Comparative Politics Workshop with David Laitin

DateApril 27, 2015

Time12:30pm

Location
4357 Bunche Hall

Contact
Contact Information
Belinda SunnuPhone bsunnu@polisci.ucla.edu

Presenter:David Laitin, Stanford UniversityTitle: “Language Policy and Human Development”Abstract:[We] explore how language policy affects the socio-economic development of nation-states through two channels: the individual’s exposure to and (in reference to an individual’s mother tongue) linguistic distance from the official language. In a cross-country framework, we first establish a robust and sizeable negative relationship between an official language that is distant from the local indigenous languages and proxies for human capital and health. To establish this relationship as causal, we instrument language choice with a measure of geographic distance from the origins of writing. Next, using individual-level data from India and a set of twelve African countries, we provide micro-empirical support on the two channels — distance to the official language and exposure — and their implications for educational, health, occupational and wealth outcomes. Finally, we present narrative evidence on why, given the welfare implications of language policy, postcolonial elites have sustained inefficient policies.Paper:Click here to download.

Event Details:

Parking | Directions

Please register here: