Full Citation

Title: Nation-building Through Compulsory Schooling during the Age of Mass Migration

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2019

ISBN:

ISSN: 0013-0133

DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12624

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: Why did America introduce compulsory schooling laws at a time when financial investments in education and voluntary school attendance were high? We provide qualitative and quantitative evidence that states adopted compulsory schooling laws as a nation-building tool to instil civic values to the culturally diverse migrants during the ‘Age of Mass Migration’ between 1850 and 1914. We show the adoption of compulsory schooling laws occurred significantly earlier in states that hosted European migrants with lower exposure to civic values in their home countries. Using cross-county data, we show that these migrants had significantly lower demand for American schooling pre-compulsion.

Url: https://academic.oup.com/ej/article/129/617/62/5253920

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Authors: Bandiera, Oriana; Mohnen, Myra; Rasul, Imran; Viarengo, Martina

Periodical (Full): The Economic Journal

Issue: 617

Volume: 129

Pages: 62-109

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Education, Migration and Immigration

Countries: United States