A recent literature has emerged in social choice theory which attributes intrinsic importance to freedom in the evaluation of states of affairs. The literature’s philosophical basis lies in Berlin’s notion of positive liberty. Accordingly, axiomatic measures of availability of choices are...

We study the determinants of people’s attitudes toward income inequality and their economic consequences. We argue that attitudes toward inequality depend on the extent of freedom of choice and control over life outcomes an individual enjoys. We construct a two-stage empirical model where...

"In this essay we ground the theoretical foundations of an empirical measure of the degree of freedom perceived by individuals on the Millian view of affirmation and development of individuality. We then discuss the implications of such a measure for policy and institutional design." Copyright...