The third volume in the series will be based on the proceedings of the Equal Opportunity: The Facts and the Philosophy conference, held at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC on September 11-12, 2014. The promotion of greater opportunity is a central goal of public policy. Why? Why is the creation of a more mobile society a legitimate goal, as opposed to equal outcomes, or happiness, or efficiency? Even if we can agree resources and policies ought to be deployed in the service of greater equality of opportunity, ethical questions remain - at least as great as the empirical ones – such as: when, where and how? When in the lifecycle is it legitimate to intervene? Where should interventions take place: at home, at school, in the community, in the workplace? And how should interventions be framed: as voluntary or coercive, focused on institutions or individuals, investing extra resources or constraining choices?

This volume will present the work of philosophers, economists and social scientists addressing the following issues: (a) Why Equal Opportunity? (b) Failing Families, Failing Parents; (c) Culture, Identity and Values; and (d) The Cultivation of Character.