不平等经济学-早教的价值.docx

The Economics of Inequality不平等经济学The Value of Early Childhood Education早期教育的价值By James J. Heckman 詹姆斯·赫克曼编著Educational equity is often discussed as a moral issue. Another way to think about equity is as a way to promote productivity and economic efficiency. As an economist, I focus on the economic value of equalizing educational opportunities and achievement in order to identify the most effective way to increase the productivity of the American economy. We need a capable and productive workforce that will compete successfully in the global economy. Underdeveloped human potential burdens our economy and leaves us with a workforce that is less than it could be. 教育平等往往被作为一个道德问题讨论，另一种判断平等性的方式是以促进生产力和经济效率为基准。作为一个经济学家，我专注于均等化教育机会和教育成果以确定增加美国经济生产效率的最有效方式。为了在全球经济竞争取得成功，我们需要有能力和生产力的劳动力群体。不发达的人力潜力会给我们的经济造成负担，并降低我们的劳动力。Traditionally, equity and efficiency are viewed as competing goals. One can be fair in devising a policy, but it often happens that what is fair is not economically efficient. Conversely, what is efficient may not be fair. Thus a cut in the tax rate on capital gains promotes economic efficiency by stimulating investment; it is not fair because it mainly benefits the rich. 传统上，平等与效率被视为相互竞争的两个目标。人们可以制定平等的政策，但结果会发现所谓平等的政策没有经济效率。相反，不平等的政策反而有经济效率。因此，削减资本收益税率可以通过刺激投资促进经济效益；另一方面又是不平等的，因为它只对富裕人群有益。What is remarkable is that there are some policies that both are fair—i.e., promote equity—and promote economic efficiency. Investing in the early years of disadvantaged children’s lives is one such policy. 值得注意的是，有一些政策始终是平等的，如促进平等和提高经济效率，在弱势儿童的生命早起投资就是这样的政策。A large body of data from economics, biology, and psychology shows that educational equity is more than a social justice imperative; it is an economic imperative that has far-reaching implications for our nation. My work has focused on the economic value of human capital development, specifically the value of providing resources to disadvantaged children and their families in an attempt to equalize the children’s possibil