Elections that Inspire: Effects of Black Mayors on Educational Attainment

Abstract

We study the impact of Black mayor’s election in Brazil on Black students’ educational attainment. Using a regression discontinuity design on close elections, we find that Black students from municipalities where Black candidates won are more likely to enroll in the National High School Examination, attend universities, and graduate. We find suggestive evidence that students’ aspirations play a role: secondary/tertiary education is not mayor’s primary responsibility; Black mayors do not perform better in policies that affect our outcomes; and effects are strong for Black students from both public and private schools, while weaker for White students from public schools.