Diversity: The Direct and Indirect Impacts of Governmental Policies on Human Capital Formation

As international migration becomes more common, the societies of many countries are becoming increasingly heterogeneous. Consequently, governmental economic and social responses to the demographic change is gaining more attention as these policies have both direct and indirect consequences on the socioeconomic outcomes of all groups. This dissertation is a collection of three empirical studies that examine how governmental policies that differentially target different ethnic groups influence individuals’ decisions and outcomes related to human capital formation. Specifically, the three studies centres on how ethnic-language-based educational policies in Malaysia have affected the schooling decisions and academic achievement of the different ethnic groups.