Inequality in America - What Role for Human Capital Policies?: What Role for Human Capital Policies? (Alvin Hansen Symposium on Public Policy at Harvard University)

Alvin Hansen Symposium On Public Policy 2002 (Harvard University); Krueger, Alan B.; Heckman, James J.

ISBN 10: 0262083280 / ISBN 13: 9780262083287

Published by MIT Press, 2004

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Inequality in America - What Role for Human Capital Policies?: What Role for Human Capital Policies? (Alvin Hansen Symposium on Public Policy at Harvard University)
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0262083280
• ISBN 13: 9780262083287
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good

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Synopsis

The surge of inequality in income and wealth in the United States over the past twenty-five years has reversed the steady progress toward greater equality that had been underway throughout most of the twentieth century. This economic development has defied historical patterns and surprised many economists, producing vigorous debate. Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? examines the ways in which human capital policies can address this important problem. Taking it as a given that potentially low-income workers would benefit from more human capital in the form of market skills and education, James Heckman and Alan Krueger discuss which policies would be most effective in providing it: should we devote more resources to the entire public school system, or to specialized programs like Head Start? Would relaxing credit restraints encourage more students to attend college? Does vocational training actually work? What is the best balance of private and public sector programs?

The book preserves the character of the symposium at which the papers were originally presented, recreating its atmosphere of lively debate. It begins with separate arguments by Krueger and Heckman (writing with Pedro Carneiro), which are followed by comments from other economists. Krueger and Heckman and Carneiro then offer separate responses to the comments and final rejoinders.

About the Authors

James J. Heckman is the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. He was a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 2000. He is the coauthor (with Alan B. Krueger) of Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? (MIT Press).

Alan B. Krueger is Bendheim Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

Benjamin M. Friedman is William Joseph Maier Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University and the author of The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth.