It is well understood that government policies can distort behavior. But what is less often recognized is that the anticipated introduction of a policy can introduce its own distortions. We study one such "introduction effect," using evidence from a unique policy change in Australia. In 2004,...

We estimate the impact of annual obstetricians and gynecologists' conferences on births in Australia and the United States. In both countries, the number of births drops by 2-4 percent during the days on which these conferences are held. Since it is unlikely that parents take these conferences...