Does an Educational Reform Moderate the Relationship between Genes and Life Chances? Evidence from the United Kingdom.

Research has shown that genetic endowments affect life chances. However, little is known about whether societal characteristics moderate this relationship. To address this gap, we estimate how the impact of genetic endowments on life chances is influenced by an educational reform that raised the minimum school leaving age. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we exploit the 1944 education reform in the United Kingdom as an exogenous increase in the length of education through a regression discontinuity design (RDD). The results indicate that this educational reform reduced the influence of genetic factors on life chances. Moreover, individuals with a lower genetic predisposition to education particularly benefited from the reform. This study enhances our understanding of the role of genetic endowments in shaping life chances by demonstrating that societal changes can moderate their association.