Stature, Living Standards and Economic Development: Essays in Anthropometric History (Book).

Towns in societies. Essays in economic history and economic sociology

Essays in Economic Development and Political Economy

This thesis examines three topics. The first chapter, entitled "Persistent Effects of Peru's Mining Mita" utilizes regression discontinuity to examine the long-run impacts of the mita, an extensive forced mining labor system in effect in Peru and Bolivia between 1573 and 1812. Results indicate that a mita effect lowers household consumption by around 25% and increases the prevalence of stunted ...

Sexual stature dimorphism as an indicator of living standards?

BACKGROUND A group of researchers has argued that sexual stature dimorphism (SSD) can serve as an indicator of living standards. This argument is based on evidence that boys' physical growth is more sensitive to environmental conditions than girls' physical growth. Because Korea's economic growth in the second half of the 20th century was unprecedentedly rapid, according to their logic, it is l...

Essays in Empirical Microeconomics on Economic Development

Title of dissertation: ESSAYS IN EMPIRICAL MICROECONOMICS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Quynh T. Nguyen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Dissertation directed by: Professor Mark Duggan Assistant Professor Jeanne Lafortune Department of Economics My dissertation consists of two independent empirical microeconomics studies in development economics. Though studying di¤erent interventions, they share the same...

Labor Standards and Local Economic Development— Do Living Wage Provisions Harm Economic Growth?

In times of economic crisis, state and local governments increasingly turn to economic development incentive programs to jumpstart job growth. However, recent efforts to attach minimum labor standards to incentives are seen as a threat to traditional practice. Critics of such “business assistance living wage” laws assert that they may reduce employment or redevelopment activity. This paper meas...