Income Inequality in Italy: Tendencies and Policy Implications

2015 ◽  
pp. 50-74
Author(s):  
Maurizio Franzini ◽  
Michele Raitano
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Khan ◽  
Wang Yahong

Several researchers have studied the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, as these concerns are remained at top priority in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the symmetric and asymmetric impact of poverty and income inequality along with population and economic growth on carbon emissions (CO2e) has not been studied in the case of Pakistan. For this purpose, the short and long-run impact of poverty, income inequality, population, and GDP per capita on CO2e investigated by applying the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) along with Non-linear Autoregressive Distributive Lag (NARDL) co-integration approach in the context of Pakistan for period 1971–2015. The symmetric results of the current study show poverty and population density along with GDP per capita increase carbon emissions in both the short and long-run, while income inequality has no impact on carbon emissions in the short-run. While in the long-run the symmetric results show that income inequality weakens environmental degradation in terms of carbon emissions. The analysis of NARDL also supports the results obtained from ARDL and suggests a positive effect of poverty, population, and economic growth on carbon emission in Pakistan. The empirical findings of the current study provide policy implications in light of the United Nation's SDGs for the development of Pakistan.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinggang Yu ◽  
Cristina Salvador ◽  
Irene Melani ◽  
Martha Berg ◽  
Enrique Neblett ◽  
...  

The disproportionately high rates of both infections and deaths of underprivileged racial minorities in the U.S. (including Blacks and Hispanics) during the current COVID-19 pandemic show that structural inequality can be lethal. However, the nature of this structural inequality is poorly understood. Here, we hypothesized that two structural features of urban areas in the U.S. (racial residential segregation and income inequality) contribute to numerous health-compromising conditions, which, in turn, exacerbate COVID-19 fatalities. These two features may be particularly lethal when combined. To test this hypothesis, we examined the growth rate of both confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in an early 30-day period of the outbreak in the counties located in each of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. The growth curve for cases and deaths was steeper in counties located in metropolitan areas that residentially segregate Blacks and Hispanics. Moreover, this effect of racial residential segregation was augmented by income inequality within each county. The current evidence highlights the role of racial and economic disparity in producing the devastating human toll in the current pandemic. It also offers important policy implications for making virus-resilient cities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2, special issue) ◽  
pp. 290-299
Author(s):  
Adrino Mazenda ◽  
Priviledge Cheteni

An effective governance structure is central to growth, sustainable development and equal income distribution (economic welfare) (Glass & Newig, 2020). Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) countries differ in governance structure with varying outcomes on economic welfare. This article explores the extent to which governance impacts economic welfare in BRICS countries viewed as an emerging powerhouse, with significant growth prospects — yet distinct in their governance systems, and income variability amongst its population. The article utilised panel static models (pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) and fixed effects (FEs) estimator) from 1996 to 2019 to investigate the effects of governance proxied by the World Bank World Governance Indicators (WGI) on economic welfare (proxied from two channels): quantitative (output stock/economic growth) and qualitative (reduced income inequality). The two channels combine the ordinary measure of welfare: gross domestic product (GDP), a proxy for economic growth, household and income distribution, and a proxy for income inequality drawing (Heys, 2019). The findings revealed that governance produced varying results on the economic welfare in BRICS. Democratic countries which practise good governance principles (South Africa and Brazil) had a negative economic welfare effect from both channels compared to one-party states, such as China and Russia. Therefore, the findings invalidate the null hypothesis that good governance is a catalyst for economic welfare. Sound policies, especially on structural change and equitable income distribution are necessary to enhance economic welfare in BRICS countries. The article is relevant and discloses iterations of the distinction between good governance and sound policy implications on developing nations’ economic welfare.


2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lerong Yu ◽  
Renfu Luo ◽  
Linxiu Zhang

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Zahirah Mohd Sidek

Purpose This paper aims to re-examine the impact of government expenditure on income inequality. Existing studies provide mixed results on whether government expenditure reduces or increases income inequality. In this paper, government expenditure is viewed as a tool for redistribution, hence, its impact on inequality is examined. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 122 countries with 91 and 31 countries categorized as developing and developed countries is used. The dynamic panel threshold regression is used to examine the impact of government expenditure on income inequality and to estimate the turning point of the negative or positive effects. Findings The major findings suggest that, in general, government expenditure does reduce income inequality. Results from developed countries support the inversed U-shaped Kuznet curve where higher government expenditure initially led to more inequality but would eventually bring about a positive effect after a certain threshold level. For developing countries, education and development expenditure were the driving forces towards lower income inequality. Practical implications Several policy implications can be derived from this paper. First, government expenditure is a useful tool to alleviate the problem of income inequality. More integration with the global economy via trading activities is also an important channel to help reduce income inequality. Finally, better institutional quality provides an effective ecosystem in promoting better redistribution of income via government expenditure. Originality/value This paper presents a maiden attempt to estimate a threshold value or when government expenditure starts to reduce or increase income inequality. The sample is segregated into developed and developing countries to further control the effect of government size and the level of development of a country.


Author(s):  
Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Few topics are more certain to generate a lively debate among any group of individuals than the causes and consequences of income inequality. Economists are prone to similar, although more reasoned and empirically based, debates. This book is a curated collection of essays that explores a wide range of viewpoints about income inequality in the United States. Neither income nor income inequality is easily measured, and, consequently, economists have different views about what is the best measure. Economists also offer differing explanations for the sources of income inequality and its ultimate consequences, leading to opposing policy implications. Finally, focusing on the United States adds yet another layer of complexity. Americans have unusually high incomes and unusually high income inequality.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-44
Author(s):  
SÈNA KIMM GNANGNON

The effectiveness of Aid for Trade (AfT) interventions, including with respect to recipient countries’ trade performance, has now been well explored in the literature. However, in spite of the voluminous literature on the poverty effect of the total official development aid, the effect of AfT flows on poverty has received little attention on the empirical front. This paper aims to contribute to the policy debate on this matter by investigating the effect of AfT flows on poverty in recipient countries. In particular, the analysis explores whether this effect translates through countries’ level of export product concentration, as the latter can influence income inequality, and hence the transformation of economic growth into poverty reduction in recipient countries. The empirical analysis, based on 100[Formula: see text]AfT recipient countries, has shown that AfT interventions are associated with poverty reduction in countries that diversify their export products, including toward manufacturing products. Additionally, AfT flows dampen the positive poverty effect of income inequality, and lead to greater poverty reduction in countries with a great extent of fiscal redistribution. Finally, the analysis has shown that AfT interventions mitigate the positive poverty effect of import product concentration. These results have important policy implications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (01) ◽  
pp. 167-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID MARTÍNEZ TURÉGANO ◽  
ALICIA GARCÍA HERRERO

In this paper, we assess empirically whether financial inclusion contributes to reducing income inequality when controlling for other key factors, such as economic development and fiscal policy. We conclude that financial inclusion contributes to reducing income inequality to a significant degree, while the size of the financial sector does not. Although our results are still preliminary and constrained by data limitations, they still bear significant policy implications. More specifically, fostering financial inclusion has one more important by-product, which had hardly been analyzed yet, namely reducing income inequality. More specifically, given the broad definition of financial inclusion used in our analysis, promoting financial inclusion implies facilitating the use of credit to low-income households, as well as granting credit to small and medium-sized enterprises.


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