Inequality

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A state-by-state examination of trends in income inequality over the past two business cycles finds that inequality has grown in most parts of the country since the late 1980s. The incomes of the country’s highest-income families have climbed substantially, while middle- and lower-income families have seen only modest increases This analysis uses the latest Census Bureau data to measure post-federal-tax changes in real incomes among high-, middle- and low-income families in each of the 50 states between the late 1980s, the late 1990s, and the mid-2000s… more

This article examines the extent to which family wealth affects the Black – White test score gap for young children based on data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (aged 3 – 12). This study found little evidence that wealth mediated the Black – White test scores gaps, which were eliminated when child and family demographic covariates were held constant. However, family wealth had a stronger association with cognitive achievement of school-aged children than that of preschoolers and a stronger association with school-aged… more

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While my principal focus in this testimony is on the need to improve the poverty measure, I want to begin by emphasizing that we get much valuable information from the current one. The current measure is a useful and reliable indicator of the extent of serious deprivation, and of the extent of disparities across races, sex, and ages, workers and non-workers, and other groups. Most importantly, year-to-year changes help us understand whether more or fewer families are struggling… more

Click on the headline above to read this article; the publisher's Web site will open in a new browser window.

Click on the headline above to read this article; the publisher's Web site will open in a new browser window.

Click on the headline above to read this article; the publisher's Web site will open in a new browser window.

Thirty-seven million Americans live below the official poverty line. Millions more struggle each month to pay for basic necessities, or run out of savings when they lose their jobs or face health emergencies. Poverty imposes enormous costs on society. The lost potential of children raised in poor households, the lower productivity and earnings of poor adults, the poor health, increased crime, and broken neighborhoods all hurt our nation. Persistent childhood poverty is estimated to cost our nation $500 billion each… more

Current explanations for the achievement gap do not fully explain why high-achieving poor and minority children perceive of college as being out of reach. This paper reviews perspectives on the achievement gap and proposes a model that incorporates a capabilities and assets approach. The uneven playing field created by unequal distribution of assets sustains educational advantage and high expectations for college among children from families with assets, while dampening expectations for college among poor and minority children. As a possible avenue to… more