Sociology Colloquium, 10/28/2020
The Effects of Income on Birth Rates: The Case of a Universal Cash Transfer
Dr. Sarah K. Cowan, New York University
Governments around the globe institute income policies in order to alleviate poverty. Whether these policies have unintended fertility effects is an open question, and the answer has implications for fertility theory, policy design and inequality. This question has been addressed in prior literature primarily by examining the introduction of means-tested relief to families with children. This limits analysis to families in poverty and provides insight only into the presence or absence of a policy. We overcome these weaknesses by examining the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, which has provided all Alaskan residents with a substantial annual cash payment since 1982. The amount of the payment varies year to year and is exogenous to individual Alaskans’ behavior and the state’s economy. We examine the relationship between income and fertility among a large and diverse population that has received varying amounts of money over time.
October 28, 2020
Wednesday, 12–1:30pm
Zoom session
Meeting ID: 928 5222 8506
Passcode: 343142
If you cannot join with video, you can connect to the Zoom session via phone: 1–346–248–7799