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Improving Equality Of Opportunity: New Insights From Big Data

Author

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  • Raj Chetty

Abstract

Children's chances of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90% to 50% over the past half century in America. How can we restore the American Dream of upward mobility for our children? In this talk, Raj Chetty discusses recent work that he and his colleagues at Opportunity Insights have done addressing this question. Among other topics, Professor Chetty covers how and why children's chances of climbing the income ladder vary across neighborhoods, how race still matters for economic mobility in the U.S. today, and the relationship between equality of opportunity, innovation, and growth. (JEL I3, H4, D9)

Suggested Citation

  • Raj Chetty, 2021. "Improving Equality Of Opportunity: New Insights From Big Data," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 7-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:39:y:2021:i:1:p:7-41
    DOI: 10.1111/coep.12478
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren, 2018. "The Impacts of Neighborhoods on Intergenerational Mobility II: County-Level Estimates," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(3), pages 1163-1228.
    2. Sam Asher & Paul Novosad, 2020. "Rural Roads and Local Economic Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(3), pages 797-823, March.
    3. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren, 2018. "The Impacts of Neighborhoods on Intergenerational Mobility I: Childhood Exposure Effects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(3), pages 1107-1162.
    4. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Maggie R Jones & Sonya R Porter, 2020. "Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: an Intergenerational Perspective [“Intergenerational Mobility of Immigrants in the US Over Two Centuries,”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 711-783.
    5. Raj Chetty & John N. Friedman & Nathaniel Hendren & Maggie R. Jones & Sonya R. Porter, 2026. "The Opportunity Atlas: Mapping the Childhood Roots of Social Mobility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 116(1), pages 1-51, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Heckman, James & Landersø, Rasmus, 2022. "Lessons for Americans from Denmark about inequality and social mobility," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Brändle, Leif & Rönnert, Anna-Lena & Moergen, Kristie J.N. & Zhao, Eric Yanfei, 2025. "Social class origin and entrepreneurship: An integrative review and research agenda," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(4).
    3. Heckman, James J. & Landersø, Rasmus, 2021. "Lessons from Denmark about Inequality and Social Mobility," IZA Discussion Papers 14185, IZA Network @ LISER.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics

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