In a given society, those who are least advantaged would allegedly benefit the most from receiving a basic income. However, the merits of such a policy are generally debated according to the effects on society as a whole, not specifically on the most marginalized; thus, the potential benefits of a...

There is no single country in the World without tariffs. One main argument supporting such policies is to protect “good jobs.” This paper examines if these policies may be defended based on economic efficiency. This paper presents a small open economy model with two sectors: the “good...

The use of price controls is widespread across emerging markets and developing economies, including for food and key imported and exported commodities. Although they are sometimes used as a tool for social policy, price controls can dampen investment and growth, worsen poverty outcomes, cause...

In a rare example of a national goal for income distribution besides reducing poverty (for which there is broad consensus), China’s leadership has recently committed to expanding the middle-income share—striving for a less polarized “olive-shaped” distribution. Recognizing the potential...

Education and income are strong predictors of health and longevity. In the last 20 years many efforts have been made to understand if these relationships are causal and what the possible role of policy should be as a result. The evidence from various studies is ambiguous: the effects of...

This mapping report aims to support the identification and assessment of the potential individual and societal benefits that basic income schemes may bring. This has been done to support those making decisions about the design of the basic income pilot in Wales and its evaluation. We...

In a rare example of a national goal for income distribution besides reducing poverty (for which there is broad consensus), China’s leadership has recently committed to expanding the middle-income share—striving for a less polarized “olive-shaped” distribution. Recognizing the potential...

In 1985-86 Argentina, Brazil and Israel initiated programs of stabilization after episodes of high and sharply accelerating inflation. Among the key features of each stabilization program were the use of wage- price controls, a fixed exchange rate and fiscal correction as well as a significant...

We investigate the possibility to reflate an economy experiencing a long-lasting zero lower bound episode with subdued or negative inflation by imposing a minimum level of wage inflation. Our proposed income policy relies on the same mechanism behind past disinflationary policies, but it works...

Wage and price controls have a long and somewhat disreputable history, presumably because of their frequent use in many countries as short run substitutes for measure~ with more lasting effects on the inflation rate. But, in 1985 and 1986, Argentina, Brazil, and Israel used extensive wage-price...

Along with house rents, wages have frequently been described as the "stickiest" prices in the economy, rarely adjusted more than once a year. Because of this stickiness (which arises from the transactions costs involved in changing wages), a distinction exists between the adjustment of wages and...

In a rare example of an explicit national goal for income distribution besides reducing poverty, China's leadership has recently committed to expanding the middle-income share--moving to a less polarized "olive-shaped" distribution. Recognizing the potential trade-offs, the paper asks whether...

The "Goodwin pattern" - an anti-clockwise rotation in real activity x wage share space recurring at intervals that correspond roughly to the duration of business cycles - is an enduring feature of high-frequency dynamics in capitalist economies. It is well known that the centre or focus of this...

What are the effects of austerity on distributional policy? We exploit the autonomy of Italian municipalities in setting non-linear income taxes and the exogenous introduction of a fiscal rule to show that austerity increases tax progressivity. Consistent with this evidence, we find that in a...

We analyse the question of optimal taxation in a dual economy, when the government is concerned about the distribution of labour income. Income inequality is caused by the presence of sunk capital investments, which creates a "good jobs" sector due to the capture of quasi-rents by trade unions....

What are the effects of austerity on distributional policy? We exploit the autonomy of Italian municipalities in setting non-linear income taxes and the exogenous introduction of a fiscal rule to show that austerity increases income tax progressivity. Consistent with this evidence, we find that...

"This book goes beyond traditional minimum wage research to investigate the interplay between different country and sectoral institutional settings and actors' strategies in the field of minimum wage policies. It asks which strategies and motives, namely free collective bargaining, fair pay...

This book examines the evolution of basic income policy and research in advanced economies and is divided into two parts. The first section considers the development of basic income as a social policy initiative in advanced (OECD) nations from the 1960s to today. It reviews what the negative...

Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Emergence of the Basic Income Concept as a Negative Income Tax (the 60s) -- Chapter 3.The Age of Negative Income Tax Experimentation (the 70s) -- Chapter 4. Basic Income Beyond the Negative Income Tax (the 80s and 90s) -- Chapter 5. Basic Income in the 21st...

"This book goes beyond traditional minimum wage research to investigate the interplay between different country and sectoral institutional settings and actors' strategies in the field of minimum wage policies. It asks which strategies and motives, namely free collective bargaining, fair pay...

This document was prepared by Policy Department A for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs to feed into its own-initiative report on "Minimum income policies as a tool to tackle poverty". It is an update of the previous two studies published in 2007 and in 2011. It provides updated...

This document was prepared by Policy Department A for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs to feed into its own-initiative report on "Minimum income policies as a tool to tackle poverty". It is an update of the previous two studies published in 2007 and in 2011. It provides updated...

Der Sozialausschuss des Landtages Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns befasst sich am 29.11.2017 in einer öffentlichen Anhörung mit dem Thema "Armut und Reichtum". Dieser Policy Brief bezieht Stellung zu vier Themenkomplexen. Neben der Messung und Definition von Armut und Reichtum geht es um empirische...

This paper aims to disentangle the driving factors behind the changes in income inequality in the Baltics since the EU accession, distinguishing between primary income effect, discrete changes in tax-benefit policies and demographic effect. Evaluation of the three effects was based on...

This paper finds a significant influence of Milton Friedman on U.K. economic policy from the 1970s onward, and especially during the period of the Thatcher Government. The finding is based on a consideration of statements by policymakers and key economic advisers, as well as an analysis of...