Labour market and social policies have far-reaching consequences for the lives of citizens and the society as a whole. Up to now, the evaluation of these policies has focussed on its economic effects. This dissertation aims at bringing a broader perspective to scientific policy-evaluation that...

This dissertation contributes to the emerging literature on endogenous political institutions and the causal relationship between institutions and the political and economic environment. For the purpose, all chapters rely on electoral reforms used as natural experiments that induce exogenous...