Bell Curve globalized?

Michael Perelman michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
Fri May 28 08:40:49 PDT 1999


This abstract does not seem too bad, except for the word "genetics," which does not seem to be relevant to the model. The idea of inequality causing high birth rates and high birth rates causing poverty is fairly well accepted.

Doug Henwood wrote:


> [from the Social Science Research Network's development working paper
> abstracts]
>
> "Genetics, Family Structure, and Economic Growth"
>
> BY: PAUL J. ZAK
> Claremont Graduate University
>
> Document: Available from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection:
> http://papers.ssrn.com/paper.taf?abstract_id=161510
>
> Other Electronic Document Delivery:
> ftp://cgsftp.cgs.edu/pub/papers/zakp/gene.pdf
> SSRN only offers technical support for papers
> downloaded from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection
> location. When URLs wrap, you must copy and paste
> them into your browser eliminating all spaces.
>
> 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

-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu



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