Prior to 1996, Israelis in collective communities (kibbutzim) shared the costs of raising children equally. This paper examines the impact of the privatization of kibbutzim on fertility behavior among members. We find that fertility declined by 6-15 percent following the shift to privatization....

We analyze differences in labor productivity between Israel and a group of small OECD countries. We assume a more general human capital production function and calibrate it using PIAAC surveys, which examine the literacy and numeracy skills of the adult population in the OECD countries. Whereas...

This study shows that Israel's current low level of public expenditure has resulted in a severe decrease in the level of public services provided to Israel's citizens, even beyond the need to finance Israel's exceptional defense expenditure. The study shows a decrease in expenditure on school...