Journal of Economic Perspectives

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JEP - Previous Issues
JEP - Fall 2011

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Journal of Economic Perspectives

Vol. 25, No. 4, Fall 2011

Genes, Eyeglasses, and Social Policy Charles F. Manski
Article Citation
Manski, Charles F. 2011. "Genes, Eyeglasses, and Social Policy." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4): 83–94.
DOI:10.1257/jep.25.4.83
Abstract
Someone reading empirical research relating human genetics to personal outcomes must be careful to distinguish two types of work: An old literature on heritability attempts to decompose cross-sectional variation in observed outcomes into unobservable genetic and environmental components. A new literature measures specific genes and uses them as observed covariates when predicting outcomes. I will discuss these two types of work in terms of how they may inform social policy. I will argue that research on heritability is fundamentally uninformative for policy analysis, but make a cautious argument that research using genes as covariates is potentially informative.

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Authors

Manski, Charles F. (Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern U)

JEL Classifications

D78: Positive Analysis of Policy-Making and Implementation
A12: Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines