There are currently about two dozen Lorenz models available in the literature for fitting grouped income distribution data. A general method to construct parametric Lorenz models of the weighted product form is offered in this paper. First, a general result to describe the conditions for the...

We first suggest a bi-parametric Lorenz curve, which is a simple rational function, and then analyze the curvature structure of the function. We then build a series of single-parameter Lorenz curves with varied curvatures, which are special cases of the rational function. A hybrid method is then...

We examine the relationship between atmospheric pollution, water pollution, traffic congestion, access to parkland and personal well-being using a survey administered across six Chinese cities in 2007. In contrast to existing studies of the determinants of well-being by economists, which have...

We present two new Lorenz curve families by using the basic model proposed by Sarabia, Castillo and Slottje (1999). We present estimations which show that the models in our new families are very efficient when applied to data on income distribution for a range of countries from Shorrocks (1983).

Though the various improvements and different measures of many aspects related to well being proposed by the Sarkozy Report will be very useful, an overall national success indicator to supplement/replace the traditional focus on GDP is needed. As an ultimate indicator, it has to be...

According to the principle of comparative advantage, the gender division of labor is utility enhancing during marriage. However, in the long term it decreases the earning power of the party who specializes in housework. Once the marriage is dissolved she/he will be the losing party and hence...

The Chinese government has been active in trying to cool the alleged bubbles in its housing markets, especially in urban areas. This paper argues that the high housing prices are at least partly caused by some real factors, including the policy of restricting land uses, in particular the...

A theoretical framework based on economics is provided for assessing tourism's costs and benefits. Suppose that resources utilized by tourists are owned by residents and, as marketed goods or services, are priced efficiently. Then increased tourism promotes net average (i.e., Pareto) economic...

It is generally believed that the possibility of making interpersonal comparisons of utility levels (as required, e.g.,in applying the Rawlsian maximin criterion) does not require interpersonal comparison of utility differences (which involve cardinal utilities). Thus, if we are confined to...