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Margot Jackson's research focuses on the study of poverty and inequality among U.S. children and families, particularly the role of childhood circumstances in contributing to intra- and intergenerational inequality. Her current research examines potential public sector investments and policies that may help narrow inequality for children and families. Collaborating with colleagues from the Urban Institute, she produced a longitudinal, state-level database measuring government spending on children, detailing 25 major program areas including education, health, income support, and housing from 1997 to 2022. Utilizing a combination of household surveys and administrative data, Jackson aims to advance the understanding of how public investments affect parental investments of money and time in children and to explore the relative effects of different forms of social spending on child well-being. Broadly, her research areas cover social inequality and stratification, social demography, and public policy, with an emphasis on inequality in educational opportunity and health for children and families. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of inequality across the life cycle of generations and how childhood circumstances have long-reaching effects on children’s schooling and adulthood. Her past work has investigated the effects of childhood health, health policies, academic achievement, and socioeconomic attainment. Jackson's research has been published in various academic venues and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation.
Department: Department of Economics