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On Income Inequality and Green Preferences

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Marsiliani

    (W. Allen Wallis Institute of Political Economy, University of Rochester)

  • Thomas Renstrom

    (W. Allen Wallis Institute of Political Economy, University of Rochester and CEPR)

Abstract

We derive conditions on individual preferences and technology that give rise to a negative correlation between income inequality and environmental protection. We present a class of models (which captures a static model as well as an overlapping-generations model) in which individuals differ in earning abilities, and where a majority elected representative takes decisions over a pollution tax and a redistributive tax. We show that, if private consumption goods and the environment are non-inferior goods, then if the decisive individual has lower ability than the average, she will prefer a higher redistributive tax and a lower pollution tax.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Marsiliani & Thomas Renstrom, 2002. "On Income Inequality and Green Preferences," Wallis Working Papers WP30, University of Rochester - Wallis Institute of Political Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:roc:wallis:wp30
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Timothy Besley & Stephen Coate, 1997. "An Economic Model of Representative Democracy," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(1), pages 85-114.
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    3. Kahn, Matthew E & Matsusaka, John G, 1997. "Demand for Environmental Goods: Evidence from Voting Patterns on California Initiatives," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(1), pages 137-173, April.
    4. Persson, Torsten & Tabellini, Guido, 1994. "Is Inequality Harmful for Growth?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 600-621, June.
    5. Marsiliani, L. & Renstrom, T.I., 2000. "Inequality, Environmental Protection and Growth," Discussion Paper 2000-34, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    6. Meltzer, Allan H & Richard, Scott F, 1981. "A Rational Theory of the Size of Government," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 914-927, October.
    7. Oates, Wallace E. & Schwab, Robert M., 1988. "Economic competition among jurisdictions: efficiency enhancing or distortion inducing?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 333-354, April.
    8. Marsiliani, Laura & Renstrom, Thomas I, 2000. "Time Inconsistency in Environmental Policy: Tax Earmarking as a Commitment Solution," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(462), pages 123-138, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eerola, Essi & Huhtala, Anni, 2005. "Promoting Demand for Organic Food Under Preference and Income Heterogeneity," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24664, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Essi Eerola & Anni Huhtala, 2008. "Voting for Environmental Policy Under Income and Preference Heterogeneity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(1), pages 256-266.
    3. Aleix Calveras & Juan‐JosÉ Ganuza & Gerard Llobet, 2007. "Regulation, Corporate Social Responsibility and Activism," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(3), pages 719-740, September.
    4. Aleix Calveras & Juan-José Ganuza & Gerard Llobet, 2005. "Regulation and Opportunism: How Much Activism Do We Need?," Working Papers wp2005_0508, CEMFI.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental policy; redistribution; inequality; political economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

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