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This article investigates whether the global spread of the English language provides an inherent advantage to native English speakers. This question is studied within the context of the economics profession, where the impact of being a native English speaker on future publishing success is examined. English speakers may have an advantage because they are writing in their native language, the quality of writing is a crucial determinant of publishing success, and all the top economics journals are published in English. Using a ranking of the world's top 2.5% of economists, this article confirms that native English speakers are ranked 100 spots higher (better) than similar nonnative English speakers. A variety of extensions examine and dispel many other potential explanations. (JEL All. J44, F66), I. INTRODUCTION The spread of the English language has been profound. It is used throughout the business world, intergovernmental agencies, and academia and there is really no viable alternative. (1) [...]

This article examines the impact of corruption on the self-selection of firms into domestic and export markets. A heterogeneous firm model predicts that corruption decreases the probability that a firm only sells domestically, increases the probability that a firm exports indirectly through an intermediary, and decreases the probability that a firm exports directly. The propositions of the model are tested using a comprehensive dataset of over 23,000 firms in 80 developing countries. The results confirm both the self-selection of firms according to their productivity and the anticipated impact of corruption. This indicates that in developing countries where corruption is especially severe, intermediaries provide a crucial link to global markets. (JEL FI, 01), I. INTRODUCTION Corruption is one of the most significant impediments to economic growth. Numerous studies have found that corruption reduces human capital, discourages investment, leads to a misallocation of resources, [...]