Abstract: This study investigates the effect of increasing female representation in executive positions within local governments on municipal expenditures. We leverage a 2014 reform in Italy that mandated 40% gender quotas in the executive councils of municipalities with more than 3,000 residents. To isolate the impact of gender quotas from other policies active at the same population cutoff, we employ a difference-in-discontinuities approach. We document that the policy effectively increases female representation in local governments, and descriptively it brings younger, less experienced female politicians into the executive councils. Our findings reveal that the increase in female executives shifts resources away from culture toward schooling, with the budget share allocated to preschools and schools rising by 23% and 10%, respectively, and the one to culture decreasing by 37%. This indicates that including women in executive roles can influence the allocation of municipal resources.

Abstract: I investigate the long-term effects of theocracy on political preferences and religiosity, exploiting a river that separated the theocratic Papal States from secular states for three centuries. To disentangle the effect of theocracy from other confounders, I propose a novel extension to geographic regression discontinuity designs, the Difference-in-Geographic Discontinuities (DIG). While religiosity and political preferences descriptively differ discontinuously at the river, the causal effect of theocracy is null. Using existing and novel datasets spanning eight centuries, I suggest that pre-existing inheritance norms affected religiosity and political preferences by increasing collectivism and social capital, thereby neutralizing the impact of theocratic institutions.

Abstract: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a gentle communication technique effective in doctor-patient interactions. The WHO recommends it against vaccine hesitancy, a key challenge for overburdened healthcare systems, especially in aging populations at higher risk of hospitalization from vaccine-preventable flu viruses. However, MI’s high training and implementation costs further strain healthcare systems. We tested MI in a flu vaccine video campaign via a survey experiment on a representative sample of 12,004 individuals above age 40 from Italy, the second-oldest country worldwide. While MI improved perceptions in line with theory, it reduced vaccination willingness (-7.4%, ~3 p.p.) and did not affect actual vaccination rates. Causal forests showed that MI increased uptake among a minority with worse health, older age, and higher distrust of vaccines but decreased uptake among those with more vaccine-compliant positions at baseline. MI may help specific groups accustomed to health professionals but could backfire on the general population, warranting caution in adopting it as a large-scale policy. 

Abstract: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of creative STEM activities on the propensity to enrol in a STEM university course and career aspirations on a sample of 710 high school students in Italy. The activities covered courses on 3D printing, laser cutting, and programming, and were taught by FabLabs, non-profit digital fabrication laboratories with an innovative pedagogical approach grounded in learn-by-doing, problem-solving skills, and creativity. Participation in the activities was voluntary, but counted for credit. We find that access to these courses increased students’ intentions to pursue STEM majors at university (6 p.p., +17%) and STEM careers (7.4 p.p., +40%), possibly through to an increased STEM self-efficacy (7.3 p.p., +22%), namely students’ beliefs in their ability to pursue STEM studies.