The Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital: Evidence from the Golden Age of Upward Mobility

Card, David; Domnisoru, Ciprian; Taylor, Lowell J.

doi:10.3386/w25000

Cited by 37 publications

(32 citation statements)

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“…Mogstad et al (2020)). Other studies (e.g., Card, Domnisoru, and Taylor (2018), Davis and Mazumder (2020) and Chetty et al (2017)) focus, as we do, on absolute transition likelihoods. Gottschalk and Spolaore (2002) provide a theoretical exploration of different mobility measures.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…In the first part of the paper, we compile new country and regional-level measures of educational opportunity. As recent works on intergenerational mobility in income (e.g., Chetty et al (2017)) and education (Card, Domnisoru, and Taylor (2018)), we construct measures of absolute upward intergenerational mobility (IM) defined as the likelihood that children born to parents that have not completed primary schooling manage to do so.…”

Section: Results Previewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lowest coresidence rate is recorded in Kenya in 1969(63.3%), in Malawi in 1987, and in Botswana in 1991 and 2011 (around 70%). As a reference point, Card, Domnisoru, and Taylor (2018) report coresidence rates for African Americans and whites in the US 1940 census of about 78% and 89%, respectively.…”

Section: Cohabitation Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intergenerational Mobility in Africa

et al. 2019

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We examine intergenerational mobility (IM) in educational attainment in Africa since independence using census data. First, we map IM across 27 countries and more than 2,800 regions, documenting wide crosscountry and especially within-country heterogeneity. Inertia looms large as differences in the literacy of the old generation explain about half of the observed spatial disparities in IM. The rural-urban divide is substantial. Though conspicuous in some countries, there is no evidence of systematic gender gaps in IM. Second, we characterize the geography of IM, finding that colonial investments in railroads and Christian missions, as well as proximity to capitals and the coastline are the strongest correlates. Third, we ask whether the regional differences in mobility reflect spatial sorting or their independent role. To isolate the two, we focus on children whose families moved when they were young. Comparing siblings, looking at moves triggered by displacement shocks, and using historical migrations to predict moving-families' destinations, we establish that, while selection is considerable, regional exposure effects are at play. An extra year spent in a high-mobility region before the age of 12 (and after 5) significantly raises the likelihood for children of uneducated parents to complete primary school. Overall, the evidence suggests that geographic and historical factors laid the seeds for spatial disparities in IM that are cemented by sorting and the independent impact of regions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Results Previewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intergenerational Mobility in Africa

et al. 2019

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“…While parts of the Southeast contain places that are among the least mobile in the developed world, some areas in the Midwest show mobility rates similar to the Scandinavian countries. Evidence of stark regional divides (4,8) that are seemingly stable over time (9) suggests that some of this variation may be historical in origin (10,11).…”

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confidence: 99%

American geography of opportunity reveals European origins

Berger

Engzell

2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A large literature documents how intergenerational mobilitythe degree to which (dis)advantage is passed on from parents to children-varies across and within countries. Less is known about the origin or persistence of such differences. We show that US areas populated by descendants to European immigrants have similar levels of income equality and mobility as the countries their forebears came from: highest in areas dominated by descendants to Scandinavian and German immigrants, lower in places with French or Italian heritage, and lower still in areas with British roots. Similar variation in mobility is found for the black population and when analyzing causal place effects, suggesting that mobility differences arise at the community level and extend beyond descendants of European immigrant groups. Our findings indicate that the geography of US opportunity may have deeper historical roots than previously recognized.income inequality | intergenerational mobility | melting pot | immigration | Great Gatsby Curve

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“…At the same time, Rothstein (2019) argues that differences in school quality do not seem to explain much of the observed differences in mobility and suggests that attention should be placed on other types of policies. While Rothstein's findings are based on correlations, this paper shows that a schoolrelated policy such as school finance equalization causes a sizable improvement in long-term outcomes of economically disadvantaged children, in line with Card et al (2018). This implies that equalization can be an engine for mobility, even if it explains a relatively small share of the cross-sectional variation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 63%

School Finance Equalization Increases Intergenerational Mobility: Evidence from a Simulated-Instruments Approach

Biasi

2019

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and Wisconsin provided invaluable help in the retrieval of historical district-level components of school finance formulas. Financial support from the Russell Sage Foundation Award 83-14-06 and from the Gregory Terrill Cox Fellowship and the John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics at Stanford Law is gratefully acknowledged. All mistakes are mine. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

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The Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital: Evidence from the Golden Age of Upward Mobility

Abstract: for invaluable help in assembling school quality data. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peerreviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

Cited by 37 publications

References 38 publications

Intergenerational Mobility in Africa

Intergenerational Mobility in Africa

American geography of opportunity reveals European origins

School Finance Equalization Increases Intergenerational Mobility: Evidence from a Simulated-Instruments Approach

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