RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Public Assistance
JF Journal of Human Resources
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1071
OP 1112
DO 10.3368/jhr.0422-12241R2
VO 61
IS 4
A1 McInnis, Nicardo
A1 Michelmore, Katherine
A1 Pilkauskas, Natasha
YR 2026
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/61/4/1071.abstract
AB We examine the intergenerational effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on poverty and public assistance use. Using Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, we find that increased exposure to the EITC in childhood reduces the likelihood of being in poverty (<100 percent of poverty) or near poverty (<200 percent of poverty) by about five percentage points. We also find evidence of reduced public assistance use for some populations. These findings build on a growing literature that considers the intergenerational impacts of public policy and suggests that the economic benefits of policies in one generation may have long-term effects on the next generation.