"Genetics, Family Structure, and Economic Growth"
BY: PAUL J. ZAK
Claremont Graduate University
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Date: April 15, 1999
Contact: PAUL J. ZAK
Email: Mailto:paul.zak at cgu.edu
Postal: Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, CA 91711-6165 USA
Phone: (909)621-8788
Fax: (909)621-8460
ABSTRACT:
Recent biomedical research shows that roughly three-quarters of
cognitive abilities are attributable to genetics and family
environment. This paper presents a theory of growth in which
human capital is determined by inheritable factors and family
size. The distribution of income is shown to affect the number
of births, with greater inequality raising the fertility rate
and reducing output growth in the transitional dynamics. If
human or physical stocks are sufficiently low, the model shows
that an economy can be caught in a fertility-caused poverty
trap, while countries with more resources will converge to a
balanced growth path where the average rate of transmission of
human capital from parents to children determines the long-run
rate of output growth.
JEL Classification: D9, J13