Economic History of American Inequality - New Evidence and Perspectives

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.

About the author

Martha J. Bailey is professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a research associate of the NBER. Leah Platt Boustan is professor of economics at Princeton University as well as a research associate and codirector of the Development of the American Economy Program at the NBER. William J. Collins is the Terence E. Adderley Jr. Chair and Professor of Economics and professor of history (by courtesy) at Vanderbilt University, as well as an NBER research associate and codirector of the Development of the American Economy Program.

Product details

• Authors: Martha J. (EDT)/ Boustan Bailey, Martha J. Boustan Bailey
• Assisted by: Bailey Martha J. (Editor), Boustan Leah Platt (Editor), Collins William J. (Editor), Leah Platt Boustan (Editor), Martha J Bailey (Editor), William J Collins (Editor)
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 05.05.2025
• EAN: 9780226840642
• ISBN: 978-0-226-84064-2
• No. of pages: 304
• Series: National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > Economics; Economics, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economics / General, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economic History, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy, Society & culture: general, Economic history, Social classes, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Classes & Economic Disparity, Society and culture: general, Central / national / federal government policies, Central government policies