Higher Education Expansion and Crime: New Evidence from China

Xingfei Liu, Chuhong Wang, Zizhong Yan () and Yi Zhao
Additional contact information
Chuhong Wang: Yango University
Yi Zhao: Tsinghua University

No 2022-2, Working Papers from University of Alberta, Department of Economics

Abstract: In this paper we present causal evidence on the impact of higher education expansion on crime by exploiting a massive expansion of college enrollment in China since 1999, using data from multiple sources. Our identification strategy exploits regional variation in the intensity of the higher education expansion with partially identified difference-in-differences models. We explore various assumptions to account for the potential unparallel trends over years and find that college expansion causally reduces crime rates and the effect changes over time. Moreover, the crime reducing effect extends beyond the post-secondary educational level and into the senior high schools. Our findings document an important yet overlooked positive externality associated with higher education expansion.

Keywords: Higher education expansion; Crime; China; Partial identification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 62 pages
Date: 2022-03-24
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-law and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:albaec:2022_002

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