Francesca Carta (Bank of Italy)
Lorenzo De Masi and Paola Profeta
We study the relationship between historical family organization and contemporary preferences and policies for childcare. We focus on two principles of family organization documented in medieval societies: egalitarian inheritance and cohabitation between parents and adult children. These principles are associated with persistent differences in individuals' intergenerational obligations and reliance on family-based versus external provision of care, which are reflected in attitudes toward public childcare. We examine this relationship using survey data on public childcare preferences among US-born individuals, linked to the family organization prevalent in their ancestors' countries of origin, together with data on bill sponsorship by members of the US Congress, linked to the ancestral composition of their electoral districts. We document that individuals with ancestries originating from societies characterized by egalitarian inheritance exhibit higher support for public childcare, and that representatives elected in districts with a more egalitarian ancestral composition sponsor more child-related legislation. By contrast, ancestries associated with intergenerational cohabitation are linked to lower support for public childcare and reduced legislative engagement on children's issues. Our findings highlight the role of historical family organization in shaping political demand for intergenerational welfare policies.