Over the life of the project, we will release several stand-alone reports on various subjects written by our Partners and Advisory Board members. These include:
U.S. Intragenerational Economic Mobility from 1984 to 2004: Trends and Implications
This report examines intragenerational economic mobility, i.e., how an individual's income changes within one's lifetime. It finds that since the 1980s, mobility rates have changed little and that there remains considerable immobility for those who start out at the bottom of the income ladder. The report also explores the factors that contribute to economic mobility and whether their significance has changed over time.
(NEW! NOVEMBER 2008)
Upward Intergenerational Mobility in the United States
This report introduces two new measures of upward economic mobility that allows the researcher to take a more granular look at economic mobility. First it captures not only whether children surpass their parents income position when compared to their peers, but also the magnitude of their movement up the income ladder (e.g., by one or 10 or 30 percentiles). Second, the report explores factors that may account for differences in rates of upward economic mobility between black and white families.
(MAY 2008)
How Much Does the Federal Government Spend to Promote Economic Mobility and For Whom?
This report focuses on the impact of the federal budget on economic Mobility in America. How much does the federal government encourage economic mobility? What form does this encouragement take? And who benefits from these efforts?
(FEBRUARY 2008)
Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream Alive and Well?
Why should Americans care about economic mobility? How should citizens and policy makers alike understand economic mobility? This report addresses these questions in the same way Americans think about their lives and imagine the future for their children: it looks at how a family’s standard of living improves from one generation to the next. Further, it asks whether a rising tide of economic growth lifts all ships, whether individual effort and talent allow a particular family’s boat to move ahead of others in the fleet, or whether there is some combination of both.
(MAY 2007)
