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Ranking income distributions using the Geometric Mean and a related general measure

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Listed:
  • Moore, Robert E.

Abstract

This paper illustrates the usefulness of a generalized welfare measure for ranking income distributions that are unordered by stochastic dominance and illuminates the properties of the measure. Other welfare criteria such as the arithmetic mean and Rawls criteria are special cases of this generalized measure. This generalized welfare measure illustrates that use of these special cases involves a subjective judgment by the observer of the relative importance of equity preference to efficiency preference.

Suggested Citation

  • Moore, Robert E., 1996. "Ranking income distributions using the Geometric Mean and a related general measure," MPRA Paper 10171, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:10171
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/10171/1/MPRA_paper_10171.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Basmann, R. L. & Slottje, D. J., 1987. "A new index of income inequality : The B measure," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 385-389.
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    6. Jean, William H, 1980. "The Geometric Mean and Stochastic Dominance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 35(1), pages 151-158, March.
    7. Atkinson, Anthony B., 1970. "On the measurement of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 244-263, September.
    8. Kravis, Irving B & Heston, Alan W & Summers, Robert, 1978. "Real GDP per Capita for More Than One Hundred Countries," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 88(350), pages 215-242, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. José Osvaldo De Sordi & Marco Antonio Conejero & Manuel Meireles, 2016. "Bibliometric indicators in the context of regional repositories: proposing the D-index," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 107(1), pages 235-258, April.
    2. César Octavio Vargas Téllez, 2009. "Veinte años de estancamiento en la distribución del ingreso de las familias Mexicanas. Un enfoque de microdatos," Ensayos Revista de Economia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Economia, vol. 0(1), pages 81-107, May.
    3. Graham, Mary E. & Hotchkiss, Julie L., 2002. "A Systematic Assessment of Employer Equal Employment Opportunity Efforts as a Means of Reducing the Gender Earnings Gap," MPRA Paper 9310, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Julie L. Hotchkiss & Robert E. Moore, 2007. "Assessing the welfare impact of the 2001 tax reform on dual-earner families," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2007-27, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    5. Lambert, Peter J. & Millimet, Daniel L. & Slottje, Daniel, 2003. "Inequality aversion and the natural rate of subjective inequality," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(5-6), pages 1061-1090, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies

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