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Evaluating distributions of opportunities from behind a veil of ignorance: A robust approach

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Abstract

This paper provides a robust criterion for evaluating the allocation of opportunities among various groups. We envisage the problem of comparing these allocations from the view point of an ethical observer placed behind a veil of ignorance with respect to the group in which he/she could end up. We give justi…cation for such an ethical observer to evaluate these allocations of opportunities on the basis of an expected valuation of the expected utility of being in a group assuming an equal probability of falling in every group. We identify a criterion for comparing societies that is agreed upon by all such ethical observers who exhibit aversion to inequality of opportunities. The criterion happens to be a conic extension of zonotope inclusion criterion. We provide various interpretations of this criterion as well as some illustrations of its possible use, notably in the Indian context where we evaluate the inequalities of educational opportunities among castes and genders o¤ered by Indian states.

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  • Francesco Andreoli & Mathieu Faure & Nicolas Gravel & Tista Kundu, 2021. "Evaluating distributions of opportunities from behind a veil of ignorance: A robust approach," AMSE Working Papers 2137, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    • Handle: RePEc:aim:wpaimx:2137
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    1. John E. Roemer & Alain Trannoy, 2016. "Equality of Opportunity: Theory and Measurement," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 54(4), pages 1288-1332, December.
    2. Karthik Muralidharan & Nishith Prakash, 2017. "Cycling to School: Increasing Secondary School Enrollment for Girls in India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 321-350, July.
    3. Ashwini Deshpande, 2000. "Does Caste Still Define Disparity? A Look at Inequality in Kerala, India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 322-325, May.
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    5. Kaivan Munshi, 2019. "Caste and the Indian Economy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 57(4), pages 781-834, December.
    6. Nicolas Gravel & Thierry Marchant & Arunava Sen, 2011. "Comparing Societies with Different Numbers of Individuals on the Basis of Their Average Advantage," Studies in Choice and Welfare, in: Marc Fleurbaey & Maurice Salles & John A. Weymark (ed.), Social Ethics and Normative Economics, pages 261-277, Springer.
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    10. Brunori, Paolo & Ferreira, Francisco H. G. & Peragine, Vito, 2021. "Prioritarianism and equality of opportunity," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108868, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Lefranc, Arnaud & Pistolesi, Nicolas & Trannoy, Alain, 2009. "Equality of opportunity and luck: Definitions and testable conditions, with an application to income in France," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(11-12), pages 1189-1207, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    equalizing opportunities; groups; zonotopes; gender; education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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