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Genes, Eyeglasses, and Social Policy

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  • Charles F. Manski

Abstract

Someone reading empirical research relating human genetics to personal outcomes must be careful to distinguish two types of work: An old literature on heritability attempts to decompose cross-sectional variation in observed outcomes into unobservable genetic and environmental components. A new literature measures specific genes and uses them as observed covariates when predicting outcomes. I will discuss these two types of work in terms of how they may inform social policy. I will argue that research on heritability is fundamentally uninformative for policy analysis, but make a cautious argument that research using genes as covariates is potentially informative.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles F. Manski, 2011. "Genes, Eyeglasses, and Social Policy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(4), pages 83-94, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:25:y:2011:i:4:p:83-94
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.25.4.83
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    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.25.4.83
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arthur S. Goldberger & Charles F. Manski, 1995. "The Bell Curve: Review Article," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(2), pages 762-776, June.
    2. Goldberger, A.S. & Manski, C.F., 1995. "Review Article: The Bell Curve by Herrnstein and Murray," Working papers 9502, Wisconsin Madison - Social Systems.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Yilan & Briley, Daniel A. & Brown, Jeffrey R. & Roberts, Brent W., 2017. "Genetic and environmental influences on household financial distress," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 404-424.
    2. Edwin Leuven & Erik Plug & Marte Rønning, 2014. "The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to cancer risk and cancer mortality in Norway," Discussion Papers 776, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    3. Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Kevin Thom, 2022. "Economics and Econometrics of Gene-Environment Interplay," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 22/759, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    4. Joan Costa-i-Font & Mireia Jofre-Bonet & Julian Le Grand, 2015. "Vertical Transmission of Overweight: Evidence from English Adoptees," CESifo Working Paper Series 5351, CESifo.
    5. Olaf Hübler, 2013. "Are Tall People Less Risk Averse Than Others?," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 133(1), pages 23-42.
    6. Lorenzo Cappellari, 2021. "Income inequality and social origins," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 261-261, May.
    7. Jason Collins & Boris Baer & Ernst Juerg Weber, 2016. "Evolutionary Biology in Economics: A Review," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(297), pages 291-312, June.
    8. Ari Hyytinen & Pekka Ilmakunnas & Edvard Johansson & Otto Toivanen, 2019. "Heritability of lifetime earnings," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 17(3), pages 319-335, September.
    9. Loewen, Peter J. & Dawes, Christopher T. & Mazar, Nina & Johannesson, Magnus & Koellinger, Philipp & Magnusson, Patrik K.E., 2013. "The heritability of moral standards for everyday dishonesty," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 363-366.
    10. Maczulskij, Terhi, 2013. "Employment sector and pay gaps: Genetic and environmental influences," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 89-96.
    11. Stenberg, Anders, 2013. "Interpreting estimates of heritability – A note on the twin decomposition," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 201-205.
    12. Brescianini, Sonia & Cappellari, Lorenzo & Checchi, Daniele, 2024. "Heritability in the Labour Market: Evidence from Italian Twins," IZA Discussion Papers 17476, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Almond, Douglas & Currie, Janet & Herrmann, Mariesa, 2012. "From infant to mother: Early disease environment and future maternal health," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 475-483.
    14. Lauren Gaydosh & Daniel W. Belsky & Benjamin W. Domingue & Jason D. Boardman & Kathleen Mullan Harris, 2018. "Father Absence and Accelerated Reproductive Development in Non-Hispanic White Women in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(4), pages 1245-1267, August.
    15. Manski, Charles F., 2013. "Public Policy in an Uncertain World: Analysis and Decisions," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674066892, Spring.
    16. Smith, Jonathan, 2013. "Ova and out: Using twins to estimate the educational returns to attending a selective college," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 166-180.
    17. Niken Kusumawardhani & Daniel Suryadarma & Luca Tiberti & Veto Tyas Indrio, "undated". "What Skills Lead to Entrepreneurial Success? Evidence from Non-Farm-Household Enterprises in Indonesia," Working Papers 1971, Communications Section.
    18. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A., 2016. "Biology and Gender in the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 10386, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Hyeokmoon Kweon & Casper A.P. Burik & Richard Karlsson Linner & Ronald de Vlaming & Aysu Okbay & Daphne Martschenko & Kathryn Paige Harden & Thomas A. DiPrete & Philipp D. Koellinger, 2020. "Genetic Fortune: Winning or Losing Education, Income, and Health," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-053/V, Tinbergen Institute, revised 01 Dec 2020.
    20. Bingley, Paul & Cappellari, Lorenzo & Tatsiramos, Konstantinos, 2023. "On the Origins of Socio-Economic Inequalities: Evidence from Twin Families," IZA Discussion Papers 16520, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Niken Kusumawardhani & Daniel Suryadarma & Luca Tiberti & Veto Tyas Indrio, "undated". "Keterampilan Apa yang Mendukung Kesuksesan Berwirausaha? Bukti dari Usaha Rumah Tangga Nonpertanian di Indonesia," Working Papers 3527, Communications Section.
    22. Vanessa Mertins & Andrea B. Schote & Jobst Meyer, 2013. "Variants of the Monoamine Oxidase A Gene (MAOA) Predict Free-riding Behavior in Women in a Strategic Public Goods Experiment," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201302, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    23. Neugart, Michael & Yildirim, Selen, 2020. "What determines perceived income justice? Evidence from the German TwinLife study," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    24. Fletcher, Jason M. & Lu, Qiongshi & Mazumder, Bhashkar & Song, Jie, 2023. "Understanding Sibling Correlations in Education: Molecular Genetics and Family Background," IZA Discussion Papers 15862, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    25. Hyytinen, Ari & Ilmakunnas, Pekka & Johansson, Edvard & Toivanen, Otto, 2013. "Heritability of Lifetime Income," MPRA Paper 46326, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines

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