When you talk about government policy, what I see coming in is a group of people who are very enthusiastic. They claim to see a big impact on child development and on child achievement by giving families more money. But the fact is that there needs to be a sense in which the parents aren't responsible for their children's well-being. And it's crazy that this issue of masks has become a political issue. It's not a tragedy. We do certain things because there is a responsibility for the larger population. If you're going to be a part of society, you should try to make sure that society thrives. So I want to close. That's right. Long lost Denmark.
Economist and Nobel Laureate James Heckman of the University of Chicago talks about inequality and economic mobility with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Drawing on research on inequality in Denmark with Rasmus Landerso, Heckman argues that despite the efforts of the Danish welfare state to provide equal access to education, there is little difference in economic mobility between the United States and Denmark. The conversation includes a general discussion of economic mobility in the United States along with a critique of Chetty and others' work on the power of neighborhood to determine one's economic destiny.