Thread by @chris_de92

In a few minutes, this year's virtual #UBSCenterForum continues with a panel discussion on #inequality . As last week, here I will share some of the main insights and my thoughts on it. 🧵
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https://twitter.com/ubscenter/status/1321457713268883457

To kick off the discussion, @BrankoMilan talks about the development of inequality over time. Inequality between countries peaked in the early 2000s, declining in the last 20 years due to the rise of Asia (though still at a high level).
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Currie and Dorn report from their respective research that both health inequality (measured by mortality rates) and income inequality are more pronounced in the US than in Europe (France/Switzerland). Can these differences be explained by in the different political systems?

Dorn points at the Swiss direct democracy as disciplining the political influence of large companies and hence #inequality. This works well in Switzerland but I doubt that this could be a viable instrument for a state as large as the US.
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@jmackin2 and @BrankoMilan indicate assortative mating as an important driver of increasing income inequality. Well-educated men marry well-educated women and make sure that also their children have access to the best education.
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I agree with the panelists that there is not much that can or should be done about individuals’ choice of a partner. Instead, we need to foster social mobility by guaranteeing (and nudging) equal access to education also for children of non-academic parents.
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As presented last week by @uZoelitz, intervention at an early stage in primary school can have long-lasting positive effects on disadvantaged children’s future career paths.
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https://twitter.com/ubscenter/status/1319739164024315904

What could be done to mitigate health inequality in the US? Currie emphasizes the important roles of preventing opioid abuse and establishing a well-organized, effective universal health insurance.
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How does the pandemic affect inequality between the young and the old? Who is affected more severely after all? Food for thought…
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@BrankoMilan: A second #lockdown in Europe needs to go with a second stimulus package. We cannot prevent people from working and earning a living without supporting them.
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