Land Ownership and Development: Evidence from Postwar Japan This paper analyzes the effect of land ownership on technology adoption and structural transformation. A large-scale land reform in postwar Japan enforced a large number of tenant farmers who were cultivating land to become owners of this land. I find that the municipalities which had many owner farmers after the land reform tended to experience a quick entry of new agricultural machines which became available after the reform. The adoption of the machines reduced the dependence on family labor, and led to a reallocation of labor from agriculture to industries and service sectors in urban centers when these sectors were growing. I also analyze the aggregate impact of labor reallocation on economic growth by using a simple growth model and micro data. I find that it increased GDP by about 12 percent of the GDP in 1974 during 1955-74. I also find a large and positive effect on agricultural productivity. Loyalty and Treason: Theory and Evidence from Japan's Land Reform A historically large-scale land reform in Japan after World War II enforced by the occupation forces redistributed a large area of farmlands to tenant farmers. The reform demolished hierarchical structures by weakening landlords' power in villages and towns. This paper investigates how the change in the social and economic structure of small communities affects electoral outcomes in the presence of clientelism. I find that there was a considerable decrease in the vote share of conservative parties in highly affected areas after the reform. I find the supporting evidence that the effect was driven by the fact that the tenant farmers who had obtained land exited from the long-term tenancy contract and became independent landowners. The effect was relatively persistent. Finally, I also find the surprising result that there was a decrease, rather than an increase, in turnout in these areas after the reform.  Geography and State Fragmentation We examine how geography affects the location of borders between sovereign states in Europe and surrounding areas from 1500 until today at the grid-cell level. This is motivated by an observation that the richest places in this region also have the highest historical border presence, suggesting a hitherto unexplored link between geography and modern development, working through state fragmentation. The raw correlations show that borders tend to be located on mountains, by rivers, closer to coasts, and in areas suitable for rainfed, but not irrigated, agriculture. Many of these patterns also hold with rigorous spatial controls. For example, cells with more rivers and more rugged terrain than their neighboring cells have higher border densities. However, the fragmenting effects of suitability for rainfed agriculture are reversed with such neighbor controls. Moreover, we find that borders are less likely to survive over time when they separate large states from small, but this size-difference effect is mitigated by, e.g., rugged terrain.

[pt] Esta tese é composta de três capítulos que analisam aspectos do mercado de trabalho. O primeiro capítulo estima o efeito da mudança na Lei do Aviso Prévio em 2011 no Brasil. A nova lei tornou as demissões sem justa causa mais caras para as firmas, e o aumento do custo se deu de maneira crescente no tempo de serviço do empregado. O aviso prévio é parte do arcabouço da legislação de proteção ao emprego, e tem intenção preservar vínculos que, embora não desejados no curto prazo, seriam viáveis no longo prazo. No entanto, os resultados apontam para o aumento das demissões nas firmas mais afetadas e um ambiente de maior rotatividade. Tais resultados são especialmente desfavoráveis considerando o ambiente já de elevada rotatividade no Brasil. Argumentamos com um modelo teórico que o desenho da nova lei é consistente com os resultados, na medida em que se elevou não apenas o custo de demissão, mas também o custo esperado da continuidade do vínculo empregatício. O segundo capítulo avalia os efeitos da expansão das usinas de etanol no Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), pela perspectiva de realocação do trabalho. Seguindo os trabalhadores ao longo dos períodos, encontramos mecanismos que permitiram o ajuste da mão de obra às novas demandas por trabalho geradas por este grande investimento. Exploramos as realocações entre setores, ocupações e regiões. O terceiro capítulo estima impactos da modernização da agricultura (a partir de inovações da década de 1970) no Brasil Central, considerando os efeitos na força de trabalho e nas decisões de investimento em educação. Mostramos que este evento afetou a demanda por trabalho na região, gerando ganhos para a população adulta como um todo. Dessa forma, os incentivos para os mais jovens nas escolhas entre trabalhar (com ganhos imediatos do emprego) e investir em capital humano (e esperar ganhos potencialmente mais altos no futuro) também mudaram. / [en] This thesis consists of three essays on labor markets. The first chapter estimates the effect of the change in the Advance Notice Law in 2011 in Brazil. The new law made unjustified (without cause) dismissals more expensive for firms, and the cost gradually increased with tenure. Advance notice is part of the framework of employment protection legislation and is intended to preserve job contracts that, although undesirable in the short term, would be viable in the long term. However, results point to an increase in layoffs in the most affected firms and a higher turnover environment. These results are especially unfavorable considering the already high turnover rate in Brazil. I argue with a theoretical model that the design of the new law is consistent with the results because it increased not only the cost of dismissal but also the expected cost of continuity of employment. The second chapter evaluates the effects of the expansion of the ethanol mills in Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), from labor reallocation perspective. Tracking workers over the years, the analysis indicated mechanisms that enabled labor adjustment to the new labor demands generated by this large investment. I explore the reallocation across sectors, occupations, and regions. The third chapter estimates the impact of the modernization of agriculture (from the innovations of the 1970s) in Central Brazil, considering the effects on the labor force and investment decisions in education. The analysis shows that this event affected labor demand in the region, generating gains for the adult population. In this way, incentives have also changed for young people to make choices between working, with immediate job gains, and investing in human capital, and thus expect potentially higher gains in the future.