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Human Capital Accumulation and the Expansion of Women's Economic Rights

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  • Rick Geddes
  • Dean Lueck
  • Sharon Tennyson

Abstract

Between 1850 and 1920, most U.S. states enacted laws expanding the rights of married women to own and control their separate property and to own their market earnings. The economic approach to property rights implies that as married women gain economic rights, the incentive to invest in girls' human capital will rise. This prediction is tested by examining the impact of these legal changes on girls' school attendance rates relative to boys'. State-level census data are used to examine the effects of these changes on school attendance among all school-aged children. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series data are used to examine their effect on school attendance among children ages 15-19, who are just beyond compulsory schooling ages. Consistent with hypothesized effects, the empirical analysis shows that expanding women's economic rights resulted in higher relative rates of school attendance by girls and had the largest effect on the 15-19 age group.

Suggested Citation

  • Rick Geddes & Dean Lueck & Sharon Tennyson, 2012. "Human Capital Accumulation and the Expansion of Women's Economic Rights," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(4), pages 839-867.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:doi:10.1086/666086
    DOI: 10.1086/666086
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    2. Escamilla Guerrero, David & Lepistö, Miko & Minns, Chris, 2022. "Explaining gender differences in migrant sorting: evidence from Canada-US migration," Economic History Working Papers 117260, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    3. Ivanović, Vladan & Kufenko, Vadim, 2020. "It's a man's world? The rise of female entrepreneurship during privatization in Serbia," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 07-2020, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    4. Hyland, Marie & Djankov, Simeon & Goldberg, Pinelopi, 2021. "Do gendered laws matter?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118845, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Davis, Lewis S. & Williamson, Claudia R., 2022. "Individualism and women's economic rights," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 579-597.
    6. Mikayla Novak, 2023. "The Emancipatory Liberalism of Steven Horwitz: The Case of Women’s Economic Status," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 38(Winter 20), pages 55-71.
    7. M. Rodwan Abouharb & Erick Duchesne, 2019. "Economic Development and the World Bank," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-30, May.
    8. Ali, Daniel Ayalew & Deininger, Klaus, 2024. "Using registry data to assess gender-differentiated land and credit market effects of urban land policy reform: Evidence from Lesotho," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).

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