A long-standing and notable collaboration between Nobel laureate economist James J. Heckman and V.K. Chetty, the father of prominent Harvard economist Raj Chetty, has recently come to light, highlighting a unique dynamic within the academic economics community. Their professional partnership spans an impressive 51 years, with their most recent co-authored paper published in 2022. This enduring collaboration exists despite Heckman's well-documented critiques of the work of Raj Chetty.
"TIL that Jim Heckman, who is super critical of some of Raj Chetty's work, actually co-authored with Raj Chetty's father as recently as 2022 as part of a 51-year collaboration," stated economist Florian Ederer in a recent tweet, drawing attention to this intriguing academic relationship. The 2022 publication, titled "A Dynamic Model of Aggregate Output Supply, Factor Demand and Entry and Exit for a Competitive Industry with Heterogeneous Plants," underscores the continued intellectual exchange between Heckman, a Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, and V.K. Chetty, a Professor of Economics at Boston University. V.K. Chetty was also an advisee of Heckman, cementing the deep roots of their professional bond.
Heckman, a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, is known for his rigorous approach to econometrics and his emphasis on identification in causal inference. He has frequently voiced criticisms of Raj Chetty's empirical work, particularly studies on economic mobility and "Neighborhood Effects." These critiques often center on the methodological assumptions underlying Chetty's analyses, which Heckman has suggested may be "questionable" or "flatly contradicted by much available evidence."
Conversely, Raj Chetty, a William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University and director of Opportunity Insights, is celebrated for his pioneering, data-driven research on social mobility, opportunity, and inequality. His work, including projects like the "Opportunity Atlas" and studies on "Social Capital," uses large administrative datasets to identify barriers to upward mobility and inform policy solutions. Chetty has received numerous accolades, including the John Bates Clark Medal, for his significant contributions to the field.
The ongoing collaboration between Heckman and V.K. Chetty, alongside Heckman's critical stance on Raj Chetty's research, illustrates the complex and often multi-generational nature of academic discourse. It demonstrates that professional relationships and intellectual mentorships can persist and thrive even amidst vigorous debates over methodology and findings within the same discipline. This scenario underscores that academic critique is fundamentally about advancing knowledge and refining methods, rather than personal animosity.