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Finance and Income Inequality: A Review and New Evidence

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  • Jakob de Haan
  • Jan-Egbert Sturm
  • Jakob de Haan

Abstract

Using a panel fixed effects model for a sample of 121 countries covering 1975]2005, we examine how financial development, financial liberalization and banking crises are related to income inequality. In contrast with most previous work, our results suggest that all finance variables increase income inequality. The level of financial development conditions the impact of financial liberalization on inequality. Also the quality of political institutions conditions the impact of financial liberalization on income inequality, in contrast to the quality of economic institutions. Our main findings are robust for using random effects, cross]country regressions and legal origin as instrument for financial development.

Suggested Citation

  • Jakob de Haan & Jan-Egbert Sturm & Jakob de Haan, 2016. "Finance and Income Inequality: A Review and New Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 6079, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6079
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    income inequality; financial liberalization; financial sector size; financial crises; political institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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