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New paper with @pengzell out in @SociusJournal on long-run trends in American intergenerational mobility Question: Are children increasingly becoming worse off than to their parents?
Short answer: Not in terms of self-reported living standards.
Long answer: Thread! [1/n]
About 90% of Americans born in the 1940s attained a higher income than their parents, which fell to below 50% among those born in the early 1980s. While slightly less dramatic, trends are similar when focusing on educational attainment or occupational status. [2/n]
Among academic researchers, policy makers, and the general public, such statistics have been used to infer that a growing share of Americans are facing lower standards of living or are fundamentally “worse off” than their parents. Is this the case? [3/n]
Living standards are difficult to measure since they entail a broad set of factors beyond income: health, happiness, leisure time, etc. Therefore, we leverage representative survey data directly asks people to evaluate their *standard of living* compared to their parents. [4/n]
In terms of perceived living standards, there is no secular decline in mobility: the vast majority (about 80%) of Americans still rate their standard of living as higher than their parents, in contrast to upward mobility in income, education, or occupational status. [5/n]
![In terms of perceived living standards, there is no secular decline in mobility: the vast majority (about 80%) of Americans still rate their standard of living as higher than their parents, in contrast to upward mobility in income, education, or occupational status. [5/n]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjPXU2gXkAYtOP_.jpg "In terms of perceived living standards, there is no secular decline in mobility: the vast majority (about 80%) of Americans still rate their standard of living as higher than their parents, in contrast to upward mobility in income, education, or occupational status. [5/n]")
Several trends may have contributed to these high levels: rising health, cleaner air/water, new goods and services, and buoyant happiness. Indeed, perceived living standards correlate with inc/edu/occ mobility, but also broader outcomes such as health and well-being. [6/n]
![Several trends may have contributed to these high levels: rising health, cleaner air/water, new goods and services, and buoyant happiness. Indeed, perceived living standards correlate with inc/edu/occ mobility, but also broader outcomes such as health and well-being. [6/n]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjPXZHRXcAIE3BP.jpg "Several trends may have contributed to these high levels: rising health, cleaner air/water, new goods and services, and buoyant happiness. Indeed, perceived living standards correlate with inc/edu/occ mobility, but also broader outcomes such as health and well-being. [6/n]")
At the same time, there is increasing polarization across demographics: highly-educated, minority, and urban populations increasingly rate their living standards as higher than their parents, while less-educated and rural populations report relative declines. [7/n]
![At the same time, there is increasing polarization across demographics: highly-educated, minority, and urban populations increasingly rate their living standards as higher than their parents, while less-educated and rural populations report relative declines. [7/n]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjPXcpEX0AUJY8c.jpg "At the same time, there is increasing polarization across demographics: highly-educated, minority, and urban populations increasingly rate their living standards as higher than their parents, while less-educated and rural populations report relative declines. [7/n]")
Our paper shows that the majority of Americans still rate their standard of living as higher than that attained by their parents. But also a growing polarization, which mirrors the fracturing of American society that has become ever so visible this year. [8/n]
Paper available (open access) here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2378023120951139
Replication packages available via OSF: https://osf.io/2e4yp/ [9/9]
Replication packages available via OSF: https://osf.io/2e4yp/ [9/9]
