The paper aims at a conceptual contribution to the normative economic analysis of rural de-velopment (RD) policies. RD is regarded as a problem of interaction between individuals; (lacking) structural change or the (missing) integration of externalities are therefore recon-structed as...

This paper proposes relative and absolute measures of deprivation using social satisfaction functions. The relative (absolute) measure gives us the amount by which social satisfaction can be increased in proportional (absolute) terms by redistributing incomes equally. We also demonstrate the...

This paper aims to explain the significant variations in the social contracts which can be observed across nations. It shows in particular how countries with similar technologies and preferences, as well as equally democratic political systems, can sustain very different avrage and marginal tax...

While access to land is back high on the policy agenda as an instrument to attack poverty, strong reservations have been expressed as to whether this strategy can indeed be effective. To help shed light on this important debate, this paper establishes the conditions under which access to land...