ESSAYS ON LABOR AND PUBLIC ECONOMICS

Abstract

The first chapter examines the effect of teacher gender on students’ academic and noncognitive outcomes. Using information from an educational survey, we exploit a random assignment identification. Contributing on the literature, we extend students outcomes from traditionally focused academic achievement to noncognitive outcomes, and provide evidence in support of the mechanisms. The second chapter estimates peer gender effect on students’ academic outcomes and noncognitive outcomes. We find that a higher proportion of female peer in class has positive effects on students’ performance, and find evidence for the channels such as improved classroom environment and teacher-student interactions. The third chapter studies the effect of environmental regulation on innovation. We exploit Two Control Zones policy in China to deal with the identification. The DID estimates suggest environmental regulation foster innovations. This study offers one of the first attempts to examine the causal effect of environmental regulation on innovation in developing economics.