Quantitative Literacy
Do the numbers really mean what they seem to?
Race Gender Class
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Unadjusted number that suggests discrimination or injustice.
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Blacks 12% of pop 40% of prisoners Or 50% of those stopped and frisked |
Women make $.77 on the dollar |
Top 1% of households make 20% of income -suggests injustice |
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What other factors might account for the differential?
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Could crime rate differentials account for the differentials?
Could the war on drugs itself not racism be the real problem? Could family structure inequality be a factor? |
Could preference for flexible hours, or lower paying care-giving professions account for most of the difffential? |
Should the numbers be adjusted for hours worked? Workers per household? Age? Productivity? So what?
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Facts and questions |
Women are 50% of pop only 5% of prisoners.
Sexism? |
Adjusting for these Harvard economist Claudia Goldin
finds the gap virtually non-existent.
Is she wrong? |
The top 1% pay 40% of income taxes – twice their share of income.
Is that fair? Who decides? How? Is meritocracy bad? Is the real problem equality of opportunity not inequality of income? |