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Skewness, Tax Progression, and Demand for Redistribution : Evidence from the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Pogorelskiy, Kirill

    (Department of Economics, University of Warwick)

  • Traub, Stefan

    (Helmut-Schmidt-Universitat Hamburg, Germany)

Abstract

We introduce a skewness-based approach to measure tax progression and demand for redistribution. Adapting a novel, quantile-based statistical measure of skewness to right-skewed income distributions, we uncover its political economy foundation, by simultaneously relating the same measure to the classical model of income redistribution due to Meltzer and Richard (1981), to the Prospect Of Upward Mobility (POUM) mechanism due to Benabou and Ok (2001), and to the progressivity of a tax schedule. In an empirical analysis of UK income distributions in 1979 { 2013, we find that skewness has increased over time, with the rich moving further away from the median. While the magnitude of the increase has remained small enough so that observed redistribution (or lack thereof ) could be consistent with POUM hypothesis, more recent periods show an increase in tax progression.

Suggested Citation

  • Pogorelskiy, Kirill & Traub, Stefan, 2017. "Skewness, Tax Progression, and Demand for Redistribution : Evidence from the UK," CRETA Online Discussion Paper Series 29, Centre for Research in Economic Theory and its Applications CRETA.
    • Handle: RePEc:wrk:wcreta:29
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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