American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Journal Article Front Matter i vi http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.i 10.1257/app.4.4.i American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil ElianaLa FerraraBocconi U AlbertoChongU Ottawa SuzanneDuryeaInter-American Development Bank 1 31 We estimate the effect of television on fertility in Brazil, where soap operas portray small families. We exploit differences in the timing of entry into different markets of Globo, the main novela producer. Women living in areas covered by Globo have significantly lower fertility. The effect is strongest for women of lower socioeconomic status and in the central and late phases of fertility, consistent with stopping behavior. The result does not appear to be driven by selection in Globo entry. We provide evidence that novelas, and not just television, affected individual choices, based on children's naming patterns and novela content. (JEL J13, J16, L82, O15, Z13) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.1 10.1257/app.4.4.1 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2009-0243_data.zip American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Estimating the Deterrent Effect of Incarceration Using Sentencing Enhancements David S.AbramsU PA 32 56 Increasing criminal sanctions may reduce crime through two primary mechanisms: deterrence and incapacitation. Disentangling their effects is crucial for optimal policy setting. I use sentence enhancements due to the introduction of state add-on gun laws to isolate the deterrent effect of incarceration. Using cross-state variation in the timing of law passage dates, I find that the average add-on gun law results in a roughly 5 percent decline in gun robberies within the first 3 years. This result is robust to a number of specification tests and does not appear to be associated with large spillovers to other types of crime. (JEL K14, K42) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.32 10.1257/app.4.4.32 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0005_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2011-0005_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Can Compulsory Military Service Raise Civilian Wages? Evidence from the Peacetime Draft in Portugal DavidCardU CA, Berkeley Ana RuteCardosoBarcelona GSE 57 93 We provide new evidence on the long-term impacts of peacetime conscription, using longitudinal data for Portuguese men born in 1967. These men were inducted at age 21, allowing us to use preconscription wages to control for ability differences between conscripts and nonconscripts. We find a significant 4-5 percentage point impact of service on the wages of men with only primary education, coupled with a zero effect for men with higher education. The effect for less-educated men suggests that mandatory service can be a valuable experience for those who might otherwise spend their careers in low-level jobs. (JEL J24, J31, J45) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.57 10.1257/app.4.4.57 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0228_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2011-0228_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Can Mobile Phones Improve Learning? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Niger Jenny C.AkerTufts U ChristopherKsollCSAE, U Oxford Travis J.LybbertU CA, Davis and Giannini Foundation 94 120 The returns to educational investments hinge on whether such investments can improve the quality and persistence of educational gains. We report the results from a randomized evaluation of an adult education program in Niger, in which some students learned how to use simple mobile phones (Project ABC). Students in ABC villages achieved test scores that were 0.19-0.26 standard deviations higher than those in standard adult education classes, and standardized math test scores remained higher seven months after the end of classes. These results suggest that simple information technology can be harnessed to improve educational outcomes among rural populations. (JEL D83, I21, O15, O33) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.94 10.1257/app.4.4.94 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0079_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2011-0079_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Longer-Term Impacts of Mentoring, Educational Services, and Learning Incentives: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in the United States NuriaRodriguez-PlanasAutonomous U Barcelona and IZA, Bonn 121 39 This paper reports on a randomized evaluation of a program designed to improve high school graduation and postsecondary education enrollment among low-performing high school students. Treated youths were offered mentoring, educational services, and financial rewards. The program was evaluated when the youths were 19, 21, and 24 years old. Treated youths obtained their high school diplomas earlier and were more likely than controls to attend postsecondary education. Five years after the end of the program, we find no significant overall effects of this intervention on employment outcomes. The program improved outcomes to a greater extent for the female enrollees than the male ones. (JEL D83, I21, I28, J13) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.121 10.1257/app.4.4.121 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2010-0101_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2010-0101_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Limited Insurance within the Household: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya JonathanRobinsonU CA, Santa Cruz 140 64 In developing countries, unexpected income shocks are common but informal insurance is typically incomplete. An important question is therefore whether risk-sharing within the household is effective. This paper presents results from a field experiment with 142 married couples in Kenya in which individuals were given random income shocks. Even though the shocks were small relative to lifetime income, men increase private consumption when they receive the shock but not when their wives do, a rejection of efficiency. Such behavior is not specific to the experiment--both spouses spend more on themselves when their labor income is higher. (JEL D14, D81, G22, O12, O16) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.140 10.1257/app.4.4.140 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0277_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2011-0277_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles The Power of Political Voice: Women's Political Representation and Crime in India LakshmiIyerHarvard U AnandiManiU Warwick PrachiMishraIMF PetiaTopalovaIMF 165 93 Using state-level variation in the timing of political reforms, we find that an increase in female representation in local government induces a large and significant rise in documented crimes against women in India. Our evidence suggests that this increase is good news, driven primarily by greater reporting rather than greater incidence of such crimes. In contrast, we find no increase in crimes against men or in gender-neutral crimes. We also examine the effectiveness of alternative forms of political representation. Large scale membership of women in local councils affects crime against them more than their presence in higher-level leadership positions. (JEL D72, J16, K42, O15, O17) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.165 10.1257/app.4.4.165 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0220_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2011-0220_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Deregulation, Consolidation, and Efficiency: Evidence from US Nuclear Power Lucas W.DavisEnergy Institute at Haas, U CA, Berkeley CatherineWolframEnergy Institute at Haas, U CA, Berkeley 194 225 Beginning in the late 1990s, electricity markets in many US states were deregulated, and almost half of the nation's 103 nuclear power reactors were sold to independent power producers. Deregulation has been accompanied by substantial market consolidation, and today the three largest companies control one-third of US nuclear capacity. We find that deregulation and consolidation are associated with a 10 percent increase in operating performance, achieved primarily by reducing the duration of reactor outages. At average wholesale prices, this increased operating performance is worth $2.5 billion annually and implies an annual decrease of 35 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. (JEL L11, L51, L94, L98, Q42, Q48) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.194 10.1257/app.4.4.194 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2012-0052_data.zip http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/app/2012-0052_app.pdf American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Access, Sorting, and Achievement: The Short-Run Effects of Free Primary Education in Kenya Adrienne M.LucasU DE Isaac M.MbitiSouthern Methodist U 226 53 We examine the impact of the Kenyan Free Primary Education program on student participation, sorting, and achievement on the primary school exit examination. Exploiting variation in pre-program dropout rates between districts, we find that the program increased the number of students who completed primary school, spurred private school entry, and increased access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We argue that the program was welfare enhancing as it promoted educational access without substantially reducing the test scores of students who would have been in school in the absence of the program. (JEL H52, I21, I28, O15) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.226 10.1257/app.4.4.226 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2010-0362_data.zip American Economic Association Nashville, TN 1945-7782 1945-7790 American Economic Journal: Applied Economics http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ 4 4 October 2012 http://www.aeaweb.org/issue.php?journal=APP&volume=4&issue=4 Articles Are Big-Time Sports a Threat to Student Achievement? Jason M.LindoU OR and IZA, Bonn Isaac D.SwensenU OR Glen R.WaddellU OR and IZA, Bonn 254 74 We consider the relationship between collegiate football success and non-athlete student performance. We find that the team's success significantly reduces male grades relative to female grades, and only in fall quarters, which coincides with the football season. Using survey data, we find that males are more likely than females to increase alcohol consumption, decrease studying, and increase partying in response to the success of the team. Yet, females also report that their behavior is affected by athletic success, suggesting that their performance is likely impaired but that this effect is masked by the practice of grade curving. (JEL I21, L83) http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.254 10.1257/app.4.4.254 http://www.aeaweb.org/aej/app/data/2011-0314_data.zip