Examinando por Autor "Breton, Theodore"
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Ítem The Effect of Temperature on the Spread of the Coronavirus in the U.S.(Universidad EAFIT, 2020-04-11) Breton, TheodoreI investigate whether the cross-sectional data on cumulative (symptomatic) cases of coronavirus in the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. at the end of March 2020 provide any evidence that the rate of transmission of the virus declines at higher temperatures. Average temperatures in March varied from 30 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit in the 48 states. Controlling for other relevant factors, including population density and the availability of testing, I find no evidence that a higher average temperature in a state reduced the incidence of cumulative cases/capita of the virus in the state. These results provide no indication that seasonal increases in temperature will cause the coronavirus epidemic to disappear in the summer.Ítem An Estimate of Unidentified and Total U.S. Coronavirus Cases by State on April 21, 2020(Universidad EAFIT, 2020-04-23) Breton, TheodoreI use data on cumulative tests, positive tests, and deaths for the coronavirus in South Korea and the U.S. lower-48 states during April 2020 to estimate the extent of infection and the unidentified share of the infected population in each state and in the U.S. as a whole on April 21, 2020. I find that 3.8 million people, or 1.2% of the population, have been infected in the U.S., with rates of infection that range from 0.1% in more rural states to 7.0% in New York state. I estimate that only 20% of all U.S. cases have been identified through testing. The unidentified share of total cases ranges from 61% to 83% across the states. I estimate that 38% of all cases are asymptomatic, which is consistent with the high shares of unidentified cases.Ítem National Culture, Families, or Education Policies: What Determines National Test Scores?(Universidad EAFIT, 2017-06-18) Breton, Theodore; ted.breton@gmail.comConventional analyses attribute cross-country differences in students’ average test scores to family characteristics, school resources, and school system characteristics, but institutional economists and cultural anthropologists argue that cultural beliefs and institutions are the fundamental determinants of a society’s level of human capital. I examine the effects of cultural beliefs, institutional characteristics, family characteristics, and various school and education policy characteristics on average PISA scores in mathematics. I find that national cultural and institutional characteristics explain over 80% of the variation in average scores across 58 countries. When family, school, and school system characteristics are included as causes, cultural and institutional characteristics continue to explain most of the variation in average scores. More financial resources for schools continue to raise average scores, the existence of a central exit exam has a small effect, and the share of private enrollment in the school system has no effect on these scores.