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At the center of the minimum wage debate is its role in improving the welfare of low-income families. However, there is little empirical evidence of whether minimum wage changes actually affect those families’ children. This paper examines the effect of the minimum wage on the math and reading achievement levels of children with low socioeconomic status whose parents are most likely to be affected by the minimum wage, comparing with children in households with high socioeconomic status. Estimates show that a $1 minimum wage increase reduces children’s math and reading scores by approximately 0.10–0.19 standard deviations. Further, there is evidence that increases in the minimum wage lead to deterioration in the home environment, which may be one potential mechanism underlying my main findings.

Using a theoretical approach grounded in implicit bias and stereotyping theories, this study examines the relationship between observable physical characteristics (skin tone, height, and gender) and earnings, as measured by income. Combining separate streams of research on the influence of these three characteristics, we draw from a sample of 31,356 individual-year observations across 4,340 individuals from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY) 1997. We find that skin tone, height, and gender interact such that taller males with darker skin tone attain lower earnings; those educated beyond high school, endowed with higher cognitive ability, and at the higher income level (>75th percentile) had even lower levels of earnings relative to individuals with lighter skin tone. The findings have implications for implicit bias theories, stereotyping, and the human capital literature within the fields of management, applied psychology, and economics.

Undecided voters represent a major challenge to political pollsters. Recently, political psychologists have proposed the use of implicit association tests (IAT) to measure implicit attitudes toward political parties and candidates and predict voting behavior of undecided voters. A number of studies have shown that both implicit and explicit (i.e., self-reported) attitudes contribute to the prediction of voting behavior. More importantly, recent research suggests that implicit attitudes may be more useful for predicting the vote of undecided voters in the case of specific political issues rather than elections. Due to its direct-democratic political system, Switzerland represents an ideal place to investigate the predictive validity of IATs in the context of political votes. In this article, I present evidence from three studies in which both explicit and implicit measures were used ahead of the vote on four different referendums. Explicit measures predicted voting better than implicit attitudes for decided voters while implicit and explicit attitudes were equally good predictors among undecided voters. In addition, implicit attitudes predicted voting behavior descriptively, but not significantly better for undecided voters while, also from a descriptive point of view, explicit attitudes predicted voting better for decided respondents. In sum, results suggest that, as argued in previous research, the predictive value of implicit attitudes may be higher in the context of issue-related votes but still not as high as initially hoped-for.

Objective: To verify the profile and the functional status of older people living in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, from a temporal perspective. Method: This was a descriptive study with secondary analysis of data from the Health Indicator and Aging Policy Monitoring system (SISAP-Idoso – Sistema de Indicadores de Saúde e Acompanhamento de Políticas do Idoso) between 2000 and 2010. Results: Over the analyzed period, there was a growth of older women, people older than 85 years, residents of urban areas, older people who live alone and who are not responsible for the household. There was also a decrease of illiterate older people, with monthly income of up to one minimum wage and in poverty situations. Concerning the functional status, the proportion of older people who reported any permanent mental, motor, visual or hearing disabilities has increased. Conclusion: We suggest that the assistance must be directed towards environmental variables that can influence the functional state, such as illiteracy, low income and disabilities that contribute to the weakening of older people and must be overcome. RESUMEN Objetivo: verificar el perfil y el estado funcional de ancianos residentes en el estado de Paraíba, Brasil, en una perspectiva temporal. Método: estudio descriptivo con análisis secundario de datos del Sistema de Indicadores de Salud y Seguimiento de Políticas del Anciano, entre los años de 2000 y 2010. Resultados: en este período se identificó crecimiento de mujeres ancianas; personas con edad entre 85 años o más; residentes en áreas urbanas; ancianos que viven solos y que no son responsables por los domicilios. Se verificó también reducción de ancianos analfabetos, con rendimiento mensual de hasta un salario mínimo y en situación de pobreza. En relación al estado funcional, la proporción de ancianos que declararon alguna deficiencia mental permanente, motora, visual o auditiva presentó aumento. Conclusión: Se sugiere que las intervenciones de salud sean direccionadas para variables ambientales que favorecen un bueno estado funcional, como analfabetismo, baja renda y discapacidades, que contribuyen para el debilitamiento del anciano y necesitan ser superadas. RESUMO Objetivo: verificar o perfil e o estado funcional de idosos residentes no estado da Paraíba, em uma perspectiva temporal. Método: estudo descritivo, com análise secundária de dados do Sistema de Indicadores de Saúde e Acompanhamento de Políticas do Idoso, entre os anos de 2000 e 2010. Resultados: neste período, houve um crescimento de mulheres idosas; de pessoas com idade entre 85 anos ou mais; residentes em áreas urbanas; idosos que moram sozinhos e que não são responsáveis pelos domicílios. Verificou-se também diminuição de idosos analfabetos, com rendimento mensal de até um salário mínimo e em situação de pobreza. Em relação ao estado funcional, aumentou a proporção de idosos que declararam ter alguma deficiência mental permanente, motora, visual ou auditiva. Conclusão: Sugere-se que as intervenções de saúde sejam direcionadas para variáveis ambientais que favoreçam um bom estado funcional, como analfabetismo, baixa renda e incapacidades, que contribuem para a fragilização do idoso e precisam ser superadas.