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

Harvard Panel Debunks the Population Implosion Myth

Public health professors parse the evidence surrounding falling U.S. birth rates.

A New Narrative of Civil Rights

Political philosopher Brandon Terry’s vision of racial progress

Harvard Economist Nicole Maestas on Aging and Health Policy

The Harvard health economist not afraid to get in the weeds

Most popular

Harvard art historian Jennifer Roberts teaches the value of immersive attention

Teaching students the value of deceleration and immersive attention

How MAGA Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

Jodie Foster Honored at Radcliffe Day 2025

The actress and director discussed her film career and her transformative time at Yale.

Explore More From Current Issue

Man splashing water on his face at outdoor fountain beside woman holding cup near stone building.

Why Heat Waves Make You Miserable

Scientists are studying how much heat and humidity the human body can take.

Man, standing in small group of people outside the courthouse, holding a sign that reads "HANDS OFF HARVARD" in red letters

Harvard’s Summer in Court

What Columbia’s settlement means for the University

Two women in traditional kimonos, one lighting a cigarette, in a scene from Apart from You.

Harvard Film Archive Spotlights Japanese Director Mikio Naruse

A retrospective of the filmmaker’s works, from Floating Clouds to Flowing