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Identities and public policies: Unexpected effects of political reservations for women in India

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  • Cassan, Guilhem
  • Vandewalle, Lore

Abstract

Identity is an important determinant of economic behavior. While the existing literature focuses on one identity dimension at a time, we show that the multiplicity of identity dimensions matters for economic behavior and that neglecting it may lead policymakers to overlook important, unexpected effects of economic policies. We exploit the randomized nature of political reservations for women in India to show that a policy designed along one identity dimension (gender) alters the distribution of the benefits of this policy along another one (caste). We propose differences in gender norms across caste groups as a mechanism.

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  • Cassan, Guilhem & Vandewalle, Lore, 2021. "Identities and public policies: Unexpected effects of political reservations for women in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:143:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x21000206
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105408
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    3. Shammama, Obaida & Brazys, Samuel, 2024. "Representation matters? Female legislators and women’s health in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intersectionality; Identity economics; Social norms; Gender; Quotas; Affirmative action;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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