Could you pls include me? Thanks!

Would love to hear your thoughts! Tagging
@jvoth.bsky.social @essobecker.bsky.social @saumjha.bsky.social @nathannunn.bsky.social
@david-schindler.de @dinapomeranz.bsky.social
@hmmlowe.bsky.social @vcharnysh.bsky.social @guoxu.bsky.social @heycheckthisout.bsky.social

Full paper: ssrn.com/abstract=5007109

Want a quick overview? Check out this 12-min AI-generated podcast!
podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/guo...

See more on my website: gjiang-economics.github.io

#EconJobMarket

🚨 Why this matters: 🚨

When govts ask citizens to contribute, perceived fairness is essential - not optional. See a recent example in Ukraine (www.reuters.com/world/europe...)

This is why inclusive institutions that treat everyone fairly are crucial (as the 2024 econ Nobel laureates argue)

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How large is the impact?

If the draft had been fair (no poorer-richer draft gap), volunteering would've jumped approximate 1/3!!

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Endogeneity?

Instrumental var: lottery number gaps between individuals' poorer vs richer neighbors 🎲 🎲

(Random lottery nums, lower = higher draft chance)

Higher nums for richer neighbors (in B's circle) ➡️ fewer richer drafted ➡️ bigger poorer-richer draft rate gap

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2️⃣ Did the lower drafting of higher-income neighbors affect volunteering?

Main spec:

▶️ Dependent var: binary indicator for individual volunteering
▶️ Independent var: draft rate gap between individuals' poorer vs richer neighbors

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For example:

▶️ Doctor connections ➡️ 11% higher health exemptions
▶️ The richer had more doctor connections

If lower drafting of the rich was observed, esp. among neighbors, it was perceived as unfair

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1️⃣ These fairness concerns in Gallup polls were well-founded:

▶️ Highest income group's draft rate = *half* that of lowest income group
▶️ Rich more likely to get exemptions

Their exemptions? More questionable...

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Key context:

▶️ 12 million draftees and 6 million volunteers during WW2
▶️ 20% of Gallup respondents perceived the draft as unfair
▶️ Main complaints: ‘favoritism’, ‘money talks’, and ‘some use pull to get out of draft’

Based on newly digitized military records, I show 🧵

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🚨 Job Market Paper 🚨

If 6 million individuals *voluntarily* put themself in a life-and-death situation, what drove them to make that choice?

My job market paper examines how perceived fairness affected the decision to voluntarily enlist in the US during WW2 #EconJMP #EconJMC #EconTwitter

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