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Inequality, Crime and Economic Growth: A Classical Argument for Distributional Equality

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  • Josten, Stefan Dietrich

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This paper studies the dynamic general-equilibrium interactions between inequality, crime and economic growth by embedding the rational choice-theoretical approach to criminal behavior in a heterogeneous-agents endogenous-growth OLG model. Based on their respective opportunity costs, individuals choose to specialize in either legal or criminal activities. While legal households contribute to aggregate goods supply over time by either working or building human capital, criminals make a living by expropriating legal citizens of part of the latter's income. An increase in inequality lowers the economy's growth rate and possesses negative welfare effects for all agents with endowments equal to or above average and for agents with endowment below average that are born sufficiently far in the future. Copyright 2003 by Kluwer Academic Publishers

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  • Josten, Stefan Dietrich, 2003. "Inequality, Crime and Economic Growth: A Classical Argument for Distributional Equality," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(4), pages 435-452, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:10:y:2003:i:4:p:435-52
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    1. Charles-Coll, Jorge & Mayer Granados, Elisabeth L., 2017. "How much Inequality is Harmful for Growth? The Growth Maximizing Rate of Inequality in the Context of the Mexican Economy," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 70(3), pages 301-318.
    2. Mauro Costantini & Iris Meco & Antonio Paradiso, 2016. "Common trends in the US state-level crime.What do panel data say?," Working Papers 2016:14, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    3. Neanidis, Kyriakos C. & Papadopoulou, Vea, 2013. "Crime, fertility, and economic growth: Theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 101-121.
    4. Charles-Coll, Jorge A., 2010. "The optimal rate of inequality: A framework for the relationship between income inequality and economic growth," MPRA Paper 28921, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Michal Brzezinski, 2013. "Income polarization and economic growth," Working Papers 296, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    6. Abdul Hamid, Baharom & Habibullah, Muzafar & Mohd Noor, Zaleha, 2013. "Crime and Its Socio-Macroeconomics Determinants: A Panel-Error-Correction Cointegration Analysis," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 47(2), pages 13-24.
    7. Jorge Alberto Charles Coll & Elizabeth Lizeth Mayer Granados & Nazhle Faride Cheín Schekaiban, 2018. "Desigualdad en el ingreso y crecimiento económico de los municipios mexicanos: el efecto natalidad - capital humano\Income inequality and economic growth in Mexican municipalities: The fertility - hu," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 33(2), pages 195-217.
    8. Pazzona, Matteo, 2024. "Revisiting the Income Inequality-Crime Puzzle," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    9. Paweł Gajewski, 2007. "Ekonomiczne efekty polityki regionalnej," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1-2, pages 59-81.
    10. Lozano-Cortés, René & Lozano-Cortés, Maribel & Cabrera-Castellanos, Luis F., 2016. "Determinantes socioeconómicos del crimen en México [The Socioeconomic Determinants of Crime: The case of Mexico]," MPRA Paper 68922, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Jakub Bartak & Łukasz Jabłoński, 2020. "Inequality and growth: What comes from the different inequality measures?," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 185-212, April.
    12. Bartak, Jakub & Jabłoński, Łukasz & Tomkiewicz, Jacek, 2022. "Does income inequality explain public debt change in OECD countries?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 211-224.
    13. Adalgiso Amendola & Roberto Dell�Anno, 2014. "Income inequality and economic growth: an empirical investigation in Mediterranean countries," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 68(2), pages 35-58, April-Jun.
    14. Jorge Alberto Charles Coll, 2014. "Inequality and growth in the context of the Mexican economy: Does inequality matter for growth?," Working Papers 331, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.

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