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The long-lasting effect of feudal human capital: Insights from Vietnam

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  • Hoang, Trung Xuan
  • Nguyen, Cuong Viet

Abstract

This study investigates the long-term effect of the density of the elite - the highest educated - during the period 1075-1919 on today's educational attainment and economic performance in Vietnam. Using nearly 20,000 elites, including 17,061 junior bachelors and bachelors, and 2,895 doctors who passed the imperial examination (1075-1919), and the distance to the nearest examination centers as an instrumental variable, we find that elite density has persistent effects on the present-day educational attainment, income, poverty, and night-time light intensity. The impact of the elite density on schooling years tends to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Our findings are robust to a variety of model specifications.

Suggested Citation

  • Hoang, Trung Xuan & Nguyen, Cuong Viet, 2024. "The long-lasting effect of feudal human capital: Insights from Vietnam," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1389, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1389
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East

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