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Coping with Rising Inequality in Asia: How Effective Are Fiscal Policies?

Author

Listed:
  • Iris Claus

    (Economics and Research Department Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines)

  • Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

    (International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University)

  • Violeta Vulovic

    (The World Bank, Jakarta, Indonesia)

Abstract

This paper discusses the role and effectiveness of redistributive fiscal policies and provides estimates of the effects of taxation and government expenditure on income inequality in Asia. Tax systems around the world tend to be progressive, but government expenditure is generally found to be a more effective tool for redistributing income. In Asia, government spending on social protection has a distinctive differential distributive impact. Social protection spending appears to increase income inequality in Asia, whereas it reduces it in the rest of the world. Government expenditure on housing is also adversely affecting the distribution of income in Asia. Policy options for improving the redistributional effectiveness of fiscal policies in Asia are discussed. © 2013 The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Iris Claus & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Violeta Vulovic, 2013. "Coping with Rising Inequality in Asia: How Effective Are Fiscal Policies?," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 12(3), pages 1-33, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:asiaec:v:12:y:2013:i:3:p:1-33
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ángeles Sánchez & Antonio L. Pérez-Corral, 2018. "Government Social Expenditure and Income Inequalities in the European Union," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 227(4), pages 133-156, December.
    2. Luis Huesca & Arturo Robles Valencia & Abdelkrim Araar, 2015. "Progressivity and decomposition of VAT in the Mexican border, 2014," Estudios Regionales en Economía, Población y Desarrollo. Cuadernos de Trabajo de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. 25, Cuerpo Académico 41 de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, revised 01 Jan 2015.
    3. Luis Huesca & Linda Llamas, 2016. "Testing for Pro-Poorness of Growth through the Tax System: The Mexican Case," Journal of Reviews on Global Economics, Lifescience Global, vol. 5, pages 101-115.
    4. Abdelkrim Araar & Luis Huesca, 2014. "Comparison of the Tax System Progressivity Over Time: Theory and Application with Mexican Data," Cahiers de recherche 1419, CIRPEE.
    5. Luis Huesca Reynoso & Abdelkrim Araar, 2016. "Comparison of fiscal system progressivity over time: theory and application in Mexico," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 31(1), pages 3-45.
    6. Vanesa Jorda & Jose M. Alonso, 2020. "What works to mitigate and reduce relative (and absolute) inequality?: A systematic review," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-152, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    inequality; fiscal policies; government expenditure; Asia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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