Research

Abstract: This study explores the relationship between women’s representation in political power and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a cross-country dataset in Europe, we document a striking negative relationship between the share of female members in national governments and school closures. We show that a one standard deviation increase in female members of national governments is associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of school lockdowns by 24% relative to the average share of school closures. This result is robust to an extensive set of sensitivity checks. We attribute this pattern to a higher awareness of female politicians about the potential costs that school closures imply for families, in particular working mothers with young children.

Abstract: This study explores the enduring influence of Black peers in school on their classmates’ future political preferences. Using comprehensive panel data from a representative sample of US school students followed over time, I leverage quasi-random variation in the share of Black peers across cohorts within a school. The results suggest that a higher proportion of same-gender Black peers is associated with a lower likelihood of holding conservative political preferences in the future. I focus on political preferences in a period in the United States, when race was a highly decisive issue, i.e., the election year of Barack Obama, thus highlighting the importance of topic salience on peer effects. I provide suggestive evidence for the argument that the re-categorization of different racial groups into a shared school-belonging identity may be one of the forces behind these results.