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Classical Horizontal Inequity and Reranking: an Integrated Approach

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Author Info
Jean-Yves Duclos ()
Vincent Jalbert
Abdelkrim Araar

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Abstract

The last 20 years have seen a significant evolution in the literature on horizontal inequity (HI) and have generated two major and "rival" methodological strands, namely, classical HI and reranking. We propose in this paper a class of ethically flexible tools that integrate these two strands. This is achieved using a measure of inequality that merges the well-known Gini coefficient and Atkinson indices, and that allows a decomposition of the total redistributive effect of taxes and transfers in a vertical equity effect and a loss of redistribution due to either classical HI or reranking. An inequality-change approach and a money-metric cost-of-inequality approach are developed. The latter approach makes aggregate classical HI decomposable across groups. As in recent work, equals are identified through a nonparametric estimation of the joint density of gross and net incomes. An illustration using Canadian data from 1981 to 1994 shows a substantial, and increasing, robust erosion of redistribution attributable both to classical HI and to reranking, but does not reveal which of reranking or classical HI is more important since this requires a judgement that is fundamentally normative in nature.

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Paper provided by Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC) in its series UFAE and IAE Working Papers with number 478.01.

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Length: 37
Date of creation: 24 Jan 2001
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Handle: RePEc:aub:autbar:478.01

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Keywords: Horizontal inequity reranking tax equity inequality Canadian tax system.

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. DUCLOS, Jean-Yves, 1994. "Progressivity, Redistribution and Equity, with Application to the British Tax and Benefit System," Cahiers de recherche 9403, Université Laval - Département d'économique. [Downloadable!]
  2. Jean-Yves Duclos, 2000. "Gini Indices and the Redistribution of Income," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 141-162, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Berrebi, Z. M. & Silber, Jacques, 1981. "Weighting income ranks and levels : A Multiple-Parameter Generalization For Absolute and Relative Inequality Indices," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 391-397. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Muliere, Pietro & Scarsini, Marco, 1989. "A note on stochastic dominance and inequality measures," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 314-323, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Duclos, Jean-Yves, 1995. "Assessing the Performance of an Income Tax," Bulletin of Economic Research, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(2), pages 115-26, April.
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  6. Duclos, Jean-Yves, 1997. "The asymptotic distribution of linear indices of inequality, progressivity and redistribution," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 51-57, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Claudio Zoli, 1999. "Intersecting generalized Lorenz curves and the Gini index," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 183-196. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1982. "Utilitarianism and horizontal equity : The case for random taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-33, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 1983. "On an Extension of the Gini Inequality Index," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 24(3), pages 617-28, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Duclos, Jean-Yves, 1995. "On Equity Aspects of Imperfect Income Distribution," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(2), pages 177-90, June.
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  11. Lambert, Peter J & Aronson, J Richard, 1993. "Inequality Decomposition Analysis and the Gini Coefficient Revisited," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 103(420), pages 1221-27, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Jenkins, Stephen P., 1988. "Empirical measurement of horizontal inequity," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 305-329, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Alan J. Auerbach & Kevin A. Hassett, 1999. "A New Measure of Horizontal Equity," NBER Working Papers 7035, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Mehran, Farhad, 1976. "Linear Measures of Income Inequality," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(4), pages 805-09, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Louis Kaplow, 1996. "A Fundamental Objection to Tax Equity Norms: A Call for Utilitarianism," NBER Working Papers 4961, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Louis Kaplow, 1989. "Horizontal Equity: Measures in Search of a Principle," NBER Working Papers 1679, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 1979. "Relative Deprivation and the Gini Coefficient," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 93(2), pages 321-24, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Russell Davidson & Jean-Yves Duclos, 1997. "Statistical Inference for the Measurement of the Incidence of Taxes and Transfers," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(6), pages 1453-1466, November.
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  19. Blackorby, Charles & Donaldson, David, 1978. "Measures of relative equality and their meaning in terms of social welfare," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 59-80, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Stephen Jenkins & Peter Lambert, . "Horizontal Inequity Measurement: A Basic Reassessment," Discussion Papers 96/21, Department of Economics, University of York.
  21. Kakwani, Nanok C, 1977. "Measurement of Tax Progressivity: An International Comparison," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 87(345), pages 71-80, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. Rolf Aaberge, 2000. "Characterizations of Lorenz curves and income distributions," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 639-653. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Duclos, J.Y., 1995. "Measuring Progressivity and Inequality," Papers 9525, Laval - Recherche en Politique Economique.
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  24. Donaldson, David & Weymark, John A., 1983. "Ethically flexible gini indices for income distributions in the continuum," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 353-358, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  25. Lambert, Peter J. & Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 1995. "Equity, equality and welfare," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 674-682, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  26. Kakwani, Nanak, 1980. "On a Class of Poverty Measures," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(2), pages 437-46, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  27. Plotnick, Robert, 1982. "The concept and measurement of horizontal inequity," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 373-391, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  28. Yaari, Menahem E., 1988. "A controversial proposal concerning inequality measurement," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 381-397, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  29. Jean-Yves Duclos & Peter J. Lambert, 2000. "A normative and statistical approach to measuring classical horizontal inequity," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(1), pages 87-113, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  30. Elchanan Ben Porath & Itzhak Gilboa, 1991. "Linear Measures, the Gini Index and the Income-Equality Tradeoff," Discussion Papers 944, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science. [Downloadable!]
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  31. Donaldson, David & Weymark, John A., 1980. "A single-parameter generalization of the Gini indices of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 67-86, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  32. Charles Blackorby & David Donaldson, 1984. "Ethical Social Index Numbers and the Measurement of Effective Tax-Benefit Progressivity," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 17(4), pages 683-94, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  33. Hey, John D & Lambert, Peter J, 1980. "Relative Deprivation and the Gini Coefficient: Comment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 95(3), pages 567-73, November.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Jean-Yves Duclos, 2006. "Equity and Equality," IZA Discussion Papers 2284, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Abdelkrim Araar & Jean-Yves Duclos, 2003. "An Atkinson-Gini family of social evaluation functions," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 3(19), pages 1-16. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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