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Do We Value Mobility?

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  • Yoram Amiel
  • Michele Bernasconi
  • Michele Bernasconi
  • Frank A Cowell
  • Valentino Dardanoni
  • Valentino Dardanoni

Abstract

Is there a trade-off between people's preference for income equality and income mobility? Testing for the existence of such a trade-off is difficult because mobility is a multifaceted concept. We analyse results from a questionnaire experiment based on simple precise concepts of income inequality and income mobility. We fnd no direct trade-off in preference between mobility and equality, but an indirect trade-off, applying when more income mobility can only be obtained at the expense of some income inequality. Mobility preference - but not equality preference - appears to be driven by personal experience of mobility.

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  • Yoram Amiel & Michele Bernasconi & Michele Bernasconi & Frank A Cowell & Valentino Dardanoni & Valentino Dardanoni, 2013. "Do We Value Mobility?," STICERD - Public Economics Programme Discussion Papers 17, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:stippp:17
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    2. Ravi Kanbur & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2016. "Dynastic inequality, mobility and equality of opportunity," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 14(4), pages 419-434, December.
    3. Bérgolo, Marcelo & Burdin, Gabriel & Burone, Santiago & De Rosa, Mauricio & Giaccobasso, Matias & Leites, Martin, 2022. "Dissecting inequality-averse preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 782-802.
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