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Fiscal Consolidation and Income Inequality

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Abstract

In this paper, we assess the impact of fiscal consolidation on income inequality. Using a panel of 18 industrialized countries from 1970 to 2010, we find that income inequality significantly rises both during periods of fiscal consolidation and in the aftermath of such adjustments. In addition, fiscal authority that is driven by spending cuts seems to be more detrimental for income distribution than in the case of tax hikes. Considering the linkages between banking crises and fiscal consolidation, we show that the impact on the income gap is amplified when fiscal adjustments take place after the resolution of such financial turmoils. Our results also provide support for the Kuznets relationship and corroborate the idea that trade can lead to a more unequal distribution of income.

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  • Luca Agnello & Ricardo M. Sousa, 2011. "Fiscal Consolidation and Income Inequality," NIPE Working Papers 34/2011, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    • Handle: RePEc:nip:nipewp:34/2011
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    Cited by:

    1. Agnello, Luca & Mallick, Sushanta K. & Sousa, Ricardo M., 2012. "Financial reforms and income inequality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 583-587.
    2. Ghulam Sarwar & Zahid Ullah Khan & Ahmad Saeed & Muhammad Sarfraz, 2023. "Fiscal Consolidation and Income Inequality Nexus: Evidence from Pakistan," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 5(3), pages 287-292.
    3. Łukasz Rawdanowicz & Eckhard Wurzel & Ane Kathrine Christensen, 2013. "The Equity Implications of Fiscal Consolidation," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1013, OECD Publishing.
    4. Bruno Martorano, 2015. "Is It Possible to Adjust ‘With a Human Face’? Differences in Fiscal Consolidation Strategies between Hungary and Iceland," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 57(4), pages 623-654, December.
    5. Sinem Sefil-Tansever, 2017. "Income Distribution in Turkey during the Global Financial Crisis," Research in Applied Economics, Macrothink Institute, vol. 9(3), pages 91-107, September.
    6. Isiaq O. Oseni & Ibrahim A. Adekunle & Ayomide O. Ogunade, 2020. "Fiscal Vulnerability and Transport Infrastructure Development in Nigeria," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/051, Research Africa Network (RAN).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal consolidation; income inequality; Kuznets curve;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E64 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Incomes Policy; Price Policy
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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