Seminar: Economics of the Very Long Run: Inequality
Block Seminar: June, 27 (Room VG 3.106) and June, 28 (Room OEC 1.164), 2025, 8am - 6pm
Kickoff Meeting: April 17, 2:15pm (Room OEC 1.164)
Submission of the application form for the seminar: until April 24
Registration (flexnow): from April 24
Lecture "How to Write a Seminar Paper": April, 30, 4-6pm (Room OEC 3.102)
Submission of seminar paper: June 15
Seminar Info: info
Course material for participants is available at the course material webpage
Introduction
In this seminar we discuss recent studies of economic inequality. Introductory articles for all participants: Piketty, T., and Saez, E. (2014). Inequality in the long run. Science, 344(6186), 838-843. article Corak, M. (2013). Income inequality, equality of opportunity, and intergenerational mobility. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 27(3), 79-102. article
Themes
1. Pre-industrial inequality
Reference: Milanovic, B., Lindert, P., and Williamson, J.G. (2010). Pre-industrial inequality. Economic Journal 121, 255–272.
2. The three eras of global inequality
Reference: Milanovic, B. (2024). The three eras of global inequality, 1820–2020 with the focus on the past thirty years. World Development, 177, 106516.
3. Inequality and income dynamics in Germany
Reference: Drechsel-Grau, M., Peichl, A., Schmid, K. D., Schmieder, J. F., Walz, H., & Wolter, S. (2022). Inequality and income dynamics in Germany. Quantitative Economics, 13(4), 1593-1635.
4. Wealth and its distribution in Germany, 1895-2018
Reference: Albers, T. N., Bartels, C., & Schularick, M. (2022). Wealth and its distribution in Germany, 1895-2018. Journal of the European Economic Association, forthcoming.
5. Growth still is good for the poor
Reference: Dollar, D., Kleineberg, T.,and Kraay, A. (2016). Growth still is good for the poor. European Economic Review, 81, 68-85.
6. Inequality is bad for growth of the poor (but not for that of the rich)
Reference: Van der Weide, R., & Milanovic, B. (2018). Inequality is bad for growth of the poor (but not for that of the rich). The World Bank Economic Review, 32(3), 507-530.
7. Redistribution, inequality, and growth
Reference: Berg, A., Ostry, J. D., Tsangarides, C. G., and Yakhshilikov, Y. (2018). Redistribution, inequality, and growth: new evidence. Journal of Economic Growth, 23(3), 259-305.
8. Social mobility and economic development
Reference: Neidhöfer, G., Ciaschi, M., Gasparini, L., & Serrano, J. (2024). Social mobility and economic development. Journal of Economic Growth, 29(2), 327-359.
9. The role of nature versus nurture in wealth and other economic outcomes and behaviors
Reference: Black, S., Devereux, P., Lundborg, P. and Majlesi, K. (2020). Poor little rich kids? The role of nature versus nurture in wealth and other economic outcomes and behaviors. Review of Economic Studies 87, 1683–1725.
10. On the family origins of human capital formation: Evidence from donor children
Reference: Lundborg, P., Plug, E., & Rasmussen, A. W. (2024). On the family origins of human capital formation: Evidence from donor children. Review of Economic Studies, rdae101.
11. The impacts of neighborhoods on intergenerational mobility
Reference: Chetty, R., and Hendren, N. (2018). The impacts of neighborhoods on intergenerational mobility I: Childhood exposure effects. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(3), 1107-1162.
12. Dynastic human capital, inequality, and intergenerational mobility
Reference: Adermon, A., Lindahl, M., & Palme, M. (2021). Dynastic human capital, inequality, and intergenerational mobility. American Economic Review, 111(5), 1523-1548.
13. Unequal opportunities and fair redistributions
Reference: Dong, L., Huang, L., & Lien, J. W. (2024). “They Never Had a Chance”: Unequal opportunities and fair redistributions. The economic Journal, ueae099.
14. Are Americans more meritocratic and efficiency-seeking than Scandinavians?
Reference: Almas, I., Cappelen, A. W., & Tungodden, B. (2020). Cutthroat capitalism versus cuddly socialism: Are Americans more meritocratic and efficiency-seeking than Scandinavians?. Journal of Political Economy, 128(5), 1753-1788.
15. Social positions and fairness views on inequality
Reference: Hvidberg, K. B., Kreiner, C. T., & Stantcheva, S. (2023). Social positions and fairness views on inequality. Review of Economic Studies, 90(6), 3083-3118.
16. Shallow meritocracy
Reference: Andre, P. (2024). Shallow meritocracy. Review of Economic Studies, rdae040.