EFFECTS OF HEAVY DRINKING IN COLLEGE ON STUDY EFFORT, GRADE POINT AVERAGE, AND MAJOR CHOICE

This article measures the effects of college drinking on study hours, grade point average (GPA), and major choice using simultaneous equation models and data from the 1993 College Alcohol Study. Binging and intoxication decrease GPA directly and indirectly by reducing study hours. Greater frequency of drinking increases the effect on study hours but not the total effect on GPA. College drinking increases the probability of choosing a business major but decreases the probability of choosing engineering. Simulations show that the effects of heavy drinking on GPA and major choice reduce future weekly earnings by between 0.3 and 9.8%. Copyright 2002 Western Economic Association International.

Chutes and Ladders: Migration and Male Racial Occupational Segregation

We examine the relationship between migration and occupational segregation for black and white job changers. Using a modified experience good model, our findings from the NLSY suggest that black migrants in good quality occupation matches advance their occupational positions, but do not catch up to whites. Bad match black migrants, on the other hand, lose the most ground on occupational ladders relative to all blacks and whites in our sample. Our results suggest that future research should focus on the underlying labor market history of individuals, where finding good initial occupation matches for blacks in combination with geographical mobility may be the most effective strategy for public policy aimed at decreasing occupational segregation

The Effects of Political Action Committee Contributions on Medical Liability Legislation

This paper examines representatives' voting on the HEALTH Act of 2003, which proposed a limit on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. The estimates show that the more campaign contributions a representative received from law firm PACs, the less likely he or she was to vote for the bill, while money from insurance and health care industry PACs increased the likelihood of an aye vote. These effects remain after controlling for the endogeneity of campaign contributions. Other factors affecting voting decisions include party affiliation, representative ideology, whether or not the representative was an attorney, the change in state malpractice premiums and payouts, and the change in the number of doctors in the state. There is no strong evidence that the AMA's strategy of naming certain states as being in "crisis" increased the probability that representatives from those states supported the bill.