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Review of Economic Studies Vol. 73 No. 1 2006

Das Human-Kapital: A Theory of the Demise of the Class Structure

Oded Galor1; Omer Moav2

1 John Brown University · 2 Hebrew University, Shalem Center and CEPR

Abstract

This paper suggests that the demise of the capitalists—workers class structure was a socio-economic transformation orchestrated by the capitalists in reaction to the increasing importance of human capital in sustaining their profit rates. Physical capital accumulation in the process of industrialization enhanced the importance of human capital in production and generated incentives for capitalists to support the provision of public education for the masses, triggering the demise of the existing class structure. The implications of the theory are consistent with the voting patterns on England's education reform of 1902.

DOI
10.1111/j.1467-937x.2006.00370.x
Volume
73
Issue
1
Pages
85-117
Language
en
Sources
crossref bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex

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