在Roemer 机会不平等框架中,“环境”因素引致的不平等是机会不平等,而“努力”因素引致的不平等为努力不平等。但“环境”因素会作用于“努力”因素造成收入差异,这种努力不平等本质上是间接机会不平等。将机会不平等进行拆解,在此基础上探究机会不平等与经济增长的关系,研究发现:间接机会不平等促进经济增长,其二次项对经济增长的作用显著为负。机制分析表明,间接机会不平等增强个体对努力改变命运的判断,促进个体人力资本投资而有助于经济增长,但是间接机会不平等加剧社会固化不利于社会流动,随着间接机会不平等程度提升,其对经济增长的作用削弱。促进社会公平时,需关注被努力不平等掩盖下的机会不平等以及环境劣势群体的努力机会和回报公平。
关键词 社会公平;机会不平等;间接机会不平等;直接机会不平等;经济增长
Indirect Income Opportunity Inequality and Economic Growth
Ye Qin(Zhongnan University of Economics and Law)
Ye Chusheng(Wuhan University)
Abstract In Roemer's framework of unequal opportunities, inequality of opportunities caused by environmental factors is unfair and inhibits economic growth, while effort inequality is considered fair and promotes economic growth. The environment will act on efforts and cause income differences. This apparent effort inequality is essentially indirect opportunity inequality. This paper splits opportunity inequality into direct and indirect opportunity inequality and then analyses the relationship of opportunity inequality and economic growth. Research shows that direct inequality of opportunity inhibits while indirect inequality of opportunity promotes economic growth, and the quadratic term of indirect opportunity inequality has a significant negative effect on economic growth. Mechanism analysis shows that indirect opportunity inequality will enhance people's judgment that hard work can change fate and promote individual human capital investment. However, indirect opportunity inequality intensifies social solidification, which is not conducive to social mobility. When using policies to promote social equity, we should pay attention to the opportunity inequality covered by the effort inequality and the effort opportunity and return equity of environmentally disadvantaged groups.
Key words opportunity inequality; indirect opportunity inequality; direct opportunity inequality; economic growth; social justice
■ 作者简介 叶 琴,经济学博士,中南财经政法大学经济学院讲师;湖北 武汉 430073;