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Empirical approaches to inequality of opportunity: principles, measures, and evidence

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  • RAMOS, Xavier

    (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Depart Econ Aplicada, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain)

  • VAN DE GAER, Dirk

    (SHERPPA, F.E.B., Ghent University, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.)

Abstract

We put together the different conceptual issues involved in measuring inequality of opportunity, discuss how these concepts have been translated into computable measures, and point out the problems and choices researchers face when implementing these measures. Our analysis identifies and suggests several new possibilities to measure inequality of opportunity. The approaches are illustrated with a selective survey of the empirical literature on income inequality of opportunity.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE) in its series CORE Discussion Papers with number 2012026.

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Date of creation: 25 Jul 2012
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Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2012026

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Keywords: equality of opportunity; measurement; compensation; responsibility; effort; circumstances;

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References

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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Cited by:
  1. Paolo Brunori & Francisco H. G. Ferreira & Vito Peragine, 2013. "Inequality of Opportunity, Income Inequality and Economic Mobility: Some International Comparisons," Working Papers 284, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
  2. Xavier Ramos & Dirk Van de gaer, 2012. "Empirical approaches to inequality of opportunity: Principles, measures, and evidence," Working Papers 259, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
  3. Aitor Calo Blanco & J. Ignacio García Pérez, 2012. "On the welfare loss caused by inequality of opportunity," Working Papers 12.12, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
  4. VAN DE GAER, Dirk & VANDENBOSSCHE, Joost & FIGUEROA, José Luis, 2012. "Children’s health opportunities and project evaluation: Mexico’s Oportunidades program," CORE Discussion Papers 2012015, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).

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