Equalization of Opportunity: Definitions, Implementable Conditions and Application to Early-Childhood Policy Evaluation

Francesco Andreoli (), Tarjei Havnes and Arnaud Lefranc

No 8503, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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.

Keywords: economic distance; inverse stochastic dominance; public policy; equality of opportunity; income distribution; child care; pre-school (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C14 D63 I24 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 57 pages
Date: 2014-09
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published - published as 'Robust Inequality of Opportunity Comparisons: Theory and Application to Early Childhood Policy Evaluation' in: Review of Economics and Statistics, 2019, 101, (2), 355 - 369

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Working Paper: Equalization of opportunity: Definitions, implementable conditions and application to early-childhood policy evaluation (2014)
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