Contents
Abstract 1
Chapter 1. Introduction 3
Section 1. Research Background 5
Section 2. Purpose of the Research 8
Chapter 2. Theoretical Background and Literature Review 11
Section 1. Theoretical Background 13
Section 2. Literature Review 16
Chapter 3. Institutional Background 21
Chapter 4. Empirical Strategy 27
Section 1. Identification 29
Section 2. Estimation 32
Section 3. Inference 34
Chapter 5. Data and Sample 35
Section 1. Data Description 37
Section 2. Sample Selection 38
Section 3. Descriptive Statistics 40
Chapter 6. Validity Check for the RKD 43
Section 1. Kink in the Treatment Variable 45
Section 2. Tests of Manipulation 48
Section 3. Kink in Baseline Characteristics 51
Chapter 7. Results 59
Section 1. Effects of a College Degree on Fertility 61
Section 2. Identifying the Mechanisms 64
Section 3. Robustness Check: Placebo Tests 69
Chapter 8. Discussion and Conclusions 73
Section 1. Discussion 75
Section 2. Conclusions 77
References 81