The Economic History of American Inequality

Edited by Martha Bailey, Leah Platt Boustan and William J. Collins

in National Bureau of Economic Research Books from University of Chicago Press

Abstract:

A meticulous examination of the history and roots of economic inequality within the United States.

This volume refines and extends the economic history literature on economic inequality in the United States. Economic inequality manifests itself on various dimensions, including access to resources and economic security, as well as access to education and opportunities for migration, marriage, and other important life decisions. Measuring inequality and studying its variation over time and in response to economic shocks such as recessions and wars deepen our understanding of how the economy operates and can inform the design of public policies. The studies in this compendium present comprehensive evidence on income distribution during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, drawing on new data on wages and prices. They also consider disparities in economic well-being that are reflected in outcomes other than wage and salary income, such as homeownership and marriage. The volume also presents new evidence on the effects of income inequality on social outcomes. It concludes with an intellectual history of “human capital,” a core concept in the economic analysis of the underpinnings of labor market inequality.

Date: 2025
Edition: 1
ISBN: 9780226840642
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:bknber:9780226840642

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
https://press.uchica ... o/E/bo251391134.html
The price is $150.00.

Access Statistics for this book

More books in National Bureau of Economic Research Books from University of Chicago Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Books Division ().