We assemble data from several different sources to examine the cross-national effects of inequality and trust on social expenditures. We find that the inequality between the middle classes and the poor (as measured by the 50/10 percentile ratio) has a small, positive impact but inequality...

Between 1980 and 2000, average actual working hours per adult of working age rose by in the USA (to 1476) while falling by 170 in Germany to (973). These differentials are now enough to create significant differences in quality of life - and they imply that growth in per GDP may be a poor...

Within the OECD, there are significant differences in the trend and level of average work hours. [For example, from 1980 to 2000, average working hours per adult (ages 15-64) rose by 234 hours in the USA to 1476 while falling by 170 hours in Germany, to 973]. Since these trends appear to be...