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Promoting Education under Distortionary Taxation: Equality of Opportunity versus Welfarism

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  • Pertti Haaparanta
  • Ravi Kanbur
  • Tuuli Paukkeri
  • Jukka Pirttilä
  • Matti Tuomala

Abstract

A common claim in the policy discourse is that a government wishing to achieve equality of opportunity should use public provision of education for equalisation of opportunities rather than income taxation, which only equalizes incomes. We develop a framework in which the tax and education provision rules in the welfarist and non-welfarist/equality of opportunity cases can be transparently compared. We show that in addition to education policies, progressive taxation also plays a role in achieving equality of opportunity, and illustrate how its use may differ under the two objectives. We also show how the provision of public education depends on how private education choices respond, potentially differentially by higher- and lower-income families.

Suggested Citation

  • Pertti Haaparanta & Ravi Kanbur & Tuuli Paukkeri & Jukka Pirttilä & Matti Tuomala, 2020. "Promoting Education under Distortionary Taxation: Equality of Opportunity versus Welfarism," CESifo Working Paper Series 8575, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8575
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    Cited by:

    1. Kanbur, Ravi & Tuomala, Matti, 2024. "How Does Predistribution Affect Redistribution?," CEPR Discussion Papers 18758, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Pertti Haaparanta & Ravi Kanbur & Tuuli Paukkeri & Jukka Pirttilä & Matti Tuomala, 2022. "Promoting education under distortionary taxation: equality of opportunity versus welfarism," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(2), pages 281-297, June.
    3. Balestrino Alessandro & Grazzini Lisa & Luporini Annalisa, 2024. "School Fees and Vouchers when Quality of Education Matters," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 25(1), pages 37-60, February.
    4. Kanbur, Ravi, 2020. "Economic Inequality and Academic Freedom," Working Papers 309988, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    educational subsidies; equality of opportunity; income taxation; inequality; public good provision;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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