How useful is inequality of opportunity as a policy construct ?

Ravi Kanbur and Adam Wagstaff

No 6980, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: The academic literature on equality of opportunity has burgeoned. The concepts and measures have begun to be used by policy institutions, including in specific sectors such as health and education. It is argued that one advantage of focusing on equality of opportunity is that policy makers are more responsive to that discourse than to equality of outcomes per se. This paper presents a critique of equality of opportunity in the policy context. Although the empirical analysis to which the literature has given rise is useful and is to be welcomed, current methods for quantifying and implementing the concept with a view to informing the policy discourse face a series of fundamental questions that remain unanswered. Without a full appreciation of these difficulties, the methods may prove to be misleading in the policy context.

Keywords: Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Gender and Law; Human Rights; Equity and Development; Poverty Impact Evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-07-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme and nep-ltv
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

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Related works:
Chapter: How Useful Is Inequality of Opportunity as a Policy Construct? (2016)
Working Paper: How Useful is Inequality of Opportunity as a Policy Construct? (2015)
Working Paper: HOW USEFUL IS INEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AS A POLICY CONSTRUCT? (2014)
Working Paper: How useful is inequality of opportunity as a policy construct? (2014)
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