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Politically Determined Income Inequality and the Provision of Public Goods

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Author Info
Wojciech Olszewski
Howard Rosenthal

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Abstract

Political processes may bring about Pareto improvements by increasing income inequality in a society that produces a public good by voluntary contributions. Proportional taxation funds a "governing agent." The most endowed agent is the Condorcet winner for governing agent. When the tax rate can also be chosen by a vote, the ideal point of the agent with median initial endowment is the Condorcet winner under Cobb-Douglas utility. If Pareto improvements are possible, this ideal point corresponds to Pareto improvement. Pareto improvement may also be possible, even when a Leviathan set taxes, if there is deadweight loss from taxation. Pareto improvements are indeed always possible in "large" societies. On the other hand, no improvements may be possible if the initial distribution of wealth is very unequal in a "small" society, and Condorcet winners may not exist for other utility functions. Copyright 2004 Blackwell Publishing Inc..

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Association for Public Economic Theory in its journal Journal of Public Economic Theory.

Volume (Year): 6 (2004)
Issue (Month): 5 (December)
Pages: 707-735
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Handle: RePEc:bla:jpbect:v:6:y:2004:i:5:p:707-735

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  1. John Hartwick, 2006. "The Control of Land Rent in the Fortified Farming Town," Working Papers 1096, Queen's University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Sita Nataraj Slavov, 2006. "Public versus Private Provision of Public Goods," Occidental Economics Working Papers 2, Occidental College, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2006. [Downloadable!]
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This page was last updated on 2009-12-19.

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