SOCIAL STUDIES
Safely reelected
The Department of Defense’s 1033 Program allows civilian law-enforcement agencies to request surplus military equipment, such as armored vehicles, weapons, and camouflage gear. This perceived militarization of police has become controversial. But police may not want the equipment solely for its operational utility. A study finds that sheriffs who participated in the program — even at moderate levels — were more likely to be reelected. This was especially the case in counties with a local newspaper, suggesting that sheriffs were able to capitalize on coverage of these acquisitions.
Mavridis, C. et al., “Police Militarization and Local Sheriff Elections,” Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization (forthcoming).
The legacy of teen sobriety
In the 1990s, as a result of federal incentives, every state passed a “zero tolerance” law that banned drivers under 21 from having any significant amount of alcohol in their system. This reduced under-age binge drinking, but a new study finds that there may be another big payoff. Middle-aged adults who were under 21 when the law was passed in their state report fewer physical and cognitive health impairments and more working hours. This is not the case for those who had turned 21 immediately before passage of the law. These benefits don’t appear to be explained by greater educational attainment or marriage, but by reductions in binge drinking in middle age.
Abboud, T. et al., “The Long-Run Impacts of Adolescent Drinking: Evidence from Zero Tolerance Laws,” Journal of Public Economics (March 2024).
Working the refs works
Analyzing a decade of data on Major League Baseball games, a new study finds that umpires are indeed swayed by verbal abuse. After the ejection of a teammate for disputing a strike-zone decision, batters were subsequently less likely to have strikes called against them, while batters of the opposing team were subsequently more likely to have strikes called against them. Ejections unrelated to a strike-zone dispute did not affect subsequent strike calls.
Guérette, J. et al., “Verbal Aggressions Against Major League Baseball Umpires Affect Their Decision Making,” Psychological Science (forthcoming).
The value of trust
Do employers prefer job candidates with a high level of general ability or candidates with skills specific to a job opening? It depends on whether they’re in a country with a high level of social trust — the belief that most people can be trusted. Research from Harvard Business School analyzed millions of job postings across Europe and noted that employers in Nordic countries, for example, seek more general abilities than employers in southern European countries. This difference cropped up even when the same multinational employer was hiring in different countries. An analysis of LinkedIn profiles found evidence for why this happens: Employees in higher-trust countries are more likely to stay with the same employer and to get more on-the-job training.
Zhang, L. & Wang, S., “Trusting Talent: Cross-Country Differences in Hiring,” Administrative Science Quarterly (forthcoming).