Full Citation
Title: Long-Term Effects of Local-Area New Deal Work Relief in Childhood on Educational, Economic, and Health Outcomes Over the Life Course: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2022
ISBN:
ISSN: 0070-3370
DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10111856
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: The economic characteristics of one's childhood neighborhood have been found to determine long-term well-being. Policies enacted during childhood may change neighborhood trajectories and thus impact long-term outcomes for children. We use individual-level data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to examine the enduring consequences of childhood exposure to local-area New Deal emergency employment work-relief activity. Our outcomes include adolescent cognition, educational attainment, midlife income, health behaviors, late-life cognition, and mortality. We find that children (ages 0–3) living in neighborhoods with moderate work-relief activity in 1940 had higher adolescent IQ scores, had higher class rank, and were more likely to obtain at least a bachelor's degree. We find enduring benefits for midlife income and late-life cognition for males who grew up in areas with a moderate amount of work relief. We find mixed results for males who grew up in the most disadvantaged areas with the highest levels of work-relief activity. These children had similar educational outcomes as those in the most advantaged districts with the lowest work-relief activity but had higher adult smoking rates. Our findings provide some of the first evidence of the long-term consequences of New Deal policies on children's long-term life course outcomes.
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Authors: Modrek, Sepideh; Roberts, Evan; Warren, John Robert; Rehkopf, David
Periodical (Full): Demography
Issue: 4
Volume: 59
Pages: 1489-1516
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Health, Housing and Segregation
Countries: