The paper shows that the current view of globalization as an automatic and benign force is seriously flawed. It is mistaken because it focuses on only one, positive, face of globalization while entirely neglecting a malignant one. The two key historical episodes that are adduced by the...

The paper discusses recent world income inequality calculations by Sala-i-Martin. It shows that the two main problems with which the author had to grapple (too few data to derive countries' income distributions, and sparseness of such data in time) are not solved in a satisfactory fashion. They,...

Some economists have argued that the process of disintegration of world economy between the two World Wars has led to increased income divergence between the countries. This is in keeping with the view that economic integration leads to income convergence, and consequently that income divergence...

Spanish Abstract: Este artículo presenta una base de datos recién compilada y mejorada de encuestas nacionales de hogares entre 1988 y 2008. En 2008, el índice global de Gini es de un 70,5% después de disminuir en cerca de 2 puntos Gini en este periodo. Cuando se ajusta por el probable...

The paper contrast three periods of globalization: the Roman-led one of the 2nd-4th century, the British-led one of the 19th century, and the current one led the United States. Each of them not only had a hegemon country but was associated with a specific ideology. However, in reaction to the...

The paper uses the data from Francois Quesnay's writings to derive a social table for pre-revolutionary France, estimate country's mean income and income distribution. These Quesnay-based estimates are compared with more recent estimates of 18th century French incomes and inequality

Was the Euro-Mediterranean region at the time of the Roman empire and its Western successor states, more unequal than the European Union is today? We use some scant evidence on personal income distribution within the Empire and differences in average regional incomes to conclude that the Empire...

Using social tables, we make an estimate of global inequality (inequality among world citizens) in early 19th century. We then show that the level and composition of global inequality have changed over the last two centuries. The level has increased reaching a high plateau around 1950s, and the...

The objective of the paper is to answer an often-asked question : if tariff rates are reduced, what will happen to wage inequality ? We consider two types of wage inequality : between occupations (skills premium), and between industries. We use two large data bases of wage inequality that have...

The paper contrasts Lipset's modernization hypothesis and Przeworski-Limongi hypothesis that entries into democracy are random with respect to income. We use data on income and democracy going back to 1820, multiple definitions of democracy, and non-parametric testing focusing on the...