Julien Labonne

Generation of Household Solid Waste in OECD Countries: An Empirical Analysis Using Macroeconomic Data

While there are numerous studies that use household-level and community-level data to examine the determinants of household solid waste generation rates, little empirical work has been previously undertaken using macroeconomic data. Using a cross-sectional time-series database of solid waste in countries that are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), we provide evidence on the economic and demographic determinants of generation rates of household solid waste. With respect to economic activity and population density, the results are largely consistent with results found in previous studies. However, additional insights are gained on the effects of factors such as household size and composition, as well as the degree of urbanization. (JEL Q24)

The Power of Information: The Impact of Mobile Phones on Farmers'Welfare in the Philippines

The authors explore the impact of access to information on poor farmersx92 consumption. The analysis combines spatially coded data on mobile phone coverage with household panel data on farmers from some of the poorest areas of the Philippines. Both the ordinary least squares and instrumental variable estimates indicate that purchasing a mobile phone has a large, positive impact on the household-level growth rate of per capita consumption. Estimates range from 11 to 17 percent, depending on the sample and the specification chosen. The authors perform a range of reliability tests, the results of which all suggest that the instruments are valid. They also present evidence consistent with the argument that easier access to information allows farmers to strike better price deals within their existing trading relationships and to make better choices in terms of where they choose to sell their goods.

Environmental Policy and Economies of Scope in Facility-Level Environmental Practices

In order to abate pollution, manufacturing facilities can either change their production processes (CPP) or introduce end-of-pipe technologies (EOP). The decision to undertake CPP rather than EOP is a reflection of the existence of economies of scope between production of the facility’s conventional output and abatement of pollution. While this is determined by sectoral technological opportunities, facility size and other factors, environmental management practices, and public policy also play a role. Our results suggest that flexible instruments are more likely to result in CPP. We also provide insights on the role of environmental management, with the mainstreaming of environmental management within the firm leading to more integrated abatement strategies. Copyright Springer Japan 2008

Incumbent Advantage, Voter Information and Vote Buying

Results from a new experiment shed light on the effects of voter information on vote buying and incumbent advantage. The treatment provided voters with information about a major spending program and the proposed allocations and promises of mayoral candidates just prior to municipal elections. It left voters more knowledgeable about candidates proposed policies and increased the salience of spending, but did not affect vote shares and turnout. Treated voters were more likely to be targeted for vote buying. We develop a model of vote buying that accounts for these results. The information raised voter expectations regarding incumbent performance, especially in incumbent strongholds. Incumbents increased vote buying in response. Consistent with this explanation, both knowledge and vote buying impacts were higher in municipalities with dominant incumbents. Our findings show that, in a political environment where vote buying is the currency of electoral mobilization, incumbent efforts to increase voter welfare may take the form of greater vote buying.

Political Dynasties, Term Limits and Female Political Empowerment: Evidence from the Philippines

We study female representation in the Philippines. We first provide evidence for a previously understudied channel for female access to office: binding term limits constitute critical junctures in which dynastic women are 240 percent more likely to access political office. We then show that in municipalities where a term-limited incumbent was replaced by a relative, there are no differences in policy outcomes between those governed by a male or female mayor. We argue that the channel through which women enter elected office matters for whether female descriptive representation translates into substantive female representation. When women access office through a dynastic channel there is no gender mandate. Female politicians may be more responsive to the interests of their family (rather than those of other women) or may be unable to represent female preferences, as they are often figureheads or benchwarmers of previous relatives.

So you want to quit smoking: have you tried a mobile phone?

Tobacco use, which is rising quickly in developing countries, kills 5.4 million people a year worldwide. This paper explores the impacts of mobile phone ownership on tobacco consumption. Indeed, mobile phone ownership could affect tobacco consumption because individuals might pay for their communication with money they would have spent on tobacco. Using panel data from 2,100 households in 135 communities of the Philippines collected in 2003 and 2006, the analysis finds that mobile phone ownership leads to a 20 percent decline in monthly tobacco consumption. Among households in which at least one member smoked in 2003, purchasing a mobile phone leads to a 32.6 percent decrease in tobacco consumption per adult over the age of 15. This is equivalent to one less pack of 20 cigarettes per month per adult. The results are robust to various estimation strategies. Further, they suggest that this impact materializes through a budget shift from tobacco to communication.

Economic shocks and labour market flexibility

We test how labor markets adjust to large, but temporary, economic shocks in a context in which such shocks are common. Using an individual-level panel, from 1,140 Philippine municipalities over 26 quarters, we find that workers in areas affected by strong typhoons experience reductions in hours worked and hourly wages, without evidence of layoffs. The results are strongest for formal, wage-paying jobs. We argue that those results are best explained by implicit contracts where workers and firms share risks. We provide extensive qualitative data suggesting that employment contracts in the Philippines allow for such flexibility.