The United States invests too little in most children's opportunities. Spending more would pay off handsomely.
References
1.
RobertEriksonJanJonsson.Can Education be Equalized? (Westview Press, 1996). A thorough examination of why educational opportunities remain so unequal.
2.
Gøsta Esping-Andersen with DuncanGallieAntonHemerijckJohnMyles.Why We Need a New Welfare State (Oxford University Press, 2002). Argues that the future welfare state needs to prioritize families and child investments.
3.
JamesHeckmanAllanKrueger.Inequality in America (MIT Press, 2003). Arguments by two leading economists regarding policies to create more equality of opportunity, including Heckman's “learning begets learning” thesis.
4.
LynnKarolyRebeccaKilburnJillCannon.Early Childhood Interventions (Rand Corporation, 2005). A comprehensive overview of what matters for child development and which policies work.
5.
TimothySmeeding. “Poor People in Rich Nations: The United States in Comparative Perspective.” Journal of Economic Perspectives20 (2006): 69–90. Up-to-date, comparative data on poverty and government redistribution.
