Times Columnist Likes Katz, Goldin Take on Education and Economy

American young adults today have more education than their parents—but the growth rate of educational attainment from one generation to the next has slowed significantly...

New York Times columnist David Brooks likes The Race between Education and Technology, the new book by Allison professor of economics Lawrence F. Katz and Lee professor of economics Claudia Goldin.

American young adults today have more education than their parents—but the growth rate of educational attainment from one generation to the next has slowed significantly. And high-school graduation rates have actually declined since peaking at about 80 percent in the 1960s.

Brooks buys the argument Katz and Goldin make that this educational slowdown is behind widening income inequality and a sluggish economy in today's United States. He writes:

Why did the United States become the leading economic power of the 20th century? The best short answer is that a ferocious belief that people have the power to transform their own lives gave Americans an unparalleled commitment to education, hard work and economic freedom.

Read the rest of Brooks's column here; read more about Katz and Goldin's work in Unequal America, the cover story in the current issue of Harvard Magazine.

You might also like

The Roman Empire’s Cosmopolitan Frontier

Genetic analysis reveals a culture enriched from both sides of the Danube.

Tobacco Smoke and Tuberculosis

Harvard researchers illuminate a longstanding epidemiological connection. 

Discourse and Discipline

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences broaches two tough topics.

Most popular

Small-Town Roots

Professors’ humble beginnings, concentration choices, and a mini history of Harvard and Radcliffe presidents

Vita: Fanny Bullock Workman

Brief life of a feisty mountaineer: 1859-1925

Being Black at Work

Realizing the full potential of black employees

More to explore

Illustration of a box containing a laid-off fossil fuel worker's office belongings

Preparing for the Energy Transition

Expect massive job losses in industries associated with fossil fuels. The time to get ready is now.

Apollonia Poilâne standing in front of rows of fresh-baked loaves at her family's flagship bakery

Her Bread and Butter

A third-generation French baker on legacy loaves and the "magic" of baking

Illustration that plays on the grade A+ and the term Ai

AI in the Academy

Generative AI can enhance teaching and learning but augurs a shift to oral forms of student assessment.