The Effect of Female Education on Fertility and Infant Health: Evidence from School Entry Policies Using Exact Date of Birth

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: McCrary, Justin; Royer, Heather
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Berkeley; University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.101.1.158
• 发表日期: 2011
• 页码: 158-195
• 关键词: instrumental variables; sample selection; kindergarten entrance; MOTHERS EDUCATION; regression; models; AGE; identification; attendance; demand

摘要

This paper uses age-at-school-entry policies to identify the effect of female education on fertility and infant health. We focus on sharp contrasts in schooling, fertility, and infant health between women born just before and after the school entry date. School entry policies affect female education and the quality of a woman's mate and have generally small, but possibly heterogeneous, effects on fertility and infant health. We argue that school entry policies manipulate primarily the education of young women at risk of dropping out of school. (JEL I12, I21, J13, J16)