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Articles 1 - 8 of 8
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson
Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson
Julie A. Nelson
Economists are often called on to help address pressing problems of the day, yet many economists are uncomfortable about disclosing the values that they bring to this work. This essay explores how an inadequate understanding of the role of methodology, as related to ethics and human emotions of concern, underlies this reluctance and compromises the quality of economic advice. The tension between caring about the problems, on the one hand, and writing within the existing culture of the discipline, on the other, are illustrated with examples from U.S. policymaking, behavioral economics, and the economics of climate change and global poverty. …
Economics Versus Politics In Trade Policy, Daron Djerdjian
Economics Versus Politics In Trade Policy, Daron Djerdjian
Daron Djerdjian
Do economies of scale contribute to our understanding of trade policy or is ideology and inequality sufficient? We develop a unified theoretical framework that encompasses both strategic economic and political variables deemed to be important in explaining trade policy. We predict that an increase in the scale effect leads to restrictive trade policies in labor-abundant countries and liberal trade policies in capital-abundant countries. Using cross-country data on economies of scale, ideology, inequality and various measures of trade barriers we confirm our predictions and establish that a unified framework, which incorporates economies of scale in production, performs better in explaining trade …
Should Poverty And Inequality Measures Be Combined?, Gary S. Fields
Should Poverty And Inequality Measures Be Combined?, Gary S. Fields
Gary S Fields
[Excerpt] As the title of my paper indicates, the purpose of today's presentation is to analyze whether poverty and inequality measures should be blended into a single index. This question was first raised to me by Erik, so it is very fitting that an answer be presented at a conference honoring his distinguished career.
Endogenous Constitutions, Davide Ticchi, Andrea Vindigni
Endogenous Constitutions, Davide Ticchi, Andrea Vindigni
Andrea Vindigni
We present a theory of the choice of alternative democratic constitutions, a majoritarian or a consensual one, in an unequal society. A majoritarian democracy redistributes resources from the collectivity toward relatively few people, and has a relatively small government and low level of taxation. A consensual democracy redistributes resources toward a broader spectrum of social groups but also has a larger government and a higher level of taxation. We show that a consensual system turns out to be preferred by society when ex ante income inequality is relatively low, while a majoritarian system is chosen when income inequality is relatively …
Endogenous Constitutions, Davide Ticchi, Andrea Vindigni
Endogenous Constitutions, Davide Ticchi, Andrea Vindigni
Davide Ticchi
We present a theory of the choice of alternative democratic constitutions, a majoritarian or a consensual one, in an unequal society. A majoritarian democracy redistributes resources from the collectivity toward relatively few people, and has a relatively small government and low level of taxation. A consensual democracy redistributes resources toward a broader spectrum of social groups but also has a larger government and a higher level of taxation. We show that a consensual system turns out to be preferred by society when ex ante income inequality is relatively low, while a majoritarian system is chosen when income inequality is relatively …
A Political Economy Perspective On Persistent Inequality, Inflation, And Redistribution, Radhika Lahiri, Shyama Ratnasiri
A Political Economy Perspective On Persistent Inequality, Inflation, And Redistribution, Radhika Lahiri, Shyama Ratnasiri
Radhika Lahiri
In this paper we examine the dynamics of the link between inequality and inflation from a political economy perspective. We consider a simple dynamic general equilibrium model in which agents vote over the desired inflation rate in each period, and inequality is persistent. Inflation in our model is a mechanism of redistribution, and we find that the link between inequality and inflation within any period or over time depends on institutional and preference related parameters. Furthermore, we find that differences in the initial distributions of wealth can yield a diverse set of patterns for the evolution of the inflation and …
Intra-Provincial Inequalities And Economic Growth In China, Joanna Gravier-Rymaszewska, Joanna Tyrowicz, Jacek Kochanowicz
Intra-Provincial Inequalities And Economic Growth In China, Joanna Gravier-Rymaszewska, Joanna Tyrowicz, Jacek Kochanowicz
Joanna Tyrowicz
This paper approaches the problem of inequalities in China. It is specifically focused on analyzing the effects of intra-provincial disparities on the development of the 28 mainland provinces in China. Intra-provincial inequalities, as measured by Theil index, seem positively related to growth, albeit the results are only convincing for the coastal provinces. A case by case analysis, however, suggests highly diversified patterns, including linear or an inverted u-shape for fastest growing coastal provinces and virtually no relationship for the majority of regions. The results corroborate some earlier raised questions about actual policy-making standards in China.
De La Desigualdad, Sus Determinantes Y Su Efecto En El Crecimiento, Luis A. Villasenor
De La Desigualdad, Sus Determinantes Y Su Efecto En El Crecimiento, Luis A. Villasenor
Adrián Villaseñor
No abstract provided.