This note provides an alternative derivation of the leximin principle using the framework of Harsanyi’s (1953) equi-probability model. We demonstrate that the leximin principle is concluded if and only if the preference ordering of the impartial observer obeys strong monotonicity and complete...

Inequality indices for self-assessed health and life satisfaction are typically constructed as functions of the cumulative distribution function. We present a unified methodology for the estimation of the resulting inequality indices. We also obtain explicit standard error formulas in the...

We show how to minimize the probability of misclassifying individuals as being poor or not poor when data on some of their relevant attributes are missing, but an estimate of the population distribution of attributes is available.

Using data on inequality for 21 OECD countries over the period 1870–2011 this paper tests the Piketty hypothesis that income inequality is likely to grow in the 21st century. It is shown that the null hypothesis of trend stationarity of inequality cannot be rejected at conventional...

Recent research shows that the merger of economies increases aggregate stress. This paper shows that there is no income distribution policy which will ensure that the wellbeing of the individuals belonging to merging economies does not fall below their pre-merger level.

The paper shows explicitly how the overlapping of groups impacts between-group inequality by generalizing a result on the group-wise decomposition of the Gini index to more than two groups. It is demonstrated that the ratio of Yitzhaki’s measure of between-group inequality to the conventional...

It has been shown that participants in the dictator game are less willing to give money to the other participant when their choice set also includes the option to take money. We examine whether this effect is due to the choice set providing a signal about entitlements in a setting where...

We give an objective meaning to the concept of taxable capacity and establish a theoretical link between Optimal Taxation Theory (OTT) and the proposals of the Carter and Meade Reports, solving at the same time Kay’s (2008) criticism to both approaches.

We study the general problem of public choice. We consider environments where agents’ identities may not be observable. A “rule” associates a preference profile with an alternative. An agent may create fictitious identities and submit multiple preference relations under them. We study...

We examine the association of income variability both within and across generations based on a heterogeneous growth model of permanent and transitory income in Sweden. Non-parametric regressions reveal that income variability is strongly associated with long-run levels of income, especially for...