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Die Tücken der Ungleichheitsmessung: Rezeption einer aktuellen Debatte

Author

Listed:
  • Burgstaller Lilith
  • Hassib Joshua
  • Benedikt Schmal W.
  • Weber Philipp

Abstract

Auten and Splinter (2024) is the latest contribution to an ongoing debate regarding the historical development of income inequality in the U.S. This debate is mainly based on the seminal work of Piketty and co-authors. Auten and Splinters’ results challenge established measurement techniques as their results indicate a much weaker increase in income inequality compared to Piketty and co-authors. This article summarises and discusses major differences between the approaches and the results. However, U.S. results on inequality are only of limited use for similar debates in Germany. This is due to the fact that the inequality debate in Germany focuses more on wealth than income inequality. Additionally, German data infrastructure prohibits any expressive replication of the approaches discussed in this article.

Suggested Citation

  • Burgstaller Lilith & Hassib Joshua & Benedikt Schmal W. & Weber Philipp, 2024. "Die Tücken der Ungleichheitsmessung: Rezeption einer aktuellen Debatte," Wirtschaftsdienst, Sciendo, vol. 104(7), pages 485-489.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:wirtsc:v:104:y:2024:i:7:p:485-489:n:1014
    DOI: 10.2478/wd-2024-0125
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Moritz Drechsel‐Grau & Andreas Peichl & Kai D. Schmid & Johannes F. Schmieder & Hannes Walz & Stefanie Wolter, 2022. "Inequality and income dynamics in Germany," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1593-1635, November.
    2. Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, 2018. "Distributional National Accounts: Methods and Estimates for the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(2), pages 553-609.
    3. Gerald Auten & David Splinter, 2024. "Income Inequality in the United States: Using Tax Data to Measure Long-Term Trends," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(7), pages 2179-2227.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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