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The Political Economy of Inequality, Mobility and Redistribution

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  • Ignacio P. Campomanes

Abstract

How does the interaction between inequality and social mobility affect the choice of fiscal policy? I analyze this question in a model of democratic politics with imperfect tax enforcement, where the ability of individuals to evade taxes limits the amount of redistribution in the economy. Social mobility creates an insurance motive that increases voluntary compliance, favoring the tax enforcement process. In such an environment, redistributive pressures brought about by an increase in inequality are only implementable in highly mobile societies. On the contrary, when mobility is low, higher inequality reduces tax rates and does not translate into higher redistribution. I empirically analyze the predictions of the model for a sample of 72 countries during the period 1960-2015. Using cross-sectional as well as panel estimation techniques, the results point to a positive relation between market inequality and the level of redistribution only when social mobility is relatively high.

Suggested Citation

  • Ignacio P. Campomanes, 2020. "The Political Economy of Inequality, Mobility and Redistribution," NCID Working Papers 05/2020, Navarra Center for International Development, University of Navarra.
    • Handle: RePEc:nva:unnvaa:wp05-2020
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    File URL: http://ncid.unav.edu/en/research/working-papers/wp052020
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    Cited by:

    1. Ignacio Campomanes, 2022. "Inequality and Growth: How Social Mobility Reshapes The Main Theoretical Channels," Working Papers 599, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    2. Campomanes, Ignacio P., 2024. "The political economy of inequality, mobility and redistribution," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inequality; Social Mobility; Fiscal Policy; Tax Evasion.;
    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
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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