We estimate subjective equivalence scales for the whole Euro Zone as well as its individual constituent countries using the European Income and Living Conditions (SILC) data. Importantly, by using minimum needs income question our approach does not require the specification of a complete social...

In this paper we apply the Gini adjustment procedure developed by Bishop, Formby, and Smith (1997) to investigate the effects of demographic factors on earnings inequality in Taiwan. We advance their method using quantile regression to control for demographic factors between 1978 and 1999 based...

We examine theoretically and empirically social interactions in labor markets and how policy prescriptions can change dramatically when there are social interactions present.

This chapter argues that in countries with well-functioning democracies most individuals should be “content” with the underlying income distribution. The authors derive this result from James Buchanan’s notion of a “fiscal constitution.” The authors test this hypothesis using data from...