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One dollar, one vote

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  • Karabarbounis, Loukas

Abstract

This paper revisits the relationship between inequality and redistribution in a panel of advanced OECD countries. Using panel data methods that hold constant a variety of determinants of redistributive spending, I find a non-monotonic relationship between pre-tax-and transfer distribution of income and redistribution. Relative to mean income, a more affluent rich and middle class are associated with less redistribution and a richer poor class is associated with more redistribution. These results are consistent with a one dollar, one vote politico-economic equilibrium: When the income of a group of citizens increases, aggregate redistributive policies tilt towards this group’s most preferred policies.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 25274.

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Date of creation: 21 Sep 2010
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Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:25274

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Keywords: Inequality; Distribution; Redistribution;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Pfarr, Christian, 2012. "Meltzer-Richard and social mobility hypothesis: revisiting the income-redistribution nexus using German choice data," MPRA Paper 43325, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  2. Javier Olivera, 2012. "Preferences for Redistribution in Europe," Working Papers 201225, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
  3. Herwig Immervoll & Linda Richardson, 2011. "Redistribution Policy and Inequality Reduction in OECD Countries: What Has Changed in Two Decades?," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 122, OECD Publishing.
  4. Alesina, Alberto & Giuliano, Paola, 2009. "Preferences for Redistribution," IZA Discussion Papers 4056, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  5. Andrea Ichino & Loukas Karabarbounis & Enrico Moretti, 2010. "The Political Economy of Intergenerational Income Mobility," NBER Working Papers 15946, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  6. Ronald Bachmann & Peggy Bechara & Sandra Schaffner, 2012. "Wage Inequality and Wage Mobility in Europe," Ruhr Economic Papers 0386, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
  7. Alberto Alesina & Guido Cozzi & Noemi Mantovan, 2009. "The evolution of ideology, fairness and redistribution," Working Papers 2009_29, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
  8. Pfarr, Christian & Ulrich, Volker, 2011. "Discrete-Choice-Experimente zur Ermittlung der Präferenzen für Umverteilung
    [Discrete-Choice-Experiments to elicit individuals' preferences for redistribution]    ," MPRA Paper 31707, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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