How do different components of the tax and transfer systems affect disposable income inequality? This paper explores the redistributive effects of different tax benefit instruments in the enlarged EU based on two approaches. Inequality analysis based on the standard approach suggests that...

Previous estimates of unfair inequality of opportunity (IOp) are only lower bounds because of the unobservability of the full set of endowed circumstances beyond the sphere of individual responsibility. In this paper, we suggest a new estimator based on a fixed effects panel model which...

The concept of equality of opportunity (EOp) goes back to Roemer (1993, 1998) who argues that a society shall guarantee its members equal access to advantage regardless of their circumstances, while holding them responsible for turning that access into actual advantage by the application of...

This paper explores if more generous social spending polices in fact lead to less income inequality, or if redistributive outcomes are offset by behavioral disincentive effects. To account for the inherent endogeneity of social policies with regard to inequality levels, I apply the System GMM...

Based on a cross-national comparison, there is virtually no empirical relationship between the actual size of income inequality within a country and how critically people view these income differences. This finding is revealed by subjective inequality data on 23 European countries and the US....

While the risk of poverty increased quite markedly around the turn of the millennium, a further but flatter increase can be subsequently observed. The development was also accompanied by a stronger increase in the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, particularly in the wake of the positive income...

Auf Basis europäischer Mikrodaten werden die Umverteilungswirkungen der Abgaben und Transfers in Deutschland und den anderen EU-Mitgliedstaaten berechnet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine deutlich überdurchschnittliche Einkommensumverteilung in Deutschland. Im unteren Einkommensbereich machen...

Die Mittelschicht steht häufig im Zentrum von Verteilungsanalysen. Es besteht allerdings keine eindeutige Abgrenzung dieser Einkommensgruppe. Zudem gibt es unterschiedliche Befunde hinsichtlich ihrer langfristigen Entwicklung. Gemäß der Abgrenzung des Instituts der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln...

Die Mehrheit der Deutschen empfindet die Verteilungsverhältnisse als eher ungerecht und wünscht sich einen stärkeren sozialen Ausgleich. Umfragen deuten allerdings darauf hin, dass das Ausmaß gesell ­ schaftlicher Ungleichheit in Deutschland tendenziell überschätzt wird: Die Mehrheit der...