Robust Inequality of Opportunity Comparisons: Theory and Application to Early Childhood Policy Evaluation

Francesco Andreoli (), Tarjei Havnes and Arnaud Lefranc

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Abstract: This paper develops a criterion to assess equalization of opportunity that is consistent with theoretical views of equality of opportunity. We characterize inequality of opportunity as a situation where some groups in society enjoy an illegitimate advantage. In this context, equalization of opportunity requires that the extent of the illegitimate advantage enjoyed by the privileged groups falls. Robustness requires that this judgement be supported by the broadest class of individual preferences. We formalize this criterion in a decision theoretic framework, and derive an empirical condition for equalization of opportunity based on observed opportunity distributions. The criterion is used to assess the effectiveness of child care at equalizing opportunity among children, using quantile treatment effects estimates of a major child care reform in Norway. Overall, we find strong evidence supporting equalization of opportunity.

Keywords: Equality of opportunity; public policy; inverse stochastic dominance; eco- nomic distance; income distribution; child care; pre-school (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-05
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02528191v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published in Review of Economics and Statistics, 2019, 101 (2), pp.355-369. ⟨10.1162/rest_a_00747⟩

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Journal Article: Robust Inequality of Opportunity Comparisons: Theory and Application to Early Childhood Policy Evaluation (2019)
Working Paper: Robust Inequality of Opportunity Comparisons: Theory and Application to Early Childhood Policy Evaluation (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02528191

DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00747

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