Are Children “Normal”?

Dan Black, Natalia Kolesnikova, Seth G. Sanders () and Lowell Taylor
Additional contact information
Seth G. Sanders: Cornell University

No 5959, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine Becker's (1960) contention that children are "normal." For the cross section of non-Hispanic white married couples in the U.S., we show that when we restrict comparisons to similarly-educated women living in similarly-expensive locations, completed fertility is positively correlated with the husband's income. The empirical evidence is consistent with children being "normal." In an effort to show causal effects, we analyze the localized impact on fertility of the mid-1970s increase in world energy prices – an exogenous shock that substantially increased men's incomes in the Appalachian coal-mining region. Empirical evidence for that population indicates that fertility increases in men's income.

Keywords: Appalachian fertility; location choice; economics of fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 47 pages
Date: 2011-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-lab and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published - published in: Review of Economics and Statistics, 2013, 95 (1), 21 - 33

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Related works:
Journal Article: Are Children “Normal”? (2013)
Working Paper: Are children 'normal'? (2009)
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