ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: ESSAYS IN EMPIRICAL MICROECONOMICS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

My dissertation consists of two independent empirical microeconomics studies in development economics. Though studying di¤erent interventions, they share the same methodology, which estimates the impact of a nationwide policy by contrasting trends over time between areas that are likely to have bene\u85ted di¤erently from the policy. In the \u85rst essay, I estimate the economic bene\u85ts of the introduction of iodized salt in the United States in 1924. Using data from the decennial censuses of the United States and exploiting geographic variation in iodine de\u85ciency before 1924, as proxied by the prevalence of goiter, I \u85nd that the introduction of iodized salt led to improvements in schooling among boys and greater income gains among men. No impact is found for females. Many of the estimated bene\u85ts are attribut-able to postnatal exposure to iodized salt, further demonstrating the importance of iodine supplements, which had previously been shown only in utero. The estimated bene ts are especially impressive when contrasted with the remarkably low cost of salt iodization. The second essay studies the impact on child schooling and work of the elimination o