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Ineffective Policies: Causes and Consequences of Bad Policy Choices
by Ian Roberge, Heather McKeen-Edwards, and Malcolm Campbell-VerduynAvailable open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Bad policies have repercussions that can be felt for decades. But what makes a bad policy? And how can it be reversed or improved? Bringing together scholars from Europe and North America, this book goes beyond traditional policy theory to study bad and ineffective policies across three fields: • the environment; • the financial services sector; and • emerging technologies. Using cutting-edge research and analysis, the editors and authors state the case for studying ineffective policies, demonstrate their harmful effects across policy fields and provide policy makers with the tools to reflect, identify, and act upon them.
Inequality
by Lisa A. Keister Darby E. SouthgateWealth ownership in the United States has always concentrated in the hands of a small minority of the population. Because of scarce data on wealth ownership, the nature of wealth ownership distribution and knowledge about wealth inequality has received little attention from social scientists. Keister synthesizes theory and data from various sources to present a picture of househould wealth distribution from 1962 to 1995. Utilizing existing survey data and a unique simulation model, she isolates and examines processes that create this distribution, paying particular attention to the wealth ownership and accumulation of top wealth holders, those who control the bulk of household wealth. She identifies trends in wealth mobility that are not possible to estimate with traditional research methods. The results underscore the importance of wealth as an indicator of well-being, identify important causes of wealth inequality, and propose methods of lessening the recent increase in the concentration of wealth.
Inequality In Labor Market Areas
by Joachim SingelmannDuring the past two decades, many attempts have been made to refocus stratification research and the study of inequality. The contributors to this volume have a long-term concern with the importance of space and locality. Many of them belonged to a research project during the early 1980s that had as one of its main aims the analysis of labor force
Inequality and Development Challenges: BRICS National Systems of Innovation
by Mario Scerri Maria Clara Couto Soares Rasigan MaharajhThis series of books brings together results of an extensive research programme on aspects of the national systems of innovation (NSI) in the five BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It provides a comprehensive and comparative examination of the challenges and opportunities faced by these dynamic and emerging economies. In discussing the impact of innovation with respect to economic, geopolitical, socio-cultural, institutional, and technological systems, it reveals the possibilities of new development paradigms for equitable and sustainable growth. This volume analyses the co-evolution of inequality and NSI across the BRICS economies. It reveals the multi-dimensional character of inequality, in going beyond its income aspect to include assets, access to basic services, infrastructure, knowledge, race, gender, ethnicity and geographic location. In advancing valuable policy recommendations, the book argues that inequalities must be factored in development strategies given that benefits of innovation are not automatically distributed equally. Original and detailed data, together with expert analyses on wide-ranging issues, make this book an invaluable resource for researchers and scholars in economics, development studies and political science, in addition to policy-makers and development practitioners interested in the BRICS countries.
Inequality and Economic Integration (Routledge Siena Studies in Political Economy)
by Francesco Farina Ernesto SavaglioInternationally, globalization and increased economic integration has impacted quality of life and individual well-being. Attempts to evaluate the impact on income dispersion from this process have been extremely controversial. This key volume is the first real attempt to build up indices and a theoretical framework in order to deal with inequality of opportunity, and to enable social and political institutions to monitor increasing disparities in well-being and social exclusion. It thoroughly examines the possible relationships between the recent acceleration in economic integration and inequality among persons and countries and will enable social and political institutions to monitor increasing disparities in well-being and social exclusion. The contributions to this volume cover various subfields of economics, and examine both the negative and positive spillover effects of economic integration on individuals, social groups and nations. Since the impact of globalization on the most deprived people is multidimensional in nature, the theoretical framework is extended to a multivariate context where several individual characteristics are simultaneously considered. This original volume covers many important topics and features an impressive array of respected contributors. As such, it is sure to be an invaluable resource for postgraduates and professionals in the fields of political economy and economics.
Inequality and Economic Policy: Essays In Honor of Gary Becker
by Tom Church, Chris Miller, and John B. TaylorDrawing from a 2014 Hoover Institution Conference on Inequality in honor of Gary Becker, a group of distinguished contributors explore various measures of inequality in America and address the issue of whether or not it is increasing. In looking at this question and examining policy implications, the authors draw on research on human capital and intergenerational mobility. The authors suggest that the emphasis on inequality and redistribution, while not wrong, is nevertheless misplaced, for it may lead us to adopt policies that will disrupt the progress we have made while doing nothing to promote the kind of growth that is essential to national progress.
Inequality and Globalization
by David A. Moss Jonathan Schlefer Anna HarringtonInequality represented a major issue at the dawn of the 21st century. By many measures, inequality had increased over the previous several decades, within both developed and developing countries. Whether global inequality (measured across countries or among the people of the world) increased remained controversial. Even in those cases where experts agreed that inequality had risen, there was little consensus about the causes. Some blamed globalization for the growing gulf between rich and poor, whereas others pointed to technology, government policies, and even social norms. Experts also disagreed over whether rising inequality was even a problem, particularly in those places where the poverty rate was low or falling.
Inequality and Globalization: Improving Measurement through Integrated Financial Accounts (The Gorman Lectures in Economics #15)
by Robert M. Townsend Archawa PaweenawatA remedy for the gap between micro and macro data, making measures of inequality and national income consistent with each otherIncreasing inequality, the impact of globalization, and the disparate effects of financial regulation and innovation are extraordinarily important topics that fuel spirited policy debates. And yet the facts underlying these debates are of doubtful accuracy. In reality, as Archawa Paweenawat and Robert Townsend show in Inequality and Globalization, there is a large gap between micro household surveys, which measure key outcomes such as inequality, and aggregated financial accounts, which measure macroeconomic totals and growth. Paweenawat and Townsend propose a remedy: integrated financial accounts, in which the flows in income statements, including saving and investment, are consistent with the changes in financial assets and liabilities in the balance sheet at micro and macro levels. None of the leading US micro household surveys or macro accounts meets this criterion.Drawing on extensive data from fieldwork in Thailand, Paweenawat and Townsend show how consistent integrated financial accounts at the individual household and small enterprise level can be created using household and firm survey data. Aggregated to the village level, these accounts can link anecdotal stories of individual households to their financial accounts, document the real impact on them from growth, and assess what would have happened to them if trade and financial liberalization had not been allowed. Paweenawat and Townsend then describe the next logical step: creating integrated financial accounts for the United States, working from the ground up and the top down. Only with these integrated accounts will policy debates on inequality and globalization have a solid factual basis.
Inequality and Governance (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy)
by Andreas P. KyriacouGovernance matters for social welfare. Better governed countries are richer, happier and have fewer social and environmental problems. Good governance implies that public sector agents act impartially. It manifests itself in the form of equality before the law, an independent and professional public administration and the control of corruption. This book considers how economic inequality – both interpersonal and interethnic – can affect the quality of governance. To this end, it brings together insights from three different perspectives. First, a long-run historical one that exploits anthropological data on pre-industrial societies. Second, based on experimental work conducted by social psychologists and behavioural economists. Third, through cross-country empirical analysis drawn from a large sample of contemporary societies. The long-run perspective relates the inequality-governance relationship to societal responses in the face of uncertainty – responses that persist today in the guise of cultural traits that vary across countries. The experimental evidence deepens our understanding of human behaviour in unequal settings and in different governance contexts. Together, the long-run perspective and the experimental evidence help inform the cross-country analysis of the impact of economic inequality on governance. This analysis suggests the importance of both economic inequality and culture for the quality of governance and yields several policy implications.
Inequality and Nutritional Transition in Economic History: Spain in the 19th-21st Centuries (Routledge Explorations in Economic History)
by Francisco J. Medina-AlbaladejoFood consumption and nutrition are historically among the most characteristic features of inequality in living standards driven by socioeconomic, gender, generational and geographical reasons. Nutrition directly impacts mortality, life expectancy, height and illness and thus becomes a good indicator of living standards and their evolution over time. However, one issue that remains unresolved is how to measure past diet inequalities with the available sources. This book evaluates nutritional inequalities in Spain from the nineteenth century to the present day. It explores the socioeconomic, gender, generational and geographical variations in food consumption and nutrition in Spain during this period. Deriving historical data on nutrition and diet has always been difficult due to issues with available sources. This book adopts a multi-dimensional approach and two complementary methodologies capable of presenting a more comprehensive picture: the first analyses diets based on primary sources, while the second examines the effect of nutritional inequalities on biological living standards, with special emphasis on average height. This combination allows for greater precision than previous studies on the impacts of food inequality. This book will be of significant interest to scholars from different academic branches, especially historians, economic historians and historians of science, economists, and also doctors, endocrinologists, paediatricians, anthropologists, nutritionists and expert in cooperation and development.
Inequality and Optimal Redistribution (Elements in Public Economics)
by Hannu Tanninen Matti Tuomala Elina TuominenFrom the 1980s onward income inequality increased in many advanced countries. It is very difficult to account for the rise in income inequality using the standard labour supply/demand explanation. Fiscal redistribution has become less effective in compensating increasing inequalities since the 1990s. Some of the basic features of redistribution can be explained through the optimal tax framework developed by J.A. Mirrlees in 1971. This Element surveys some of the earlier results in linear and nonlinear taxation and produces some new numerical results. Given the key role of capital income in the overall income inequality it also considers the optimal taxation of capital income. It examines empirically the relationship between the extent of redistribution and the components of the Mirrlees framework. The redistributive role of factors such as publicly provided private goods, public employment, endogenous wages in the overlapping generations model and income uncertainty are analysed.
Inequality and Organizational Practice: Volume I: Work and Welfare (Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma)
by Valerie Caven Stefanos NachmiasBringing together international authors, this edited collection addresses the need for greater inclusivity within organizational policy and practice, in order to tackle both visible and invisible inequalities amongst employees. Evidence suggests that more positive employment relationships can be brought about by tackling diversity issues, yet there are still ‘grey areas’ existing in the current legislative framework. Volume I explores the way that these hidden inequalities can be used to identify an individual as ‘other,’ and how this ultimately affects their wellbeing and welfare at work. Analysing social justice and stigma, as well as nuanced issues within the workplace, this book is a thought-provoking read for scholars of HRM, practitioners and policy-makers.
Inequality and Organizational Practice: Volume II: Employment Relations (Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma)
by Valerie Caven Stefanos NachmiasBringing together international authors, this edited collection addresses the need for greater inclusivity within organizational policy and practice, in order to tackle both visible and invisible inequalities amongst employees. Volume II reflects the shift in thinking around organizations’ responsibility to recognize and value diversity and equality, and examines the wider implications for employment relations and working conditions. Providing strategic insight into diversity management, the authors aim to advance our understanding of informal discrimination in the workplace, offering practical suggestions for better leadership and allocation of resources. A useful guide for practitioners, policy-makers and scholars of HRM and organization, this book presents solutions to inequality issues in the workplace, with the goal to building stronger employment relations.
Inequality and Poverty: A Short Critical Introduction (SpringerBriefs in Economics)
by S. SubramanianThis book provides an entry into the subjects of disparity and deprivation, by attending to issues that have a bearing on certain salient philosophical and conceptual aspects of these subjects. The student doing a graduate course in the measurement of inequality and poverty is all too often plunged directly into the complexities of Schur-convex functions, dominance conditions, partial orders and the axiomatics of characterization theorems. Inequality and poverty as phenomena with profound social and moral implications for the world we live in tend to get submerged in a treatment of the subject that is more suggestive of applied mathematics than of the material conditions of life. This is in no way to deny that measurement must deal uncompromisingly with measurement, and therefore with the protocols of formal logic and technical rigour. Having said this, it seems fair to suggest that one’s appreciation of the formalities – as well as of the limitations and ambiguities - of measurement is only aided by a relatively gentle introduction to the subject. This would call for a prior, or accompanying, engagement with the underlying concepts, the philosophical bases, the political salience, the normative values, and the critical facts of the subjects under investigation. It is this necessary background that is emphasized in this book, which is a collection of articles published earlier in the popular press, and intended for consumption by any curious general reader or student with a taste for critical enquiry. The contents of the book will be useful as much for the aspiring scholar as for the interested lay reader looking for a gateway into the subject.
Inequality and Power: The Economics of Class (Routledge Frontiers Of Political Economy Ser. #140)
by Eric A. SchutzThis book is about the causes and consequences of economic inequality in the advanced market economies of today. It is common that in market systems people choose their own individual economic destinies, but of course the choices people make are importantly determined by the alternatives available to them: unequal opportunity is the critical determinant of economic disparities. This begs the question; from where do the vast inequalities of opportunity arise? This book theorizes that power and social class are the real crux of economic inequality. Most of mainstream economics studiously eschews questions involving social power, preferring to focus instead on "individual choice subject to constraint" in contexts of "well-functioning markets". Yet both "extra-market" power structures and power structures arising from within the market system itself are unavoidably characteristic of real-world market-based economies. The normal working of labor and financial markets engenders an inherent wealth-favoring bias in the distribution of opportunities for occupational choice. But that bias is greatly compounded by the economic, social, political and cultural power structures that constitute the class system. For those power structures work to distribute economic benefit to class elites, and are in turn undergirded by the disparities of wealth they thus help engender. Inequality and Power offers an economic analysis of the power structures constituting that class system: employers’ power over employees; the power of certain businesses over others; professionals’ power over their clients and other employees; cultural power in the media and education systems; and political power in "democratic" government. Schutz argues that a "class analysis" of the trend of increasing economic inequality today is superior to the mainstream economic analysis of that trend. After considering what is wrong with power-based inequality in term of criteria of distributive justice and economic functionality, the book concludes with an outline of various possible correctives. This book should be of interest to students and researchers in economics, sociology, political science and philosophy, as well as anyone interested in the theories of social class.
Inequality and Prosperity: Social Europe vs. Liberal America (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)
by Jonas PontussonWhat are the relative merits of the American and European socioeconomic systems? Long-standing debates have heated up in recent years with the expansion of the European Union and increasingly sharp political and cultural differences between the United States and Europe. In Inequality and Prosperity, Jonas Pontusson provides a comparative overview of the two major models of labor markets and welfare systems in the advanced industrial world: the "liberal capitalist" system of the United States and Britain and the "social market" capitalism of northern Europe. These two models balance concerns of efficiency and equity in fundamentally different ways. In the 1990s the much-heralded forces of globalization (together with demographic changes and attendant political pressures) seemed to threaten the very existence of the social-market economies of Europe. Were the social compacts of Sweden and Germany outmoded? Would varieties of capitalism remain possible, or were labor-market and social-welfare arrangements converging on the U.S. norm? Pontusson opposes the notion of inevitable convergence: he believes that social-market economies can survive and indeed flourish in the contemporary world economy. He bases his argument on an enormous amount of highly specialized research on eighteen countries, using national-level data for the last thirty years. Among the areas he explores are labor-market dynamics, income distribution, employment performance, wage bargaining, firm-level performance, and the changing possibilities for the welfare state.
Inequality and Public Policy: Towards Visible Equality and Equal Opportunity (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy)
by Pundarik Mukhopadhaya Bhanoji Rao Suresh KG.This book’s concern is with visible inequalities in housing, health, and education, and policy initiatives to address them. The authors offer readers a summary of evidence on inequalities – not only in income, gender, and wealth but also in education, health, and housing. They showcase temporal and cross-country trends as well as the policy initiatives to minimize visible inequalities. The book also discusses policy initiatives and provides clarity on what works, what does not, and what may be of use when formulating public policies. Seventeen countries were chosen for focus based on their share in global population; of these, seven are given special focus, which together account for a little over half the world’s population. Offering current research as well as insights into prospects for visible inequalities, the book is an essential read for students and professionals interested in the study of visible inequalities and equal opportunity.
Inequality and Stagnation: A Monetary Interpretation (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy)
by Carlo Panico Santiago Capraro Luis Torres-GonzálezThe book examines how the outgrowth of the financial industry has contributed to the recent tendencies towards inequality and stagnation. It proposes a monetary interpretation of these events using a Classical–Keynesian theoretical approach derived from the work of Keynes and Sraffa. The approach moves from the distributive conflicts among economic and social groups, presuming that they influence the legislation shaping the organisation of the markets and the policy of the authorities. It argues that the degrees of liquidity of assets, which reflect the individual perceptions of their future prices, ultimately depend on the organisation of the markets and policy decisions.The development of his work persuaded Keynes that it was necessary to revolutionise the scientific foundations of economic discipline to effectively interpret events and recommend policies. He consequently introduced in 1932 a monetary theory of production. Following these lines, Sraffa proposed in Production of Commodities to take the rate of interest as an independent variable in the theory of distribution.Using the Classical–Keynesian approach, the book shows how the changes in legislation and policies since the abandonment of the Bretton Woods agreements have caused the outgrowth of finance and how these alterations have raised financial instability. It identifies various competitive mechanisms through which financial events can affect income distribution and growth, describing how they have triggered the recent tendencies towards inequality and stagnation.This book is essential reading for researchers studying the interactions among financial markets, distribution, and growth.
Inequality and Uneven Development in the Post-Crisis World (Routledge Advances in Heterodox Economics)
by Sebastiano Fadda and Pasquale TridicoIn the years following the financial crash, two issues have become central to the debate in economics: inequality and the uneven nature of sustainable development. These two issues are at the core of this book which aims to explain three key questions: why inequality has increased so much in the last three decades; why most advanced economies are stagnating or are experiencing moderate economic growth; and why, even where economic growth is occurring, the quality of that growth is questioned. Inequality and Uneven Development in the Post-Crisis World is divided into three parts. The first part concerns the theoretical aspects of inequality, and ethical issues regarding economics and equality. The second part explores empirical evidence and policy suggestions drawing on the uneven levels of development and unprecedented levels of inequality experienced among advanced economies in the context of global financial capitalism. The third part focuses on sustainable development issues such as full employment, social costs of global trade liberalization, environmental sustainability and ecological issues. Along with inequality these issues are central for capitalism and for economic development. This volume is of interest to those who study political economy, sustainable development and social inequality.
Inequality and the "American Model"
by Rafael Di Tella Ingrid VogelOfficial data that suggest economic inequality has been mounting in the United States on various dimensions since 1979. Many causes of such inequality have been postulated: technological change, globalization, demographic factors, and changes in public policy (notably changes in taxation during the Reagan presidency). Whether rising inequality is even a cause for concern is an open question. Some dimensions of inequality may be of concern, whereas other dimensions may be viewed as less problematic. To the extent that rising inequality is seen as a social problem that needs to be addressed, various policy proposals have been advocated.
Inequality in America
by Kemal Dervis Sarah P. Milsom Uri Dadush Bennett StancilA bedrock American principle is the idea that all individuals should have the opportunity to succeed on the basis of their own effort, skill, and ingenuity.--Federal Reserve Chairman Ben BernankeIncome inequality has been on the rise since the late 1970s, but the economic and financial crisis of 2008 instigated an unemployment epidemic that dramatically compounded this problem in the United States and catapulted the issue to the center of debate. There is wide agreement across the political spectrum that high inequality is contributing to undesirable circumstances such as stagnant household income, rising poverty rates, and increased borrowing and debt, though there is much less agreement on remedies. Inequality in America provides a snapshot of the issues posed by the growing concentrations of income, focusing on the United States but drawing on international comparisons to help set the context. The authors examine the economic, technological, and political drivers of inequality and identify worrying trends associated with its rise. They demonstrate how specific factors have exacerbated income inequality, including technological change, international trade, changes in labor market participation, and the increasing role of the financial sector. Their clear and concise exposition makes the issues surrounding income distribution accessible to a wider public.As they write in the conclusion: "We have argued that tackling the worst effects of inequality and re-establishing a measure of equal opportunity requires increased investment in crucial public goods: first, education; second, a more progressive and simplified tax system; and third, increased international cooperation to avoid a race to the bottom. Education, tax, and other such policies are pursued by other highperforming advanced countries and can be shaped for the United States in a way that is fully consistent with an efficient and competitive American economy."
Inequality in America
by Kemal Dervis Sarah P. Milsom Uri Dadush Bennett StancilA bedrock American principle is the idea that all individuals should have the opportunity to succeed on the basis of their own effort, skill, and ingenuity.-Federal Reserve Chairman Ben BernankeIncome inequality has been on the rise since the late 1970s, but the economic and financial crisis of 2008 instigated an unemployment epidemic that dramatically compounded this problem in the United States and catapulted the issue to the center of debate. There is wide agreement across the political spectrum that high inequality is contributing to undesirable circumstances such as stagnant household income, rising poverty rates, and increased borrowing and debt, though there is much less agreement on remedies. Inequality in America provides a snapshot of the issues posed by the growing concentrations of income, focusing on the United States but drawing on international comparisons to help set the context. The authors examine the economic, technological, and political drivers of inequality and identify worrying trends associated with its rise. They demonstrate how specific factors have exacerbated income inequality, including technological change, international trade, changes in labor market participation, and the increasing role of the financial sector. Their clear and concise exposition makes the issues surrounding income distribution accessible to a wider public.As they write in the conclusion: "We have argued that tackling the worst effects of inequality and re-establishing a measure of equal opportunity requires increased investment in crucial public goods: first, education; second, a more progressive and simplified tax system; and third, increased international cooperation to avoid a race to the bottom. Education, tax, and other such policies are pursued by other highperforming advanced countries and can be shaped for the United States in a way that is fully consistent with an efficient and competitive American economy."
Inequality in Asia and the Pacific: Trends, drivers, and policy implications
by Ravi Kanbur Changyong Rhee Juzhong ZhuangAsia’s rapid economic growth has led to a significant reduction in extreme poverty, but accompanied by rising inequality. This book deals with three questions: What have been the trends of inequality in Asia and the Pacific? What are the key drivers of rising inequality in the region? How should Asian countries respond to the rising inequality? Technological change, globalization, and market-oriented reform have been the key drivers of Asia’s remarkable growth and poverty reduction, but they have also had significant distribution consequences. These three drivers of growth cannot be hindered because they are the sources of productivity improvement and betterment of quality of life. This book will be useful to those interested in policy options that could be deployed by Asian countries in confronting rising inequality.
Inequality in Capitalist Societies (Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy)
by Boike Rehbein Surinder S. Jodhka Jessé SouzaInequality is one of the most discussed topics of our times. Yet, we still do not know how to tackle the issue effectively. The book argues that this is due to the lack of understanding the structures responsible for the persistence of social inequality. It enquires into the mechanisms that produce and reproduce invisible dividing lines in society. Based on original case studies of Brazil, Germany, India and Laos comprising thousands of interviews, the authors argue that invisible classes emerge in capitalist societies, both reproducing and transforming precapitalist hierarchies. At the same time, locally particular forms of inequality persist. Social inequality in the contemporary world has to be understood as a specific combination of precapitalist inequalities, capitalist transformation and a particular class structure, which seems to emerge in all capitalist societies. The book links the configurations to an interpretation of global domination as well as to symbolic classification.
Inequality in Economics and Sociology: New Perspectives (Routledge Studies in Development Economics)
by Boike Rehbein Gilberto AntonelliInequality remains one of the most intensely discussed topics on a global level. As well as figuring prominently in economics, it is possibly the most central topic of sociology. Despite this, there has been no book until now that unites approaches from economics and sociology. Organized thematically, this volume brings international scholars together to offer students and researchers a cutting-edge overview of the core topics of inequality research. Chapters cover: the theoretical traditions in economics and sociology; the global and national structures of inequality in the contemporary world; the main dimensions of inequality (including gender, race, caste, migration, education and poverty); and research methodology. In presenting this overview, Inequality in Economics and Sociology seeks to build a bridge between the disciplines and the approaches. This book offers an encompassing understanding of an increasingly fragmented and highly specialized field of research. It will be invaluable for students and researchers seeking a single repository on the current state of knowledge, current debates and relevant literature in this key area.