research

Publications



Spillovers in Childbearing Decisions and Fertility Transitions: Evidence from China

with Pauline Rossi, Journal of the European Economic Association, 2024, 22(1), 161–199.

Abstract: This article uses China’s family planning policies to quantify and explain spillovers in fertility decisions. We test whether ethnic minorities decreased their fertility in response to the policies, although only the majority ethnic group, the Han Chinese, were subject to birth quotas. We exploit the policy rollout and variation in pre-policy age-specific fertility levels to construct a measure of the negative shock to Han fertility. Combining this measure with variation in the local share of Han, we estimate that a woman gives birth to 0.63 fewer children if the average completed fertility among her peers is exogenously reduced by one child. The fertility response of minorities is driven by cultural proximity with the Han and by higher educational investments, suggesting that spillovers operate through both social and economic channels. These results provide evidence that social multipliers can accelerate fertility transitions.

[Working Paper] [media: VoxChina; The Economist]



Beyond Boiling: The Effect of In Utero Exposure to Treated Tap Water on Childhood Health

with Li Li, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, forthcoming.

Abstract: We study the effect of in utero exposure to treated tap water on childhood health in rural China, where boiling water to inactivate disease-causing microorganisms before drinking is common. We exploit the gradual roll-out of a rural drinking water program that supplies treated tap water to households. Besides microorganisms, the treatment removes chemical pollutants. We find that exposure to treated tap water in utero increases height at ages 1–11 by 0.3 standard deviations. We also explore the impact on other health outcomes at different stages of childhood and the incidence of severe diseases by cause. Improving health by age one and inducing more health investments from parents are two possible channels. Results highlight the importance of removing chemical pollutants from drinking water to protect fetuses from environmental insults.

[Working Paper]



Early Life Exposure to Tap Water and the Development of Cognitive Skills

with Yvonne Jie Chen and Li Li, Journal of Human Resources, 2022, 57(6), 2113-2149.

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of early life exposure to tap water on children’s cognitive skills in later life. We exploit the variation in the timing of tap water connection across communities imposed by a major drinking water safety program in rural China. Using data extracted from the China Family Panel Studies, we find that one additional year of exposure to tap water in early life increases cognitive test score at ages 10-15 by 0.132 standard deviations. Event study estimates confirm that the beneficial impacts are concentrated in early life.

[Working Paper][Online Appendix] [media: THE PAPER 澎湃新闻 (Chinese); JHR Research Highlights]



Education and Gender Role Attitudes

with Huichao Du and Liqiu Zhao, Journal of Population Economics, 2021, 34, 475–513.

Abstract: This paper examines whether education plays an important role in shaping individuals’ gender role attitudes. We exploit the exogenous variation in temporal and geographical impacts of the 1986 Compulsory Education Law in China, which reduces the inequality in compulsory school attendance across regions. Using the data from the China General Social Survey, we find that the extra schooling induced by the compulsory schooling reform leads to more egalitarian gender role attitudes. Education’s liberalizing effect is concentrated among females and urban residents. However, the education’s impacts on gender-equal behavior are much weaker than that on attitudes. Finally, we discuss the potential channels through which education shapes individuals’ gender-role attitudes.



Working Papers



Aid Fragmentation and Corruption

with Travers Barclay Child and Austin Wright, University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Working Paper No. 2021-69

Review of Economics and Statistics, Accepted

Abstract: Development assistance and aid fragmentation---the simultaneous operation of several agencies in one setting---have surged since 2000, raising concerns about coordination challenges and opportunities for corruption. Leveraging unique data on project delivery in Afghanistan, we present the first microlevel empirical analysis of aid fragmentation. We find that aid delivered by a single donor can significantly reduce corruption. Projects delivered under conditions of aid fragmentation, by contrast, can facilitate corruption. We find evidence for a theoretical mechanism linking infrastructure and physical goods with waste and leakage. Our results clarify the policy losses tied to fragmentation, yielding insights for combating misappropriation of aid.



Parental Occupation, Multidimensional Child Quality-Quantity Trade-off, and Intergenerational Mobility

Abstract: This paper studies the heterogeneity in the child quality-quantity trade-off across parental occupations and its consequences for intergenerational mobility. I exploit the variation in the monetary penalty for an unauthorized second child under the One-Child Policy in rural China, which reduces the probability of having a second child for the affected households. I show that the firstborn child's quality is affected differently by changes in the second-child penalty, particularly when considering parental occupation heterogeneity. While the health of the firstborn child generally improves when having a second child becomes more expensive, the education of the firstborn child only improves for parents in occupations that require higher education. For the firstborn children of farmers or workers in occupations that require little education, there is a trade-off between family size and adulthood wealth instead. As a result of the heterogeneity, the increasing cost of having a second child in China has contributed to a decline in intergenerational income mobility. These heterogeneous effects are due to differences in the expected returns from education and the opportunity costs of education among parents in different occupations.

Pre-PhD Publications



Effect of Reliable Electricity on Health Facilities, Health Information and Health Services Utilization: Evidence from Rural Gujarat, India

with Yvonne Jie Chen and Namrata Chindarkar, Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 2019, 38(7).



Education on the Cheap: The Long-run Effects of a Free Compulsory Education Reform in Rural China

with Li Li and Liqiu Zhao, Journal of Comparative Economics, 2017, 45, 544–562.