Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
  • Follow JHR on Bluesky
Research ArticleArticle

Contemporary State Policies and Intergenerational Income Mobility

Lars J. Lefgren, Jaren C. Pope and David P. Sims
Published online before print May 12, 2020, 0717-8921R1; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.57.4.0717-8921R1
Lars J. Lefgren
Lars J. Lefgren is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. Jaren C. Pope is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. David P. Sims is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Jaren C. Pope
Lars J. Lefgren is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. Jaren C. Pope is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. David P. Sims is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
David P. Sims
Lars J. Lefgren is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. Jaren C. Pope is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. David P. Sims is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Using county-level analysis, this study demonstrates that there exists at most a minor relationship between the large, contemporary geographical variation in U.S. intergenerational income mobility and state-level policies. In addition to investigating the effects of specific policies, we introduce an omnibus test for state policy differences in total, based on the principle of geographic discontinuities. We further explore the discrepancy between these findings and the expected efficacy of mobility-enhancing policies seen in common, applied economic models and successful program evaluations. We conclude that the gap between quasi-experimental evaluations and observed policy effects presents pressing questions for further study.

JEL codes
  • J62
  • H73
  • I24

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
Next
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Contemporary State Policies and Intergenerational Income Mobility
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
Contemporary State Policies and Intergenerational Income Mobility
Lars J. Lefgren, Jaren C. Pope, David P. Sims
Journal of Human Resources May 2020, 0717-8921R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.57.4.0717-8921R1

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Contemporary State Policies and Intergenerational Income Mobility
Lars J. Lefgren, Jaren C. Pope, David P. Sims
Journal of Human Resources May 2020, 0717-8921R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.57.4.0717-8921R1
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • How Far Is Too Far?
  • Effects of School Starting Age on the Family
  • Do Higher Salaries Yield Better Teachers and Better Student Outcomes?
Show more Article

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • J62
  • H73
  • I24
UW Press logo

© 2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire