Issues on the measurement of opportunity inequality

Résumé

This doctoral dissertation is about the measurement of opportunity inequality. After introducing its philosophical background and the basic estimation techniques in the first and second chapters, in chapter three we study the importance of the level of analysis---either households or individuals---when assessing inequality of opportunity. To do so we first establish a conceptual framework and then perform an empirical demonstration, concluding that estimates are strongly sensitive to this methodological feature, which entails a normative choice regarding gender. Chapter four proposes a new measurement strategy that overcomes a ubiquitous data constrain. It consists of using capital income to proxy family background, by leveraging the intergenerational persistence of wealth. Lastly, chapter five demonstrates some of the possibilities opened up by the methodology developed in chapter four. Namely we apply it to measure inequality of opportunity in Europe with an unprecedented level of detail, as well as with a panel of individuals.