Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,000.00
Summary
The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug mar ....The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug markets on crime, health, education and employment. The results are expected to show how illicit drug policies can improve health and well-being in communities.Read moreRead less
A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of dat ....A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of data collection, provide the opportunity to complete a high quality benefit-cost analysis that will be internationally unique. Results from the study have the potential to influence the design of childcare and education for 30,000 at-risk children in Australia, as well as informing approaches in regular childcare.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101270
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The behavioural birthdate effect: the impact of relative position within cohorts on risk aversion, self-confidence and aspiration levels. The 'birthdate effect' describes the phenomenon where children born just after the school entry cut off date are more successful in life than those born just before. This project will study why these children make very different life choices, those born just after the cut-off date are expected to take greater risks and have higher self esteem.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100829
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$353,000.00
Summary
The effects of parental education on child health outcomes. This project aims to understand how public education policies can improve health. Common economic analysis of returns to education fails to capture the critical secondary beneficial effects of parental education on future generations’ health. These positive effects are systematically undercounted in the cost-benefit analysis of Australia’s investment in education. This project will use Australian datasets and natural experiments to iden ....The effects of parental education on child health outcomes. This project aims to understand how public education policies can improve health. Common economic analysis of returns to education fails to capture the critical secondary beneficial effects of parental education on future generations’ health. These positive effects are systematically undercounted in the cost-benefit analysis of Australia’s investment in education. This project will use Australian datasets and natural experiments to identify how parental education affects the health outcomes of the second generation. This project expects to provide policy recommendations to maximise health, wellbeing and economic outcomes for Australia.Read moreRead less
Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for ....Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for heterogeneity in treatment responses, and the findings will be combined with a study of regulatory and administrative processes to support the ultimate goal of a legitimate, fair, cost-effective and responsive tax system.Read moreRead less
Does Australian Corporate Taxation Matter? On a GDP-weighted basis the average OECD corporate rate has fallen from 44 percent in 1985 to 31 percent in 2004. Australia operates a flat thirty percent corporate tax rate and this compares well with the current OECD average. Yet, the Business Council of Australia argues that the Australian corporate tax rate is 'uncompetitive'. Certainly, the corporate tax burden (i.e. corporate tax revenue as a proportion of GDP) is very high in Australia, the thi ....Does Australian Corporate Taxation Matter? On a GDP-weighted basis the average OECD corporate rate has fallen from 44 percent in 1985 to 31 percent in 2004. Australia operates a flat thirty percent corporate tax rate and this compares well with the current OECD average. Yet, the Business Council of Australia argues that the Australian corporate tax rate is 'uncompetitive'. Certainly, the corporate tax burden (i.e. corporate tax revenue as a proportion of GDP) is very high in Australia, the third highest in the OECD, and the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. This project will evaluate the extent that the corporate tax burden is a hinderance to Australian firms and economic behaviour. Read moreRead less
The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experi ....The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experiments.. This will be the first comprehensive Australian analysis of intergenerational impacts of welfare policy design.Read moreRead less
Economic Inequality: Trends, Causes and Consequences. Measuring inequality and understanding its determinants is important for three reasons. First, knowing the causes and consequences of inequality is critical to making trade-offs between equity and efficiency. Second, the degree of economic mobility over the lifecycle determines how much opportunity people have to move upwards, and how much risk they face on moving downwards. This informs policies that guard against risk (eg. social insurance) ....Economic Inequality: Trends, Causes and Consequences. Measuring inequality and understanding its determinants is important for three reasons. First, knowing the causes and consequences of inequality is critical to making trade-offs between equity and efficiency. Second, the degree of economic mobility over the lifecycle determines how much opportunity people have to move upwards, and how much risk they face on moving downwards. This informs policies that guard against risk (eg. social insurance) and those that encourage risk (eg. entrepreneurship). Third, by learning more about intergenerational mobility, we can improve policies that seek to boost the life chances of children in disadvantaged households. Read moreRead less
Using behavioural economic insights to overcome student procrastination. This project aims to study the relations between present-biased time preference, procrastination, and achievement at school, using economic experiments. Investment in human capital generates economic benefits for students, families, employers, and society, but its benefits are realised far into the future. Because of these immediate costs and delayed benefits, behavioural economic theory predicts that students will procrast ....Using behavioural economic insights to overcome student procrastination. This project aims to study the relations between present-biased time preference, procrastination, and achievement at school, using economic experiments. Investment in human capital generates economic benefits for students, families, employers, and society, but its benefits are realised far into the future. Because of these immediate costs and delayed benefits, behavioural economic theory predicts that students will procrastinate. This project will identify the characteristics of students at greatest risk of procrastination, evaluate practical strategies to overcome it, and examine whether it is associated with poorer outcomes. This should help schools and policy makers reduce educational inequalities, and yield long-term benefits over students’ lives.Read moreRead less
Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rathe ....Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rather than in isolation from each other. The work will therefore directly assist policy makers in this area. Since it will be at the leading edge of current research, it will also benefit Australia's standing in the international research community.Read moreRead less