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Productive government expenditure and its impact on income inequality: evidence from international panel data

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  • Stephen J. Turnovsky

    (University of Washington)

  • Iñaki Erauskin

    (University of Deusto)

Abstract

This paper addresses the impact of productive government expenditure on income inequality using a dataset of 80 countries over the period of 1980–2015. It incorporates the conflicting predictions implied by alternative growth models on this issue. While the neoclassical model suggests that productive government expenditure will reduce long-run income inequality, the corresponding endogenous growth model suggests the opposite. We examine this proposition, by considering both the aggregate Gini coefficient, and the income shares of quintiles. The results obtained using the Gini coefficients provide compelling support for the contrasting impacts of government investment on income inequality, suggested by the underlying theoretical models. These findings are supported, albeit somewhat more weakly by the regressions employing the quintile data. Our general conclusion is that government investment has a mixed effect on income inequality, a conclusion consistent with previous studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen J. Turnovsky & Iñaki Erauskin, 2022. "Productive government expenditure and its impact on income inequality: evidence from international panel data," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(1), pages 331-364, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:158:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s10290-021-00433-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10290-021-00433-2
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    3. Durongkaveroj, Wannaphong, 2022. "Structural Transformation, Income Inequality and Government Expenditure: Evidence from International Panel Data," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 56(3), pages 29-44.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productive government expenditure; GDP per capita; Inequality; Income share; Quintile;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies

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