Identity-Based Policies and Identity Manipulation: Evidence from Colonial Punjab
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Abstract
I study identity-marker based policies and demonstrate the existence of identity manipulation. I analyze the impact of the Punjab Alienation of Land Act (1901), a caste-based legislation, on identity manipulation. Using data from the colonial census, I show that a movement of identity manipulation took place in response to the law. I estimate that in 20 years, 7.5 percent of the population that had an incentive to do so manipulated its identity. I then use an accounting exercise to estimate that the amount of mistargeting caused by this manipulation is between 3.9 percent and 8.2 percent of the land distributed. (JEL J15, N35, N45, N55, Q15, Q24, Z13)Citation
Cassan, Guilhem. 2015. "Identity-Based Policies and Identity Manipulation: Evidence from Colonial Punjab." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 7 (4): 103-31. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20130290Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- N35 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: Asia including Middle East
- N45 Economic History: Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation: Asia including Middle East
- N55 Economic History: Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment, and Extractive Industries: Asia including Middle East
- Q15 Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
- Q24 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Land
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification
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