Applied Microeconomics
Applied Microeconomics
The Applied Microeconomics research group unites researchers working on a broad array of topics within such areas as labour economics, economics of education, health economics, family economics, urban economics, environmental economics, and the economics of science and innovation. The group operates in close collaboration with the CAGE Research Centre.
The group participates in the CAGE seminar on Applied Economics, which runs weekly on Tuesdays at 2:15pm. Students and faculty members of the group present their ongoing work in two brown bag seminars, held weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1pm. Students, in collaboration with faculty members, also organise a bi-weekly reading group in applied econometrics on Thursdays at 1pm. The group organises numerous events throughout the year, including the Research Away Day and several thematic workshops.
Our activities
Work in Progress seminars
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1-2pm
Students and faculty members of the group present their work in progress in two brown bag seminars. See below for a detailed scheduled of speakers.
Applied Econometrics reading group
Thursdays (bi-weekly) 1-2pm
Organised by students in collaboration with faculty members. See the Events calendar below for further details
People
Academics
Academics associated with the Applied Microeconomics Group are:
Research Students
Events
Applied & Development Economics Seminar - Guy Pincus (Harvard)
Title: Wildlife and Conflict: The Cost of Protecting Biodiversity
Abstract:
Our planet is experiencing the first human-induced mass extinction of species. In response,
policymakers have implemented international trade bans to preserve rare animals and forest
species such as rhinos, elephants, and rosewood. Yet little research examines their consequences.
Combining georeferenced habitat maps of wild animals and trees with armed conflict data, I
uncover sizeable adverse effects of international trade ban treaties. First, event-study estimates
reveal that bans raise the likelihood of conflict in habitat areas by about 40%. Two findings
support a windfall-related conflict mechanism. For elephant ivory, a natural experiment shows
that, in response to supply-side policies, prices change, which in turn changes the likelihood
of conflict events in their habitat. Given the elephant鈥檚 broad habitat, the implied magnitude
exceeds that of well-studied conflict minerals. For wild trees, satellite data show that harvesting
shifts from high- to low-capacity states once bans are imposed, generating rents that spark
violence. An analysis of battles鈥� locations before and after the policy reveals that militias and
rebels expand into new, distant areas and are more likely to gain territorial control, consistent
with a feasibility mechanism in which windfalls relax budget constraints. A quantitative model
suggests that a targeted policy restricting trade in states with strong institutions and smaller
wildlife stocks can conserve resources while limiting conflict. Given these spillovers, international
trade bans, if maintained, should be accompanied by state-building support for low-income
countries, which often lack enforcement capacity.
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