One of the most important public policy issues in the United States is
how to improve the life prospects of disadvantaged youth who, in their
formative years, face low-quality school systems, poor access to health
care, and high-crime environments. The Problems of Disadvantaged Youth
includes a broad range of research examining various aspects of
disadvantage, and ways of increasing the ability of low-income youths to
improve their circumstances later in life.
Taking an empirical economics perspective, the nine essays in this
volume assess the causal impacts of disadvantage on youth outcomes, and
how policy interventions can alleviate those impacts. Each chapter
develops a framework to describe the relationship between youths and
later life outcomes, addressing such factors as educational opportunity,
health, neighborhood crime rates, and employment. This vital book
documents the serious short- and long-term negative consequences of
childhood disadvantage and provides nuanced evidence of the impact of
public policy designed to help needy children.