Research

"Spread the Word: Mass Media, Language and Propaganda in Fascist Italy"

This paper provides microeconomic evidence on the effect of radio exposure on language convergence and cultural homogenization. Building on archival data on radio station transmitters, I focus on the expansion of a politically-controlled radio network in fascist Italy. I combine predicted measures of radio signal strength with metrics of linguistic convergence computed using a unique collection of over one million linguistic entries. Exploiting quasi-random variation in radio exposure due to spatial differences in ground conductivity, I provide causal evidence on both signal strength and duration of coverage positively shaping the process of linguistic homogenization. Regarding possible mechanisms, I find that regions distant from the political capital, literacy rate and business-related occupations were key drivers of language convergence. Conversely, breaking down the linguistic metrics by word characteristics yields only slight differences when accounting for lexical frequency or restricting to politically-oriented words. Additionally, I explore the persuasive effects of propaganda on political attitudes and cultural norms, documenting a weakening of political opposition underlying radio exposure. Last, I providence evidence of positive effects of fascist radio coverage on fertility rates, with heterogeneous results suggesting that linguistic proximity to the broadcasting language plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of propaganda absorption.

"Railroads, Local Shocks and Individual Opportunities: Evidence from Nineteenth Century America", with Clément Bosquet

Draft and slides available upon request

We provide microeconomic evidence on the effect of railroad infrastructure on local economic shocks and individuals' opportunities. Building on historical transportation networks and individual-level longitudinal data, we focus on the expansion of railroads in the nineteenth century United-States. Exploiting time-variation in railroad-induced market access at the county-level, we document substantial shifts in the local economic structure. We address endogeneous placement of the network using a version of market access purged of the effects of population changes and of nearby counties. We then look at individuals’ trajectories to evidence that if railroad poorly affects individuals occupations transitioning on average, market access plays a key role in the inter-generational farm succession process. Last, we show that railroad expansion reshaped migration patterns, reducing outflows from well-connected areas and attracting population inflows to newly integrated ones. Movers relocating toward better-connected counties experienced the largest occupational upgrades, linking geographic mobility to upward social mobility.

"Voices of the Republic: Regional Newspapers in France During the Third Republic (1871−1914)", with Maxime Chabriel

Draft and slides available upon request

This article introduces the construction and content of three complementary databases on historical French regional newspapers during the early phase of the Third Republic (1871–1914). Despite the central role of local newspapers in shaping politics during this period, systematic data on the structure and evolution of the French press has been lacking. We construct panel datasets of regional newspaper titles, drawing on (i) a searchable online index of publications, (ii) annual press directories, and (iii) both sources. These sources provide detailed information on title, founding date, frequency, political leaning, circulation, price, names of key personnel and location at the municipality level. These novel databases open new avenues for research into the geography, institutional structure, and political economy of the French press at highly disaggregated levels. We present some insights into the potential applications underlying these databases, documenting the temporal dynamics and spatial disparities of the newspapers market and studying the relationship between local newspaper supply and electoral results.

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