TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Bhalotra, Sonia R.
AU  - Clots-Figueras, Irma
AU  - Iyer, Lakshmi
        TI  - Religion and Abortion: The Role of Politician Identity
        PY  - 2018/Jan/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 11292
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp11292
        AB  - Leveraging close elections to generate quasi-random variation in the religious identity of state legislators in India, we find lower rates of female foeticide in districts with Muslim legislators, which we argue reflects a greater (religious) aversion to abortion among Muslims. These districts exhibit increases in fertility that offset the decrease in girl abortion. We find no evidence of greater postnatal neglect of girls once more girls are born. Our findings show that politician preferences over abortion influence abortion-related outcomes, most likely through greater enforcement of laws against sex determination.
        KW  - sex selection
KW  - politician identity
KW  - fertility
KW  - infant mortality
KW  - religion
KW  - abortion
KW  - Muslims
KW  - India
        ER  -