文字的力量:成人扫盲运动与人力资本的代际传递

We examine the intergenerational impact of China's 1950s adult literacy campaign, one of the largest anti-illiteracy efforts in history, reaching 150 million people. While direct effects on adult literacy remain debated, we document significant long-term benefits for the next generation's education. Using an original dataset compiled from county gazetteers and the population census, we find a notable increase in educational attainment for children whose parents were more strongly exposed to the campaign. We attribute these results to extensive government propaganda that likely shifted population attitudes toward education. Our findings suggest that education campaigns can be a viable strategy in developing countries for improving human capital.