An evaluation of the Connected Nation broadband adoption program

Closing the digital divide and increasing broadband adoption within households and communities continues to be a target for government and nonprofit groups. While a large number of studies have examined policies and programs aimed at improving broadband infrastructure availability, little analysis to date has focused on evaluating efforts to increase adoption. One of the most well-known programs focused on adoption is Connected Nation, which partnered with 14 states to provide local curricula aimed at raising residential connection rates. This analysis uses a generalized difference-in-difference methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of the Connected Nation program in 5 states during 2012 and 2013. The results indicate that participation in the Connected Nation program had no significant impact on broadband adoption rates. This paper represents a rigorous evaluation of one of the most well-known adoption-oriented programs and emphasizes that measurable impacts of such efforts may not accrue over the short term.     

新环保法实施增大了企业的技术创新投入吗？——基于PSM-DID方法的研究

以2012—2017年A股上市公司为样本,借助双重差分倾向得分匹配法（PSM-DID）研究了新环保法实施这一外生性事件对企业技术创新投入的影响。结果显示,新环保法实施后受影响企业的技术创新投入有所增加,但结果并不显著。进一步探究其原因,发现除新环保法影响可能存在的时滞性特征以外,企业并没有在新环保法实施环境下对企业的资本结构、治理结构和激励方案等影响企业技术创新的重大方面做出及时调整,导致环保法的强制性作用无法快速、有效地影响企业的技术创新。     

Tuition fees and social segregation: lessons from a natural experiment at the University of Paris 9-Dauphine

Using a natural experiment, a sharp rise in tuition fees in some of the programmes at the University of Paris 9-Dauphine, we study the impact of tuition fees on students’ pathways, and outcomes. We apply an optimal matching method to the national database of students’ registrations (SISE) to define a typology of pathways. We then use a nonordered multinomial logit model to evaluate the impact of the rise in tuition fees on the types of pathways selected by the university. We show that there is a significant impact on these pathways. The increase in tuition fees reduces geographic and social mobility, thereby accentuating the phenomena of social segregation. Furthermore, contrary to what some of the studies assert, the rise does not appear to encourage greater effort: we find no impact on the graduation success rate.     

THE ESTIMATED EFFECT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLING ON EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES USING PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING

This paper examines the effect of attending a Catholic high school on educational outcomes. The statistical analysis is based on data obtained from the US National Educational Longitudinal Study. Using propensity score matching methods to control for selection bias, we find that Catholic schooling improves maths test scores, with stronger effects for males than for females, but appears to have little effect (if any) on reading scores. Catholic schooling also raises high school graduation rates and substantially increases the likelihood of enrolment in a 4‐year college. Use of the difference‐in‐difference method suggests that the effect of Catholic schooling on changes in maths scores is more muted, though still statistically significant.     

The price effect of allowing non-pharmacy outlets to sell OTC drugs in Korea

By the amendment of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in 2012, non-pharmacy outlets (confined to 24-hour convenience stores) in Korea were permitted to sell 13 over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. This article empirically examines the effect of the regulatory reform on OTC drug prices. To do so, we use county-level price data of 7 OTC drugs for the years of 2012 and 2013. Among them, 2 OTC drugs are available at non-pharmacy outlets due to the deregulation, and the remaining 5 are still only available at pharmacies. Employing a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that after the regulatory reform, prices of the 2 OTC drugs increased by only 1.1% while those of the rest 5 increased by 6.5%. This result has implications for the government’s policy of designating non-pharmacy outlets that can sell OTC drugs from the viewpoint of consumer welfare.     

高铁开通对中国航空客运网络连通性的影响

为了科学优化中国航空客运网络发展,选取2000—2018年中国定期通航的运输机场所在地级及以上城市的非平衡面板数据,将高铁开通视为一项准自然实验,采用多期双重差分模型实证分析高铁开通对中国航空客运网络连通性水平的影响。研究发现：高铁开通显著提升了中国航空客运网络连通性水平;高铁开通对节点中心性的提升作用不受该城市所处区域的影响,均有显著的促进作用,对东部城市中心性的促进作用大于中西部城市。     

The impact of job security on job satisfaction in economic contractions versus expansions

Job security, often measured using the perceived risk of job loss in the near future, is a significant determinant of job satisfaction. We posit that the impact job security has on job satisfaction is not only a function of how likely it is that a worker loses a job but also how likely it is that a worker could find another. The effect this has on worker job satisfaction then is different depending on whether perceived job loss occurs (or not) when job openings are scarce or when job openings are plentiful. We use difference-in-differences analysis of the 1997 and 2008 waves from the National Study of the Changing Workforce to show that three measures of job security increase private sector worker job satisfaction, and reduce worker incentives to quit, more when job openings are relatively scarce (during contractions) than when job openings are relatively plentiful (during expansions). We find that our results are strongest among less-educated workers.     

城乡医保统筹对居民医疗负担的影响——基于城乡差别的视角

利用2014年和2016年的中国劳动力动态调查数据,运用双重差分模型分析城乡医保统筹制度对居民医疗负担的影响。结果显示,推行城乡医保统筹制度会促进农村低收入居民的医疗服务利用,但并不影响该群体医疗支出占家庭总支出的比重,医保统筹政策减轻了农村中等收入居民的医疗负担,而农村高收入群体和城镇居民受经济约束程度较低,医疗消费几乎不受医保政策的影响。按医疗支出分组的回归结果还表明,城乡医保统筹并不能为重病户分担就医压力。从政策制定的角度,应当重点关注贫困和重疾病家庭,减轻重负担人群的就诊压力,避免因病致贫的发生。     

“逆向混改”如何影响战略性新兴产业民企绿色创新？ ——基于代表性产业比较分析的视角

以“逆向混改”现象普遍的高新技术、节能环保两类战略性新兴产业为研究对象,基于民营企业“逆向混改”的准自然实验,实证检验“逆向混改”对民企绿色创新的影响。结果显示,“逆向混改”可以有效驱动战略性新兴产业民企提高绿色创新绩效。机制检验发现,“逆向混改”具有促进专业化发展和融资约束缓解的“双重功效”,有利于促成民企绿色创新发展的“护城河”和“蓄水池”。基于代表性产业比较分析发现,环境规制的合理设计及强化,可以有效地促进高新技术产业民企“逆向混改”对绿色创新的协同效应;创新补贴政策的适度强化及激励,可以有效地促进节能环保产业民企“逆向混改”对绿色创新的互补效应。研究揭示了“逆向混改”推进民企绿色创新的影响规律,为促进战略性新兴产业高质量发展提供了理论和政策启发。     

中央环保督察与企业过度金融化： 资本逐利抑或环境治理

中央环保督察是近年来我国环保领域采取的重要改革措施,不仅有利于提高环境治理效力,而且也会对微观企业的资源配置决策产生影响。基于2012—2020年我国沪深A股上市工业企业数据,采用多期双重差分法实证检验中央环保督察对企业过度金融化的影响。研究发现,中央环保督察对企业过度金融化具有抑制作用。影响机制检验发现,中央环保督察通过提高企业绿色投资进而会抑制企业过度金融化。异质性分析表明,中央环保督察对企业过度金融化的抑制作用在融资约束程度高、高管无公职经历的企业以及处在公众环境关注度较高地区的企业更强。经济后果检验表明,中央环保督察通过抑制企业过度金融化提升了企业绩效。研究结论探析了宏观环境政策对微观企业资源配置决策的影响及作用机理,对实现环境治理和经济发展的双赢具有一定的现实意义。