We use a simple model of statistical discrimination to empirically disentangle two different sources of racial wage inequality: differences in the distribution of pre-market factors that affect human capital, and differences in incentives to acquire human capital when young. We show how the...

Since 1914, incumbent U.S. senators running for reelection have won almost 80% of the time. We investigate why incumbents win so often. We allow for three potential explanations for the incumbency advantage: selection, tenure, and challenger quality, which are separately identified using...

How well does the pivotal-voter model explain voter participation in small-scale elections? This paper explores this question using data from Texas liquor referenda. It first structurally estimates the parameters of a pivotal-voter model using the Texas data. It then uses the estimates to...

Why are distortionary policies used when seemingly Pareto improvements exist? According to a standard textbook argument, a Pareto improvement can be obtained by eliminating the distortions, compensating the losers with a lump sum transfer, and redistributing the gains that are left over. We...

A dynamic model of the demographic structure of Japan is summarized. It is capable of tracing the dynamic development of the Japanese population, including the distribution of families by age, sex, and marital status of the head, as well as by the number and age of children and other dependents....

The two main trends in gender differentials in the last decade suggest an apparently contradictory picture: women still experience a significant negative differential in wages but not in education, where they moved from a negative to a positive differential. We propose and estimate a model where...

This paper develops and estimates a search model of the labor market where jobs are characterized by wages and work-hours flexibility. Flexibility is valued by workers, and is costly to provide for employers. The model generates observed wage distributions directly related to the preference for...

We use data from Texas liquor referenda to evaluate the performance of the pivotal-voter theory of voter turnout. We structurally estimate the parameters of a pivotal-voter model using the referendum data. We then use the estimates to evaluate the out of sample performance of the model. Finally,...

Why are trade barriers often used to protect home producers, even at the cost of introducing deadweight losses from higher commodity prices? We add an informational friction to the standard textbook argument in favor of free trade, and show that trade restrictions may be a more effcient policy...