Inequality of income acquisition: the role of childhood circumstances
| Autor: | Andreas Peichl, Paul Hufe, Martin Ungerer, John E. Roemer |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Economics and Econometrics
Economic growth Inequality media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Age of consent Empirical research Economic inequality Income inequality metrics Political science 0502 economics and business International political economy Demographic economics 050207 economics Social Sciences (miscellaneous) 050205 econometrics Public finance media_common Social policy |
| Zdroj: | Social Choice and Welfare. 49:499-544 |
| ISSN: | 1432-217X 0176-1714 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00355-017-1044-x |
| Popis: | Many studies have estimated the effect of circumstances on income acquisition. Perhaps surprisingly, the fraction of inequality attributable to circumstances is usually quite small—in the advanced democracies, approximately 20%. One reason for this is the lack of data on circumstance variables in empirical research. Here, we argue that all behaviors and accomplishments of children should be considered the consequence of circumstances: that is, an individual should not be considered to be responsible for her choices before an age of consent is reached. Using two data sets that contain data on childhood accomplishments, other environmental circumstances and the income as an adult, we calculate that the fraction of income inequality due to circumstances in the US rises from 27 to 43% when accounting for childhood circumstances. In the UK it rises from 18 to 27%. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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