James J. Heckman

Research Fellow

University of Chicago

External Homepage CV

Network Program Areas

Research Interests

James J. Heckman is the Henry Shultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Public Policy and Director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago. Heckman has a B.A. (1965) in Mathematics from Colorado College and an M.A. (1968) and Ph.D. (1971) in Economics from Princeton University. He has been at the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago since 1973. He was one of the founders of the Harris School of Public Policy, where he also has an appointment. Since 1991, he has been a research fellow at the American Bar Foundation. In 2010, he cofounded the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group, a global network of over 400 scholars working on aspects of measuring and addressing problems of inequality and economic opportunity. In May, 2014, he launched the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago.


He has devoted his professional life to understanding the origins of major social and economic questions related to inequality, social mobility, discrimination, the formation of skills and regulation in labor markets, and to devising and applying economically interpretable empirical strategies for understanding and addressing these questions. While his research is rooted in economics, he also actively collaborates across disciplines to examine all aspects of major problems. His recent interdisciplinary research on human development and skill formation over the life cycle draws on economics, psychology, genetics, epidemiology, neuroscience, and law to examine the origins of inequality, the determinants of social mobility, and the links among stages of the life cycle, starting in the womb. This work has influenced both the scholarly literature and public policy.


In 2000, Heckman won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on the microeconometrics of diversity and heterogeneity and for establishing a sound causal basis for public policy evaluation. He has received numerous other awards for his work, including the John Bates Clark Medal of the American Economic Association in 1983, the Jacob Mincer Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005 from the Society of Labor Economics, the 2005 and 2007 Dennis Aigner Award for Applied Econometrics from the Journal of Econometrics, the Ulysses Medal from the University College Dublin in 2006, the 2007 Theodore W. Schultz Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, awarded by the International Scientific Committee of the Pio Manzú Centre in 2008, the Distinguished Contributions to Public Policy for Children Award from the Society for Research in Child Development in 2009, and the Frisch Medal from the Econometric Society in 2014 for the most outstanding paper in applied economics published in Econometrica in the previous five years. He is a recent recipient of a NIH MERIT award.


Heckman is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA; a member of the American Philosophical Society; a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the Econometric Society; the Society of Labor Economics; the American Statistical Association; the International Statistical Institute; and the National Academy of Education. He has received numerous honorary degrees, and is a foreign member of several scholarly bodies.


James J. Heckman joined IZA as a Research Fellow in September 1999.

In 2000, he was co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics for his development of theory and methods for analyzing selective samples [read more].

Filter

IZA Publications

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16133
The Economic Approach to Personality, Character and Virtue
James J. Heckman, Bridget Galaty, Haihan Tian
IZA Discussion Paper No. 16038
Maximum Impact Intergenerational Associations
Sadegh S. M. Eshaghnia, James J. Heckman, Rasmus Landerso
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15744
Internal Adjustment Costs of Firm-Specific Factors and the Neoclassical Theory of the Firm
V. K. Chetty, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15672
Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15573
Three Criteria for Evaluating Social Programs
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15504
Intergenerational Transmission of Family Influence
Sadegh S. M. Eshaghnia, James J. Heckman, Rasmus Landerso, Rafeh Qureshi
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15252
Measuring Knowledge
James J. Heckman, Jin Zhou
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15188
On Criteria for Evaluating Social Programs
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15132
The Impacts of a Prototypical Home Visiting Program on Child Skills
Jin Zhou, James J. Heckman, Bei Liu, Mai Lu
An earlier version of this paper is available as IZA DP No. 13346.
IZA Discussion Paper No. 15081
Causality and Econometrics
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto
IZA Discussion Paper No. 14857
Are Student-Athletes Exploited?
James J. Heckman, Colleen P. Loughlin
IZA Discussion Paper No. 14584
Athletes Greatly Benefit from Participation in Sports at the College and Secondary Level
James J. Heckman, Colleen P. Loughlin
IZA Discussion Paper No. 14575
The Lasting Effects of Early Childhood Education on Promoting the Skills and Social Mobility of Disadvantaged African Americans
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman, Victor Ronda
IZA Discussion Paper No. 14525
The Dynastic Benefits of Early Childhood Education
Jorge Luis García, Frederik H. Bennhoff, Duncan Ermini Leaf, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 14185
Lessons from Denmark about Inequality and Social Mobility
James J. Heckman, Rasmus Landerso
IZA Discussion Paper No. 13346
Treatment Effects and the Measurement of Skills in a Prototypical Home Visiting Program
James J. Heckman, Bei Liu, Mai Lu, Jin Zhou
A new version of this paper, published in March 2022, can be found under the following link: https://docs.iza.org/ dp13346.pdf.
IZA Discussion Paper No. 13064
Early Childhood Education and Life-cycle Health
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 12882
Randomization and Social Policy Evaluation Revisited
James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 12753
Some Contributions of Economics to the Study of Personality
James J. Heckman, Tomáš Jagelka, Tim Kautz
IZA Discussion Paper No. 12363
Intergenerational and Intragenerational Externalities of the Perry Preschool Project
James J. Heckman, Ganesh Karapakula
IZA Discussion Paper No. 12362
The Perry Preschoolers at Late Midlife: A Study in Design-Specific Inference
James J. Heckman, Ganesh Karapakula
IZA Discussion Paper No. 12046
The Race between Demand and Supply: Tinbergen's Pioneering Studies of Earnings Inequality
James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 11868
Publishing and Promotion in Economics: The Tyranny of the Top Five
James J. Heckman, Sidharth Moktan
IZA Discussion Paper No. 11047
The Non-Market Benefits of Education and Ability
James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Gregory Veramendi
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10821
Unordered Monotonicity
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto
revised version available as NBER Working Paper No. 23497
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10811
Quantifying the Life-Cycle Benefits of a Prototypical Early Childhood Program
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman, Duncan Ermini Leaf, Maria José Prados
revised version available as NBER Working Paper No. 23479
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10758
Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman, Anna Ziff
revised version available as NBER Working Paper No. 23412
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10742
Evaluation of the Reggio Approach to Early Education
Pietro Biroli, Daniela Del Boca, James J. Heckman, Lynne Pettler Heckman, Yu Kyung Koh, Sylvi Kuperman, Sidharth Moktan, Chiara D. Pronzato, Anna Ziff
published in: Research in Economics, 2018, 72 (1), 1-32
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10456
The Life-cycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program
Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman, Duncan Ermini Leaf, Maria José Prados
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10356
What Grades and Achievement Tests Measure
Lex Borghans, Bart H.H. Golsteyn, James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries
published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), 2016, 113 (47), 13354-13359
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10005
Capabilities and Skills
James J. Heckman, Chase O. Corbin
IZA Discussion Paper No. 10000
The Scandinavian Fantasy: The Sources of Intergenerational Mobility in Denmark and the U.S.
Rasmus Landerso, James J. Heckman
forthcoming in the Scandinavian Journal of Economics
IZA Discussion Paper No. 9977
Symposium on Child Development and Parental Investment: Introduction
Marco Francesconi, James J. Heckman
published in: Economic Journal, 2016, 126(596), F1-F27
IZA Discussion Paper No. 9957
Returns to Education: The Causal Effects of Education on Earnings, Health and Smoking
James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Gregory Veramendi
IZA Discussion Paper No. 9476
Early Childhood Education
Sneha Elango, Jorge Luis García, James J. Heckman, Andrés Hojman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 9247
The Effects of Two Influential Early Childhood Interventions on Health and Healthy Behaviors
Gabriella Conti, James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto
Published in: Economic Journal, 2016, 126 (596), F28-F65.
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8827
Gary Becker: Model Economic Scientist
James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8711
Early Health Shocks, Intrahousehold Resource Allocation, and Child Outcomes
Junjian Yi, James J. Heckman, Junsen Zhang, Gabriella Conti
Published in: Economic Journal, 2015, 124 (588), F347–F371
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8696
Fostering and Measuring Skills: Improving Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills to Promote Lifetime Success
Tim Kautz, James J. Heckman, Ron Diris, Bas ter Weel, Lex Borghans
published in: OECD Education Working Papers, 2014, No. 110 [Online Access]
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8548
Estimation of Dynamic Discrete Choice Models by Maximum Likelihood and the Simulated Method of Moments
Philipp Eisenhauer, James J. Heckman, Stefano Mosso
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8424
Introduction to A Theory of the Allocation of Time by Gary Becker
James J. Heckman
published in: Economic Journal, 2015,125 (583), 403–409
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8338
Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis
Gabriella Conti, Sylvia Frühwirth-Schnatter, James J. Heckman, Rémi Piatek
published in: Journal of Econometrics, 2014, 183(1), 31–57
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8200
Private Notes on Gary Becker
James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8027
Education, Health and Wages
James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Gregory Veramendi, Sergio Urzua
IZA Discussion Paper No. 8000
The Economics of Human Development and Social Mobility
James J. Heckman, Stefano Mosso
published in: Annual Reviews of Economics, 2014, 6(1), 689-733
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7750
Fostering and Measuring Skills: Interventions That Improve Character and Cognition
James J. Heckman, Tim Kautz
published in: J. Heckman, J.E. Humphries, and T. Kautz (eds.), The Myth of Achievement Tests: The GED and the Role of Character in American Life, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7628
Causal Analysis after Haavelmo
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto
revised version published in: Econometric Theory, 2015, 31(1), 115-151
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7552
Econometric Mediation Analyses: Identifying the Sources of Treatment Effects from Experimentally Estimated Production Technologies with Unmeasured and Mismeasured Inputs
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto
published in: Econometric Reviews, 2015, 34 (1-2), 6-31
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7550
Measuring Investment in Human Capital Formation: An Experimental Analysis of Early Life Outcomes
Orla Doyle, Colm P. Harmon, James J. Heckman, Caitriona Logue, Seong Hyeok Moon
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7415
Intergenerational Long Term Effects of Preschool: Structural Estimates from a Discrete Dynamic Programming Model
James J. Heckman, Lakshmi K. Raut
forthcoming in: Journal of Econometrics [Online First]
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7060
The Developmental Approach to Child and Adult Health
Gabriella Conti, James J. Heckman
published in: Pediatrics, 131 (supplement 2), 2013, 133-141
IZA Discussion Paper No. 7040
Understanding the Mechanisms Through Which an Influential Early Childhood Program Boosted Adult Outcomes
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto, Peter A. Savelyev
published in: American Economic Review, 2013, 103 (6), 2052-86
IZA Discussion Paper No. 6930
The Economics of Child Well-Being
Gabriella Conti, James J. Heckman
published in: A. Ben-Arieh, F. Casas, I. Frones, and J. Korbin (eds.), Handbook of Child Well-Being: Theories, Methods, and Policies in Global Perspective, Dordrecht: Springer-Verlag, 2013
IZA Discussion Paper No. 6915
Transcriptional Modulation of the Developing Immune System by Early Life Social Adversity
Steven W. Cole, Gabriella Conti, Jesusa M. Arevalo, Angela M. Ruggiero, James J. Heckman, Stephen J. Suomi
published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012, 109(50), 20578-20583
IZA Discussion Paper No. 6580
Hard Evidence on Soft Skills
James J. Heckman, Tim Kautz
published in: Labour Economics, 2012, 19 (4), 451-464
IZA Discussion Paper No. 6550
Human Capital, Economic Growth, and Inequality in China
James J. Heckman, Junjian Yi
published in: S. Fan, R. Kanbur, S. Wei, and X. Zhang (eds)., The Oxford Companion to the Economics of China on Human Capital, Oxford: OUP, 2014
IZA Discussion Paper No. 6495
Primate Evidence on the Late Health Effects of Early Life Adversity
Gabriella Conti, Christopher Hansman, James J. Heckman, Matthew F.X. Novak, Angela M. Ruggiero, Stephen J. Suomi
published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012, 109(23): 8866-8871.
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5950
Integrating Personality Psychology into Economics
James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5625
Inference with Imperfect Randomization: The Case of the Perry Preschool Program
James J. Heckman, Rodrigo Pinto, Azeem M. Shaikh, Adam Yavitz
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5605
Identification Problems in Personality Psychology
Lex Borghans, Bart H.H. Golsteyn, James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries
published in: Personality and Individual Differences, 2011, 51 (3), 315-320
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5500
Personality Psychology and Economics
Mathilde Almlund, Angela Lee Duckworth, James J. Heckman, Tim Kautz
published in: E.A. Hanushek, S. Machin and S. Woessman (eds). Handbook of the Economics of Education, Amsterdam: Elsevier. 2011
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5495
The American Family in Black and White: A Post-Racial Strategy for Improving Skills to Promote Equality
James J. Heckman
published in: Daedalus, 2011, 140 (2): 70-89
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5275
Estimating Marginal Returns to Education
Pedro Carneiro, James J. Heckman, Edward Vytlacil
published in: American Economic Review, 2011, 110 (6), 2754-2781
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5205
Tests of Hypotheses Arising in the Correlated Random Coefficient Model
James J. Heckman, Daniel Schmierer
published in: Economic Modelling, 2010, 27 (6), Special Issue: P.A.V.B Swamy, 1355-1367
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5095
Analyzing Social Experiments as Implemented: A Reexamination of the Evidence from the HighScope Perry Preschool Program
James J. Heckman, Seong Hyeok Moon, Rodrigo Pinto, Peter A. Savelyev, Adam Yavitz
published in: Quantitative Economics, 2010, 1 (1), 1-46
IZA Discussion Paper No. 5050
Investing in Our Young People
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman
published in: Arthur Reynolds, Arthur Rolnick, Michelle M. Englund, and Judy A. Temple (eds.), Cost-Effective Programs in Children's First Decade: A Human Capital Integration, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010, 381-414
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4975
The GED
James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Nicholas S. Mader
published in: E.A. Hanushek, S. Machin and S. Woessman (eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2011, Chapter 9, 423-483
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4740
Policies to Promote Growth and Economic Efficiency in Mexico
Francisco Javier Arias-Vazquez, Oliver Azuara, Pedro Bernal, James J. Heckman, Cajeme Villarreal
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4702
Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman, Susanne Schennach
published in: Econometrica, 2010, 78 (3), 883-931
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4680
Policies to Create and Destroy Human Capital in Europe
James J. Heckman, Bas Jacobs
published in: Hans-Werner Sinn and Edmund Phelps (eds.), Perspectives on the Performance of the Continental Economies, MIT Press, 2011, 253-322
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4540
Lab Experiments Are a Major Source of Knowledge in the Social Sciences
Armin Falk, James J. Heckman
definitive version published in: Science, 2009, 326 (5952), 535-538
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4533
The Rate of Return to the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program
James J. Heckman, Seong Hyeok Moon, Rodrigo Pinto, Peter A. Savelyev, Adam Yavitz
published in: Journal of Public Economics, 2010, 94 (1-2), 114-128
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4525
Testing the Correlated Random Coefficient Model
James J. Heckman, Daniel Schmierer, Sergio Urzua
published in: Journal of Econometrics, 2010, 158 (2), 177-203
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4329
Nonparametric Identification and Estimation of Nonadditive Hedonic Models
James J. Heckman, Rosa Matzkin, Lars Nesheim
published in: Econometrica, 2010, 78(5), 1569-1591
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4324
Evaluating Marginal Policy Changes and the Average Effect of Treatment for Individuals at the Margin
Pedro Carneiro, James J. Heckman, Edward Vytlacil
published in: Econometrica, 2010, 78 (1), 377-394
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4304
A Note on Adapting Propensity Score Matching and Selection Models to Choice Based Samples
James J. Heckman, Petra E. Todd
published in: Econometric Journal, 2009, 12 (Supplement), S230-S234
IZA Discussion Paper No. 4001
The Economics and Psychology of Inequality and Human Development
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman
published in: Journal of the European Economic Association, 2009, 7(2-3), 320 - 364
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3985
Gender Differences in Risk Aversion and Ambiguity Aversion
Lex Borghans, Bart H.H. Golsteyn, James J. Heckman, Huub Meijers
published in: Journal of the European Economic Association, 2009, 7(2-3), 649-658
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3980
Comparing IV with Structural Models: What Simple IV Can and Cannot Identify
James J. Heckman, Sergio Urzua
published in: Journal of Econometrics, 2010, 156 (1), 27-37
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3636
The Effect of Prayer on God's Attitude Toward Mankind
James J. Heckman
published in: Economic Inquiry, 2010, 48 (1), 234-235
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3565
Instrumental Variables in Models with Multiple Outcomes: The General Unordered Case
James J. Heckman, Sergio Urzua, Edward Vytlacil
published in: Annales d'Economie et de Statistique, 2008, 91-92, 9-74
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3515
Schools, Skills, and Synapses
James J. Heckman
published in: Economic Inquiry, 2008, 46 (3), 289-324
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3495
Taking the Easy Way Out: How the GED Testing Program Induces Students to Drop Out
James J. Heckman, John Eric Humphries, Paul A. LaFontaine, Pedro L. Rodríguez
published in: Journal of Labor Economics, 2012, 30 (3), 495-520
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3425
Econometric Causality
James J. Heckman
published in: International Statistical Review, 2008, (76) 1, 1-27
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3333
The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits
Lex Borghans, Angela Lee Duckworth, James J. Heckman, Bas ter Weel
published in: Journal of Human Resources, 2008, 43 (4), 972-1059
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3310
Earnings Functions and Rates of Return
James J. Heckman, Lance John Lochner, Petra E. Todd
published in: Journal of Human Capital, 2008, 2(1), 1-31
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3216
The American High School Graduation Rate: Trends and Levels
James J. Heckman, Paul A. LaFontaine
published in: Review of Economics and Statistics, 2010, 92 (2), 244-262
IZA Discussion Paper No. 3115
The Evolution of Inequality, Heterogeneity and Uncertainty in Labor Earnings in the U.S. Economy
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2940
The Identification and Economic Content of Ordered Choice Models with Stochastic Thresholds
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman, Salvador Navarro
published in: International Economic Review, 2007, 48(4), 1273-1309
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2875
The Economics, Technology and Neuroscience of Human Capability Formation
James J. Heckman
published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007, 104 (33), 13250-13255
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2725
The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children
James J. Heckman, Dimitriy V. Masterov
published in: Review of Agricultural Economics, 2007, 29 (3), 446-493
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2565
A New Framework for the Analysis of Inequality
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman
published in: Macroeconomic Dynamics, 2008, 12 (Supplement 2), 315-354
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2550
The Technology of Skill Formation
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman
published in: American Economic Review, 2007, 97 (2), 31-47
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2320
Understanding Instrumental Variables in Models with Essential Heterogeneity
James J. Heckman, Sergio Urzua, Edward Vytlacil
published in: Review of Economics and Statistics, 2006, 88 (3), 389-432
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2190
Economic, Neurobiological and Behavioral Perspectives on Building America's Future Workforce
Eric I. Knudsen, James J. Heckman, Judy L. Cameron, Jack P. Shonkoff
published in: World Economics, 2006, 7 (3), 17 - 41
IZA Discussion Paper No. 2184
Contributions of Zvi Griliches
James J. Heckman
published in: Annales d'Economie et Statistique, 2005 (Special issue in tribute to Zvi Griliches),79-80, 5 - 22
IZA Discussion Paper No. 1790
Dynamic Discrete Choice and Dynamic Treatment Effects
James J. Heckman, Salvador Navarro
published in: Journal of Econometrics, 2007, 136 (2), 341-396
IZA Discussion Paper No. 1700
Earnings Functions, Rates of Return and Treatment Effects: The Mincer Equation and Beyond
James J. Heckman, Lance John Lochner, Petra E. Todd
published in: E. Hanushek and F. Welch, eds., Handbook of the Economics of Education, North Holland: Amsterdam, 2006, 307-458
IZA Discussion Paper No. 1675
Interpreting the Evidence on Life Cycle Skill Formation
Flavio Cunha, James J. Heckman, Lance John Lochner, Dimitriy V. Masterov
published in: E. Hanushek; F. Welch (eds.): Handbook of the Economics of Education, North Holland: Amsterdam, 2006, 697-812
IZA Discussion Paper No. 1453
Labor Market Discrimination and Racial Differences in Premarket Factors
Pedro Carneiro, James J. Heckman, Dimitriy V. Masterov
published in: Journal of Law and Economics, 2006, 48(1), 1-39
  • 1
  • 2
Type
Display
20 50 100
Type