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Stratification by regulation: Are bootleggers and Baptists biased?

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  • Sean E. Mulholland

    (Western Carolina University)

Abstract

This paper investigates whether and to what extent regulation may be associated with wage inequality. Using regulation measures created by Al-Ubaydli and McLaughlin (Regul Govern 11:109–123, 2017), I find that regulation is associated with larger within-occupation wage inequality. Specifically, I show that a worker at the 90th wage percentile realizes a raise of $1.19 per hour relative to the 10th percentile earner for each standard deviation increase in regulation. That represents a 3.5% raise for a worker at the 90th percentile. Overall, increases in the regulatory burden are associated with 42–45% of the change in the 90th–10th percentile wage ratio from 2002 through 2014.

Suggested Citation

  • Sean E. Mulholland, 2019. "Stratification by regulation: Are bootleggers and Baptists biased?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 105-130, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:180:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s11127-018-0597-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-018-0597-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Choudhury, Sanchari, 2023. "The causal effect of regulation on income inequality across the U.S. states," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    2. Chambers, Dustin & O'Reilly, Colin, 2022. "Regulation and income inequality in the United States," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Chambers, Dustin, 2021. "Toward a Formalization of Policy Analytics," Working Papers 11019, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    4. Dustin Chambers & Colin O’Reilly, 2022. "The economic theory of regulation and inequality," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 193(1), pages 63-78, October.
    5. Broughel, James & Chambers, Dustin, 2021. "Federal Regulation and Mortality in the 50 States," Working Papers 10289, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    6. Chambers, Dustin & O'Reilly, Colin, 2019. "Entry Regulations and Income Inequality at the Regional Level," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inequality; Regulation; Income; Wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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