Responses

Mike Rose

Policy interventions in poor people’s lives should address the fact that they are poor.

Robin West

As family ideals go, Heckman’s model is remarkably unjust.

Charles Murray

A small number of studies report positive results for early intervention programs; most do not.

Carol S. Dweck

Interventions for adolescents can be inexpensive and efficient.

David Deming

Programs vary in quality, but any is better than none.

Neal McCluskey

Private entities, not government, should study and expand early childhood interventions.

Annette Lareau

Don’t ignore failing social institutions that compound poor children’s disadvantage.

Lelac Almagor

We need to know the details of successful intervention.

Adam Swift and Harry Brighouse

Interventions may impose white, middle-class norms, but that shouldn’t stop reformers.

Geoffrey Canada

Children at risk belong to all of us; we need to start acting that way.

James J. Heckman replies

The right interventions empower people to be what they want to be without forcing them to adopt one way of life over another.