Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Relative Advantage, Queue Jumping, And Welfare Maximizing Weath Distribution, Alex Coram, Lyle Noakes
Relative Advantage, Queue Jumping, And Welfare Maximizing Weath Distribution, Alex Coram, Lyle Noakes
Economics Department Working Paper Series
Suppose individuals get utilities from the total amount of wealth they hold and from their wealth relative to those immediately below them. This paper studies the distribution of wealth that maximizes an additive welfare function made up of these utilities. It interprets wealth distribution in a control theory framework to show that the welfare maximizing distribution may have unexpected properties. In some circumstances it requires that inequality be maximized at the poorest and richest ends of the distribution. In other circumstances it requires that all wealth be given to a single individual.