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Can school centralization foster human capital accumulation? A quasi‐experiment from early twentieth‐century Italy

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  • Gabriele Cappelli
  • Michelangelo Vasta

Abstract

This article shows that a shift towards a more centralized school system can benefit countries that are characterized by poor levels of human capital and large regional disparities in education. In 1911, Italy moved from a fully decentralized primary school system towards centralization through the Daneo‐Credaro Reform. The design of the Reform allows us to compare treated municipalities with those that retained school autonomy. Our quasi‐experiment, based on propensity score matching (PSM), shows that centralization substantially increased the pace of human capital accumulation. Treated municipalities were characterized by a 0.43 percentage‐point premium on the average annual growth of literacy between 1911 and 1921. We discuss some of the channels through which the new legislation affected primary schooling and literacy, with important implications for long‐term economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriele Cappelli & Michelangelo Vasta, 2020. "Can school centralization foster human capital accumulation? A quasi‐experiment from early twentieth‐century Italy," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 73(1), pages 159-184, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:73:y:2020:i:1:p:159-184
    DOI: 10.1111/ehr.12877
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    Cited by:

    1. Giovanni Federico & Alessandro Nuvolari & Leonardo Ridolfi & Michelangelo Vasta, 2021. "The race between the snail and the tortoise: skill premium and early industrialization in Italy (1861–1913)," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 15(1), pages 1-42, January.
    2. Paola Azar, 2022. "Politics as a determinant of primary school provision: the case of Uruguay," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 16(2), pages 333-367, May.
    3. Marchingiglio, Riccardo, 2021. "Local institutions and public school spending under restricted suffrage: The case of post-unitary Italy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1351-1373.
    4. Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia & Gabriele Cappelli, 2024. "Missing girls in Liberal Italy, 1861–1921," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(1), pages 185-211, February.
    5. Paola Azar & Sergio Espuelas, 2021. "Democracy and primary education spending in Spain, 1902-22," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2021/409, University of Barcelona School of Economics.
    6. Gabriele Cappelli & Michelangelo Vasta, 2021. "A “Silent Revolution”: school reforms and Italy’s educational gender gap in the Liberal Age (1861–1921)," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 15(1), pages 203-229, January.
    7. Adrian Palacios-Mateo, 2023. "Education and household decision-making in Spanish mining communities, 1877–1924," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 17(2), pages 301-340, May.
    8. Carlo Ciccarelli & Alberto Dalmazzo & Daniela Vuri, 2021. "Home Sweet Home: the Effect of Sugar Protectionism on Emigration in Italy, 1876‐1913," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(4), pages 925-957, August.
    9. Semih Yilmazer & Halil Emre Akbas & Hasan Agan Karaduman, 0. "The Impacts of Corporate Governance Mechanisms on the Extent of Risk Disclosure: An Empirical Study of Turkish Non-Financial Companies Listed on Borsa Istanbul 100 Index," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 0, pages 1-1.
    10. Vitantonio Mariella, 2023. "Landownership concentration and human capital accumulation in post-unification Italy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 1695-1764, July.
    11. Barbara Pistoresi & Francesco Salsano, 2020. "Italian Spending on Education: a Long-Term Perspective," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(5), pages 1-1.
    12. Gabriele Cappelli & Gloria Quiroga Valle, 2021. "Female teachers and the rise of primary education in Italy and Spain, 1861–1921: evidence from a new dataset," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(3), pages 754-783, August.
    13. Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia & Alfonso Díez-Minguela & Alicia Gómez-Tello & Julio Martinez-Galarraga & Daniel A. Tirado-Fabregat, 2021. "Structural change and the income of nations," UB School of Economics Working Papers 2021/414, University of Barcelona School of Economics.
    14. Gutiérrez, José Manuel & Quiroga Valle, Gloria, 2023. "Gender gap and spatial disparities in the evolution of literacy in Spain, 1860-1910," MPRA Paper 116235, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Belmonte, Alessandro, 2020. "State Capacity, Schooling, and Fascist Education: Evidence from the Reclamation of the Pontine Marshes," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 528, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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