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Why Does Education Increase Voting? Evidence from Boston’s Charter Schools

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Cohodes
  • James J. Feigenbaum
Abstract
Americans with more education vote more, but we know little about whether this effect on civic participation arises from educational quality or quantity. Using admissions lotteries at Boston charter schools, we estimate the impacts of charter attendance on academic and voting outcomes. We first confirm that there are large academic gains from charter school attendance. Second, we find that charter attendance boosts voter participation, substantially increasing voter participation in the first presidential election after a student turns 18 by six percentage points from a baseline of 35 percent. This effect operates through increased turnout, as there is no increase in voter registration. Rich data enable us to explore multiple potential channels of this voting impact, and our evidence suggests that charters increase voting by increasing noncognitive skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Cohodes & James J. Feigenbaum, 2021. "Why Does Education Increase Voting? Evidence from Boston’s Charter Schools," NBER Working Papers 29308, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29308
    Note: CH ED LS PE POL
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    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w29308.pdf
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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