Tax credits are a popular way to alleviate in‐work poverty. A common empirical assumption is that the benefit of the tax credit is borne solely by the claimant workers. However, economic theory suggests no particular reason why this should be the case. This paper investigates the impact of the...

Do the contests with the largest prizes attract the most-able contestants? To what extent do contestants avoid competition? In this paper, we show, theoretically and empirically, that the distribution of abilities plays a crucial role in determining contest choice. Complete sorting exists only...

One of the principle aims of the Working Families' Tax Credit in the UK was to increase the participation of those with low labour market attachment. The literature to date concludes that for lone mothers there was approximately a 5% point increase in employment. The differences-in-differences...

We exploit a large exogenous shock to study the determinants of college attendance and the role played by one's environment. We analyze whether, and how quickly, adolescents' college plans are adapted, explore factors leading to the adjustment, and examine how these factors ultimately impact...