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Income Inequality, Taxation, and Growth

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  • Maria Kula
  • Daniel Millimet

Abstract

Much recent theoretical and empirical research has focused on the relationship between income distribution and economic growth. The fiscal policy approach argues that inequality is linked to pressure for redistributionary taxation, leading to low capital investment and, therefore, growth. Empirical analyses are consonant with this view in that the long-run relationship between inequality and growth is negative. However, several empirical inconsistencies with the fiscal policy approach do emerge: (a) there exists a short-run, positive relationship between income inequality and growth and (b) the relationship between inequality and taxation is mixed, at best. This paper presents a simple theoretical model that reconciles the intuitively appealing fiscal policy approach with the empirical findings. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2010

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Kula & Daniel Millimet, 2010. "Income Inequality, Taxation, and Growth," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 38(4), pages 417-428, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:38:y:2010:i:4:p:417-428
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-010-9244-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Soldatos Gerasimos T., 2016. "The Laffer Curve, Efficiency, and Tax Policy: A Note," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 67(3), pages 255-262, December.
    2. Rafael Salas & Juan Rodríguez, 2013. "Popular support for social evaluation functions," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 40(4), pages 985-1014, April.
    3. Andrew V. Stephenson, 2018. "The Impact of Personal Income Tax Structure on Income Inequality for Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, and Poland: A Comparison of Flat and Graduated Income Tax Structures," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 46(4), pages 405-417, December.
    4. Lambert, Peter J. & Millimet, Daniel L. & Slottje, Daniel, 2003. "Inequality aversion and the natural rate of subjective inequality," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(5-6), pages 1061-1090, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income inequality; Fiscal policy; Growth; D30; E62; H30; O40;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D30 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - General
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H30 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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