Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
We investigate whether restricting elected leadership positions to candidates with “desirable” characteristics leads to the society-wide adoption of those characteristics in a democracy with high political participation. Exploiting quasi-experimental variation in fertility limits imposed on village council members in India to curb population growth, we find that rural couples significantly decreased fertility in response, and child survival improved. However, the limits also increased the already male-biased sex ratio at birth in castes with strong son preference.