Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/212423 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Series/Report no.: 
Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers No. 15/2018
Publisher: 
Bank of Finland, Helsinki
Abstract: 
We exploit a regression discontinuity design to provide causal evidence of the relative age effect (RAE) on a long-run adult age outcome: Political selection. We find strong evidence of the RAE in politics in Finland. However, the effect is heterogeneous: We find that male candidates born early in the calendar year have a significantly higher probability of getting elected to the parliament but no similar RAE applies to female candidates nor to municipal elections. Moreover, this effect only takes place in the most competitive parliamentary districts and is present only for some parties. We also find that in all the groups where the RAE does not exist, early-born candidates are under-represented suggesting attrition of talent in the candidate placement. Overall, our results show that seemingly artificial cutoffs imposed by the government have persistent consequences even on the selection to the highest positions of power within a society.
JEL: 
C21
D72
J13
J16
J24
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-952-323-238-9
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.