Empirical Approaches to Inequality of Opportunity: Principles, Measures, and Evidence

Xavi Ramos () and Dirk Van de gaer

No 6672, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We put together the different conceptual issues involved in measuring inequality of opportunity, discuss how these concepts have been translated into computable measures, and point out the problems and choices researchers face when implementing these measures. Our analysis identifies and suggests several new possibilities to measure inequality of opportunity. The approaches are illustrated with a selective survey of the empirical literature on income inequality of opportunity.

Keywords: effort; equality of opportunity; measurement; compensation; responsibility; circumstances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D3 D63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43 pages
Date: 2012-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ltv
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (65)

Forthcoming - substantially revised version published in: Journal of Economic Surveys, 30(5), 855-883

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Related works:
Working Paper: Empirical approaches to inequality of opportunity: principles, measures, and evidence (2012)
Working Paper: Empirical approaches to inequality of opportunity: Principles, measures, and evidence (2012)
Working Paper: Empirical Approaches to Inequality of Opportunity: Principles, Measures, and Evidence (2012)
Working Paper: Empirical Approaches to Inequality of Opportunity: Principles, Measures, and Evidence (2012)
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