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The Evolution of Income and Fertility Inequalities over the Course of Economic Development: A Human Capital Perspective

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  • Isaac Ehrlich
  • Jinyoung Kim

Abstract

Using an endogenous-growth, overlapping-generations framework where human capital is the engine of growth, we trace the dynamic evolution of income and fertility distributions and their interdependencies over three endogenous phases of economic development. In our model, heterogeneous families determine fertility and children’s human capital, and generations are linked via parental altruism and social interactions. We derive and test discriminating propositions concerning the dynamic behavior of inequalities in fertility, educational attainments, and three endogenous income inequality measures -- family-income inequality, income-group inequality, and the Gini coefficient. In this context, we also reexamine the "Kuznets hypothesis" concerning the relation between income growth and inequality.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 10890.

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Date of creation: Nov 2004
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10890

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Cited by:
  1. Christian Morrisson & Fabrice Murtin, 2009. "The Century of Education," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 1-42.
  2. Isaac Ehrlich, 2007. "The Mystery of Human Capital as Engine of Growth, or Why the US Became the Economic Superpower in the 20th Century," NBER Working Papers 12868, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  3. Christian Morrisson & Fabrice Murtin, 2009. "The century of education," Working Papers halshs-00586751, HAL.

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