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Poverty Traps and Human Capital Accumulation

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  • Ceroni, Carlotta Berti

Abstract

In this paper I show that persistent inequality in the distribution of human capital and a negative relation between initial inequality and steady-state aggregate output may follow from the fact that the poor require relatively higher returns to increase expenditure on education. Moreover, I show that poverty traps emerging in models where individual transitions do not depend on aggregate dynamics, though not robust to the introduction of idiosyncratic uncertainty, may still be relevant observationally, if idiosyncratic shocks occur with low probability. In this context, I also analyse the implications of introducing a public education system. Copyright 2001 by The London School of Economics and Political Science

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  • Ceroni, Carlotta Berti, 2001. "Poverty Traps and Human Capital Accumulation," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 68(270), pages 203-219, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:68:y:2001:i:270:p:203-19
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    Cited by:

    1. Lombardo, Vincenzo, 2008. "Poor’s behaviour and inequality traps: the role of human capital," MPRA Paper 14511, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Hanjra, Munir A. & Ferede, Tadele & Gutta, Debel Gemechu, 2009. "Reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa through investments in water and other priorities," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(7), pages 1062-1070, July.
    3. Theodore Palivos & Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2013. "Intergenerational Complementarities in Education, Endogenous Public Policy, and the Relation Between Growth and Volatility," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 15(2), pages 249-272, April.
    4. Theodore Palivos & Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2010. "Education and growth: A simple model with complicated dynamics," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 6(4), pages 367-384, December.
    5. Vincenzo Lombardo, 2012. "Social inclusion and the emergence of development traps," Discussion Papers 13_2012, CRISEI, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
    6. Anastasia Litina & Theodore Palivos, 2015. "Corruption and Tax Evasion: Reflections on Greek Tragedy," Working Papers 193, Bank of Greece.
    7. Athanasios Lapatinas & Anastasia Litina & Eftichios Sophocles Sartzetakis, 2014. "Is Abatement Effective in the Presence of Corruption? A Theoretical Exploration," DEM Discussion Paper Series 14-29, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    8. Rodrigo Arim & Matías Brum & Andrés Dean & Martín Leites & Gonzalo Salas, 2013. "Movilidad de ingreso y trampas de pobreza: nueva evidencia para los países del Cono sur," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 28(1), pages 3-38.
    9. Athanasios Lapatinas & Anastasia Litina & Eftichios S. Sartzetakis, 2011. "Corruption and Environmental Policy: An Alternative Perspective," Working Papers 2011.23, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    10. Athanasios Lapatinas & Anastasia Litina & Eftichios Sophocles Sartzetakis, 2019. "Environmental projects in the presence of corruption," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(1), pages 103-144, February.
    11. Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2017. "Economic Growth and the Cultural Transmission of Attitudes towards Education," Discussion Papers in Economics 17/06, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    12. Vincenzo Lombardo, 2008. "Poor's behaviour and inequality traps: the role of human capital," Working Papers 10_2008, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
    13. Maria Emma Santos, 2009. "Human Capital and the Quality of Education in a Poverty Trap Model," OPHI Working Papers 30, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    14. Litina, Anastasia & Palivos, Theodore, 2016. "Corruption, tax evasion and social values," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 164-177.
    15. Theodore Palivos & Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2009. "Intergenerational Complementarities in Education and the Relationship between Growth and Volatility," Discussion Papers in Economics 09/8, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    16. Luis Casanova, 2008. "Trampas de Pobreza en Argentina: Evidencia Empírica a Partir de un Pseudo Panel," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0064, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    17. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Tselios, Vassilis, 2007. "Analysis of Educational Distribution in Europe: Educational Attainment and Inequality Within Regions," Papers DYNREG08, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    18. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Vassilis Tselios, 2007. "Mapping the European regional educational distribution: Educational attainment and inequality," Working Papers 2007-18, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales.
    19. Anastasia Litina & Theodore Palivos, 2011. "Explicating Corruption and Tax Evasion:Reflections on Greek Tragedy," Discussion Paper Series 2011_07, Department of Economics, University of Macedonia, revised May 2011.
    20. Rossana Patron, 2014. "On the institutional limits to human capital," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 9, in: Adela García Aracil & Isabel Neira Gómez (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 9, edition 1, volume 9, chapter 45, pages 867-878, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    21. Currais, Luis & Rivera, Berta & Rungo, Paolo, 2010. "Effects of the complementarity of child nutrition and education on persistent deprivation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 67-69, January.
    22. Bertoli Simone, 2006. "Remittances and the Dynamics of Human Capitalin the Recipient Country," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 200607, University of Turin.

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