Regional difference-in-differences in France using the German annexation of Alsace-Moselle in 1870-1918. NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics 2008, June 20-21, 2008

In this paper, we describe the historical context of local laws in Alsace-Moselle, a region of France under the control of Germany between 1870 and 1918. We provide three examples of labor policies that can be evaluated thanks to this experience: welfare laws, regulation of working time and absenteism, as well as preliminary investigations of the e¤ect of those policies. We conclude in proposing additional examples of policy evaluations that could be based on a similar strategy.