The Origins of Common Identity: Evidence from Alsace-Lorraine
利用法国阿尔萨斯和洛林地区的准外生划分，通过地理断点回归设计，发现历史上更负面的国家经历（如战争、占领和镇压）会强化区域身份认同，并影响对区域决策的偏好。
We study how more negative historical exposure to the actions of nation-states—like war, occupation, and repression—affects the formation of regional identity. The quasi-exogenous division of the French regions Alsace and Lorraine allows us to implement a geographical regression discontinuity design at the municipal level. Using measures of stated and revealed preferences, we find that more negative experiences with nation-states are associated with a stronger regional identity in the short, medium, and long run. This is linked to preferences for more regional decision-making. Establishing regional organizations seems to be a key mechanism to maintaining and strengthening regional identity.