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The Impact of Taxes on Growth and Distribution in Developed Capitalist Countries: A Cross-National Study

Author

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  • Katz, Claudio J.
  • Mahler, Vincent A.
  • Franz, Michael G.

Abstract

Has the scope of public planning in contemporary capitalist economies promoted or hindered economic growth and income distribution? We explore this question by assessing the impact of various mechanisms for raising government revenues on investment, growth, and income distribution in 22 developed market economy countries. The article considers whether growth and distribution are affected differently by governments' relative reliance on personal and corporate income taxes, social security contributions, property taxes, and sales and value added taxes, or by the relative progressivity of tax mechanisms. Our findings lend support to the assertion that fiscal instruments (especially personal income taxes) can be used successfully to achieve greater income equality. On the other hand, these findings run counter to the conventional notion that an automatic trade-off exists between an active public sector and a dynamic, expanding economy: although there is surely some tension between the economic goals of growth and equality, it is not at all clear that they are necessarily incompatible or that government can contribute only to the latter.

Suggested Citation

  • Katz, Claudio J. & Mahler, Vincent A. & Franz, Michael G., 1983. "The Impact of Taxes on Growth and Distribution in Developed Capitalist Countries: A Cross-National Study," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(4), pages 871-886, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:77:y:1983:i:04:p:871-886_25
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. John McCallum & André Blais, 1987. "Government, special interest groups, and economic growth," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 3-18, January.
    2. Cosimo Magazzino & Marco Mele, 2022. "A Dynamic Factor and Neural Networks Analysis of the Co-movement of Public Revenues in the EMU," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 8(2), pages 289-338, July.
    3. Robert Pater & Tomasz Skica, 2014. "The productivity of public and private sector in Poland," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 10(2), pages 120-137, July.
    4. Ferede, Ergete & Dahlby, Bev, 2012. "The Impact of Tax Cuts on Economic Growth: Evidence From the Canadian Provinces," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 65(3), pages 563-594, September.
    5. Alban Elshani & Leke Pula, 2023. "Impact of Taxes on Economic Growth: An Empirical Study in the Eurozone," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 24-41.
    6. Tweneboah Senzu, Emmanuel & Ndebugri, Haruna, 2018. "The economic evidence in the relationship between corporate tax and private investment in Ghana," MPRA Paper 84729, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Agell, Jonas & Lindh, Thomas & Ohlsson, Henry, 1997. "Growth and the public sector: A critical review essay," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 33-52, February.
    8. Chokri Terzi & Anis El Ammari & Ali Bouchrika & Khalil Mhadhbi, 2017. "Optimal Taxation and Economic Growth in Tunisia: Short and Long Run Cointegration Analysis," Working Papers hal-01541131, HAL.
    9. Anwar Rashed Al Quraan, 2020. "General Sales Tax and Economic Growth in Small Open Developing Countries - Evidence from Jordan," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 16(3), pages 7-15.
    10. Dimitrios Paparas & Christian Richter, 2015. "Fiscal policy and economic growth: Empirical evidence from the European Union," Working Papers 2015.06, International Network for Economic Research - INFER.
    11. Yaya KEHO, 2011. "Tax Structure and Economic Growth in Cote dIvoire: Are Some Taxes Better Than Others?," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 1(4), pages 226-235, December.

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