Economic Mobility and Family Systems: Policy, Wealth, and Inequality

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel examines how family policy, intergenerational wealth dynamics, and transnational financial ties shape economic inequality in the United States, with a focus on racially diverse and economically vulnerable populations. By bringing together complementary research using qualitative, quantitative, and policy analysis approaches, the session offers a multidimensional perspective on how families build, share, and sustain wealth across generations and national borders. The panel begins by analyzing key family benefit programs—including the Child Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and refundable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. While these programs aim to reduce poverty and promote work, their interaction can create unintended consequences, including benefit cliffs and unequal access to support. As a result, many low- and moderate-income families, particularly those with children, receive less than the full benefits intended to support upward mobility. Building on this policy perspective, the panel incorporates longitudinal qualitative research on low- and middle-income families in Boston, highlighting how intergenerational wealth transfers, racial inequality, and exposure to macroeconomic shocks—such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic—shape financial decision-making and long-term economic security. This work emphasizes the importance of family-based resources and the persistent disparities in access to wealth across racial and socioeconomic groups. Finally, the session presents new empirical evidence on Asian American and Latino households, focusing on the role of cross-border financial ties. By examining remittance inflows and outflows in relation to household wealth, the research reveals distinct patterns across groups, with remittance behaviors reflecting both economic capacity and cultural expectations. These findings underscore the importance of transnational family obligations in shaping wealth accumulation and economic resilience. Together, these studies provide policy-relevant insights into inequality across generations and borders, contributing to a deeper understanding of how public policy and family systems interact to influence economic mobility.

Policy Area

• Family and Child Policy

Chair

• Heather MacIndoe, University of Massachusetts at Boston

Discussants

• Ray Boshara, Washington University in St. Louis

• Jermaine Toney, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Organizer

• Christian Erik Weller, University of Massachusetts at Boston

Individual Presentations

• Family benefits in America: 2025 report card - Presenting Author: Joshua McCabe, Niskanen Center

• Leveraging Mobility in Boston: The Flow of Wealth Across 3 Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families - Presenting Author: Tatjana Meschede, Brandeis University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Sylvia Hotakainen Stewart, Brandeis University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Manning Zhang, Brandeis University

• Characteristics of Children Getting Less Than the Full Federal Child Tax Credit - Presenting Author: Stephanie Hingtgen, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

• Bridging Borders: The Economic Dynamics of Family Support and Remittances Among Asian and Hispanic Americans - Presenting Author: Sohyon Pak, University of Massachusetts Boston