate that the magnitude of the effect of communism is small and, for most outcomes, transitory. Also, it suggests that policy incentives and short-term effects of propaganda are more relevant mechanisms than long-lasting ideological changes.
Abstract: Differences in attitudes toward work by gender have a crucial impact on gender disparities in labor market outcomes. I exploit the episode of a sharp improvement in gender equality in many aspects in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) under communist regimes and investigate the effects of communist regimes on women’s attitudes toward working and gender roles. Exploiting the forced state socialism in CEEC after World War II, this paper shows that women from CEEC are more likely to attach importance to working than women from Western European countries (WEC). However, the magnitude of impact is small and disappeared rapidly after the end of communism. Regarding attitudes toward working values, women who lived in CEEC found their jobs less valuable than women from WEC. In terms of feminist attitudes, this paper uses a rich set of indicators to show that communist regimes only supported progressive feminist attitudes related to work. In conclusion, these results indicate that the magnitude of the effect of communism is small and, for most outcomes, transitory. Also, it suggests that policy incentives and short-term effects of propaganda are more relevant mechanisms than long-lasting ideological changes.
Work in Progress
Work in Progress
Religion Leaders and People's Behaviors: Evidence from `Humanae Vitae' and Fertility.
Religion Leaders and People's Behaviors: Evidence from `Humanae Vitae' and Fertility.