Does Participation in Social Programs Shape the Third Generation? A Study by Anne Gielen in The Economic Journal
The paper ‘Persistent Effects of Social Program Participation on the Third Generation’ by research fellow Anne Gielen (Erasmus University Rotterdam) and co-author Gordon B. Dahl (University of California, San Diego) is forthcoming in The Economic Journal (published online, May 27 2026).
Abstract
Can participation in safety net programs have long-lasting negative effects across multiple generations? We take advantage of a 1993 Dutch disability insurance reform which tightened requirements and lowered benefits for participants. We study the third generation 25 years after the reform, finding that grandchildren of individuals whose DI eligibility and benefits were reduced are less likely to be born premature, have low birthweight, or experience complicated deliveries. They also have better health and schooling outcomes during early childhood. These early-life improvements are consequential, as they have been linked to better health, education, and labor market outcomes in adulthood.
Article citation
Gordon B. Dahl and Anne Gielen (2026). ‘Persistent Effects of Social Program Participation on the Third Generation’, The Economic Journal, forthcoming, doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueag065.