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Income Distribution and the Demand Constraint

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  • Mani, Anandi

Abstract

This paper argues that the interaction between inequality and the demand patterns for goods is a potential source of persistent inequality. Income distribution, in the presence of non-homothetic preferences, affects the demand for goods and, due to differences in factor intensities across sectors, it alters the return to factors of production and the initial distribution of income. Low inequality leads to high demand for medium skilled intensive goods, providing a bridge over which low skill dynasties may transition to the high-skilled sector in the long run. Under high inequality however, the initial lack of demand for medium skilled labor breaches this bridge from poverty to prosperity and inequality persists. Copyright 2001 by Kluwer Academic Publishers

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  • Mani, Anandi, 2001. "Income Distribution and the Demand Constraint," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 107-133, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jecgro:v:6:y:2001:i:2:p:107-33
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    2. Marrero, Gustavo A. & Rodríguez, Juan G., 2013. "Inequality of opportunity and growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 107-122.
    3. Matsuo, Miki & Tomoda, Yasunobu, 2012. "Human capital Kuznets curve with subsistence consumption level," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 392-395.
    4. Gilles Saint-Paul, 2023. "The educated class and the fragility of consumer society," PSE Working Papers halshs-04129252, HAL.
    5. Devashish Mitra & Vitor Trindade, 2005. "Inequality and trade," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 1253-1271, November.
    6. Miquel Pellicer & Vimal Ranchhod & Mare Sarr & Eva Wegner, 2011. "Inequality Traps in South Africa: An overview and research agenda," SALDRU Working Papers 57, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    7. Vincenzo Lombardo, 2012. "Social inclusion and the emergence of development traps," Discussion Papers 13_2012, CRISEI, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
    8. Koichiro Sano & Yasunobu Tomoda, 2019. "Persistent income gaps in an occupational choice model with multi‐goods," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 1-20, March.
    9. Joan Esteban & Debraj Ray, 2006. "Inequality, Lobbying, and Resource Allocation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 257-279, March.
    10. Lombardo, Vincenzo, 2012. "Social inclusion and the emergence of development traps," MPRA Paper 36766, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Bilancini Ennio & D'Alessandro Simone, 2008. "Functional Distribution, Land Ownership and Industrial Takeoff: The Role of Effective Demand," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-36, August.
    12. Debraj Ray, 2010. "Uneven Growth: A Framework for Research in Development Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(3), pages 45-60, Summer.
    13. Sirine MNIF, 2016. "Bilateral Relationship between Technological Changes and Income Inequality in Developing Countries," Economic Analysis Working Papers (2002-2010). Atlantic Review of Economics (2011-2016), Colexio de Economistas de A Coruña, Spain and Fundación Una Galicia Moderna, vol. 1, pages 1-1, June.
    14. Alcalá, Francisco, 2009. "Time, Quality and Growth," UMUFAE Economics Working Papers 4811, DIGITUM. Universidad de Murcia.
    15. Clark Don P. & Highfill Jannett & de Oliveira Campino Jonas & Rehman Scheherazade S., 2011. "FDI, Technology Spillovers, Growth, and Income Inequality: A Selective Survey," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 1-44, July.
    16. Sirine MNIF, 2017. "The Impact of Inequality on Growth Driven by Technological Changes: a Panel of Developing Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(1), pages 127-140, March.
    17. Sirine Mnif, 2015. "Impact of Inequalities on Technological Changes: Case of the Developing Countries," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(3), pages 460-478, March.
    18. Dilip Mookherjee & Debraj Ray, 2003. "Persistent Inequality," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 369-393.
    19. Somya Arora, 2021. "Why Are Downward-Sloping Demand Curves Unrealistic? A Critical Review of Factors Influencing Demand in More Realistic Scenario-I," Journal of Studies in Dynamics and Change (JSDC), ISSN: 2348-7038, Voices of Inclusive Change and Expressions- (VOICE) Trust, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, vol. 8(4), pages 1-16, October-D.
    20. Łukasz Piętak, 2022. "Regional disparities, transmission channels and country's economic growth," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 270-306, January.
    21. Banerji, Arup & Jain, Sanjay, 2007. "Quality dualism," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 234-250, September.
    22. Somya Arora, 2022. "Why Are Downward-Sloping Demand Curves Unrealistic? A Critical Review of Factors Influencing Demand in More Realistic Scenario-II," Journal of Studies in Dynamics and Change (JSDC), ISSN: 2348-7038, Voices of Inclusive Change and Expressions- (VOICE) Trust, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, January-M.
    23. Marasco, Antonio, 2002. "An endogenous growth model with quality ladders and consumers’ heterogeneity," MPRA Paper 5389, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jan 2007.

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