Paolo Sestito - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Paolo Sestito

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Social Science Research Network, 2015

Italian Abstract: L’indagine PISA 2012 includeva alcuni test anche in formato digitale, negli amb... more Italian Abstract: L’indagine PISA 2012 includeva alcuni test anche in formato digitale, negli ambiti di matematica, lettura e problem solving. In queste prove, l’Italia ha riportato risultati piu lusinghieri di quelli delle prove cartacee tradizionali. Tale risultato non e frutto di specificita del campione di studenti italiani e dei paesi di confronto nelle prove digitali; un impatto, seppure non esclusivo, lo esercita la bassa determinazione degli studenti italiani, che nelle prove cartacee spesso non completano la lettura delle domande e faticano ad arrivare al termine della prova. Il lavoro evidenzia poi che le competenze rivelate dalle prove digitali per il singolo studente, specie in ambito matematico-quantitativo, sono ceteris paribus fortemente correlate con quelle cartacee e che il pattern dei risultati e analogo; le competenze in problem solving sono a loro volta positivamente associate con una maggiore dimestichezza con le prove digitali. L’essere un’eccellenza nelle prove digitali non necessariamente richiede pero di esserlo anche in quelle cartacee, le prime cogliendo la presenza di talenti inespressi nelle seconde, piu vicine al tradizionale operare delle scuole.English Abstract: PISA 2012 included an optional computer-based assessment (CBA) focusing on mathematics, reading skills and problem solving. Italian students performed better in the CBA than in the paper-based assessment (PBA). This was not due to any specific features of the student samples in Italy and in the other countries included in the comparison. One of the reasons seems to be that Italian students are less determined in their approach to paper-based tests, during which they often fail to read all the questions and have trouble in finishing in the allotted time. Furthermore, this study finds that students’ competencies as revealed by the CBA are, other things being equal, strongly correlated with those in the paper-based tests, especially in mathematics, and that the pattern of results is almost the same for both kinds of test. Competencies in problem solving are in turn positively associated with a greater familiarity with digital tests. Nevertheless, being excellent in the PBA is not strictly necessary to obtain an excellent result in the CBA as well, since the latter test probably shows talents which are not revealed in paper-based tests, more similar to traditional school exams.

Social Science Research Network, 2022

We propose a new strategy to identify the impact of primary school class rank while controlling f... more We propose a new strategy to identify the impact of primary school class rank while controlling for ability peer effects, by using grades on class exams to construct the rank, and grades on national standardized tests to measure students' ability. Leveraging data comprising nearly one million Italian students, we show that rank significantly impacts subsequent test grades, although the effect of class value-added is five-fold larger. Higher-ranked students self-select into high schools with higher average student achievements. Middle-school enrollment, constrained by residency criteria, is not affected. Finally, exploiting an extensive survey, we identify psychological mechanisms channeling the rank effect.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 1993

The specific objective of the work concerns the analysis of long-term trends in the differences i... more The specific objective of the work concerns the analysis of long-term trends in the differences in price levels between provincial capitals in Italy. The aim is deliberately limited to defining their character, as well as to analysing the pattern of spread and transmission between the different Italian regions in the inflationary process. The author discusses the dispersion between the various cities in the annual rate of inflation. Then the extent to which the relative prices (compared to the national average) of each city are stable in the long run is verified. After aggregating economically significant individual cities into macro-regions, the major trends in the cost of living differentials are summarised. Finally, the results of an econometric exercise are presented in which the transmission of inflationary impulses, among macro-regions, is considered. JEL Codes: E31, O52 Keywords: Inflation, cost of living, price levels, Italy

Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks, 1995

Stato e mercato, 2012

The paper discusses two broad possible future developments of industrial relations in Italy and e... more The paper discusses two broad possible future developments of industrial relations in Italy and elsewhere: the decentralisation of bargaining and the factors behind the general weakness of unions in Italy and many other industrialised countries. As for the former it is argued that the developments stemming from the FIAT case, while affected also by idiosyncratic elements, hint at a possible reduced interest among Italian largest firms to manage their own (and their internal competitors') working conditions at the industry level. As for the latter, the fragmentation of production is identified as the key element: besides a weakening of the labour side, affected also by the globalization and the rise in the world labour supply, these trends are increasingly making rather anachronistic many old working rules as established by the unions movement over the previous decades.

The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Inc... more The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Income and Wealth to investigate the role of family transmission of values. It presents three main empirical findings. First, the paper shows that a number of attitudes (generalized and personalized trusting behaviour, risk and time preferences) and outcomes (female labour force participation, fertility, entrepreneurship, productivity) are associated with the values received. Second, it documents that values received from parents are correlated with the values transmitted to descendants. Third, by using respondent moving patterns the paper highlights that there is little evidence that the values received are affected by the local environment before they are passed on further. This evidence is consistent with the idea that that family transmission is a channel for historical persistence.

Oxford University Press eBooks, Sep 5, 2013

The chapter reviews the evolution of educational institutions and outcomes over the 150 years sin... more The chapter reviews the evolution of educational institutions and outcomes over the 150 years since Italy's unification and discusses their interaction with national and regional growth patterns. Initial educational conditions across regions contributed to differentiate the early industrial take off in the late nineteenth century. Conversely, formal education does not appear to have played a major role in the post-war economic boom. The slowdown of Italy's economy since the 1990s may in part reflect interactions between the country's traditionally low human capital intensity and its new comparative advantage patterns. It may also be due in part to the deterioration of Italy's educational system's organization since the 1970s.

Diritto delle relazioni industriali: rivista della Associazione lavoro e riceche, 2006

EnglishThis paper examines the difficult course of reform introduced in recent years relating to ... more EnglishThis paper examines the difficult course of reform introduced in recent years relating to employment services in Italy, the mechanisms for matching the supply and demand for labour, the various instruments utilised to implement reform, and the related employment services provided in the various normative systems. In particular, the authors focus on the reforms implemented since the late 1990s, as innovative measures rather than as attempts to demolish the previous system, and then make a number of observations on the outcome of the present reform measures. Three main strands of development are identified by the authors: the opening up to private operators, administrative decentralisation, and the design and implementation of active policies to combat long-term unemployment, in relation to the indications laid down of the European Court of Justice and the European Employment Strategy. In this connection the authors also consider forms of cooperation between public and private operators, with particular regard to the recent reform, and analyse the instruments laid down by it: accreditation, agency work as an instrument providing access to the labour market for disadvantaged individuals (in the original model and in the version redefined by sentence no. 50/2006 of the Constitutional Court) and the national employment information service. On the basis of the analysis proposed, the authors argue that there is no reason to be nostalgic about the past, while pointing to certain critical aspects of the reform implemented so far and proposing certain changes: the danger that a strongly decentralised structure might have a negative impact on the central structures; the inadequacy of certain provisions adopted in relation to minimum levels of service, the still embryonic state of cooperation between public and private services, and finally the definition of the role of the public operator, that should provide a back-up service for those whose needs cannot be met by private operators while also regulating the use of labour market shock absorbers, which it is hoped will be dealt with by future legislative reform. italianoIl contributo sviluppa il travagliato percorso di riforme succedutesi nel tempo con riferimento al sistema del collocamento in Italia, le modalita di incontro tra domanda ed offerta di lavoro, i diversi strumenti utilizzati per realizzarlo e i connessi servizi all’impiego previsti per il cittadino nei diversi modelli normativi. Gli AA. si concentrano, in particolare, sulle riforme intervenute a partire dalla fine degli anni Novanta come momenti evolutivi e non solo demolitori del sistema precedente per addivenire ad alcune osservazioni di merito relativamente all’epilogo attuale del processo riformatore. Gli AA. individuano, in particolare, tre direttrici di riforma – l’apertura del sistema agli operatori privati, il decentramento amministrativo e lo sviluppo di politiche attive contro la disoccupazione di lunga durata – contestualizzate rispetto alle indicazioni derivanti dagli orientamenti giurisprudenziali della Corte di Giustizia e dalla Strategia Europea per l’Occupazione. A fronte di questa analisi gli AA. considerano anche il problema delle forme di cooperazione tra operatore pubblico e privato, con particolare riguardo alla piu recente riforma, e analizzano gli strumenti relativi da questa previsti: accreditamento, somministrazione come strumento di inserimento di soggetti “svantaggiati” – nel modello originario e nella evoluzione derivante dalla sentenza n. 50/2005 della Corte Costituzionale – e Borsa continua nazionale del lavoro. Dall’analisi condotta, gli AA., in una prospettiva affatto nostalgica del passato, rilevano alcuni nodi critici del tracciato riformatore relativamente ai quali formulano proposte per una ulteriore revisione: il pericolo che una struttura radicalmente decentrata possa sacrificare il ruolo delle strutture centrali, l’inadeguatezza della elaborazione relativa ai livelli minimi di servizio, lo stadio ancora “embrionale” del modello di cooperazione tra soggetti pubblici e privati e, infine, la definizione del ruolo stesso riservato all’operatore pubblico che dovrebbe essere, piuttosto, di “ultima istanza” rispetto all’agire dei privati e di controllo sul funzionamento degli ammortizzatori sociali con riferimento ai quali, infine, e auspicata una prossima riforma legislativa.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2014

Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic ... more Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic and particularistic values is relevant to explaining the social behaviour of individuals (and societies). This paper provides preliminary empirical evidence that supports the claim. It first defines a number of proxies for the degree of particularism embedded into long-celebrated dimensions of social behaviour (trust, political awareness, and associational activities). Then, it shows that the particularistic measures are positively correlated to each other and negatively correlated to some established generalist measures for all dimensions of social behaviour considered, both across and within countries and regions. Moreover, the paper relates that the various proxies for particularism share the same set of covariates (such as low education and income), which are neatly distinguishable from the determinants of the generalist measures.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2019

School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is... more School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is defined as the difference between predicted and actual performance. We introduce the use of random forest (RF), rooted in the machine learning literature, as a more flexible approach to minimize prediction errors and to improve school rankings. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the advantages of this approach. Applying the proposed method to Italian middle school data indicates that school rankings are sensitive to prediction errors, even when extensive controls are added. RF estimates provide a low-cost way to increase the accuracy of predictions, resulting in more informative rankings, and more impact of policy decisions.

Social Science Research Network, 2014

The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Inc... more The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Income and Wealth to investigate the role of family transmission of values. It presents three main empirical findings. First, the paper shows that a number of attitudes (generalized and personalized trusting behaviour, risk and time preferences) and outcomes (female labour force participation, fertility, entrepreneurship, productivity) are associated with the values received. Second, it documents that values received from parents are correlated with the values transmitted to descendants. Third, by using respondent moving patterns, the paper highlights that values received are slowly changing even after a discontinuity in the reference environment. Comparisons between first-and second-generation movers suggest that what matters for breaking the family chains are the formative years, when young people somehow strike a balance between the values transmitted by their parents and what they experience in the (possibly different) environment where they grow up.

Social Science Research Network, 2010

La preparazione degli studenti risente di una pluralità di fattori, tra i quali l'efficacia della... more La preparazione degli studenti risente di una pluralità di fattori, tra i quali l'efficacia della scuola frequentata. Identificare tale effetto è però esercizio estremamente arduo, per le difficoltà di misurazione delle competenze degli alunni. Una soluzione è individuabile nelle misure di valore aggiunto, che guardano ai progressi, anziché ai livelli di preparazione. Sfruttando i risultati di un'indagine INVALSI sulla scuola secondaria di II grado, questo lavoro saggia, per la prima volta nel contesto italiano, la rilevanza dei problemi empirici inerenti alla costruzione di tali misure. Tenendo conto della presenza di errori di misura-che richiede l'esclusione degli istituti con un numero esiguo di studenti testati-e di distorsioni legate alla partecipazione non obbligatoria delle scuole, si è provato a identificare alcuni pattern sistematici. I licei presentano livelli di preparazione iniziali più elevati, ma questo primato non sembra confermato (in matematica e scienze) quando si guardi ai progressi. Sempre in matematica e scienze, le scuole meridionali perdono invece terreno anche in termini di valore aggiunto. Almeno per la matematica, l'efficacia delle scuole sembra infine risentire negativamente del turnover degli insegnanti.

Review of Social Economy, Sep 18, 2019

Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic ... more Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic and particularistic values is relevant to explaining the social behaviour of individuals (and societies). This paper provides preliminary empirical evidence that supports the claim. It first defines a number of proxies for the degree of particularism embedded into long-celebrated dimensions of social behaviour (trust, political awareness, and associational activities). Then, it shows that the particularistic measures are positively correlated to each other and negatively correlated to some established generalist measures for all dimensions of social behaviour considered, both across and within countries and regions. Moreover, the paper relates that the various proxies for particularism share the same set of covariates (such as low education and income), which are neatly distinguishable from the determinants of the generalist measures.

Economics of Education Review, Dec 1, 2018

School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is... more School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is defined as the difference between predicted and actual performance. We introduce the use of random forest (RF), rooted in the machine learning literature, as a more flexible approach to minimize prediction errors and to improve school rankings. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the advantages of this approach. Applying the proposed method to Italian middle school data indicates that school rankings are sensitive to prediction errors, even when extensive controls are added. RF estimates provide a low-cost way to increase the accuracy of predictions, resulting in more informative rankings, and more impact of policy decisions.

Economia pubblica, Mar 1, 2018

This note summarizes the most relevant regional features of the fiscal consolidation effort under... more This note summarizes the most relevant regional features of the fiscal consolidation effort undertaken in Italy as a reaction to the sovereign debt crisis. It is shown how the economic and social implications have been stronger in the Mezzogiorno regions, mostly because of the higher dependence of this area upon the demand triggered by public funds. Then the note discusses the main factors limiting the effectiveness of the actions undertaken in the area of structural reforms and functioning of the public administration, which remains overall worse in the Mezzogiorno.

Rivista di politica economica, Oct 26, 2010

The focus of the paper is about the relationships between registers (an censuses) and surveys in ... more The focus of the paper is about the relationships between registers (an censuses) and surveys in the in the Italian official statistics. After a brief introduction on the historical background, marked by a polarization between the two strategies of data collection, the focus is on the 1980s and early '90s. Under the presidency of Guido M. Rey a new strategy is embraced, based on the integration of different data sources. The main accomplishments, and shortcomings, of this strategy are presented and discussed. The final part of the paper is devoted to a critical assessment of the still unsatisfactory state of the art today, and to broad suggestions for a reasonable way out.

Social Science Research Network, 2021

Social Science Research Network, 2015

Italian Abstract: L’indagine PISA 2012 includeva alcuni test anche in formato digitale, negli amb... more Italian Abstract: L’indagine PISA 2012 includeva alcuni test anche in formato digitale, negli ambiti di matematica, lettura e problem solving. In queste prove, l’Italia ha riportato risultati piu lusinghieri di quelli delle prove cartacee tradizionali. Tale risultato non e frutto di specificita del campione di studenti italiani e dei paesi di confronto nelle prove digitali; un impatto, seppure non esclusivo, lo esercita la bassa determinazione degli studenti italiani, che nelle prove cartacee spesso non completano la lettura delle domande e faticano ad arrivare al termine della prova. Il lavoro evidenzia poi che le competenze rivelate dalle prove digitali per il singolo studente, specie in ambito matematico-quantitativo, sono ceteris paribus fortemente correlate con quelle cartacee e che il pattern dei risultati e analogo; le competenze in problem solving sono a loro volta positivamente associate con una maggiore dimestichezza con le prove digitali. L’essere un’eccellenza nelle prove digitali non necessariamente richiede pero di esserlo anche in quelle cartacee, le prime cogliendo la presenza di talenti inespressi nelle seconde, piu vicine al tradizionale operare delle scuole.English Abstract: PISA 2012 included an optional computer-based assessment (CBA) focusing on mathematics, reading skills and problem solving. Italian students performed better in the CBA than in the paper-based assessment (PBA). This was not due to any specific features of the student samples in Italy and in the other countries included in the comparison. One of the reasons seems to be that Italian students are less determined in their approach to paper-based tests, during which they often fail to read all the questions and have trouble in finishing in the allotted time. Furthermore, this study finds that students’ competencies as revealed by the CBA are, other things being equal, strongly correlated with those in the paper-based tests, especially in mathematics, and that the pattern of results is almost the same for both kinds of test. Competencies in problem solving are in turn positively associated with a greater familiarity with digital tests. Nevertheless, being excellent in the PBA is not strictly necessary to obtain an excellent result in the CBA as well, since the latter test probably shows talents which are not revealed in paper-based tests, more similar to traditional school exams.

Social Science Research Network, 2022

We propose a new strategy to identify the impact of primary school class rank while controlling f... more We propose a new strategy to identify the impact of primary school class rank while controlling for ability peer effects, by using grades on class exams to construct the rank, and grades on national standardized tests to measure students' ability. Leveraging data comprising nearly one million Italian students, we show that rank significantly impacts subsequent test grades, although the effect of class value-added is five-fold larger. Higher-ranked students self-select into high schools with higher average student achievements. Middle-school enrollment, constrained by residency criteria, is not affected. Finally, exploiting an extensive survey, we identify psychological mechanisms channeling the rank effect.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 1993

The specific objective of the work concerns the analysis of long-term trends in the differences i... more The specific objective of the work concerns the analysis of long-term trends in the differences in price levels between provincial capitals in Italy. The aim is deliberately limited to defining their character, as well as to analysing the pattern of spread and transmission between the different Italian regions in the inflationary process. The author discusses the dispersion between the various cities in the annual rate of inflation. Then the extent to which the relative prices (compared to the national average) of each city are stable in the long run is verified. After aggregating economically significant individual cities into macro-regions, the major trends in the cost of living differentials are summarised. Finally, the results of an econometric exercise are presented in which the transmission of inflationary impulses, among macro-regions, is considered. JEL Codes: E31, O52 Keywords: Inflation, cost of living, price levels, Italy

Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks, 1995

Stato e mercato, 2012

The paper discusses two broad possible future developments of industrial relations in Italy and e... more The paper discusses two broad possible future developments of industrial relations in Italy and elsewhere: the decentralisation of bargaining and the factors behind the general weakness of unions in Italy and many other industrialised countries. As for the former it is argued that the developments stemming from the FIAT case, while affected also by idiosyncratic elements, hint at a possible reduced interest among Italian largest firms to manage their own (and their internal competitors') working conditions at the industry level. As for the latter, the fragmentation of production is identified as the key element: besides a weakening of the labour side, affected also by the globalization and the rise in the world labour supply, these trends are increasingly making rather anachronistic many old working rules as established by the unions movement over the previous decades.

The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Inc... more The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Income and Wealth to investigate the role of family transmission of values. It presents three main empirical findings. First, the paper shows that a number of attitudes (generalized and personalized trusting behaviour, risk and time preferences) and outcomes (female labour force participation, fertility, entrepreneurship, productivity) are associated with the values received. Second, it documents that values received from parents are correlated with the values transmitted to descendants. Third, by using respondent moving patterns the paper highlights that there is little evidence that the values received are affected by the local environment before they are passed on further. This evidence is consistent with the idea that that family transmission is a channel for historical persistence.

Oxford University Press eBooks, Sep 5, 2013

The chapter reviews the evolution of educational institutions and outcomes over the 150 years sin... more The chapter reviews the evolution of educational institutions and outcomes over the 150 years since Italy's unification and discusses their interaction with national and regional growth patterns. Initial educational conditions across regions contributed to differentiate the early industrial take off in the late nineteenth century. Conversely, formal education does not appear to have played a major role in the post-war economic boom. The slowdown of Italy's economy since the 1990s may in part reflect interactions between the country's traditionally low human capital intensity and its new comparative advantage patterns. It may also be due in part to the deterioration of Italy's educational system's organization since the 1970s.

Diritto delle relazioni industriali: rivista della Associazione lavoro e riceche, 2006

EnglishThis paper examines the difficult course of reform introduced in recent years relating to ... more EnglishThis paper examines the difficult course of reform introduced in recent years relating to employment services in Italy, the mechanisms for matching the supply and demand for labour, the various instruments utilised to implement reform, and the related employment services provided in the various normative systems. In particular, the authors focus on the reforms implemented since the late 1990s, as innovative measures rather than as attempts to demolish the previous system, and then make a number of observations on the outcome of the present reform measures. Three main strands of development are identified by the authors: the opening up to private operators, administrative decentralisation, and the design and implementation of active policies to combat long-term unemployment, in relation to the indications laid down of the European Court of Justice and the European Employment Strategy. In this connection the authors also consider forms of cooperation between public and private operators, with particular regard to the recent reform, and analyse the instruments laid down by it: accreditation, agency work as an instrument providing access to the labour market for disadvantaged individuals (in the original model and in the version redefined by sentence no. 50/2006 of the Constitutional Court) and the national employment information service. On the basis of the analysis proposed, the authors argue that there is no reason to be nostalgic about the past, while pointing to certain critical aspects of the reform implemented so far and proposing certain changes: the danger that a strongly decentralised structure might have a negative impact on the central structures; the inadequacy of certain provisions adopted in relation to minimum levels of service, the still embryonic state of cooperation between public and private services, and finally the definition of the role of the public operator, that should provide a back-up service for those whose needs cannot be met by private operators while also regulating the use of labour market shock absorbers, which it is hoped will be dealt with by future legislative reform. italianoIl contributo sviluppa il travagliato percorso di riforme succedutesi nel tempo con riferimento al sistema del collocamento in Italia, le modalita di incontro tra domanda ed offerta di lavoro, i diversi strumenti utilizzati per realizzarlo e i connessi servizi all’impiego previsti per il cittadino nei diversi modelli normativi. Gli AA. si concentrano, in particolare, sulle riforme intervenute a partire dalla fine degli anni Novanta come momenti evolutivi e non solo demolitori del sistema precedente per addivenire ad alcune osservazioni di merito relativamente all’epilogo attuale del processo riformatore. Gli AA. individuano, in particolare, tre direttrici di riforma – l’apertura del sistema agli operatori privati, il decentramento amministrativo e lo sviluppo di politiche attive contro la disoccupazione di lunga durata – contestualizzate rispetto alle indicazioni derivanti dagli orientamenti giurisprudenziali della Corte di Giustizia e dalla Strategia Europea per l’Occupazione. A fronte di questa analisi gli AA. considerano anche il problema delle forme di cooperazione tra operatore pubblico e privato, con particolare riguardo alla piu recente riforma, e analizzano gli strumenti relativi da questa previsti: accreditamento, somministrazione come strumento di inserimento di soggetti “svantaggiati” – nel modello originario e nella evoluzione derivante dalla sentenza n. 50/2005 della Corte Costituzionale – e Borsa continua nazionale del lavoro. Dall’analisi condotta, gli AA., in una prospettiva affatto nostalgica del passato, rilevano alcuni nodi critici del tracciato riformatore relativamente ai quali formulano proposte per una ulteriore revisione: il pericolo che una struttura radicalmente decentrata possa sacrificare il ruolo delle strutture centrali, l’inadeguatezza della elaborazione relativa ai livelli minimi di servizio, lo stadio ancora “embrionale” del modello di cooperazione tra soggetti pubblici e privati e, infine, la definizione del ruolo stesso riservato all’operatore pubblico che dovrebbe essere, piuttosto, di “ultima istanza” rispetto all’agire dei privati e di controllo sul funzionamento degli ammortizzatori sociali con riferimento ai quali, infine, e auspicata una prossima riforma legislativa.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2014

Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic ... more Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic and particularistic values is relevant to explaining the social behaviour of individuals (and societies). This paper provides preliminary empirical evidence that supports the claim. It first defines a number of proxies for the degree of particularism embedded into long-celebrated dimensions of social behaviour (trust, political awareness, and associational activities). Then, it shows that the particularistic measures are positively correlated to each other and negatively correlated to some established generalist measures for all dimensions of social behaviour considered, both across and within countries and regions. Moreover, the paper relates that the various proxies for particularism share the same set of covariates (such as low education and income), which are neatly distinguishable from the determinants of the generalist measures.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2019

School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is... more School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is defined as the difference between predicted and actual performance. We introduce the use of random forest (RF), rooted in the machine learning literature, as a more flexible approach to minimize prediction errors and to improve school rankings. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the advantages of this approach. Applying the proposed method to Italian middle school data indicates that school rankings are sensitive to prediction errors, even when extensive controls are added. RF estimates provide a low-cost way to increase the accuracy of predictions, resulting in more informative rankings, and more impact of policy decisions.

Social Science Research Network, 2014

The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Inc... more The paper uses questions included in the 2010 wave of the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Income and Wealth to investigate the role of family transmission of values. It presents three main empirical findings. First, the paper shows that a number of attitudes (generalized and personalized trusting behaviour, risk and time preferences) and outcomes (female labour force participation, fertility, entrepreneurship, productivity) are associated with the values received. Second, it documents that values received from parents are correlated with the values transmitted to descendants. Third, by using respondent moving patterns, the paper highlights that values received are slowly changing even after a discontinuity in the reference environment. Comparisons between first-and second-generation movers suggest that what matters for breaking the family chains are the formative years, when young people somehow strike a balance between the values transmitted by their parents and what they experience in the (possibly different) environment where they grow up.

Social Science Research Network, 2010

La preparazione degli studenti risente di una pluralità di fattori, tra i quali l'efficacia della... more La preparazione degli studenti risente di una pluralità di fattori, tra i quali l'efficacia della scuola frequentata. Identificare tale effetto è però esercizio estremamente arduo, per le difficoltà di misurazione delle competenze degli alunni. Una soluzione è individuabile nelle misure di valore aggiunto, che guardano ai progressi, anziché ai livelli di preparazione. Sfruttando i risultati di un'indagine INVALSI sulla scuola secondaria di II grado, questo lavoro saggia, per la prima volta nel contesto italiano, la rilevanza dei problemi empirici inerenti alla costruzione di tali misure. Tenendo conto della presenza di errori di misura-che richiede l'esclusione degli istituti con un numero esiguo di studenti testati-e di distorsioni legate alla partecipazione non obbligatoria delle scuole, si è provato a identificare alcuni pattern sistematici. I licei presentano livelli di preparazione iniziali più elevati, ma questo primato non sembra confermato (in matematica e scienze) quando si guardi ai progressi. Sempre in matematica e scienze, le scuole meridionali perdono invece terreno anche in termini di valore aggiunto. Almeno per la matematica, l'efficacia delle scuole sembra infine risentire negativamente del turnover degli insegnanti.

Review of Social Economy, Sep 18, 2019

Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic ... more Social scientists, in particular sociologists, claim that the distinction between universalistic and particularistic values is relevant to explaining the social behaviour of individuals (and societies). This paper provides preliminary empirical evidence that supports the claim. It first defines a number of proxies for the degree of particularism embedded into long-celebrated dimensions of social behaviour (trust, political awareness, and associational activities). Then, it shows that the particularistic measures are positively correlated to each other and negatively correlated to some established generalist measures for all dimensions of social behaviour considered, both across and within countries and regions. Moreover, the paper relates that the various proxies for particularism share the same set of covariates (such as low education and income), which are neatly distinguishable from the determinants of the generalist measures.

Economics of Education Review, Dec 1, 2018

School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is... more School rankings based on value-added (VA) estimates are subject to prediction errors, since VA is defined as the difference between predicted and actual performance. We introduce the use of random forest (RF), rooted in the machine learning literature, as a more flexible approach to minimize prediction errors and to improve school rankings. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the advantages of this approach. Applying the proposed method to Italian middle school data indicates that school rankings are sensitive to prediction errors, even when extensive controls are added. RF estimates provide a low-cost way to increase the accuracy of predictions, resulting in more informative rankings, and more impact of policy decisions.

Economia pubblica, Mar 1, 2018

This note summarizes the most relevant regional features of the fiscal consolidation effort under... more This note summarizes the most relevant regional features of the fiscal consolidation effort undertaken in Italy as a reaction to the sovereign debt crisis. It is shown how the economic and social implications have been stronger in the Mezzogiorno regions, mostly because of the higher dependence of this area upon the demand triggered by public funds. Then the note discusses the main factors limiting the effectiveness of the actions undertaken in the area of structural reforms and functioning of the public administration, which remains overall worse in the Mezzogiorno.

Rivista di politica economica, Oct 26, 2010

The focus of the paper is about the relationships between registers (an censuses) and surveys in ... more The focus of the paper is about the relationships between registers (an censuses) and surveys in the in the Italian official statistics. After a brief introduction on the historical background, marked by a polarization between the two strategies of data collection, the focus is on the 1980s and early '90s. Under the presidency of Guido M. Rey a new strategy is embraced, based on the integration of different data sources. The main accomplishments, and shortcomings, of this strategy are presented and discussed. The final part of the paper is devoted to a critical assessment of the still unsatisfactory state of the art today, and to broad suggestions for a reasonable way out.