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Who Does Not Want Equal Rights

Author

Listed:
  • Tongzhe Li

    (School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University)

Abstract

Equal rights to education, resource and employment are important to reducing poverty and accelerating economic growth. Unfair treatments are not only found from advantaged to disadvantaged groups, but also within disadvantaged groups themselves. This study investigates intragroup discrimination among disadvantaged individuals. Using a model that considers both an individual's absolute and relative income, I examine the conditions under which equal rights are supported by some members in the advantaged group and, more interestingly, opposed by part of the disadvantaged group. In equilibrium, the valuation towards relative income, the initial endowment di erence between two groups and the amount of income transfer upon equalization have opposite e ects on the likelihood of favoring equality in di erent groups. To this end, I conduct a comparative statics analysis and the results suggest that in order to incentivize more individuals to favor equality, a policymaker's optimal strategy substantially depends on how much does the society value relative income.

Suggested Citation

  • Tongzhe Li, 2014. "Who Does Not Want Equal Rights," Working Papers 2014-5, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsu:wpaper:li-1
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    File URL: http://wfaculty.ses.wsu.edu/WorkingPapers/li/wp2014-5.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2014
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic Equality; Intragroup Discrimination; Relative Income; Social Identity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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