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On the dynamics of poverty and income inequality in US states

Author

Listed:
  • Nicholas Apergis
  • Oguzhan Dincer
  • James E. Payne

Abstract

Purpose - This study seeks to provide answers to the following questions: Is there a relationship between poverty and income inequality in the short run/long run? Is the relationship unidirectional from income inequality to poverty as the previous studies assume, or is it bidirectional? Design/methodology/approach - The paper investigates the causality between income inequality and poverty within a multivariate framework using a panel data set of 50 US states over the period 1980 to 2004. Findings - The results reveal that a bidirectional relationship exists between poverty and income inequality both in the short run and in the long run. With respect to the short‐run dynamics associated with poverty, both income inequality and the unemployment rate have a positive and statistically significant impact on poverty, a negative and statistically significant impact for real per capita personal income and level of education, while corruption is insignificant. In terms of the short‐run dynamics associated with income inequality, poverty, the unemployment rate, real per capita personal income, and the level of education have a positive and statistically significant impact, while corruption has a statistically insignificant impact on income inequality. With regard to the long‐run dynamics, the statistically significant error correction terms indicate the presence of a feedback relationship between poverty and income inequality. Originality/value - This study contributes to the existing empirical literature on several fronts. First, while previous studies rely on cross‐country data, both the cross‐sectional and time series variation of a panel data set of all 50 US states spanning the period 1980 to 2004 is exploited. Second, while the previous studies implicitly assume unidirectional causality from income inequality and poverty in their model specifications, the short‐run and long‐run causal dynamics between poverty and income inequality within a panel vector error correction model are explicitly examined.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas Apergis & Oguzhan Dincer & James E. Payne, 2011. "On the dynamics of poverty and income inequality in US states," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(2), pages 132-143, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jespps:v:38:y:2011:i:2:p:132-143
    DOI: 10.1108/01443581111128370
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Chambers, Dustin & O'Reilly, Colin, 2022. "Regulation and income inequality in the United States," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Chambers, Dustin & McLaughlin, Patrick & Stanley, Laura, 2018. "Regulation and Poverty: An Empirical Examination of the Relationship between the Incidence of Federal Regulation and the Occurrence of Poverty across the States," Working Papers 07672, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    4. Tanti Novianti & Dian Verawati Panjaitan, 2022. "Income Inequality in Indonesia: Before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 12(3), pages 29-37, May.
    5. Mohsen Bahmani-Oskooee & Ruixin Zhang, 2015. "On the impact of financial development on income distribution: time-series evidence," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(12), pages 1248-1271, March.
    6. Ke-Mei Chen & Te-Mu Wang, 2015. "Determinants of Poverty Status in Taiwan: A Multilevel Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 371-389, September.
    7. Dustin Chambers & Patrick A. McLaughlin & Laura Stanley, 2019. "Regulation and poverty: an empirical examination of the relationship between the incidence of federal regulation and the occurrence of poverty across the US states," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 131-144, July.

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